《Elysium's Multiverse》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The wall cracked underneath the weight of the creature, sending splintered wood and paint flying in all directions as a shockwave caused Riven to stumble and fall. His heart pounded, and the screams around him only urged him onwards even more as he picked himself off the hardwood floor of the old house to scramble ahead. His brown hair was matted down with blood, and a jagged gash across his left shoulder screamed at him with pulsing blasts of pain. His ruined jeans briefly caught on the edge of some furniture when he rushed past, and the words that¡¯d first appeared to every person on Earth half a day ago were still burned into his mind: [Elysium initializing.] [Elysium initializing.] [Elysium initializing.] [Apocalypse has commenced. Earth to be merged with worlds Zazir and Elhisterii to form the new world of Panu at the end of 72 hours.] [Worldwide Quest: Escape the First Wave - Your world has been inducted into Elysium¡¯s multiverse. Millions of monsters with a variety of tiers have been unleashed into your realm. All planetary citizens and wildlife must survive the next 72 hours or make it to an Elysium Portal to escape the incoming horde. All Elysium Portals have been highlighted with pillars of light across the world. Reward for surviving: Brief introduction on the multiverse and Elysium¡¯s Administrator.] Within seconds of those words being displayed on little, holographic, teal-colored screens to every man, woman and child on the planet - all hell had broken loose. Creatures from Riven¡¯s very nightmares had materialized right in front of his eyes in the middle of the street and started ripping people apart by the dozens. They were all sorts of sizes, shapes, and species - but they all had the same bloodlust about them as they wreaked havoc on humanity. So here he was. ¡°Allie, run!¡± Riven pushed his little sister ahead, nearly throwing her thin body over the couch and towards the back door. The young woman wore a hoodie, skinny jeans and had the same chestnut colored hair that he did - though hers was much longer, and she glanced over her shoulder with frightened hazel eyes before Riven¡¯s best friend - Jose - pulled her to her feet and dragged her out the back. Riven vaulted over the couch a second later and kicked the swinging wooden door to fling it open again, feeling the hot breath of the abomination behind him snapping just inches behind his neck. He landed down the set of stone steps running, ignoring the screams for help from nearby houses and flinching at the sound of gunshots to his right. Whirling around in the dim light of the setting sun - he drew his own pistol out and checked to make sure it was loaded. Then he pointed and aimed at the doorway. There, struggling to get its large frame out of the back door, was a large black brute of a creature. It had six insectoid legs that were clawing at the wood of the victorian-style house, armor-like chitin plating its body with a bulbous back end and the general frame of a spider. Though it certainly wasn¡¯t a spider, not only because of the missing set of legs but also because its head was more wolf-like - extending out from its hairless body by a couple feet on a plated serpentine neck. Its yellow eyes blazed furiously at him, and its rows of teeth snapped repeatedly in his direction. His hands shook just slightly due to the adrenaline, but he didn¡¯t hesitate and rapidly fired three times at the opened maw of the creature as it tore off another chunk of wall through brute force. He felt the gun recoil with every shot, and was relieved to see his aim was on point. Blood sprayed from open wounds in its neck as the bullets cut into the softer parts of the monster¡¯s body, causing it to screech and reel itself back inside the house. Turning back around and sprinting ahead, he caught up to Allie and Jose in no time. They were waiting for him around the corner of the suburban fence amidst the backdrop of a neighborhood gone to hell, and each were panting heavily after their strenuous run towards their distant destination. Fire blazed along many of the roadways, and there was even a large plumed griffon flying over the embattled streets. Sweat trickled down Jose¡¯s bald head. The latino young man was Riven¡¯s oldest friend and somewhat of a partner in crime, had a similar background in many ways, and was 26 - the same age as Riven. He wore a flannel shirt, a pair of brown shorts, and tennis shoes. He wasn¡¯t used to this kind of workout, and he held up his hand for just another moment of rest. ¡°Give me a sec¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t wait long¡­¡± Riven said between huffs as he took another look over the fence - finding solace in the fact that the creature was still rampaging inside the house. However, upon seeing the battle in the nearby street between three shotgun-wielding rednecks and another, even larger squid-like alien-creature - his heart began to sink again. Their screams echoed long after the last of their shotgun blasts penetrated the surrounding area as they were eaten alive, and soon Riven decided the break was long enough. He pointed to the pillar of light towering overhead into the heavens - a bastion of promised sanctuary far out beyond Dallas¡¯ suburbs. This was what they needed to reach before they ended up dead like so many others. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Allie walked with a limp, supporting her weight on her older brother Riven, shakily looking out into the dark forest and finally having a chance to catch their breath. The moon and stars were overhead, and fires still blazed on the eastern Dallas skyline with occasional explosions being seen even from here. There was also the large pillar of light that they were closing in on, making the surrounding forest at least seeable during their trek even despite it being the dead of night. "Are you ok?" Riven gave the young woman a soft, gentle smile. "You look worn out." She glared at him incredulously between huffs, but then caught the slightly teasing smile. She let out a groan and let out a barking cough that shook her entire body. "That would be the understatement of the century." "Well buck up. We''re going to make it." He gave her an encouraging nudge, then bent down to carry her on his back without another word when her ragged breathing became heavier. She smiled graciously, then hopped on - and they were off again. "Thanks Riven." Stepping over a half-eaten human body, they came along the corpse of another one of those squid-creatures that¡¯d been torn apart by a hail of bullets. Long, thick tentacles with serrated spines along its suckers and smooth, brown skin were testimonies to how deadly this thing was. It was also far larger than any of the three of them - probably weighing as much as a rhinoceros or maybe even an elephant. Its ugly, green eyes lay dilated in death, and the trio took a moment to stare at it before they kept on going. Leaves crunched underfoot and the hoot of an owl sounded out from above. Their nerves were on edge, and Riven palmed the cold steel of the single gun they had in their group. He only had one magazine left, and they were only 9mm bullets¡­ not nearly enough to kill any of the bigger creatures they¡¯d seen thus far - but maybe enough to kill the smaller ones. A couple of the monsters they¡¯d seen were as small as household pets, but they were still very dangerous as some of them spit acid or shot fireballs out of their little clawed hands. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Jose muttered under his breath, grimacing as he clutched at a wound he¡¯d sustained while running earlier that day. ¡°The apocalypse? This is un-fucking-believable.¡± Riven snorted, still carrying Allie and comfortingly squeezing the hand that latched onto his shirt. Straightening to his full height of around 6 feet while adjusting his posture, and readjusting Allie''s weight, he felt his back crack with the stretch and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never been the religious type¡­ but this certainly does seem like the apocalypse to me.¡± ¡°It said something about an administrator and multiverse¡­¡± Allie mumbled from behind, her skinny legs wrapping around his waist while still nervously looking around. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but I¡¯m scared. This is scary, Riven.¡± Riven gave her another squeeze of reassurance. She was so frail¡­ and she was the one person in the world Riven would do anything for. The one remaining family member he had, and he loved her more than anything. He¡¯d be damned if he let anything happen to her. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re safe. We¡¯ll be fine.¡± Her voice was on the verge of tears. ¡°Promise?¡± He smiled and tried not to chuckle at how childish the question was, but now was not the time to tease her about something like that. ¡°I promise.¡± Putting the gun in its holster and brushing his hands through his hair with an exasperated sigh, Riven trudged onwards with Jose just slightly ahead. He never in a million years would have guessed that today would have been the day that the world ended, but how or why didn¡¯t really matter anymore. He pulled out his phone, trying to get an idea of what was going on in the world. It only had 6% battery left, as he¡¯d forgotten to charge it the night before - but he was still able to access the internet. The major news networks were mostly down with the exception of one or two - but there were a lot of major online social networks or forums that were still ablaze with chatter. All of them said the same basic thing: this event was indeed worldwide. Riven called his friend over to watch what he was seeing, and their jaws dropped in conjunction with one another after seeing the video that¡¯d been posted displaying the fall of the White House. It was overrun with giant carnivorous beetles that shrugged off most small arms fire, and the president¡¯s corpse was being dragged across the lawn on what had been a live recording earlier that day via helicopter. The news reporter in the recording was in a state of shock, her voice sounded like it was on the verge of tears as she screamed over the winding blades just overhead and into the mic. ¡°THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN KILLED! OH MY GOD! THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN KILLED! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! WHERE DID THESE CREATURES COME FROM AND WHY ARE THEY ATTACKING US!? THE ARMY IS STILL TRYING TO SAVE OTHER VIP¡¯S FROM THE CAPITAL, BUT THESE ALIENS ARE LITERALLY EVERYWHERE AND THE SITUATION IS LOOKING BLEAK!¡± From there her words were lost in static, and Riven moved on to the next video. And then the next, and the next. Carnage, burning buildings, mass death and an exodus of people from the cities towards the randomly scattered beacons of light that numbered in the tens of thousands or even more across all the countries of the world - this is what they saw until Riven¡¯s phone died with a beep. Neither Allie nor Jose had their phones on them in the mad scramble they¡¯d taken out of the apartment they all shared earlier that day, but none of them wanted to look anymore after that anyways. It was depressing, realizing that everything around them was being destroyed. All of civilization¡¯s accomplishments and creations, just being obliterated almost overnight by a wave of alien creatures that came in all shapes and sizes. The pillar of light in the distance pulsed with a white, warm light, radiating power out towards them that the trio all felt across their skin as a pleasant embrace. It was a promise of safety, one that they could only take on the word of the strange notifications that¡¯d appeared as holograms in front of them right before everything had gone to hell. ¡°It seems to be expanding.¡± Riven stated calmly, turning to the other two and nodding his head in the direction of the pillar of light. He gave a comforting smile to both of them. ¡°Come on then. We probably have another hour to go¡­ Hopefully it really is safe there like the message said.¡± Jose snorted in dissatisfaction, but trudged onwards after looking back at the corpse of the monster nearby. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we aren¡¯t eaten along the way, I really don¡¯t want to become octopus food anytime soon.¡± Riven gave Allie a wink and pulled her along. ¡°I think we can all agree with that notion.¡± *** [Worldwide Quest: Escape the First Wave - Complete.] Chapter 2 Chapter 2 [Worldwide Quest: Escape the First Wave - Complete. Welcome to Elysium¡¯s cortex. Welcome to the multiverse. I am the Elysium Administrator, caretaker of this new universe. Riven, Allie, and Jose - You and hundreds of millions of others from Earth are being uploaded into Elysium at this very moment. Laws of physics have been altered. Spells have been introduced. Miracles have been introduced. Martial Arts have been introduced. Multiverse initiated. Cultivation and the Dao has been introduced. Earth is now being incorporated. Common Language for Elysium¡¯s Multiverse has been instilled in all participants for equal communication opportunities.] [Please Review your status page by thinking or saying the words ¡®status page¡¯ with intent.] [ERROR - REROUTING PARTICIPANT. UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY ACQUIRED. SYSTEM NOW CONSIDERING ALTERNATE PATHWAY.] Riven blinked as he found himself in a large void of white light. Hadn¡¯t he just touched that pillar of light? Was he inside the pillar now? He was no longer wearing his previous outfit, and as he looked around into the vast nothingness - he found that even his body was missing. His brown hair, slim athletic body and green eyes were entirely gone. The 26 year old man was completely missing his physical self. Where had his best friend and sister gone? [System analysis complete: Riven Thane is registered as a match for Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage starter quest. Criteria Met: Extremely high magical affinity detected for the Unholy Pillar and all related sub-pillars. Unnaturally high affinity detected for the Blood Sub-pillar related to unique bloodline.] [Initializing loading sequence. Starting location acquired. If you successfully complete the starter quest and tutorials afterward, you will be reunited with Allie and Jose as long as they too succeed in their own independent trials.] [Upload finishing in 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­] *** [Welcome to Elysium¡¯s Multiverse.] Riven came to his senses with a gasp and shot up from his position on the cold stone ground. Water pelted his skin as a torrent of rain launched into him from the stormy heavens amidst heavy claps of thunder and flashes of lightning. He gagged, his muscles spasming as he hurled and dry heaved ¨C twisting around onto his front and trying to clear his head of the nausea as black ichor trickled from his mouth onto the ground. Wait¡­ black ichor? [***Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage Start Quest: Special, One-Time Event*** Your first step into Elysium has not been an easy one, and you have been given a test to complete prior to your tutorial. Your past haunts you and your future is uncertain. You have fallen from the grace of your peers and have been forgotten, a lone man in a sea of those who care little about you or your circumstances¡­ Yet, you find that you don¡¯t need them. You can do this on your own. All on your own¡­ let the world be damned in your wake, as you tread the path few dare to take. ***Notice: All 1672 participants on Earth having Unholy-related bloodlines have been rerouted into Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage Starter Quest. ***Notice: You have been afflicted with the Curse of Anthus, and your body begins to painfully rot from the inside out. Be within the first 200 participants to reach the top of the pyramid, or die.] Another crack of lightning lit up the sky, and despite the immense amount of nausea and pain his body was riddled with ¨C Riven couldn¡¯t help but gape at his surroundings now that his vision was beginning to clear. In front of him was a massive, looming pyramid of almost Aztec design. It had at least two hundred large steps before the top, and simply put - was huge. Stone statues of gargoyles, hooded skeletons bearing scythes, gigantic skulls and black knights were placed at intervals around the pyramid all the way up to the halfway point along the side. At the top of the pyramid a pillar of green fire rose skywards into the dark heavens amidst the downpour of rain. Even despite the pillar of eerie green flames reaching skywards at the top of the pyramid, the structure seemed to soak up light around it and the flaming pillar did little to illuminate the pyramid given its size. The pyramid sat as a monolith amidst a barren wasteland of dead trees in a sprawling forest that spread out into the horizon. Cold winds blew through their dead branches and rattled their old, withered bark with a sound that could only be described akin to that of sandpaper rubbing against sandpaper, though even this was somewhat dampened by the continued booming of thunder and torrent of water falling from the heavens. Lastly, and to Riven¡¯s growing confusion, he saw hundreds of other people just like him crawling to their feet and orienting themselves to their surroundings. Men and women of many ages glanced over at one another in shock, surprised to be here by all accounts, a few of them tried yelling to one another over the blasting sound of the storm. Why had Allie been taken from him!? This damnable alien god-figure could go straight to hell! Riven felt a lurching sensation in his gut again, and he doubled over with an intense coughing fit that left his insides reeling with pain. Looking down in astonishment as more black ichor shot out of his mouth and splattered along the stone ground at the pyramid¡¯s base, he went wide eyed. Panic set in when he noticed that down along his stomach: there were growing clumps of blackened, necrosing veins slowly spreading across his abdomen and chest. Many of the others around him were in similar states of shock and denial over the next couple of seconds. Some looked to one another as if to ask whether or not this was real, others keeled over in pain, and even more of them stood staring up at the pyramid like deer caught in headlights. But when one of the other young men nearby began to get up and sprinted headlong towards the pyramid¡¯s steps, then started ascending despite his own body showing signs of the same rot that afflicted Riven ¨C that¡¯s when the horror truly hit home. If that prompt that¡¯d appeared had been true he needed to get moving, and he wasn¡¯t about to bet his life on all this being some kind of nightmare. He could find the answers to the plethora of other questions he had later. Adrenaline flooded his body and Riven¡¯s muscles nearly spasmed as he shot forward across the short gap between himself and the steps leading up the dark pyramid. He could only curse and bound up the large carved steps ¨C each at least three feet high ¨C as a swarm of other people quickly began to follow, a mixture of horror and frantic need setting in across the scattered crowd. The sky rumbled and the wind and rain continued to crash down upon him. His bare feet pushed against the cold stone, slipping more than once as he drove himself ¨C step by step ¨C up the dark pyramid¡¯s face. A looming statue of a knight came into his field of view while Riven tried in vain to wipe away rain water from his face amidst the downpour. Riven paused, briefly looking up and into the dull set eyes when he heard a sharp crack of noise, and the figure quickly started to crumble along its joints. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Ah¡­ Fuck you.¡± Heart picking up its pace as the knight began to move with chips of stone breaking off its body as it whirled on him, he shouted out in a panic and lurched to the left to narrowly dodge a slow-coming sword strike that shattered part of the step he¡¯d been on not even a moment before. He felt like his chest was going to explode. The rolling pauldrons of the creature shifted, the statue that was easily twice his size looked his way¡­ and it silently turned to meet him once more. All around the pyramid, as people began encountering their own monstrosities made from the bedrock of the pyramid¡¯s body that they¡¯d thought to have just been statues, screams began to erupt amidst the clash of thundering clouds. The oncoming torrent of water falling from the skies did little to drown out the sounds of horrified wails. The statue let out a creaking, guttural groan and lifted its weapon again - but Riven didn¡¯t wait around to let the slow-moving attack bash him. He dodged left ¨C slipping and skinning his arm in the process as a stinging pain shot up the length of his left limb when another blow crashed into the stone steps nearby. Grunting in exasperation and disbelief at his current situation while he made a mad dash to regain the lost ground, he set his sights higher. He only gave the statue that¡¯d swung at him a very brief look over the shoulder, then powered ahead with renewed determination. He shoved ahead, barely passing two others on his left before the next attack from a new opponent missed him by inches. A fire-breathing skull of stone turned and washed away a woman frantically climbing next to him, and he could feel the burning heat of flames that he¡¯d barely scraped by. She screamed and writhed, falling from her perch to bounce down the now dozens of stone steps like a burning beacon in the night. An old man to his right and a little further above him made the unfortunate mistake of getting a little too close to a stone gargoyle, which pounced on him and devoured him to the horrid sounds of begging, screaming and snapping bones. The pained or horrified looks the people around him gave as black ichor mixed with their own blood that dribbled along the pyramid steps, before being slowly washed away by the storm, only did more to make him nauseous. On top of that ¨C his body wasn¡¯t responding the way he was used to. He wasn¡¯t out of shape by any means, or at least he hadn¡¯t been¡­ but now he found himself getting winded by doing half of what he could have done prior to arriving here. He had no idea why, but he felt significantly weaker and slower. Perhaps it was just the ¡®curse¡¯ he¡¯d been afflicted with? He had no real answers for what he was doing here other than those god damned text-box holograms that would have seemed utterly ridiculous to him if he wasn¡¯t here at the moment. Had some angry god come down from the heavens to smite his world? Had aliens abducted him? Had he been slammed into some kind of ridiculous fantasy world without even having fulfilled his sexy Latin maid fantasies? He really¡­ Really didn¡¯t want to fail, or die. He was too young for that shit. His muscles started to give out on him as he got up to the halfway mark, and he found himself panting ¨C all the while continuing to wretch up that disgusting black gunk that seemed to coat his insides like coal in a chimney. The screams had dwindled down now as most of the statues had been passed by this point ¨C with only the stragglers at the very back still keeping up with the monsters. The glistening stone gargoyles, reapers, skulls and knights all seemed hesitant to follow them up, so the only problem now would be the other people. Of which there were still hundreds. About half of the men and women who¡¯d started here were dead, having met their untimely ends one way or another by now. Riven heard a curt scream from up above and he narrowly avoided another man about his age tumbling down the pyramid slope to bounce unceremoniously with audible cracks and crunches on every hit. The screaming stopped a couple steps down from where Riven gawked back at the man, the poor guy¡¯s head oozing out blood as he remained wide-eyed on the steps. A large gash along his skull and his neck twisted in a sickening abnormal angle. The storm continued to roar overhead, and he stared at the corpse while taking in deep inhales between coughing fits. ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± He turned. The call was from a middle-aged Asian woman to his right. She too was heaving, trying to catch her breath as her slick black hair was coated to her face and the signs of necrosis were evident along her bare stomach and breasts. It was just like his own body, where the black signs of rot were beginning to creep into his pectoralis muscles and even his right thigh. ¡°Keep moving!¡± She puked, throwing a hand back down to the trailing people behind them and to the few men and women who were climbing ahead. ¡°We are in the forefront! Don¡¯t let yourself die because you get a weak stomach!¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah you¡¯re right¡­¡± Riven shakily gulped, nodding to her and trying to smile in appreciation at her words of encouragement. But he failed this attempt when another wave of nausea overcame him. Instead, he pushed himself up by his hands and knees; willing himself to move forward even despite the sickness and pain that afflicted his body. Only halfway to go¡­ Only halfway¡­ to go¡­ The second half of the pyramid¡¯s climb was far, far harder than the first half ¨C even despite the lack of enemies. Instead of abrupt and violent ends to meet them, the participants found themselves huddled over and clutching at their stomachs or bleeding from their eyes as they desperately tried to finish the quest prompt for the promise of relief. Riven, fortunately, appeared to have more willpower than the others. Even some of those who¡¯d gotten head starts on him began to sag behind. He crawled, struggled, and breathed heavily while closing his eyes to shut out the pain ¨C trying to concentrate on the steady stream of roaring water that berated him as if to deny him his goal. His muscles pumped and spasmed, moving even despite the heavy amount of damage his body had accrued, and his mind internally roiled with a torture unlike anything he¡¯d ever experienced before¡­ as it became his new, all-encompassing reality. ¡°Out of my way!¡± A desperate snarl from ahead caused Riven¡¯s face to lift, and he saw someone he could barely distinguish through the storm shove the Asian woman Riven had briefly spoken with. She was obviously dizzy and weak, far too weak to catch herself, and she began to stumble backwards past Riven¡¯s own spot just behind her. He blinked rapidly, and with a herculean effort managed to catch the woman with violent vertigo setting in upon the effort. He fell forward, collapsing with the stranger who¡¯d encouraged him earlier onto the stone steps and saving her from a brutal backwards fall. They locked eyes through the downpour, both panting on the steps with ichor leaking out of their eyes, noses and mouths. ¡°Keep moving¡­¡± Riven managed to say with a pained grunt. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself die now!¡± She stared at him, remaining where they¡¯d fallen face-first onto the steps, and winced as new patches of rot began spreading across her right cheek. ¡°I owe you one¡­¡± He gave the woman an encouraging nod and glared up the pyramid towards the climbing man who''d nearly killed her. ¡°Come on.¡± Riven hoisted himself up through blinding pain and tears, his body screaming at him and trying to get him to stop. He looked over his shoulder when the woman faltered in her own attempts to move. He reached down to help her but was overtaken by a dizzy spell, nearly falling over as he stumbled onto the forward step. His body tried to deny his efforts to help, to keep going, but through sheer force of will and a defiant sneer on his face he reached down and hoisted the woman up. Silently, they powered on. They struggled, leaning on one another when the other was weak. They muttered encouragement to each other as they trudged ahead, and despite their failing organs and the immense amount of pain they felt - they persevered. Riven¡¯s mind was set on only one thing - survival. It was a base instinct he could not ignore, a driving force that far outweighed any motivator that¡¯d been present in his life prior to this moment. He just focused on putting one step in front of the other, one crawling hand in front of the other, until he finally found himself at the top of the pyramid. The top was devoid of any structures, but it had a large circular pit in the center where rippling green flames of the skywards pillar still erupted at the center. His body immediately rid itself of the rot when they passed through a thin, shimmering veil of gray mist - and a system notification appeared in front of his face. [You have completed part 1 of 3 in the Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage starter quest.] He gasped and spasmed, finding simultaneous delight in his sudden lack of pain and despair after having gone through such a strenuous ordeal. Tears leaked down his face to mix with the rainwater, and he lifted his shaking hands into the air with a primal scream of defiance towards the heavens. Beside him the panting Asian woman who¡¯d been encouraging him earlier gave him a sideways glance of relief before puking onto the pyramid¡¯s stone rooftop. Dozens of others around them who¡¯d also reached the top were in similar states: emotionally discharging with sobs, wails and hysterical laughing fits befitting that of madmen. They¡¯d survived. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 [200 of 200 participants have reached the pyramid¡¯s summit. 1472 people have been disqualified and are now set to be executed if they have not died already. Part 1 of 3 in the Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage questline is now over.] Screams of agony and terror rippled across all four sides of the pyramid and rays of white light began illuminating along the corpses of the fallen, and then the light began to spread to the still-living, still-climbing participants outside the gray sheen of the veil. Some of them begged and pleaded, clawing at the translucent wall right of the veil in front of Riven that now seemed impenetrable to them. He even tried to reach through, to pull them in, but found that it was as if a force field had been erected there¡­ So he could only sit and watch, dumbstruck and horrified, as the men and women in front of him and down the pyramid¡¯s face began to wither and rot. Then the rot accelerated amidst more flashes of white light that burned them from the inside out. And in only a minute more of that torturous, evil display of power, they were simply gone¡­ evaporating into the air as wisps of blackened ash that set upon the wind to be carried away into the great expanse of the dead forest about them. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± He shook his head, not sure what to make of all this. What was the purpose? Why had he been one of the people selected to undertake this ¡®questline¡¯? Where was he? His answers would have to wait for another time, because in a great burst of green flame: the pillar exploded in all directions and enveloped everyone atop the pyramid in a searing, heat-filled rush. As his body burned away, he felt his soul twist and roil until he too had disappeared from the pyramid¡¯s top as if he¡¯d never been there to begin with. *** Fortunately he hadn¡¯t died after all. He found himself in an oddly dome-shaped room along with many of the others who¡¯d reached the top, materializing right in front of his eyes with puffs of sickly green mana until their flames all died out simultaneously. He began to look around. The ceiling was a mosaic, picturing various skeletal warriors praying to a robed figure that held out a green-tinted lantern in one hand and a great scythe in the other. With more scrutinizing detail of the mosaic, a crooked jaw made the skeleton look like he was grinning out at the vast crowd while perched upon a throne of bones, and behind him ¨C a city burned. And all around the room, along the walls, were a series of torches in racks that flickered ominously; casting shadows about the center where the crowd of people now stood. [Part 2 of 3 in the Chalgathi¡¯s Lineage quest now commencing. Your willpower has been tested, and found not wanting¡­ Congratulations on your ascent. Unfortunately the trial is not yet over, and you must still pass two more tests in order to acquire the power Chalgathi is offering. This time, you will be tested on your wit¡­ Failure follows those who charge headlong with reckless abandon¡­ Success follows a sharpened mind. Notice: Navigate the labyrinth by completing puzzles that test one¡¯s ability to think critically. The first 100 people to reach the end of the labyrinth will survive this test, the rest will perish.] Who or what the hell was Chalgathi? A grating sound quickly accompanied this new message as twenty large doors previously hidden within the stone walls surrounding them began to sink into the stone floors ¨C causing Riven to snap out of his confusion and whip his head around to take in the sight on reflex. A larger bald man probably a good six inches taller than he was nearly knocked Riven over with a disgusted scoff as he made his way towards the door. ¡°Move it.¡± Riven blankly stared at the back of the guy who¡¯d pushed past him, seriously considering breaking the man right there and then. But he quelled his irritation - deciding there were more important things to do than pick fights right now. His life was on the line, and he needed to get moving. Others had the same idea and started for the doorways. Unfortunately he was centered amidst the crowd of suddenly shoving, kicking and yelling people as they tried to dash towards the doors ¨C which were only large enough to let a couple people in at a time. There was fighting, brawling, and screaming that picked up in the choke points as fortunate others ran through at breakneck speed while trying to be in the leading group to complete the trial. Riven watched in displeasure as he saw one man completely beat in the head of a smaller teenager before whipping about and marching through the doors. It occurred to him there and then as that young man bled out on the floor with a caved in skull: that if he wasn¡¯t careful, he could just as easily end up on the *deceased* category even going through the labyrinth before reaching the end. No doubt many of the others wouldn¡¯t balk at killing in order to whittle down the numbers for a greater chance at survival and making it to the top 100 spots. Not after what they¡¯d seen on the pyramid just over the last hour. He probably shouldn¡¯t have been so surprised about their behavior. He was a dog in a cage filled with other rabid animals, and they were all out for their own survival. Wishing he had a set of clothes and really disliking the way things were going, Riven pushed both hands up through his short brown hair with a snort ¨C his defined musculature now dried after being vaporized by the green fire a minute earlier. He had so many questions¡­ but at least things were getting interesting. His heart was pounding like it hadn¡¯t in years, and for the first time in a long, long time¡­ he felt alive. The crowd thinned over time, and eventually it slowed to a trickle with only 4 other people aside from himself still remaining in the chamber with the ceiling mural. Three trampled bodies remained limp and dead on the floor, but they did not garner Riven¡¯s attention. Instead, he remained to study the artwork overhead. ¡°This time, you will be tested on your wit¡­ Failure follows those who charge headlong with reckless abandon¡­ Success follows a sharpened mind.¡± He repeated the words aloud. To him it was an obvious clue for what NOT to do, and another balding man nearby glanced his way with a wry smile. ¡°You caught that too, did ya?¡± The man stated while clapping his hands onto his outstretched belly. ¡°It told us not to rush headlong, literally, and then they all did it. Absurd.¡± Two of the others, an elderly woman with thinning hair and another younger man in his late teen years both nodded their agreement. The last of them, a blank-faced middle-aged Chinese man with dragon tattoos plucked at his neatly trimmed beard with a concerned expression. Riven meanwhile turned his gaze back to the artwork, looking for something that could provide any further clues as to what that phrase had meant. ¡°There¡¯s got to be something here, some other clue that we can hone in on¡­ and the only thing I see are-¡± He stopped short as the torches along the perimeter began to flair, and the previously blank stone walls holding them now began to change. The mural from the domed roof spread and began to morph, with the skeletal robed figure growing new arms. The robed figure now had four in total, and all four arms pointed beyond the depictions of skeletal warriors and burning city towards symbols along four of the twenty corridors leading out. They were positioned over each of the four doors and gleamed in brilliant neon green colors. One corridor depicted a skull with a long serpentine tongue snaking out of it. Another depicted twin daggers crossed over one another dripping blood. The next depicted a burning flame. The last was a picture of a bird in flight. After that the walls filled in further with more murals until the entire room was encompassed, and very quickly Riven found it to be telling a story. The others no doubt figured this out themselves, but to what extent each of them understood it relative to each other was up in the air. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The story started with a crow that soared across the heavens, observing people far below as they worked their farms and lived simple lives. Then a stranger appeared in their village, a hooded man with a skull face and serpentine tongue. The pictures showed him bargaining with them, or attempting to, but they cast him out of the village. It showed the man leaving, but after having tied up and kidnapped one of the villagers to bring him away. The skull-faced man was depicted sacrificing the prisoner with two bloody daggers, and still the crow watched from overhead. The villagers scoured the landscape, looking for their lost comrade, but could not find the skull-faced man or their lost kin until the crow showed them the way. With makeshift weapons and a stampede of men, the villagers were taken to the spot where the skull-faced man was feasting upon the corpse of his sacrifice, but when he looked up - they all fell into a trap and were burned alive with scorching flame. All except the crow. The villagers that¡¯d been led there had been led into an ambush, and the crow was thanked by the skull-faced man with a blessing. Red sparks erupted from the crow¡¯s wings, and it found itself flying faster and higher than it ever could before. The crow left the village to contend with the skull-faced man alone, and they soon succumbed to his two daggers and balls of fire until he¡¯d raised an army of the dead - skeletal minions forming from the remnants of the villagers while he sat atop a throne of bones. Riven¡¯s eyes rested on the end of the mural, only for his eyes to drift up again towards the four-armed and robed skeleton pointing towards the four passages adorned with symbols. ¡°Interesting.¡± Riven stated slowly, coming up closer to the nearest of the passageways. This one was adorned with that of the bird in flight, likely the crow that¡¯d been depicted along the murals. And as he inspected the archway and took a step forward - the hallway leading out began to change. Space warped in front of him, sucking him into a completely different passageway with a *WHOOSH*. He staggered to a stop, then looked over his shoulder to stare blankly back at a stone wall where the room he¡¯d been in was now gone. It was a dead end, the people that¡¯d been there with him were now all gone, and he slowly turned his head forward again to see a stone statue depicting an old woman with a crow perched on her shoulder and a small hole in the stone at her feet. Four stone walls encompassed a moderately sized room with a single lantern emitting a dull green light from overhead. In front of the statue was a pool of softly sizzling acid a couple yards in diameter, a pair of odd-looking tongs as large as his right arm were chained to the near side, and a small rowboat in the middle of the pool. Riven hesitantly took a step forward, unsure what to make of this odd scenario. He walked over to the edge of the pool, then looked across at the statue. Curiously he circled the pool and inspected the statue more thoroughly, though there wasn¡¯t any clue of what he was supposed to do here - until he saw words inscribed onto the back of the old stone woman. He read the words aloud. ¡°Let the acid gently pour between my feet, and thou shalt receive my blessing.¡± Huh. He circled back around again. There was indeed a small pathway carved into the stone leading into the statue¡¯s base from the pool of acid, however the sizzling acid was at a level where it wouldn¡¯t be high enough to glide across the carved pathway. Riven was very hesitant to try and push any of that acid either. He plucked some hairs off of his head just to make sure it actually was acid, and let them fall. The hairs hit the sizzling liquid with instantaneous eradication, and Riven quickly backed up so he wasn¡¯t so close to the vile stuff. He thought about it, looking over to where the metal tongs were chained to the far side of the pool across from the statue. Then he looked to the wooden boat that was mysteriously not taking any acidic damage. Curiously enough, he also noted another set of chains from that same position next to the tongs - only these chains hadn¡¯t been seen before because they were attached to the boat and scaling along the bottom of the pool. There was also an odd black ball at the bottom of the pool, and it looked to be made of metal. If the chains weren¡¯t being eaten, perhaps he could break off the tongs and use them to scoop acid into the small elevated pathway leading towards the statue of the crow and old woman? He circled around again, coming to where the tongs were placed and gave it three sturdy yanks. The chains held firm, and he tried dipping the binding chains in acid for a while before trying again to no avail. In fact the acid seemed to slip off the metal without any problem. ¡°Hmmm.¡± He pulled on the chain connected to the rowboat, yanking the wooden construct over to him. It drifted silently back, coming to nuzzle against the edge of the stone pool but completely evading his grasp when his fingers slipped right through it. He tried grasping the boat again, only to see his hand pass right through the boat like it was some kind of ghost-ship. Puzzled, he began to think of other ways to try and get acid into the pathway on the opposite side leading towards the statue¡¯s base. He tried splashing some of it across the pool with his tongs, but only cursed when a small droplet of it got on his skin and ate a small and shallow hole into his forearm. He tried pushing the boat across the pool to make waves, but that didn¡¯t work out very well either. Grabbing the tongs and grasping the metal ball at the bottom of the pool with them, being somewhat of a struggle because of the weight of the object, he took the black ball out and rested it against the stone floor. Immediately the level of the pool dropped by nearly an inch. ¡°Well that¡¯s the opposite of what I want¡­¡± Riven rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He lowered the ball back into the acidic pool and watched the level rise again, repeating this action a couple times to see if he could create waves that way. He couldn¡¯t. Was there anything else to put into the pool to displace more of the acid, causing the level to rise so it could move into the carved path between the statue¡¯s feet? A sinking feeling overcame him. There was his body, or parts of his body, but nothing else. Frowning and shaking his head in adamant refusal, he tried a few more times; but it was only when he accidentally nudged the boat when taking out the black ball that he considered another idea. He¡¯d originally thought the boat to be some kind of ethereal construct, only to be touched by the chains and acid - but the ball also made contact and was able to push the boat away with the slight nudge he¡¯d made. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± A relieved and victorious smile overcame Riven¡¯s features. Though taking the ball out of the pool actually lowered the fluid level, metal was far denser than wood. It was a pretty neat physics concept and described a riddle his old physics teacher in school had once described. Due to the density, the ball should theoretically displace less water - or in this case, acid - than it would if it were in a container like the boat. It would be heavier, pushing the boat down and causing the level to rise far more than if the ball had actually just been sitting down there at the bottom. And it sure as hell beats sacrificing an arm or leg. Quickly he grasped the metal ball with his tongs again, and then he dropped the object into the boat with an audible thunk. Immediately the boat lowered and the fluid level of the pool rose. Acid began to flow into the carved divot on the opposite end where the statue remained, and flowed through the shallow passage towards a hole at the bottom of the statue¡¯s feet. A pulse of energy radiated outwards from the statue, and the eyes of the crow and the old woman both turned a vibrant red - changing the tone of the sickly green to a more sinister hue across the room in an instant. In the back of the room, a hidden door swung open - revealing a passageway that led off into the dark. [You are one of the few to heed this trial''s warning. Take this boon as a reward, and let your path be graced with the flight of the crow to guide you.] Riven was frozen in place, and his eyes went wide when he felt his body go cold. Black and gray miasma began to billow out in front of the statue before being interlaced with crimson, and an electrical current pulsed out about a base-ball sized globe of energy while Riven failed to react despite his body screaming at him to run. In a blinding flash, the power erupted and tore into Riven¡¯s body. He felt currents of cold and hot fluctuations course through his muscles, over his skin, and through his veins; but it wasn¡¯t painful. It surprised him enough to cause him to yell out in alarm and stumble back¡­ but the energy felt good. Really good¡­ and it was as if his body was¡­ was on fire? He felt pumped! [You have acquired an ability: Blessing of the Crow (Unholy). Blessing of the Crow: Activate this ability up to once per day for an hour¡¯s worth of increased stamina regeneration with a significant boost to agility. This ability is a blessing and does not require learning as it draws power from a pillar or deity. This blessing is currently temporary, but you may choose to acquire the blessing permanently if you wish. You have an extremely high affinity towards the Unholy Pillar, and it will accept your body as a conduit if you wish to utilize its power. Warning: Choosing this blessing will permanently orient you towards the Unholy Foundation Pillar. Doing this will allow you to specialize in various Unholy-related magics and its sub-pillars, but will close off many other avenues of power in turn. Affinities affect how fast you learn, how powerful your abilities are, and what you will be able to perform under a chosen foundation. Your current affinities for the Foundational Pillars are generalized as follows: Do you wish to acquire this unholy ability permanently and bind to the unholy foundational pillar? Yes? No?] He blinked. He could assume that ''pillars'' were categories of magic? If what this notification said about affinities was true, it was a no brainer. This wasn¡¯t the first time the trial had informed him of his ¡®extremely high¡¯ affinity towards unholy magics either. Without much further ado, he selected yes. Chapter 162 - Start of Book 4 (and Amazon Announcement) Chapter 162 Riven sat in an underground room on a blood covered rocking chair, smoking a cigar, red eyes glinting in the darkness. His armor was cast to the side, having been discarded momentarily after not having felt the air on his bare skin in so long - and he looked almost ridiculous in just a pair of undergarments. He didn¡¯t care. Wearing those Chalgathi artifacts for so long had made him really appreciate the finer things in life - like being able to take clothes off. This place was mostly devoid of light save for lanterns hung along the walls that cast dim shadows over the blood and corpses of the cultists he¡¯d killed there, but that didn¡¯t bother someone like him in the least. And in the hallway nearby, the sounds and screams of Fay torturing the man who¡¯d kidnapped and abused her rang loud and clear - it was like music to his ears. Riven had only checked on her once, watching as she¡¯d cut off fingers one by one before making the cultist down a health potion - shattered glass and all. Giving her this opportunity was the least Riven could do after what she¡¯d been through, and he felt like even this wasn¡¯t enough. But what else was there? In front of him a swirling dark ball of mana collected energy, drawing in the shadows and the blood bit by bit from around the room in an almost phantasmal portrait. It was here that his Chalgathi Artifacts were now doing¡­ something. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what just yet, and he hadn¡¯t even seen the other two pieces he¡¯d picked up before his own gluttony-tinted artifacts had begun to change them. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you without your artifacts on.¡± Luke stated absentmindedly, staring at him from where he too smoked a cigar that they¡¯d looted off the dead. The old elf thrall had calmed down a lot since Riven¡¯s massacre at Daskus, the City of Canyons, and was now back to his usual self. Whether or not this was because of the thrall contract Riven could not tell, but he was glad for it. Riven grinned over at the man, and then at Azmoth - who was rifling through the pile of loot they¡¯d collected on a nearby bench near the cultist¡¯s ritual circle. Riven was going to take a look at the loot himself eventually, but he needed to calm his nerves after all that¡¯d happened. ¡°How do you like the cigar, friend?¡± Luke glanced over at him again, coughed, then grinned. Pulling a hand through his silver hair and tapping the ashes of his cigar on the chair arm, he gave Riven a nod. ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. Though I must admit, I¡¯m used to smoking out of a pipe. Not this commoner stuff.¡± ¡°Cigars are sophisticated.¡± ¡°As sophisticated as a blind hag¡¯s wrinkled old ass.¡± The sound in the hallway ended with a high pitched squeal, a notification appeared concerning the death of another Chalgathi participant, and then it was followed by a long bout of silence. The door creaked open to reveal Fay. The blue-skinned succubus let out long exhales of breath, one after the other as she panted - and she trot over with exhaustion evident. Slapping the severed head of the man who¡¯d abducted her on the floor next to Riven¡¯s rocking chair, she wordlessly sat on his lap and curled up in a ball with her arms around Riven¡¯s neck. ¡°I feel a little bit better now.¡± Fay whispered. Tears were dried against her skin, but she wasn¡¯t shaking anymore and the hours of sleep before her torture session had done her a lot of good to calm her nerves. She was still missing her severed wings, but those could be regrown after spending some time in the nether realms. ¡°I left your weapon back in the hall, it¡¯s still lodged in his ass.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised, and he took another puff of cigar before putting it out and tossing the thing aside. Hugging Fay firmly, the two continued to rock back and forth on the curved arches of the chair. ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Fay snorted a mellow laugh, but closed her eyes over time - just enjoying the comforting touch. ¡°Thanks again for saving me.¡± ¡°You say that like you think I wouldn¡¯t have come.¡± She glanced up at him, black eyes staring into red for a time, before nestling back in and closing them once more. She let out a deep, content sigh. ¡°Many warlocks wouldn¡¯t. Some would, and I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re one of the good ones. You¡¯re the best.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He got a jab and an amused chuckle for the snark, but grinned all the same, and after sitting in silence to calm his nerves a little while longer he pulled up the notifications he¡¯d recently received. It was a lot to take in. [Quest Completed: Find Your Succubus Princess ¨C You have found and saved Fay, and have rebound her as a minion. A map and notes concerning the location of a dao treasure relating to Sin has been deposited in your bag of holding. The Puzzle Box Cube Labyrinth from Daskus has also been placed within your storage space as a bonus prize due to your high performance with this quest - and your first attempt at the cube labyrinth has been reset.] [You have grown from level 83 to level 112 after massacring an entire city¡¯s inhabitants. XP intake has been drastically reduced for all enemies below level 75 after reaching level 100. From here on out, anyone who is not at least three fourths your own level will have significantly less XP gains for killing them - exponentially scaling the lower their levels go.] [System Notice: You have ascended tiers and have climbed out of the Paragon rank. Elysium has assessed your level of power, and you are now ranked as an Apex ranker on this world¡¯s power ladder. You are currently listed at spot #5 on the power ladder. This shift of power on the world stage is noted by Elysium, and video footage of your climb to the peak has been uploaded to the world forums along the main page for anyone to view. With this increase in rank will come better opportunities for you in the future provided by the system as Panu¡¯s integration continues. Congratulations! The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. [You have reached the level 100 marker. Congratulations! You''re now able to upgrade you class. Please select from the following options: Warlock Summoner, or Warlock Devastator. Please click this notification for more information or visit your status page.] [You have acquired a Sin Class as a secondary class slot, which may only be filled by sin-based classes. You have acquired a second and unique class: Harbinger of Gluttony. Your Core of Original Sin - Gluttony, has been created successfully. Bonuses: ??? Please click this notification or select your soul¡¯s Sin Core for more information.] [You, Riven Thane, have acquired 7 of 5 set pieces for Chalgathi¡¯s Inheritance. Redistribution has commenced: Extra pieces have been redistributed to other newly appointed Chalgathi¡¯s-chosen who do not have pieces. You now have 5 of 5 set pieces, are the 3rd person to acquire all 5 set pieces for Chalgathi¡¯s inheritance, and the 1st non-cultist to do so. Only 2 full sets remain to be claimed. Please wait for further World Quest updates until after your Chalgathi Armor Set has completely oriented itself to your chosen aspect: Gluttony. Your ability to ping Chalgathi artifacts has been permanently removed.] [Riven Thane¡¯s Status Page: His weapon Jackal appeared from out of the hallway, having taken canine form. Trotting over to sit beside Riven¡¯s chair, the eerie, shadowy dog laid down next to him and accepted some ear-scratches while Riven reviewed the system logs. 203 points to spend eh? And his passive XP sharing concerning the minion contracts had given both Azmoth and Luke some extra levels. That was nice, but it was far from everything. He also had to select a new class upgrade, had to check out the second class he¡¯d received from Gluttony, had to deposit the puzzle box back in Brightsville and eventually needed to finish it, had to sift through the cultist loot, had to wait for his Chalgathi artifacts to finish modifying so he could continue on with the world quest, had to check out the map concerning the dao treasure relating to sin, and needed to see just what the system had posted on the world forums concerning his actions. Hopefully Elysium hadn¡¯t painted him in too bad of a light, but anyone that¡¯d seen what he¡¯d done would no doubt think him a monster. It was going to be a rough ride from here on out concerning social interactions, because everyone he met would likely be afraid of an apocalyptic, city-destroying rampage should he visit. And that was only if they didn''t outright run or try to kill him on the spot, should they ever think they had a chance. His eyes lingered on Athela¡¯s notification. She was considered a ¡®lingering soul shard¡¯, and would need to be brought back somehow¡­ He didn¡¯t know how just yet but he¡¯d figure it out. That was a certainty, and a priority. He needed his sassy spider back ASAP. ¡°Jesus this is a lot of stuff.¡± Riven rubbed at his temple with one free hand while his other rubbed Fay¡¯s back. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just start at the top. Here goes nothing¡­¡± Trying to get things done fast, he started with his status page. He slammed 50 points into Strength, 25 points into Willpower, 25 Points into Sturdiness, and 103 points into Intelligence. On to the next topic: Classes. He pulled up his new class, the one supplied by Gluttony. Riven blinked. Soul clone? Self regulating? What did that even mean? He looked around, patted himself down and internally willed whatever ¡®soul clone¡¯ was there to come on out. Nothing happened. He looked at his inner soul aperture next, and although he did see that his core was fully formed with a runic sigil concerning his ¡®Gluttonous Sacrifice¡¯ miracle - he didn¡¯t find any change about a ¡®soul clone.¡¯ Odd. Well he was probably going to find out eventually, so until it showed itself he¡¯d just move on. He was more than happy enough with the vast increase in free points to use, so he wasn¡¯t complaining one bit. Closing it out and examining the next set of information after clicking his primary class options, he grinned in satisfaction at the list. This was where things got spicy¡­ as either option was a good one. [Level 100 Class Upgrade Options: Chapter 163 Chapter 163 Warlock Summoner vs. Warlock Devastator. An interestingly beneficial pathway regardless of which choice he took. On one hand with the summoner option he could have an additional 4 minions, with all of his minions being powered up by 5% to all stats. On the other hand with the devastator option he was still able to acquire at least 1 more minion while focusing primarily on himself - having his passive physical damage increased by 1% of his mana pool at any given time depending on how full it was. It didn¡¯t cost him mana to use either, the effect was passive unholy damage. And 1% of his mana pool was nothing to scoff at. In fact, that was a very, very large amount when compared to most people. It was more than enough to annihilate a normal person multiple times over, and just by looking at the class he got a very distinct notion - likely from the system itself - that he could deactivate this passive trait at will. Which was good, seeing that he didn¡¯t want to accidentally blow someone up if he gave them a teasing shove or accidentally stepped on someone¡¯s foot. This was even more the case because devastator was the one he was going to pick now that he was focusing on shoring up his close combat abilities - which had been an inherent weakness up until recently. Yeah, 4 new minions would be absolutely great, but he was quickly beginning to realize that even though they were extensions of himself - he as a person was the real power player here. Though Athela and Azmoth were both far stronger than most enemies they came across, and Fay was a great utility demon to have on his side, he was confident in his ability to beat any of them in a fight one on one if the heavens descended and decided to see who was stronger. Though this had not been the case in the early levels of his development, back then they¡¯d been way stronger than him and had saved his life countless times. Even with his given weakness to rogue-like characters, Athela - who was far more dangerous than most rogues or assassins they¡¯d come across, would still have a very hard time beating him if they ever went all out in a sparring match. His regeneration and massive amount of magical firepower alongside his insanely strong aura were just too far above her for the demoness to compete. That didn¡¯t mean they were useless, they were far from useless, but in the end they truly were extensions of himself and his own power according to the system. He had to weigh just how beneficial four more would be when compared to the passive this devastator class gave, and the passive was - in his opinion - better. At least for now, but that didn¡¯t mean his demons couldn¡¯t catch up to him in both level and dao insights. In fact he very much meant to do just that and invest in their own growth one way or the other when things calmed down, because he needed - and wanted - a squad that was equal or at least close to equal to his own strength. Still thinking of the early days during the integration, they¡¯d literally carried him as a weak and clueless novice warlock through hell; through thick and thin, and now it was going to be his turn to carry them to even greater heights. [You have selected Warlock Devastator as your new primary class. Congratulations! You have gained 1 additional demonic minion slot: 2,863,496 demons have already applied to be your new minion prior to this notification. Warlock Adept¡¯s +2 Willpower, +3 Intelligence, +2 Free Stat Points, -5 Base Charisma, -1 Charisma per level has been changed. Warlock Devastator now applies +3 Strength, +2 Sturdiness, +2 Willpower, +4 Intelligence, +2 Free Stat Points, -5 Base Charisma, -1 Charisma per level. Devastator Trait has been acquired. Devastator Trait: When this trait is toggled on, physical strikes apply additional passive unholy damage equal to 1% of your current total mana pool. This trait does not require any actual mana to use, with the most passive damage being done at full mana capacity. Warlock Devastator Class gives additional bonuses as follows: 12% defense for all heavy armor, 9% damage for two handed weapons, +3% bonus applied to Intelligence stat, and 25% increased effectiveness to all body enhancement spells of any category cast by yourself.] Wow. That was¡­ a LOT of applications. How the hell was he supposed to go through them all? Why was he suddenly such a popular choice? What had happened between now and the last time to make it to where literally millions of demons had taken notice of him in the nether realms for a chance to apply? It was definitely a good problem to have though. He only wished Athela was here to vet them like last time¡­ Ugh. And if any of them even thought they could replace Athela, which was a likely upcoming scenario, they could get fucked. He even became angry immediately upon thinking it, then realized just how ludicrous it was to act that way and began to internally laugh at himself. He really did like that crazy spider bitch. Fay, who¡¯d been watching his screens with him, smile slightly after seeing the number of demonic applications. Letting out a still-shaky but content sigh, and rubbed her cheek affectionately against his chest. ¡°I got in before all those other idiots realized how great you were.¡± Looking down and blushing slightly at just how sincere she was being, he suddenly became very aware of how this may look when Luke winked at him and head-bobbed to the demoness in his lap. Riven quickly and subtly shook his head though, this wasn¡¯t the time or the place to even think about that kind of thing after what Fay had just been through. ¡°Thank you Fay, it means a lot hearing that from you.¡± Still rocking in the chair and comfortingly rubbing the traumatized succubus along her back, he abruptly felt a surge of unholy-flavored power coalesce around his core. Internally watching his soul aperture, he saw a new wave of disjointed runes beginning to float about the soul space - not really having any pillar or piece of the core acting as a true attachment. Rather, they acted to soak up mana leaking from the surrounding pillars - making his energy use far more efficient and empowering what he believed to be his new passive Devastator trait. Very interesting. Snapping his fingers and putting intent into the action, as well as toning the flow of passive power down to only a fraction of the 1% he could actually utilize before he blew up the room, he snapped his fingers while focusing on the ¡®air¡¯ as an intended source to be attacked. A large spark of black, green and a hint of red cracked over his hand just with the mere snap, and he¡¯d not used a single mana point to do it. Now he could only wonder just how much 1% would truly look like, and a wide smile crossed his lips. ¡°Fay, I¡¯m going to get up and see what Azmoth has looted from their wares. Is that ok?¡± She aggressively shook her head and tightened her hold around him. ¡°No.¡± He sputtered a laugh, grinning down at her as she pooched her lips defiantly up at him. ¡°Oh come on!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only be a few feet away!¡± ¡°No.¡± He was about to roll his eyes and get up anyways, but quickly realized that she was being serious. When he shifted, she began to tremble again - and it was very apparent to him that she was still only barely holding on by the way her breathing picked up. She was still very traumatized after being kidnapped, and it¡¯d likely be that way for quite a while. He let his body slump back down from where it¡¯d tensed to get up. Eyes softening and nodding down at her, he felt her body stop its trembling seconds later while her breathing slowed down to normal levels. ¡°I¡¯ll stay right here.¡± Riven said with a comforting smile, and he motioned at Azmoth with a head bob. ¡°Hey man, mind bringing that table over-¡± He didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence as Azmoth screamed out in victory while jumping up and down - startling everyone in the room with just how excited the huge demon had become over the course of the last two seconds. ¡°AZMOTH FIND IT!¡± The huge armored demon yelled, whirling around and stomping over to where Riven and Fay sat while cupping something small within two of his hands. ¡°AZMOTH FIND IT!¡± Reminding himself that although Azmoth was sometimes more mature than his age should indicate, this demon was still a newborn. Chuckling at the brutalisk while Fay scowled menacingly up at the armored titan, Riven glanced down at Azmoth¡¯s clawed hands. ¡°What is it you have there buddy?¡± Azmoth¡¯s razor teeth breathed a cloud of hot air, flames simmering from his mouth in excitement along the obsidian plates of his eyeless face. ¡°Azmoth¡¯s stone.¡± The demon opened up his hands, and to Riven¡¯s shock and surprise - revealed a small red bauble. It was slightly different than how Riven remembered it from the depths of Negrada¡¯s hellscape, but it was definitely the same thing. It just lacked the inherent energy and power that¡¯d once been contained inside, and there was a crack along one edge of the red glass-like orb. ¡°Is this¡­¡± Riven picked up the bauble presented to him, turning it around in his hand with a curiously raised eyebrow. ¡°Wow. It is. Azmoth, have you kept this bauble the entire time?¡± [Dark Arts Miracle Stone (Unique) (Broken): The prayers to Jograz Metz were heard, the blood price had been paid, and he answered with this gift. This stone once housed the demon Azmoth, an infant hellscape brutalisk, before the stone was used and Azmoth¡¯s departure left the stone inadequate for proper functioning. Now it appears to only be a memento, but it does still hold faint traces of Jograz Metz¡¯s aura.] Azmoth took the stone back when it was offered to him, and the large demon reverently put it in his mouth before swallowing it whole - oddly enough. Sadly shaking his head, Azmoth¡¯s shoulders sagged and he gave the impression of a kicked puppy dog as he let out a long, high pitched groan very uncharacteristic of the behemoth. ¡°I not have stone. I gave to Athela as present. Cultists take stone from Athela when kill her.¡± He looked up, staring at Riven wordlessly until he managed to get out a slowly phrased question. ¡°Will Athela come back? I miss Athela.¡± Riven nearly died of cuteness overload, and he reached out to pat the large demon¡¯s lower left hand. He''d not realized that Azmoth had given Athela this memento as a present, nor had he realized that she''d kept it on her person so long. It must have some significant meaning to it for them to have shared it like that. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯ll be back, I promise I¡¯ll find a way. I have that soul shard, don¡¯t I?¡± Azmoth hesitantly nodded. ¡°Yes. When though?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know bud. I¡¯ll have to figure that out too, but it¡¯s a priority. That I promise.¡± *** Riven wiped the blood off his lips, licking his fingers and tossing the cultist¡¯s arm to the side. The items these cultists had acquired outside the realm of Chalgathi artifacts were rather niche, most of them oriented towards ritualistic magic that Riven had only touched on in passing. There were some rings that Riven could use though, and some other stuff that was actually oriented towards utilizing miracles - though only a few of them were outside the realm of Unholy. Though they were scarce, he handed these items over to Luke for whenever his soul repaired to properly function. ¡°Horned Helm of Soothsaying, Godsent Charm Box, and the Bristled Pinewood Cloak. These are for you.¡± Riven shoved the items over to Luke across the table, who donned them one by one. A leather helm with deer antlers stuck to the front, a small wicker box with some kind of plant akin to pine cones inside, and a cloak with interwoven pine needles stitched into the fabric were given to him. Each was a miracle-boosting item, each was oriented towards the Fae Foundational Pillar and the Forest Sub-pillar. ¡°How¡¯s your recovery coming along by the way?¡± Luke tightened the cloak around his waist with a cloth belt, then made sure the charm box was appropriately fastened to it. Adjusting the horned helmet one more time, the old silver-aired elf widely smiled. ¡°I can feel the soul slowly starting to repair itself, I even went down 1% in terms of soul damage on my status page. It¡¯s slow going, but changing into a thrall was the best decisionI could have ever made. It¡¯s actually healing me!!!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Riven nodded, appreciating just how happy and excited the old man was. ¡°Good to hear. I noticed it too, but I figured I wouldn¡¯t say anything yet. Do you think you¡¯ll be able to use those items when your abilities are back in business?¡± Luke nodded, suddenly going serious. ¡°Yes, though I specialized more in Storm than Forest. I still have a few Forest miracles however, as long as the pillar etchings weren¡¯t utterly destroyed.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Riven went back to sorting the materials on the table. There were odds and ends including string, animal bones, human hair, a scalp, oddly colored salts, shriveled herbs, and a number of differently colored chalk pieces rolled up in parchment. ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of this shit is.¡± Riven deposited them into his inventory nonetheless, not wanting to waste it as it¡¯d obviously been useful to these cultists - so it probably had SOME value. The dead cultists and the eldritch demon had also carried some caster equipment for mages, specifically warlocks, but it was a little bit below what he wanted to equip in terms of value. It¡¯d still be good to bring back to his budding empire though, as he was sure some novice warlocks would be able use the wands, gloves and two amulets he¡¯d found. But there were five items he did find interesting. Two were basic enchanted gold-band rings, each of them boosting his intelligence by a small amount that he slipped onto his fingers next to the witch¡¯s ring of grand casting. Then there was a basic brown ¡®Whip of Debaucherous Taming which was¡­ unique. There was also the white blade with black runes, a demon slayer blade, that¡¯d been used to kill Athela - and he promptly stored that for experimentation purposes to see if he could somehow defend against these kinds of weapons in the future. And lastly there was Fay¡¯s outfit that¡¯d been so kindly stored away upon her kidnapping - which they¡¯d no doubt kept for the enchantment value and which he¡¯d promptly given back to her after tearing them new assholes. [Gold Band of Minor Intelligence: +7 Intelligence] [Gold Band of Minor Intelligence: + 9 Intelligence] [Whip of DebaucherousTaming: 15 average damage on strike, induces pain and pleasure when struck, with an enchantment effect that causes any humanoid target to be more prone to following your commands.] [Chelfine (Demon Slaying Blade): 102 average damage on strike, with the chance to apply holy burns. Utilizing this weapon against a demon can cause the demon¡¯s soul to degrade at a rapid pace, permanently killing them regardless of contract or not.] The whip would be a good present for Allie, considering she had her own man-harem going on. If not, well he¡¯d figure out someone who could use it. Would be a waste to simply toss it though. Placing the whip and the blade inside his bag of holding, and adjusting the rings on his fingers, he glanced over his shoulder to where Fay was passed out on the bed - chest rising and falling after having put her purple witch¡¯s hat, skirt, and crop top outfit on. The feathered boots he¡¯d gotten her that helped with her flying were set beside her on the floor, and if Riven had to guess she¡¯d be out of it for quite some time even if she¡¯d slept earlier that day. ¡°We¡¯ve got some drugs here.¡± Luke held up a bag of herbs and tossed it over to Riven. ¡°We used to smoke that stuff as kids in the highlands near my village back home. It¡¯s called reeter weed, makes you feel happy and hungry.¡± ¡°Sounds familiar to something back from my own planet.¡± Riven grinned, stuffing the bag of herbs into a side pocket and nodding in appreciation. ¡°We¡¯re going to get so high after this¡­¡± ¡°Definitely deserve it.¡± ¡°Agreed. This waking nightmare I¡¯ve been living in is going to run me ragged. Anything back beyond that hallway?¡± ¡°No. Just a small closeted room that didn¡¯t have anything of value in it and A faint whisper echoed throughout the chamber, drawing Riven¡¯s attention to the black and red mass that¡¯d been swirling in an orb for the past half-day. Slowly, ever so slowly, the ball of swirling energy began to dissipate - and in place of his items was a more unified version of the artifacts he¡¯d come to know¡­ but they shifted eerily, as if not having taken completely solid form yet. [The Apocalypse Beasts, Chalgathi, Personal Quest Update: 5 of 5 set pieces for Chalgathi¡¯s Inheritance have been acquired. Checkpoint reached. Current Chalgathi artifacts have had their stat pages completely revealed due to acquiring all 5 pieces. Chalgahi Cultist Breastplate, Chalgathi Cultist Amulet, Chalgathi Cultist Pauldrons, Chalgathi Cultist Claws, and Chalgathi Cultist Mask are ready to completely merge into one set item after acquiring necessary aspect from soul. As this is a system world quest, this prize is meant to be a boon to the wielder and not a detriment - thus this query is being issued: Do you wish to keep the connection between Gluttony¡¯s Sin Core with this item set? Doing so will allow the armor to evolve and grow with you, but will give you compulsions from time to time that can become overwhelming if your willpower isn¡¯t regularly increased to combat the effect.] Riven blinked. ¡°I increase my willpower all the time anyways and I have Gluttony already knocking at my door through the core, why would I care? Gimme that evolving armor set!¡± He slapped the button real, real hard. [Connection to Sin Core has been maintained. Analyzing and configuring now.] [Chalgathi Cultist Amulet (The Great Maw), Chalgathi Cultist Pauldrons (Twin Cannibals), Chalgathi Cultist Mask (Fallen Apostle), Chalgathi Cultist Claws (Bloodfallen Rippers), and Chalgathi Cultist Breastplate (Hunger¡¯s Despair) have all converged into one item after completing this item set. ] [Chalgathi Cultist Armor Set: Messenger, has been completed.] [Messenger (Mythic Heavy Armor Set, Sin Artifact, Gluttony Aspect) (Evolving Symbiote) (World Quest Item: Panu) (Unique Soulbound Sentient): This Mythic tier armor set was created on the world of Panu during its integration cycle by the pureblooded vampire Riven Thane. Having far surpassed the realm of normalcy, this armor set has been afflicted with the original sin of Gluttony. As a messenger of sin and a holder of a sin shard, Gluttony has blessed this armor to even further heights so that the wielder may one day become the tidebringer of wanton destruction Gluttony seeks. All shall perish before the great maw, all hail the abyssal depths. > Devour - This amulet can use shadowy tendrils to attack and pull in prey for devouring. If bitten, a potent paralytic poison is applied to your enemy. Devouring enemies allows this item set to slowly grow. > Identifier¡¯s Clause: Wearing this item increases your ability to identify information concerning items or living creatures, being the equivalent of a low tier identifier class. Your own basic information will be much harder to identify. > Blood in the Eyes: These pauldrons absorb blood mana passively from your surroundings up to a maximum of double your normal mana pool. These pauldrons act as a reservoir for your passive vampiric regeneration, this suit¡¯s Launch ability, and acts as a mana font to pull from like you would environmental resources. Once the pauldron¡¯s eyes dim, your extra resource pool has run out. > Ripping Claws: Punching someone with the spikes of your gauntlets will cause massive hemorrhaging damage over time. > Launch: The back of your suit can open up, creating a blast of sin energy that damages enemies and acts as a propulsion method to blast you in a given direction at speeds dependent on how much energy you drain from the stored reservoir of your pauldrons. > +20% to all base stats > +300 Strength, +600 Sturdiness, +300 Agility > +1858 Defense to all Plated Areas of Armor > + 965 Defense to all Bloodsilk Areas Between Plates > Natural sunlight does not affect you while wearing this suit > Liquid breathing is bestowed upon you while wearing this suit > All senses enhanced by 40% while wearing this suit > Allows passage free from harm in any underverse controlled by Gluttony > Immediately identifies and locks on to any nearby Sins or Commandments > This armor set will occasionally urge you to undertake feeding frenzies. Wear at your own risk. A high willpower is needed to combat the urges.] Mythic. That was one Riven hadn¡¯t heard of before. He¡¯d heard of ¡®Elite¡¯ tier and ¡®Legendary¡¯ tier, though even these he¡¯d had very little information about before now. He knew Allie had legendary tier soulwoven armor after she¡¯d sacrificed a group of people in the tutorial, but ¡®Mythic¡¯? Not even Negrada¡¯s merchants had talked to him about this. So¡­ He assumed that this was a pretty good armor set? And by the looks of the rest of the status page, he couldn¡¯t be more right. He had a little bit less than 400 sturdiness right now, and this item set not only gave him a 20% boost to those base stats - supplying him with somewhere around 75 more sturdiness points - but it also gave a flat 600 sturdiness stat points off the bat. Same could be said about his strength which was only 199 right now - yet this suit gave him an additional 20% to those numbers and then another 300 flat strength points? He had 466 points of Agility already, but he was ALMOST doubling it with the 20% boost and then another 300 flat Agility points after that. ¡°Is this even fair?¡± Chalgathi and/or Gluttony must really want him alive¡­ or perhaps this was just how all of the Chalgathi item sets were. If that were the case, then each of the 5 people who made it to this next part of the world quest would be overpowered as all hell - just with different flavors of aspects dependent on their own souls and how those souls bonded to their artifact pieces. Though Riven had a very hard time believing other people in this questline had an aspect as powerful or as dangerous as Gluttony was. Riven stopped his gawking to look up when the shimmering around the item set began to clear. Slowly the colors began to fade, and in place of the swirling energies was a completed, single item that combined all five of the others he¡¯d acquired. The pieces were so interlinked however, that he doubted he¡¯d even be able to detach them from one another if he tried. And it looked a lot more intimidating now that it was all finished, with many similarities to his original pieces but also some major differences. The second difference was the helmet. And it was a helmet. No longer a porcelain mask, a very smooth, ivory-colored metal shimmered in the firelight. It had slits for his eyes, and was molded in the form of two jaws coming together to interlink vertically down the middle like two halves had been smashed together to create the intricate helmet. The seven crimson peacock feathers had changed - morphing into what was akin to shorter neon red feathers that almost looked like blades coming down the spine of the helmet and along the back of the neck. Where the helmet stopped, a red bloodsilk layer connected it to the rest of the armor. Coming down the neck and attaching to the top of the full-body chest armor and pauldrons - it could also be seen in patches of crimson between different layers of plating where the ivory metal extended along the armors and further into gauntlets. The gauntlets were absolutely wicked, with slightly elongated points at the knuckles that crackled with red and black energies. The pauldrons were almost exactly the same as they had been - vampiric, horned skulls with brilliant glowing red eyes. The full-body chest armor had the same vertical maw of black teeth down the center, and it had what looked like four flat patches of black metal imbedded in the ivory along the back. These black slabs each sparked with a similar energy to the gauntlets, but instead of sparks - they exuded wisps of red and black that drifted into mist; similar to what happened when Riven charged a blood lance. No doubt those black slabs were the equivalent of thrusters used for his suit¡¯s new ¡®launch¡¯ ability. How the techies working on mechs in Chicago would be so jealous of this baddie. Perhaps they could even study it? That¡¯d be neat. The armor¡¯s metal cut off at the waist, but it fully encompassed the upper half of his body. Two additional large flaps of bloodsilk hung down from the armor¡¯s back to cover the posterior and sides of his thighs down to where his knees would be before ending entirely. Perhaps the flaps were to keep his thrusters from burning his legs? That¡¯d make sense. He walked around it, admiring the item set as he gave a low whistle. He¡¯d have to find boots and leg armor to complete the outfit, but that was certainly doable. Curiously enough, Jackal - his weapon now in canine form, was looking intensely at the armor set with a cocked and intense expression. When the armor set: Messenger, turned its helmet to stare back at the shadowy dog on the floor, Riven nearly keeled over in surprise. The staredown between Gluttony-blessed weapon and Gluttony-blessed suit armor continued for another ten seconds until Jackal gave a nod of approval and settled back down. The armor suit then slowly turned in the air where it hovered, stopping only when it faced Riven. Wordlessly the great maw split apart, as did the bloodsilk along the neck and then the two sides of the helmet where the metal looked like two jaws coming together. The arms peeled open next, and the gauntlets turned outwards. The suit was inviting him in. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be trapped inside you if I wear you again. Am I?¡± Riven asked hesitantly, wanting to put the suit armor on but also not willing to trap himself again if that was a prerequisite. A low hiss from the armor echoed through the room, but the suit armor eventually turned its ivory helmet back and forth in a ¡®No¡¯ gesture. Riven nodded in approval. ¡°Very good then.¡± Stepping forward and turning around, he let himself walk backwards into the armored suit. The breastplate snapped shut with the teeth interlocking on his chest, then the bloodsilk along his neck zipped up. The helmet came after, letting his red glowing eyes look out through the slit in the metal, and his arms and gauntlets were after that. Lastly, a bloodsilk layer began stretching down along his legs, over his undergarments, and all the way down to cover his feet. Immediately he felt a rush of power flood his body, and Riven gasped at the immense weight of all this newfound energy he felt bounding through his muscles. He felt like he was a fucking god. He was... the GOAT. ¡°You really need to put on your metal boots and leggings.¡± Luke commented while stroking his chin, only to have Azmoth agree with a nod. ¡°Amazing up top, but it also looks like you¡­ what was the phrase Athela used earlier. Skipped leg day at the gym one too many times, I believe?¡± Azmoth snickered, and Riven gave Luke a frowning glare. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go put on the leggings, but now the colors won¡¯t match. Damn, I¡¯ve gotta find some ivory colored spray paint so I can color code this outfit.¡± ¡°Color code?¡± Luke repeated, the corners of his mouth lifting up with ill-hidden amusement. ¡°Never thought I¡¯d hear the day a vampire started talking about color coding their outfits.¡± ¡°Well how many vampires have you known? I bet they ALL like to color code. I¡¯ll tell you this-¡± Riven held up one ivory-encased finger. ¡°The vampires at the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s trading post are all very fashionable.¡± Luke snorted and rolled his eyes. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Now, what¡¯s the plan? Do we head back to Brightsville after this? We still have the option to teleport to your guild hall, right?¡± ¡°That or we can use Jackal, my weapon has the ability to create portals too and one of them is registered to Riven¡¯s Eye - the world-spanning wormhole.¡± Riven gestured down at the shadowy dog who silently stared up at them from beside the severed cultist head. ¡°I¡¯m a man of culture, my dear friend Luke. I have not one, but two methods of getting us back home. Problem is it¡¯ll still take a bit to channel the effects. But 24 hours from now, we¡¯ll be right as rain.¡± "And the demonic contract you can acquire?" "That''ll wait for now... I''d preferably want Athela to be here when I do it, but we''ll see. I''ll talk to Allie first and decide when we get back home." "And the dao treasure map? Weren''t you going to check on the world forums?" "Oh for fuck''s sake grandpa just let me have some time, ok!?" Chapter 164 Chapter 164 ======================================================================== ======================================================================== [Chalgathi, The Apocalypse Beasts World Quest, Panu, has updated: Congratulations on being the 3rd person to collect all 5 Chalgathi artifacts. Now that all artifacts have coalesced into one item set, you are to be given eventual access to the sub-event: The Altars of Despair and Hope. The Altars of Despair and Hope are exclusive areas designated by the Elysium Administrator, where only the chosen of the apocalypse beasts who¡¯ve acquired the 5 needed artifacts, as well as abducted involuntary participants from across the multiverse, may enter. This applies to all apocalypse beasts, not only Chalgathi. Here at the Altars of Despair and Hope you will be divided into two groups: Cultists and Non-Cultists. As previously described, the outcomes of this world quest differ greatly depending on which of the chosen acquire the prizes for these quests. Thus, cultists will be pitted against non-cultists when reaching these altars. Non-Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Hope, and Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Despair. It will be highly incentivized to work together with your given team upon arrival, and severe punishments will be handed down to those who intentionally harm any others within your own category while involving yourself in this sub-event of the questline; with more details to arrive upon event initiation. The Altars of Despair and Hope will first open with an event initiation in 4 months, 1 week, 3 days, and 5 hours from now. Upon opening the altars: the next phase of World Quest 2, The Apocalypse Beasts will begin. You can expect to enter an alternate pocket realm at that time along with other various people, places, artifacts, and events drawn in from around the multiverse; and can be expected to be gone for approximately 1 year¡¯s time. Participants who do not collect all of the necessary apocalypse beast artifacts upon event initiation will still be able to join the Altars of Despair and Hope sub-event upon completion of the item sets.] It looked like he had some time before the next set of events concerning the world quest. That was if he didn¡¯t get assassinated in the meantime by other participants who could no doubt track his location with the ¡®ping Chalgathi artifacts¡¯ ability. Then again, perhaps his growing and sinister reputation would cause the others to fuck right off. That Japanese man had certainly tucked tail and run, leaving his compatriots to be slaughtered when Riven had appeared last time. His red eyes glazed over the information for the third time since it¡¯d appeared. Silently closing the notification, Riven continued to meditate in a hovering position with steepled hands - cross legged in the air. He wore his new upper-body plate armor: Messenger, and had put on his dark steel leggings and boots. Meanwhile his weapon, Jackal, continued to channel the portal ability as it created an orb of multi-colored light above the blade in the center of the room. It was almost time, but he had another five minutes until they were able to teleport back to Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole near Brightsville. Using this time to his advantage while his minions got ready, he pulled out the map that¡¯d been deposited in his spatial bag concerning the sin-related dao treasure. Unlike most treasure maps, this one was actually a 3-dimensional hologram. It was created out of a small metal cylinder, with the top of the cylinder creating a very intricate diagram of a part of Panu from a zoomed-out view. The hologram displayed a tropical island with a volcano at its center. It had a very distinct boot-shaped protrusion that formed a cove on one side, with trees and other features on the island so tiny that they were smaller than a pinhead but still somewhat discernable. The map spanned many meters across in any direction from the cylinder, and he was even able to get up and walk through it - identifying a glowing dot underneath the volcano through a large sprawling set of ancient ruins that were built into the ground underneath the island. There, where a ruined city lay long forgotten by the looks of how decimated the architecture was, were flowing rivers of magma that eventually led to an odd-looking temple. It was here, at this temple, that the icon continued to flash. It had no description otherwise, no details, only the outline of the island, the ruins, and the path down the magma rivers leading to the temple where the dao treasure of sin was located. The very large problem he now had though was that he had zero clue where this island was. It could literally be anywhere, and he had no doubt that the combination of three merging planets would only make it all the harder to find. ¡°At least it¡¯s a start.¡± He looked up from the slit in his helmet, neon red feathers along the spine of his helmet flashing slightly when the portal ahead of him finally materialized. His weapon, Jackal, returned to his hand when he stretched his arm out - and looking through the ovoid gate he could see that it was likely afternoon or early evening on the other side. The location was directly outside of Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole, and he could not only see thousands of people traveling between the Elysium altar, downtown Brightsville, the slave farms, and Chicago on the wormhole¡¯s other side - but he could also see patrolling helicopters and fighter jets in the sky through a very thin layer of mist that¡¯d become prevalent in his unholy-tainted lands. The silver grasses, black-wood trees with similarly silver or neon teal leaves, and the red vines were very distinct. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He stepped through shortly afterwards without a word, metal boots flattening the grass underneath him with the wormhole¡¯s brilliant white-blue lights churning to his left. ¡°FREEZE!¡± a military man in uniform called out, turning around with others under his command to raise a gun Riven¡¯s way. ¡°STOP RIGHT THERE!¡± The man¡¯s squad was a rather odd thing to look at. It was a mixture of two cyborgs, a man and a woman with orange and yellow lines of power lighting up their arms, guns and eyes. There were a couple soldiers as well, a two-story humanoid mech which sported plasma cannons on its back that looked like it¡¯d been pulled out of a manga, as well as two skeletal unholy mages with staves and a whole slew of goblins that looked rather different from the ones Riven was used to. Riven couldn¡¯t quite place it, and he stared at the little green men for quite some time while ignoring the startled soldier and his squad. The goblins were slightly bigger, but that wasn¡¯t it¡­ they looked more self aware. Intelligent even by the way they weren¡¯t picking their noses and dawdling about, or by the way they interacted with each other or the passing travelers. Or by the way one of those goblins was the first to recognize him before any of the others did. The goblin at the forefront of the mixed squad, a small green creature wearing body armor native to earth about three and a half feet tall, was warily clutching at his own daggers. The weapons had obviously been enhanced by Chicago¡¯s engineers due to the way the tips of their blades were plasma-based, but the little man¡¯s buggy eyes went wide when he saw Azmoth and Fay step out of the portal beside Riven. ¡°YOU FUDGING IDIOT! THAT IS OUR KING!¡± The goblin promptly slammed a booted foot into the soldier¡¯s shin, causing his commanding officer to fall with a cry of surprise before others of their unit abruptly took in the goblin¡¯s words. ¡°HOW DARE YOU RAISE A WEAPON TOWARDS HIM!¡± The red eyes, Riven¡¯s weapon, and the minions recognizable from video footage. The armor was too, but only to a certain extent. The maw across the front was obviously the same, as were the pauldrons and the bloodsilk connecting various plate armor pieces, but everything else was different. The helmet and plate armor surrounding his torso were vastly different, as were the ivory gauntlets he wore, and the flaps of bloodsilk out behind Riven¡¯s waist were also far different from the original look he had. He didn¡¯t wear a cloak either, but rather remained in full plate armor as the ridge of feathers along the top of his helmet wouldn¡¯t allow it. The goblin quickly bowed with an apologetic and wary smile, and soon the entire squad followed suit. Even the mech took a knee, its pilot saluting Riven from the cockpit in the central body, and travelers who¡¯d been vanishing into the wormhole or coming back out completely stopped their foot traffic to look at him as Riven¡¯s own portal closed from behind. Ratkin traders from Deepnest, humans from Dawn and the Necropolis, the undead created from Allie¡¯s bone garden, green skinned orcs and goblins alike - they all quickly came to a hushed silence when he appeared. Many of them fell to their knees in silent respect - prostrating themselves. Others gave hushed whispers and avoided being seen by hiding behind trading carts, cargo trucks, or nearby buildings on the perimeter of the wormhole. It was very apparent that Riven inspired respect here, but he also inspired a sense of fear. The soldier on the ground, a man who no doubt came from the military units of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Rockford, shakily put his head to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my king, I did not realize it was you and I¡­¡± His voice trailed off into a hushed whisper, and it was obvious by the way he shook that he was terrified. Riven frowned. ¡°Has it really been long enough that you forgot what I did for your city? I¡¯m not some crazed lunatic out to kill everyone, despite what the world forums paint me as. You don¡¯t have to be afraid, you did nothing wrong.¡± The soldier gave a relieved shudder, but remained prostrated just as the crowds of silent people behind him. Out of everyone present, it was only the high elf slaves that remained standing in the immediate area. They glared daggers at him, silently seething with hate while shackled and collared - forced into manual labor against their will. There were hundreds - no, thousands of them now just in the immediate area across the farmlands on either side of the main road leading to the trading hub at the Elysium altar. It was very apparent that the number of high elf slaves had grown, no doubt from Allie¡¯s war efforts due to the towns and one major elf city she¡¯d conquered in his absence. He¡¯d read the updates in the local forums about it. But even the high elves fell to their knees when his eyes turned their way, shuddering with fear as his aura softly pulsed out over the crowds on a subconscious level. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been doing it until then, but he didn¡¯t bother retracting the aura either. Nor did he feel compassion for the enslaved elves anymore. He had too much to worry about, too many lives were at stake across the world to give a damn about the many tens of thousands of inherently racist people who¡¯d started wars and fights they couldn¡¯t finish. Perhaps if they¡¯d not been so intent on elvish supremacy, perhaps if he¡¯d not been betrayed in Greenstalk, perhaps if these high elves hadn¡¯t kept human slaves of their own - he may have more sympathy. But now, they were merely cattle. Property of the empire, fuel to be used for the country¡¯s growth. He paused as this thought passed him by. How different his outlook was now¡­ Why was that? Numerous reasons really. An additive effect over time after his poorly based assumptions about the world had been whittled down little by little through proof of actions. His morals from the old world were almost entirely dead now, though in his opinion he and Allie could have been a lot harsher on the captives they¡¯d taken. And he still had ideas concerning programs to re-integrate any of the high elves that complied and became productive members of society, it¡¯d just take a bitto implement them. Those that stuck to their guns of being racist, violent bigots could stay slaves for all he cared. Turning heel and walking through the crowds, Riven began to make his way to his manor. Fay had been wanting to see her brother Tupper, and he was curious how Genua¡¯s training was coming along. He¡¯d given Tupper express commands to turn her non-compliant bad attitude around in Riven¡¯s absence, and he was still salty about how she and her family had made him feel so at home before trying to murder him. No, she was the only one remaining of the people he¡¯d come to trust before that betrayal. She would bear the humiliation for her dead family as an atonement for their transgressions. Though Riven couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Len was doing, and how far the little girl had come along in her ¡®re-education¡¯. He pulled out his communication orb, modified with Machine-Pillar tech before he¡¯d left to extend to a longer range. The black bauble with mechanical ribbing on its outer shell pulsed in his hand when he infused mana into it - and he felt the connection settle ten seconds later when Allie picked up on the other line. Riven smiled. ¡°Hello little sister.¡± ¡°RIVEN!¡± Allie¡¯s excited voice came over the line. ¡°YOU¡¯RE BACK!¡± He chuckled, passing another group of ratkin traders carrying sacks who all gave him a deep bow of respect. ¡°It¡¯s good to hear your voice. We have a lot to talk about. Where are you?¡± There was a pause, then the sound of shuffling papers on the other side. ¡°Getting ready for an exam!¡± Allie¡¯s voice called through the orb. ¡°I¡¯m attending that academy we talked about before you left. I¡¯ve even made a friend! You should meet him, he¡¯s really nice.¡± ¡°He?¡± ¡°Yeah, He. Why is that important?¡± ¡°Just curious. How¡¯s your man-harem doing?¡± Riven looked down to his bag where the enchanted whip he¡¯d found lay in wait, and he shook his head with another chuckle. ¡°I have a present for you.¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine, but I haven''t really seen any of them since coming here. Hey, do you think you¡¯d be able to meet up for coffee in Dawn¡¯s Capital sometime? Bring a disguise. I don¡¯t want you scaring everyone here shitless after the stunts you pulled in that canyon city.¡± Riven raised his eyebrows, giving Fay the thumbs up to fly ahead in order to meet her brother - watching the succubus take off over the crop fields infested with chained elves using plant-based magics or their guards. ¡°A disguise you say? Very well. When did you want to meet? I was going to drop in and take a nap at the manor though. I¡¯m exhausted, and I could really use a comfortable bed for once.¡± Chapter 165 Chapter 165 Things had certainly changed at the guild hall manor in Riven¡¯s absence, and it left Riven wondering why Allie hadn¡¯t told him about it. Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, eldest daughter to the Duke and Dutchess of House of Crushada, 107th in line for the vampiric throne was somehow standing at the front of Riven¡¯s multi-story home in a pristine black dress adorned with bright red flowers. Her brown hair was swept to one side, elegantly shining in the light of numerous lanterns that now illuminated the outer walls of the manor. The large metal fences had soldiers encircling the area around the front courtyard where a large pond encircled by beautiful death-attuned flowers, and along the back of the garden where even more of the soldiers guarded his compound. Two banners hung from the upper balconies, one of them displaying the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s sigil of a red crescent moon on a black backdrop. The other was just blue with a black question mark. Beside Kathrine stood Tupper in a butler''s outfit, who was engaged in deep conversation with his sister Fay - and there were a number of very pretty high elf slaves present too. They were almost all female, dressed in far more scantily clad outfits than Riven had ever remembered the previous maid outfits to be. They essentially wore enchanted iron collars signifying their rank, were lined up with hands in front facing ahead, had been outfitted in black skirt-bikinis and thin slip-on shoes - and they all wore expressions of nervousness as Riven slowly approached while taking in the scene. In fact the only males Riven saw were the ones Allie had taken into her man harem - which made Riven wonder where the other men who¡¯d been in line to become butlers had gone. He stopped ahead of Kathrine, leveling his red gaze to meet her own while she stood ahead of the others. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you could leave the confines of your trading commune. Tell me, what brings you to my home?¡± Kathrine¡¯s visage of confidence briefly faltered at his cold tone, but the young woman remained in good posture as she addressed him with chin held high. ¡°You¡¯re a busy man, Riven Wraithtide.¡± ¡°Riven Thane.¡± Riven corrected with a slow blink of his eyes. Kathrine hesitated, then nodded. ¡°Very well. Riven Thane it is. Our elder High Queen Nephridi has informed me that my efforts to make contact with you and form relations have been less than adequate, and told me I needed to redouble my efforts. Because I am unable to contact you outside of the commune¡¯s borders under most circumstances, I asked your sister Allie if it would be alright for me to assign myself as an attendant.¡± There was an awkward silence following her words. ¡°And Allie said yes?¡± Riven asked, pulling up the status page of his guild hall that was connected to his own status page as guild hall owner. [Guild Hall: Stone Manor (Unnamed) Allie had guild hall privileges as he¡¯d set it to be that way, but he was surprised he¡¯d not been notified. He glanced back up to see Kathrine nervously fidgeting, and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Answer me honestly. Why?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Kathrine replied, brows furrowed. ¡°Why go out of your way now? What¡¯s changed? Why leave the relative safety of all your guards, servants, and immediate access back home through your commune portal in order to be here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure what you mean. I¡¯ve been trying to get ahold of you-¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve actively been ignoring your efforts, yes I know.¡± Riven stated flatly, stepping forward again and causing Kathrine to cringe. ¡°What makes it so important to you that you¡¯d leave the comfort of your lavish commune to be here - a mere popper¡¯s hut compared to what you have at the altar?¡± Kathrine frowned, her hands tightening around one another as she huffed. ¡°You underestimate your importance as a prince in the empire.¡± Riven wasn¡¯t buying it. ¡°You¡¯re 107th in line for the throne. I¡¯m only, what - 30th? 35th? I can¡¯t even remember. I¡¯m not an immediate heir and we haven¡¯t even been to the Blood Moon Requiem.¡± ¡°You are the son of the queen¡¯s favorite granddaughter, and you are a holder of the gift.¡± ¡°Malignant prophecy?¡± Kathrine nodded. ¡°As previously stated, not many within the empire¡¯s royalty have that ability. It is a key asset, one that is valued above all others. The fact that you and your sister both have it is a tremendous boon, one that cannot be lost to us.¡± There was a pause. ¡°I see.¡± Riven gave his distant cousin a wary up-and-down look. She seemed very nervous. ¡°Kathrine¡­ What happens if you fail to establish good relations with me?¡± At this, Kathrine blanched. She stuttered at first, then calmed herself and cleared her throat. ¡°I will be executed. Along with my entire family. None of us possess the gift¡­ and although we are technically royalty, we¡¯re only barely so.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised. Sighing to shake his head, he mentally willed his helmet to dislodge from his face so he could rub at his temple to relieve his building headache. The helmet peeled back and hung off the back of his neck, revealing his face to the abrupt inhale of many of the slaves nearby. Stopping mid temple-rub, he glanced up at the wide-eyed slaves who were gawking and staring with surprised expressions. Frowning, he looked down at this outfit, then back up. One of the slave girls was even covering her mouth subconsciously. ¡°Am I really that scary?¡± Riven asked with an exhausted, deflating hunch of his shoulders. His eyes fell to Kathrine, and even she wore a similar expression - which was unusual as she¡¯d met him before. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You look¡­ rather good. Better than I remember.¡± Kathrine eventually said hesitantly, stepping in closer to get a better look. ¡°Do not take this the wrong way, but¡­ Perhaps you should look in a mirror.¡± He snorted, then turned to Azmoth and Luke. ¡°Do I look any different? What are they talking about?¡± Luke and Azmoth both simultaneously shrugged. ¡°Whatever. Anyways I¡¯m off to take a nap. Kathrine, you¡¯re more than welcome to stay and we can talk about ways to ¡®build relations¡¯ later. I won¡¯t let you or your family be executed and you can tell the queen that I¡¯m interested in maintaining a positive connection with the empire, but I¡¯m rather busy. I just haven¡¯t had time to deal with diplomacy when I have a series of world-ending events I need to deal with, especially since I¡¯m now in the top 10.¡± Kathrine¡¯s features brightened immediately with relief, then confusion. ¡°Top 10?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rank 5 on the world power boards. I have a responsibility now, more than ever.¡± Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, then delight. ¡°The queen will be pleased to hear it, we don¡¯t have access to the ranking boards of integrating worlds as outsiders - but it is a great honor to be shown as such. If you don¡¯t mind, I do have some important matters to talk to you about before you go to sleep¡­ The incubus and I actually have a dinner prepared for your arrival. Would it be alright if we-¡± ¡°It can¡¯t wait?¡± Riven asked impatiently, glaring down at his distant relative with exasperation. ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize how awful this last trip was for me. I really just want to pass out.¡± Kathrine hesitated, then shook her head. ¡°Hours matter. It involves your off-world estates, ones that you and Allie technically own as heads of the Wraithtide household. Large amounts of wealth, and numerous lives will be affected by your decision or lack thereof. Allie¡­ has been less than cooperative dealing with this matter as she¡¯s busy at her academy. Beyond that, you¡¯re the elder brother and the inheritance technically belongs to you.¡± Riven groaned. ¡°Lives are going to be influenced? Numerous? What does that even mean?¡± ¡°The Wraithtide household is in a state of disrepair and other nobles are seeking to absorb your assets by bribing lesser members of your house. You need to sign a decree so I can take it to the commune and transport it back to the empire from there through a messenger, establishing yourself as a present entity and denying access to those who would seek to sell and buy your rightful property in your absence.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying other members of my distant family are trying to pawn off my inheritance?¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Correct.¡± Riven scratched chin. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really bother me that much. What exactly is it that I technically own?¡± ¡°Your inheritance is that of a single high-grade planet, a trading hub in the Vartesh sector named Luteski. Because your parents have been gone so long the house of Wraithtide has fallen to lesser nobility, and they see your return as a threat to their own wealth. They wish to sell what they can now before you return before relocating.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I own a planet?¡± ¡°You do, and you lord over all its inhabitants - dictating what laws are established there as long as they do not conflict with the high queen¡¯s own. The inhabitants of the planet number at over 50 million vampires and 11 billion slaves, and your net worth is¡­ rather high. For lesser members of your family to pawn it off is not technically illegal, but the high queen wanted me to inform you that you should take matters into your own hands now if you wish to keep the inheritance.¡± Riven¡¯s jaw slightly dropped. ¡°I see. That does sound slightly important¡­ alright. Let¡¯s talk about this inside.¡± Kathrine bowed, smile widening moreso than he¡¯d ever seen before. ¡°As I said, Tupper and I prepared you a meal. But since you are tired perhaps we can discuss this in your room and bring the food to you as you rest?¡± Riven pondered this, grinned, and nodded. ¡°I do believe that sounds rather nice. Dinner in bed. I¡¯ll see you up there.¡± *** The insides of the manor that¡¯d once been unfurnished were now absolutely lavishly decorated. Sculptures of different animals lined the hallways, beautiful paintings adorned the large receiving room, and chandeliers glowed faintly in orange-yellow light. While waiting for the meal to be brought up to his room, he was shown around by the incubus concerning all the amendments they¡¯d bought. The furniture was especially lavish, and it looked like he¡¯d just entered a victorian-age mansion out of an HBO TV series. ¡°My lord.¡± Tupper said as they approached the spiral staircase leading to the third level. He turned, black eyes narrowed slightly underneath tiny black horns very similar to his sister¡¯s own. He glanced back over his shoulder to where Fay and Kathrine had briefly stopped to talk to Luke about the decorations, and then turned his attention back to Riven with a bow. ¡°I wish to express my utmost gratitude for what you did for my sister¡­ When I heard she might not last, I¡­ I nearly decided to end my life. Without Fay, I have nothing left. She is the only family that cares about me, and that you went out of your way to get her back and save her life means more to me than anything else ever could. Thank you for caring, and I hope the man who took her died painfully..¡± The incubus stood up, gave Riven a quivering smile that he quickly calmed down after a deep inhale, and gave a firm nod - extending his hand to shake. ¡°I know it means little to someone like you, but you¡¯ve earned a life debt from me.¡± Riven smiled, glancing over to where his succubus was laughing alongside Kathrine. Then he took Tupper¡¯s hand and firmly shook it with a nod of his own. ¡°Of course. Fay is important to me, as are all the demons I¡¯ve bonded with.¡± Tupper stared, tightened his wings closer to his body, then cleared his throat to break his building emotions. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°By the way.¡± Riven gestured over to where one of a dozen different scantily clad slaves stood at attention, the silver-haired young woman was carrying a tray of refreshments and shooting him wary glances from time to time while putting on a very obvious display of swaying her hips whenever she walked by him. He followed the elf as she walked by, then glanced back over to Tupper who stood at attention beside him. ¡°I do appreciate the obvious eye candy you¡¯ve invested in concerning¡­ the slave girls. God that sounds bad¡­ but why did you do it? You do realize I have no interest in using them like that. Right?¡± Tupper immediately smirked, and leaned over as if talking about a conspiracy. ¡°No doubt my sister would be quite jealous if you did, but Allie insisted on it.¡± ¡°Allie?¡± ¡°Yes. She said word for word: ¡®Riven hasn¡¯t been laid in over a year now, fill up the mansion with a bunch of pretty girls and see what happens.¡¯ She was quite insistent.¡± Riven sputtered a laugh, chuckling to himself and rolling his eyes. ¡°That sounds exactly like what Allie would do. She should know better though, I¡¯m not going to force myself on someone like she does.¡± Tupper opened his mouth to reply, shut it, thought for a moment, then held up a finger. ¡°If I may, your majesty. I don¡¯t believe any of them would need to be ¡®forced¡¯ into doing something like that.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The incubus gestured over to where another of the collared young elf women clad in a black skirt-bikini was blatantly staring at both of them before being caught in the act, and she underwent a deep blush while going back to cleaning the mantles above a fireplace before shuffling out of the room. ¡°They might be slaves but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t find you as suitable. Did you not see the way they all looked at you when you took off your helmet?¡± ¡°I¡¯d thought they were just scared of me like everyone else.¡± Tupper paused. ¡°Yes, that is likely part of it. No doubt your negative charisma and position of power do intimidate them to a drastic degree. However, just like my own kind as an incubus - you vampires, especially purebloods have a very enticing figure. Not only that but they likely see you as a meal ticket out of their current situations.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t inspire me to act.¡± The incubus shrugged and noted a signal from Kathrine - the other pureblooded royal. ¡°Take it as you will. I am merely following orders. Anyways, the food preparations are likely ready now. As a vampire I know your kind has special interests in blood, and I had Katherine help me prepare what she deemed as an acceptable course for a royal like yourself. Please, follow me your majesty - Kathrine is very adamant on discussing this subject of your inheritance before the vultures swoop in.¡± Following his incubus butler up the stairs, Riven eventually reached the third floor and came out the door that he¡¯d taken as his own room. Three of the slave servants bowed low and then stood at attention - awaiting orders right outside. Azmoth and Luke had stayed downstairs, with Luke being shown to his own room by one of the girls and Azmoth having gone to the nearby chapel adjacent to the manor on the guild hall property. Tupper came to the door, opened it, and bowed again with a swooping gesture of his hand to let Riven in. ¡°After you, your majesty.¡± ¡°Call me Riven.¡± He replied, stepping inside and coming to a quick halt only a few feet in the room. His quarters had definitely changed. Allie no doubt had pinned up a bunch of posters concerning different anime and manga he¡¯d been into pre-system integration, which he thought hilarious, and it was a stark contrast to the red-gold sheets and draped bedding on what had to be an emperor-sized fluffy bed. Two couches, an ornate wooden table, a long mirror and two dressers were inside along with the adjacent bathroom. There was even a TV that actually worked - which was very surprising to him. It was playing out a news story concerning some kind of bandit activity along the outskirts of Milwaukee, where a human reporter was interviewing a group of skeletal skresh body-hunters assigned to track the bandits down. But what really caught his attention was the food display. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Kathrine asked as she came inside, standing next to Riven who was stunned into silence. She grinned rather proudly, then looked back over to the display that¡¯d been brought in. ¡°We usually dine like this in the Blood Moon Requiem, though ours are a little bit more exotic than even this. I was told you don¡¯t like eating humanoid meat if you can help it, and that you like to treat your slaves well, so we didn¡¯t butcher any of the slaves and included only pork and venison. I hope it is to your liking - I did the artwork myself.¡± He didn¡¯t know how to reply or what to say to that. In front of them and at the center of the room between two couches, on top of the table was Genua - and Riven wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to be turned on, impressed, or utterly sickened. The elf was certainly alive, but was stripped down to no clothes and hogtied while kneeling on a large platter made of solid gold - surrounded by brilliant red flowers. A bright green apple had been stuffed into her mouth that very much resembled how medieval kings would display a butchered hog for their feasts. Her long blonde hair was tied in a knot to tightly attach at her bound wrists positioned at her curvy lower back, cranking her neck backwards at an awkward angle as her nostrils flared while staring ahead and exposing her chest. Some kind of sauce, no doubt infused with blood by the smell of it, was slathered onto the naked woman¡¯s entire body below the neck. There were also patches of artwork using hardened chocolate along her skin in a very thin layer, creating various depictions of mythical creatures, warriors, and cities with incredibly intricate detail. A tower of stacked fruit surrounded by flowers had been placed in a bowl on her back as well - stabilized on either side by the hair tightly tied to her wrists, with four hot wax candles having been melted onto her skin on either side of the fruit bowl - burning and flickering with yellow light. On either side of the kneeling, hogtied slave were other displays of food. Three large bottles of blood-infused wine, a cabbage salad display cut into the shape of flowers, numerous slabs of meat, cubes of different cheese, and loaves of simmering fresh bread were all there as well. Plates and utensils, enough for two, were placed on one side of the table as well. ¡°She volunteered.¡± Tupper quickly stated when Riven shot him a cold look. The incubus raised both hands. ¡°Genua volunteered for this. She¡¯s been taking her training very well, and wanted to show you that she¡¯s submissive, subservient to your will - and she¡¯s ready for you to feed on as live cattle right here on the table, instead of the more stale options otherwise presented if you wish it. I know you vampires like your blood fresh. Her previous attitude problems have completely vanished over the time you¡¯ve been gone, enough so that we¡¯ve even started to keep her here in your room - as she is your personal attendant and a source of blood for your feeding after all.¡± Tupper guestred over to the other side of the bed where a large cage had been placed, collar and chain included. Riven blinked, noted how Fay had abruptly stiffened on his left, and merely sagged his shoulders. ¡°...Fine.¡± He was surprised at his own lack of caring. Once upon a time, a sight like this would have infuriated him. Once upon a time he¡¯d also never have considered laying waste to an entire city to meet his own ends either. Once upon a time he¡¯d been more trusting and compassionate, and he¡¯d have been infuriated at the mere idea of slaves even if they had been criminals of war. Now however, he just didn¡¯t care. He was physically and mentally exhausted. He was constantly on the move trying to figure out what to do next, was involved in world-ending events - many of which hadn¡¯t even presented themselves yet, and had been hunted down for what he was. He¡¯d been betrayed by Jalel and the elves, he and his sister had nearly been assassinated by other nobility of the Blood Moon requiem, they¡¯d had a holy war waged against them by the man called ¡®Prophet¡¯, he had some kind of strange entity called Chalgathi always fucking with his life¡­ Riven simply just couldn¡¯t find it in his heart to give a shit anymore. Sighing with true exhaustion, he only shrugged and proceeded to the bed where he set his spear-staff down on the thick covers. Then he peeled off his armor, which did so merely at his bidding, and laid it next to the weapon before glancing down at his bare chest. He¡¯d become rather athletic, admired his own abdomen for quite a while and then noiselessly approached the table. Kathrine went around to the other side and sat down, only to raise her eyebrows when Riven pulled his own chair out and gestured for Fay to come sit. The succubus wordlessly paused, blushed, and smiled before taking his invitation and sitting down in the chair he¡¯d presented her. Pushing the chair in as Fay sat down, Riven went out to the balcony where another set of chairs were and he brought one in. Glancing at the TV which was still talking about the current events surrounding Milwaukee, he faintly smiled and pulled his seat up to the table at the end between both Fay and Kathrine - reaching over for a bottle of blood-wine and popping the cork before chugging. He belched, grinned at Fay when she rolled her eyes, and set the bottle down. ¡°Alright Kathrine. Let¡¯s talk about this inheritance of mine.¡± Kathrine smiled widely across her pale face, displaying her fangs underneath her bright red eyes. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯d also like to discuss the tutoring proposition as well, and potential training. We want you to succeed even more than you know, Riven Thane. If it is within my power to help you do so, then all the better. Now, as for the inheritance¡­¡± Chapter 166 Chapter 166 ¡°So your inheritance, or the planet of Luteski, is a very prominent trading hub that manages transported goods throughout the Blood Moon Requiem and a number of our allies. This is in large part due to three different reasons. The first is that the planet has a natural shadow alteration built into its atmosphere, I¡¯m not sure on the exact details but it allows the inhabitants to easily create or redirect wormholes.¡± Kathrine gave Riven a knowing look. ¡°This means that it¡¯s both easy to defend, and easy to invite people in - a double positive. It also allows those with high shadow affinities to cultivate there more easily, which is a very good thing for many of us vampires who often have high shadow affinities. Not only that, but it¡¯s located on the outskirts of the empire but in a rather safe quadrant. Not only do our own forces defend the planet, but so do many of our allies who are heavily invested in trading with us due to the easy access and expedient travel time it allows them. It is a gold mine, frankly.¡± ¡°Why not just use Elysium altars and trading communes?¡± Riven asked curiously. Kathrine smiled and pulled out a pipe, lighting it up with a conjuration of infernal flames and started to smoke. She puffed out a cloud, then crossed her legs in contemplation. ¡°The short answer to that question is twofold. First and foremost is taxes. The system taxes on trade are incredibly high when you use communes, and you can avoid taxes to the system altogether by just traveling there yourself through ships or portal.¡± ¡°Spaceships?¡± ¡°We call them by a variety of names, but essentially yes. They travel through space.¡± ¡°Neat. What¡¯s the second reason?¡± ¡°The second reason is that communes have limitations on how much you can buy or sell per year. It won¡¯t matter to you on this planet because it¡¯s in the early stages of integration, but when planets start to develop and trade starts to pump out there¡¯s a far larger scale of goods being exchanged - and these are limited by the system. So when you hit that limit, the altar goes stale until the next year.¡± Riven leaned back in his chair and took another swig of the blood wine, accidentally spilling some of it down his bare chest. Choking slightly and wiping his mouth with one arm, he set the bottle back down and picked up a slab of meat - sharing a plate with Fay with a warm smile when she pushed it halfway between them to start eating. ¡°I see. That¡¯s good to know, I wasn¡¯t aware there was a limit on the altars but I suppose it makes sense. So the name of the planet if Lutseki, it has 50 million vampires and 11 billion slaves, it¡¯s a profitable trading hub, it has a shadow affinity, and my punk relatives are trying to sell it off. What else can you tell me about it? Who are they trying to sell it to?¡± Kathrine cocked her head and picked a peeled fruit off the bowl atop Genua¡¯s back. Rubbing it in the blood sauce covering the bound elf, Kathrine bit into the fruit to slowly chew. ¡°As I said, they¡¯re trying to sell it to other nobles who are looking to capitalize before your eventual return into the fold. It¡¯s not just one, but many different major households that are looking to buy different establishments or parts of the planet. The transactions can be stopped, but you must act now.¡± The royal held out a hand and activated a ring on one finger, lighting up a black gemstone with white light before a scroll appeared over her hand. Unfurling the scroll, a very fancy document adorned with different wax seals and exquisite ink handwriting appeared - and as she unfurled the item it also portrayed a series of changing pictures along with it. The images shifted one by one every couple of seconds. First it was a dark planet orbiting a white dwarf star, with swirling clouds of black and green in the atmosphere that only allowed brief glimpses of the continents below. Next came images of various cities under dark clouds that glowed with orange and yellow lights, each with sprawling metropolises and towering skyscrapers that had fleets of alien airships docked or sailing overhead. Some of the airships looked very similar to normal ships from earth, but those were far and few between. There were armored capsules, enormous creations made out of living flesh or plants, tiny sleek silicone jets, and other innumerable types of ships that were often grouped together by design depending on where they hailed from. After the fleets of ships and cities, the images of his planet showed vast networks of mines, inhabited by humanoids with pale eyes, purple skin, white hair and two smooth antennae that looked rather soft, fleshy and malleable as opposed to those of insects. One of these depictions showed a deep crevice splitting the earth, with dim lights illuminating a vast complex stretching miles down where hundreds of thousands of these humanoids worked to acquire minerals under their vampire overseers. ¡°Those creatures are called Sarak, and they were the natives on this planet before it was conquered by our empire almost two millennia ago.¡± Kathrine noted when he took particular interest in the last photo, but then she slapped the paper on the table and pushed it his way. Leaning forward, she dismissed the images by tapping on one of the wax seals along the top of the parchment. ¡°You need to read and sign this today. Doing so will establish that you are the acting head of the household unless your parents return, and that you retract any of the lower tiered members of your house that are trying to pawn it off. I have also added some amendments stating that funds that¡¯ve been going the lower nobility will be rerouted into your own personal coffers from here on out, as they¡¯ve been stealing outlandish amounts of money from your parents already. The problem is your parents are assumed dead and you weren¡¯t known to have existed, so what they did was treading a fine line between legal and illegal means of acquiring their wealth. If you wanted to, you could have their case heard in the upper courts as it is your right - but you cannot outright kill them either. Not without punishment, because their lineage still a carrier for malignant prophecy even if they don¡¯t have the gift themselves. It would likely be up to the queen if you wanted to pursue vengeance for theft.¡± Riven snorted, then shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to kill them. For all they knew, I wasn¡¯t even around and my parents were dead. Just reroute the funds to my own coffers, wherever they are off world - and if they try to sell my stuff again or cheat me in some way then notify me. I¡¯m counting on you entirely for this Kathrine, because I don¡¯t know anything about it..¡± Kathrine nodded, then began to amend the document with a quill that magically rearranged some of the wording on the parchment below. ¡°Very well. I will notify the courts. Before signing, there¡¯s also the topic of laws.¡± Kathrine pointed to another section of the parchment down below, clicked one of the highlighted subjects in black ink, and an entirely new display appeared on the parchment like it would a system screen - only it was now medieval-flavored. ¡°These are all the current laws on Luteski. You have the right as head of your household and owner of this planet to modify them as long as they do not contradict with the queen¡¯s laws. Change what you want, if you want to, and I¡¯ll let you know if there¡¯s a contradiction. It may take a while, so let¡¯s get at it.¡± *** ¡°Protection for children, one day of rest each week, no child labor, no more forced gladiator battles between slaves, torture without reason is prohibited, butchering is prohibited in favor of regular blood drains that don¡¯t outright kill the slaves¡­¡± Kathrine looked up from his list with a frown. ¡°You even have a small compensation built into our taxes for slaves who donate more blood than others do over the course of a year. These are rather hard boundaries to set and you¡¯re going to upset a lot of the vampires under your banner if you do this.¡± ¡°Do any of them contradict the queen¡¯s laws?¡± Kathrine hesitated, then shook her head. ¡°No¡­ But this is going to have a major impact on the society there. I haven¡¯t heard of any planet in our empire with such protective laws concerning our slaves. You do realize that we regularly kill and eat these creatures like you would cows or pigs. Right? The Sarak are cattle. We literally breed and keep some of them in pens to fatten up so we can eat them later.¡± ¡°Are they intelligent?¡± Riven asked curiously while wiping another slab of meat across Genua¡¯s naked body, soaking up more of the sauce and chocolate before ripping into it rather ravenously. His voice was beginning to slow, and he could feel the intoxication setting in. ¡°This shit is really good by the way.¡± On the sidelines Fay was drinking herself further and further into a silent but drunken stupor, and while she was at it she was practicing how to withdraw her wings into her back to look more human - and the succubus seemed rather happy at having achieved it. But Kathrine was deeply frowning at Riven, and she gave a low hum of disapproval. ¡°The Sarak are rather stupid.¡± ¡°How do they compare to humans?¡± ¡°They¡¯re about equal in terms of intelligence. Equally stupid.¡± Riven snorted a laugh, a little too amused than he¡¯d normally be concerning the situation. ¡°Tough shit then. These are the laws I want. These ¡®Sarak¡¯ are innocent and have been for dozens of generations, so just be happy I¡¯m not some kind of wannabe savior. At the very least I can give these people lives worth living instead of the garbage that you¡¯ve presented me with. They¡¯ll still be forced to work the mines there and I¡¯m not even restricting the use of personal slaves, but I want their quality of life to get better.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d have an outright riot on your hands if you changed those particular things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not doing it, I realize that.¡± Riven gave her a flat look, cup of wine touching his lips. ¡°I know how the vampires there will likely view me after I come in out of the blue as some unknown and start uprooting their way of life. But think of just how unfair it would be, being born into a race of intelligence people who are enslaved across your planet, only to be used in the mines while you¡¯re health and later you get eaten alive as food for your vampiric masters when you get older.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Kathrine let on a cringe alongside a deep sigh, and slunk her shoulders in defeat - then hiccuped and took an entire bottle to drain the last of it with a belch unbecoming of vampire royalty. ¡°I¡­ will let the planetary guard know of your changes to their laws. At the very least it¡¯ll be interesting¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this before. Are there any other changes you¡¯d like to make? Any announcements you want coupled with these laws?¡± Riven paused, then nodded. ¡°You said the planetary guard are the ones who¡¯ll be enforcing these, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And they are loyal to my house?¡± ¡°To your house second, but first to the queen.¡± ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll accept these terms if I¡¯m not personally there to oversee it?¡± Kathrine hesitated before answering. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Probably half-heartedly.¡± ¡°What if I bribed them?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°How would you do that?¡± ¡°By setting aside 50% of the profits through trade and mining over the course of the next 5 years and giving those profits to the planetary guard; instead of my own coffers or any of the other nobles. Let them know it¡¯s an investment to make sure these laws are followed.¡± Kathrine smirked, then bobbed her head side to side - almost causing herself to fall over as Riven and Fay laughed. Shortly correcting her posture and flushing a bright red, she straightened up and tried to get control of her body once again. ¡°It is possible that they¡¯d be more willing that way¡­ But you need to include that amendment in the document.¡± She scribbled new text down and rearranged it again with a magical influx through the quill in her hand. Pushing it back over to Riven, he read it over and signed yet again. ¡°There¡¯s my royal decree.¡± Riven smirked with a dismissive wave of his hand. ¡°Let me know how it goes.¡± ¡°I certainly will.¡± Kathrine noted with another nod, leaning back and putting the parchment away before taking another long inhale with her pipe. Blowing the smoke out towards the ceiling in a cloud of purple-gray, she passed the pipe over to Fay who¡¯d been listening quietly throughout most of the conversation. ¡°Do you mind going over a planned schedule for tutoring and martial training next?¡± Riven yawned while the alcohol continued to overcome him, covering his mouth with one arm before standing up and coming over to where Genua¡¯s neck was cranked back at an awkward angle due to the way her hair was tied to her wrists. Leaning down and extending his fangs, he abruptly sunk his teeth into the middle-aged woman - causing her to loudly squeal through the apple in her mouth as her eyes went wide and her nostrils flared even further. The elf quivered under his grip, tears welling up under her eyelids but otherwise remaining still as she let her owner drink her lifeblood. Kathrine and Fay remained silent while Riven sucked, and eventually he pulled out with a satisfied sigh to wipe the blood off his face as Fay passed the pipe back to Kathrine. The small puncture wounds only lasted for a little while before slowing sealing up. Vampiric venom naturally healed the wounds over time if there wasn¡¯t any trauma, allowing a vampire to repeatedly feed on victims that weren¡¯t outright killed multiple times over. ¡°You¡¯re right, live food is better.¡± Riven chuckled mercilessly and roughly rustled Genua¡¯s hair before flopping back down into his seat. ¡°Especially when I have no qualms about feeding on this particular person. It is¡­ invigorating, and freeing.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Kathrine asked, puzzled as she threw both of her long pale legs up on the table while leaning back in her chair with the smoking pipe in one hand. Her neat dress already had spots where food and drink had accidentally spilled, but she was too drunk to care. ¡°I grew up a human. Feeding on people does not come naturally to me, and I felt a sense of guilt whenever I¡¯d thought about it before.¡± Riven gestured to the hogtied elf. ¡°But her, I feel no remorse. Anyways, enough about that. As I¡¯ve already said I don¡¯t have a lot of time to spare, but I suppose I could carve some out once in a while before I leave for the Chalgathi questline in 4 months. Got anybody who¡¯s a master with the spear?¡± ¡°We certainly do.¡± Kathrine replied, and she giggled with a slightly buzzed smirk while pulling out a small bag of green powder. Placing it on the table, she took a very small spoon from within the bag and snorted the powdery substance for good measure - clutching her head with one hand while her smile spread. Winking at Riven slyly she nudged him with a foot under the table. ¡°Want to try some? It¡¯s good stuff, the highest quality.¡± The vampire passed the powder over to Fay first, who curiously looked down at the bag and small spoon with hesitation. Hiccuping and peering down harder, she eventually shrugged and without question snorted a small spoonful of the powder just like Katherine had. ¡°Good, right?¡± Kathrine mused, a silly smile across her lips as the succubus began to giggle. ¡°I wish I could do this back home without my parents intervening.¡± ¡°Is this illegal back on your home world?¡± Riven asked curiously, poking at the powder and watching when Kathrine took a very large spoonful and whispered into Genua''s ear. The elf''s eyebrows raised on the questioning words Riven couldn''t hear, but then she hesitantly nodded. The princess smiled in approval and then roughly shoved the powder up Genua¡¯s nostrils - violently smushing it against the sputtering elf¡¯s face until she was satisfied. Kathrine then glanced back, her eyes narrowing wickedly his way. ¡°No¡­ But my parents still wouldn¡¯t be happy with me knowing that I have it. Hey¡­ did you know that we¡¯re not technically real cousins? Funny fact.¡± Riven frowned, noting that Fay was beginning to salivate and Genua¡¯s eyes were beginning to glaze over. ¡°What do you mean we¡¯re not cousins? That¡¯s not what you told me earlier.¡± Kathrine rolled her eyes with exaggeration - then she began to count on her fingers. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re as much cousins as you are to any other vampire. We¡¯re all related to the blood god, but aside from that¡­ I suppose our great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandparents were siblings. Hold on¡­ Yeah, that many generations.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Thirteen generations ago we share common ancestors.¡± Riven pooched his lips. ¡°Interesting. Why are you telling me now though?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m tutoring you!¡± Kathrine laughed, nearly tipping out of her chair again before Riven caught her fall. Pulling herself up his arm, she reached for the bag again and snorted another small spoonful - eyes rolling back while giggling profusely. ¡°I have lots to tutor you in! We¡¯re going to be great friends, you and I. Now try this!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is.¡± She shoved the bag his way, then scowled when he gave her a skeptical look. ¡°If it was poison, the three of us would already be dead! It¡¯s just a drug specifically meant for vampires! It¡¯s like¡­ what did Allie say about it¡­ Like catnip for vampires I believe!¡± ¡°Allie¡¯s tried it too?¡± Riven, who was still quite buzzed, glanced over to where Fay was giving him a side-eye. She had a deep flush now, and was still salivating with deep breaths. Genua was in a similar position, drool literally dripping from the apple in her mouth while her head bobbed up and down in an attempt to keep it upright. ¡°It looks like it works on other people aside from vampires too.¡± ¡°Pussy.¡± Kathrine cackled, jabbing him under the table again with her foot. ¡°Just do it! You have armed guards outside and there¡¯s no way that you¡¯re in any danger¡­ Come on!¡± She grabbed his wrist, sliding her hand up his arm to where his bicep was. ¡°Your sister said you needed some relaxation time, so just go ahead and relax! We¡¯ll be here with you!¡± Riven was about to ask about what it was again, but thought it over again. Up until recently he¡¯d been so up tight about everything. It was almost his motto it¡¯d gotten so bad because he always felt like he was the one responsible for the lives of others. His choices affected hundreds of thousands of other people on a daily basis, and if you included the world quests - they¡¯d effect far, far more than that. Billions even. Stack the new planet he apparently owned on top of that and it emphasized the problem even more. Well, Fay and the other two women hadn¡¯t died yet. They seemed more jovial than usual even, and when Fay pushed the bag over in his direction with a flushed grin - he couldn¡¯t stop himself. ¡°Fuck it. But if I die, I¡¯m coming back to haunt you Kathrine.¡± He chuckled at the laughter of the other vampire, then took the small spoon and snorted some of the green powder with a brief inhale. The affect was immediate. The room around him became more sluggish to movement, and he had a spike of dopamine slam into his brain with the weight of a freight train. Everything became better instantaneously, and¡­ And Kathrine¡¯s soft hand felt really good on his arm. Looking up, he saw her shoulder dip as one half of Kathrine¡¯s dress began to slide off - exposing pale, bare skin underneath. Fay growled in irritation immediately after that, then stood up with arms straight out at her side. The succubus twitched her tail back and forth with hesitation, but the drugged state she was in won over - and irritation was quickly replaced again by a giggling fit. Slowly removing her skirt and letting it drop to the floor - exposing athletic thighs, she stepped over Riven¡¯s legs to straddle him - locking her arms around his neck while flushing violently against her usually sky-blue skin. ¡°You¡¯re pretty cute Riven¡­ did I ever tell you that? Or was it just in my head?¡± The succubus nuzzled her nose against his own, then slowly planted a warm kiss along one cheek to hold it there. ¡°It was an aphrodisiac. A really good one!¡± Kathrine sloppily drawled, starting to get up only to trip and fall over her own feet when she tugged the other side of her dress down to expose her perky white breasts - landing on the other two and knocking both Riven and Fay to the floor in a pile of bodies. She grinned slyly, laying on the other two and pressing her body against theirs and letting the silence drag on for a while amidst their staring - hands starting to grope one another between the three of them and legs intertwining as the seconds ticked by. Dragging her hand over to Fay¡¯s, and then bringing it down to Riven¡¯s nether regions - the vampire and succubus simultaneously looked up at a rather stunned but obviously excited man underneath them. It only made Katherine¡¯s breathing pick up when she noticed. ¡°Oops! Sorry¡­ Didn¡¯t mean to. I promise!¡± *** Riven woke up the next morning to the sounds of chirping birds. Apparently they were still had flourishing populations here even in the unholy-oriented lands surrounding his altar, and he blinked with a loud yawn to clear his head. God did he have a headache. But the events of last night were still mostly there¡­ they were just a little fuzzy. All four of them were absolutely naked, and thankfully it wasn¡¯t cold enough to matter that they didn¡¯t have any covers on. Kathrine was on her side facing him, drooling into a pillow to his right, completely fried and almost dead to the world by the way she was snoring. Fay was on top of him, her very round blue breasts pushing into his chest with her bodyweight while she slept with a content smile - her two long legs encircling one of his own in a vice grip. On his left the elf slave Genua still had her large ass propped up where she¡¯d passed out - face down in a pillow and wrists still bound, but he could at least remember that she¡¯d liked and even volunteered for it. She''d even said yes when asked if she wanted to partake of the drug. Riven¡­ didn¡¯t know what to think about what¡¯d happened. Nor did he really put much effort into figuring it out after a mental grin when he thought about what Jose would have said after seeing him like this. Fuck he missed that guy. It was a nice one night stand, and it¡¯d definitely blown off steam. He doubted it¡¯d happen again but he had no regrets, and it¡¯d be a memory he probably kept until the end of time. It was a damn good one. Getting up and letting the passed out succubus lay in the spot he¡¯d previously been in, he yawned and winced at the bright rays of sunlight coming through the balcony. Sighing and picking Genua up, he dragged the still-sleeping older woman into the box cage set out for her. He collared the elf, locked the barred door after putting a pillow inside, and went over to tuck the other two women into bed. Coming over to a desk and pulling out some paper, he borrowed Kathrine¡¯s quill and wrote out a letter to let them know where he was going. Yawning one more time and exiting the balcony, he looked for one of the patrolling helicopters that often circled this area. It was time to pay Dawn and his sister a visit. Chapter 167 Chapter 167 Riven¡¯s stomach churned, and a seed of doubt had been planted. It was both unexpected, and unwanted, and he¡¯d forced the helicopter to turn back around only half an hour into their trip after telling Allie that he¡¯d be later than expected. ¡°Fuck I¡¯m such an idiot!¡± He slammed an open palm into his forehead and grit his teeth, scouring the isles of the Brightsville herbalist¡¯s market in search of a perfect set of flowers. ¡°God damn it, the first time I do this and it¡¯s on fucking drugs. She was just held hostage by some other guy and I¡¯m too much of an idiot to even think about staying!? FUCK me!¡± Azmoth patted his shoulder comfortingly, trying to calm him down while people nearby gave him gawking stares or wary glances. ¡°It ok Riven. You¡¯ll be fine, she like you.¡± ¡°Yeah well I probably made her feel like shit after just up and leaving like that, I was just in too much of a hung over haze to even think straight and now¡­¡± He threw up his hands and spun around on his large armored summon, shaking his head in wonder at his own stupidity. ¡°Man, I¡¯m not even sure if she would have done what she did if she wasn¡¯t high on drugs herself. She might not even like me like that¡­¡± Doubt overshadowed him. He glanced over at the bouquet of blue flowers positioned on a nearby stall, nervously fidgeting with his hands and looking like a schoolboy who¡¯d made a huge mistake. ¡°It might have just been the intoxication.¡± Azmoth let out a loud snort at that remark. ¡°Doubtful.¡± ¡°What if I fuck this up Azmoth?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I might. And I might look really fucking stupid when I walk in there with flowers only for her just laugh at me.¡± ¡°Riven.¡± Azmoth took ahold of both shoulders this time, then rapidly shook him back and forth like a rag doll. ¡°Stop. This. Now. Get flowers, go ask her. Just because succubus does not mean she want only sex. Does not mean only drugs. Need ask, and assume the best.¡± Dim daylight trickled through gray clouds overhead, a common phenomenon due to his transformation zone of unholy attunement. Glancing down at his fidgeting hands, Riven took in a deep breath and let it out to calm himself. ¡°I¡¯ve done far harder things than this. Get ahold of yourself man, grow a pair of balls.¡± Turning around and stalking over to the cashier who wore a frightened, pale look - he picked up three differently colored bouquets: one blue, one white, and one purple. ¡°How much for all of these?¡± ¡°M-my king¡­¡± the cashier stuttered with a bow, her portly frame nearly tipping over in the act. ¡°No need to buy-¡± He didn¡¯t have time to waste. Slamming a sack full of coins onto the counter that spilled out with gold and platinum, he leaned over with a fierce look in his eye. ¡°Tell me where the best date spot is for a first date. I''m talking an EPIC first date. Can you do that?¡± The startled woman¡¯s eyes went even wider, and she quickly nodded. ¡°Y-yes, there¡¯s a nice little restaurant on the river back near Baker¡¯s Bend¡­ Do you happen to know where that is?¡± *** Fay was curled up in her own room, alone. She¡¯d not wanted to talk to her brother at all after what¡¯d happened, and Kathrine had walked back to the altar as right as rain with a skip in her step to leave Fay - unknowingly - to think rather depressed thoughts. It wasn¡¯t that the sex had been bad. It¡¯d been beyond great, and it¡¯d been fun to involve Katherine and Genua too. But Riven had just gotten up and left the next morning without saying a word, like it was no big deal¡­ and to Fay, it was a very big deal. She¡¯d only spent less than half a year with Riven, but during that time she was quickly starting to care for him on a much deeper level than she¡¯d ever expected to before the contract had been signed. He was kind, he had a good heart, and he treated her like a person with real feelings. It was a first for her, and she¡¯d never had this kind of connection with her previous summoner. To her previous summoner, she¡¯d only been a sex toy. Maybe that¡¯s what she was to Riven too. Tears welled up under her eyes. She vividly remembered the feeling she¡¯d had upon realizing Riven had come to save her in that underground lair where she¡¯d been abducted by Chalgathi cultists. Her heart had slammed in her chest so hard that she thought it¡¯d pop out and burst. He hadn¡¯t needed to come get her, he could have easily left her for another succubus or another demon, but he¡¯d not only come - he¡¯d also comforted her. He¡¯d cared. Yeah, he¡¯d¡­ He¡¯d cared. Or maybe she was just being stupid. Sniffling and drawing up the covers to cover her face, she let out a sound akin to a dying cat amidst a stifled sob. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking stupid! Fucking, fucking, FUCKING stupid!¡± She sobbed again and punched the pillow with an angry, balled up fist, and then slapped herself three times as self punishment for believing something that obviously was a falsehood. If Riven wanted to use her like that, it was his right. He was her summoner and she was a succubus, she should expect this. Emotions weren¡¯t involved, she just had to swallow that fact and accept- A loud knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and she sniffled again with red-rimmed eyes to glare over her shoulder under small black horns. Her voice quivered angrily as she spoke, but despite her attempt to hide the hurt she felt - it was still obvious she was very distraught. ¡°I s-said get lost Tupper! I¡¯m trying to sleep, ok!?¡± To her mounting rage, the door creaked open. With the fires of anger lit under her soul, she ripped herself off the bed and stormed over to the doorway to fling it open the rest of the way. Then she began to screech. ¡°TUPPER! I SAID-¡± Fay came to an abrupt halt mid sentence, her snarl leaving her lips while tears clung to her face. In the doorway, Riven stood holding three bouquets of very pretty flowers to his chest. He looked at her with shame, face turning a shade darker as he held his breath, and his crimson eyes slunk to the floor. ¡°Uhm¡­ Fay¡­ I need to talk to you. Can I come in?¡± She remained speechless, still not fully dressed and only in undergarments. ¡°Aren¡¯t¡­ aren¡¯t you supposed to be seeing your sister?¡± Her words came out as a whisper, and she searched his face for a time before her eyes landed on the flowers again. Shamefaced and guilty, Riven avoided her stare until he mustered up the courage to speak again. ¡°I was supposed to, yes¡­ but I think this is more important. What happened last night¡­ I wanted to talk to you about it. But, if I¡¯m being stupid and you don¡¯t feel the same way-¡± ¡°Feel what way?¡± Fay cut in, her voice cracking with pent up emotions as one hand clutched at her stomach. Hesitantly he looked back up. ¡°I¡­Well, these are for you.¡± He pushed the flowers over to her and stepped back, unsure of how she¡¯d react. Even she was unsure of how to react, and she took them in both arms while continuing to stare out at him - tears beginning to dry on her light blue skin. ¡°For me?¡± She repeated in a whisper, lips pursing together as her face scrunched up in an attempt not to cry again. Riven nodded, nervously clenching and unclenching his hands as he stood in the hallway. Taking in a deep breath, he settled his nerves and cleared his throat. ¡°Uhm, can I be blunt?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Fay slowly nodded, lips quivering. He let out another breath. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if what happened last night was anything important to you, but I wasn¡¯t thinking straight when I left this morning. I was still hung over and the drugs were still somewhat in my system, and I was tired so my mind was hazy anyways. But on the chopper ride over I began to realize that I really care about you. And¡­ I mean if you don¡¯t feel that way too I can back off and pretend like this never happened, but¡­¡± He met her eyes again, losing his momentum when she didn¡¯t react. She hadn¡¯t reacted at all. She only stared. He paled beyond what was normal even for him, and his shoulders sagged. ¡°Sorry. This was a really, really stupid idea.¡± Giving Fay a half-hearted smile, he nodded once and stepped back. Clearing his throat one more time, he turned to go. And she let him go. Fay watched him wordlessly while he slowly meandered down the hall to where the spiral staircase was located. She watched without action as he muttered about how stupid he was under his breath, and watched as he slammed a palm into his face to drag it down his cheek before exiting the hall into the stairway. *** Riven was utterly defeated. His heart hurt, and the rejection had been so utterly brutal that he couldn''t even believe it. Jesus. He¡¯d really fucked this one up. Sighing and leaning against the outer wall of his manor, he lightly banged a fist against the wall and shook his head in silence. He¡¯d even made her cry because he¡¯d overstepped so badly. To think that she¡¯d had such a terrible reaction as one to fucking cry because he¡¯d wanted to ask her on a date was just devastating, and he turned his back to slide down the wall with a thud next under the shade of a nearby tree. Further into the garden, he saw Jose¡¯s tombstone. Giving it a thumbs up and a halfhearted laugh, he caught the lump in his throat and covered his face with one hand. ¡°God damn it Jose. I¡¯ve always been terrible with girls. I wish you were here man. I wish you were here to give me that dumbass advice you always used to give, and even though it never worked it always was such a fucking self esteem boost!¡± He let out true laugh this time, still feeling the pit in his stomach like a thousand pounds of weight settling in to curl like a massive ball of anxiety. ¡°Damn. She might not even want to be contracted to me after this. Fuck man I didn¡¯t realize just how much I liked her¡­ and Athela is going to kill me when she gets back and realizes her friend doesn¡¯t want to be with us anymore because I¡¯m a creep. God damn it.¡± The sounds of birds continued to chirp overhead, just like they had earlier that morning. No doubt some sparrows had built a nest in the tree above, and from underneath the hand he was using to hide his face in shame - he felt bird shit land on his boot. Looking down at the liquid white dung, he felt it an appropriate punishment for his stupidity. Fay was way too pretty to be with someone like him anyways. Wherever he went people lusted after her, so why the fuck would someone like that want to be with someone like him? A light breeze rustled his hair, and a moment later he felt the light touch of soft fingers on his hand alongside a nearby heartbeat. ¡°Riven?¡± Startled slightly, he looked up - coming face to face with Fay. ¡°Oh! Hey¡­¡± Riven awkwardly, nervously grinned back up at her before avoiding her gaze. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, for bothering you like that. It was completely out of line. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­ I mean¡­ I was going to ask you on a date after I gave you the flowers and¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Fay held up one finger to his lips, shushing him when he began to protest, and she slid down the wall to sit next to him with a quivering, uncertain smile. Her wings retracted into her body, and her thin black tail flipped nervously from side to side. ¡°Just¡­ be quiet for a moment. Ok?¡± Riven promptly shut up, and his gaze faltered again. The two of them sat there, looking out over the garden in the shade of the trees and the manor under a slight breeze. He could still feel deep regret and shame flooding his mind, could still feel the bitter bite of that shocked look she had - and the utter lack of response on her part after he¡¯d very stupidly confessed he¡¯d had a crush. All those times she¡¯d played around with him, they¡¯d just been teasing. It¡¯d all just been fun and games with the little comments she¡¯d made here or there. She was a succubus, he should have expected as much, and now he¡¯d made things very awkward between the two of them. She only wanted the sex, and nothing more. ¡°Riven, what do you see when you look at me?¡± Riven''s eyes narrowed, and he turned his gaze fully on the woman beside him who stared back at him with big, black, doe eyes. ¡°What do I see when I look at you?¡± He repeated the question again in a half whisper, uncertain of what she was getting at, but she stayed silent. ¡°I see one of my good friends, and I see a girl way out of my league.¡± He gave an apologetic smile, this one being genuine. ¡°Fay¡­ I truly am sorry about earlier. I didn¡¯t ever mean to make things awkward. I had a stupid thought enter my head when we had sex last night and I just jumped the gun, but I promise it won¡¯t happen again. Please don¡¯t leave because of this¡­ Athela would kill me if you did.¡± Fay wordlessly continued to stare, mouth slightly opening - only to close again as she took in air and pushed her long white hair over one ear. Arms wrapped around her knees, she slowly turned to look at the ground in front of her feet, and tears began to trickle down her face again before she squinted her eyes shut hard. The ball of anxiety quickly returned to Riven¡¯s throat and gut. ¡°Hey¡­ I can go if you want me to. I can give you space, I just really-¡± Fay¡¯s hand whipped around and slapped him full across the face, leaving a hard red handprint laid out across his pale white skin. She was fuming, tears continuing to stream down while her hands shook at her sides. Getting up into a kneeling position, she glared daggers at him like he was something she had nothing but hate for - and her breathing became loud and ragged within seconds. Shock, despair, and humiliation. Those were the three emotions that quickly crossed his mind, and all he could do was slowly nod without any words. Holding one hand to his bruised cheek, he began to climb to his feet - only to be yanked back down by the scruff of his shirt with one of Fay¡¯s slender hands. He let her pull him back, hitting the ground with his knees to stare in confusion back at her. No words were spoken while she fumed, continuing to shake and cry, only for her to gently reach up and touch his bruised face with a quivering hand. ¡°Sorry.¡± She muttered under her breath with a croak, using a voice that sounded like it¡¯d been crying too hard and too much for her to properly speak. ¡°I just needed to get that out.¡± Then she cupped his cheeks in both hands, drew herself into his embrace, and locked lips while softly pushing him into a sitting position. The warm touch of her skin on his as she kissed him was like a tidal wave of mixed emotions. First there was shock again, then confusion, and then finally a deep-set warmth and happiness that spread up through his abdomen and into his chest. His arms wrapped around her scantily clad body, pulling her in more closely as she pushed herself towards him to straddle him. Gasping for breath seconds later, she pulled back a few inches to stare into his eyes - searching for something in his returned gaze. ¡°You were really going to take me on a date?¡± Snapping himself out of his dumbstruck stance, he blinked a couple times and nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ I was. Fay, please don¡¯t do this if you¡¯re just trying to appease me. Ok?¡± He tilted his head and gave her the most sincere, but also hesitant look he¡¯d ever given anybody. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this just because I¡¯m your contracted warlock. That¡¯s¡­ not what I¡¯d want.¡± *WHAM* She hit him full across the face again, leaving a bruised handprint on the other side of his face to match the first. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking idiot!¡± Fay said, voice quivering as she reached down to his shirt and yanked. The fabric ripped, then it ripped again and then it finally tore. Pushing Riven violently to the ground, fay¡¯s tail whipped about her back and forth as she aggressively pressed her lips against his again - this time sticking her tongue into his mouth while her hands traveled across his toned chest and abdomen. When her own clothes started to come off and the moaning started, that¡¯s when the four onlookers from around the corner of the manor all started to snicker. Well, at least they gave their own versions of a snicker. Jackal¡¯s ears just flapped up and down in its shadowy dog form, Azmoth gave the childish ¡®Tehehe¡¯ laugh he used to do in earlier days back during his travels in Negrada, Luke just slowly clapped with a grin. Jackal quickly followed, and Azmoth came next. But Azmoth had to come back and yank the old elf thrall away, before the sounds became even more passionate only ten seconds later. *** Riven yet again lay naked with Fay on his chest, only this time he was outside and underneath the shade of the garden''s largest tree. Running his fingers in and out of Fay''s silky white hair, she hummed in contentment while her own fingers traced his left bicep. ¡°So¡­ Are you still wanting to go?¡± Riven asked after a long time of relaxation, turning his head to kiss her as she snuggled up into his arms. ¡°On the date I mean?¡± ¡°Of course I do silly! Just let me know when you¡¯ve got it planned.¡± Fay grinned widely back at him, then furrowed her brows before jolting upright. ¡°Wait, do you mean today!?¡± He let out a loud laugh, nodding and sweeping the hair out of her face while tracing her cheek with one hand. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant, yes.¡± ¡°WELL OF COURSE I WANT TO GO! WHAT ARE WE STILL DOING HERE!?¡± Shooting to her feet, Fay almost fell over as she attempted to put on her panties and bra again. Cursing to herself under her breath, she swatted at him with her tail and glared at him over her shoulder while he continued to laugh. ¡°You OWE ME for making me cry! So where are we going!?¡± Sighing with a smile, he let her pull him up and took her into a hug again while she jumped up repeatedly on her tiptoes like a little kid at a candy shop. ¡°I¡¯ve reserved a place¡­ It¡¯s waiting for us now. Perks of being a king, or a prince, I guess. I don¡¯t want to ruin the surprise until we get there, and I¡¯m kind of bad at this dating thing¡­ but I think you¡¯ll like it. If this works out¡­ do I get to call you my girlfriend?¡± Riven wiggled his eyebrows enticingly her way, and she snorted a laugh before pinching him and shoving him back. ¡°First you have to get on something presentable, then you can try to woo me again afterwards. Go on! I expect only the fanciest outfits! And you BETTER NOT wear that ghastly armor of yours, it¡¯s scary. Even for me.¡± She lifted herself up on her tiptoes one more time, kissed him for the millionth time in the past hour, and winked. ¡°HURRY UP! We¡¯ve gotta go, and I''m super excited!!!¡± Chapter 168 Chapter 168 Allie stood in her usual soul-woven bone armor, staring with red eyes out of a skull mask with her thrumming wand twirling around in her hand at blurring speed. She¡¯d gotten the hang of flipping it around absentmindedly between her fingers and could now do it with one hand and not even bother looking. It was just a neat party trick, nothing more. Vin and Nin - the skresh necromancers stood beside the ghoul Mara in an underground cave a dozen miles outside Dawn¡¯s Capital: the city of Mandon. The large cavern was easily big enough to house an entire legion, but that wasn¡¯ the purpose of this place. Instead, it was merely a laboratory - one that was hidden from the view of the normal populace, and a safe house for her to retreat to in case Dawn was less than trustworthy in days to come should she need a place to lay in hiding. It had dozens of tunnels through the underdark, found by some of her allies from Deepnest at her request, and accessed the outer rim of Tereen¡¯s lands as well. Most importantly one of these tunnels was incredibly large, and had been artificially dug all the way out to the surface to a hidden pit in a nearby forest. The size of that particular tunnel was going to be very important for what she had planned. Concerning Dawn: she could honestly say that the relations with this human kingdom were going quite well. Trade had drastically increased, and the two kingdoms were more or less dependent on one another for certain valuable resources each had. The Thane Necropolis provided Dawn with numerous alchemy ingredients that could only be found in the unholy affiliated landscapes surrounding Brightsville, such as death attuned herbs or feral ghoul body parts. Chicago also had a large amount of mana-infused salts along their coastline that were very good for improving enchantments on weapons. Then there was the direct access to Deepnest, which provided both the Thane Necropolis and Dawn with valuable minerals in exchange for weapons and mercenaries for their stalemated war against the dwarves. On the other hand, Dawn was providing her forces with two things the Thane Necropolis very much wanted outside of the normal goods pedaling merchants often carried in their caravans. The first was something called ¡®Sky Ink¡¯ by the system, a treasure in its own right that allowed her mechanical units from Chicago to operate at a much higher level. Any mechanical units like cyborgs, machines, or even weapons would have their basic functions increased by a very large margin - though she didn¡¯t know where the king was getting this strange blue fluid either. Whatever the source was, Dawn had hidden it. The second thing they were trading were roc eggs - with each one coming at a very steep price in Elysium coins. But it''d be worth it one day when she was able to have her own roc riders flying overhead. The large golden birds were just as fast as many of the helicopters and they were able to grow levels too, and some of them were inherently born with storm martial arts that produced lightning attacks. And that was all aside from all the elf and dwarf slaves to man their farms, and bodies Allie had acquired from the wars. Both the war with Tereen elves, and the war with the dwarves in the underdark had resulted in massive amounts of casualties that further fueled her undead acquisition. The amount of undead that she¡¯d created from the bone garden had skyrocketed, and their necropolis was now numbering in the hundreds of thousands of undead due to the violence. It only served to make the necropolis all that much stronger - and the bone garden all that much more valuable. Not that her bone garden was a normal one. It also produced avenues of access to off-world undead who weren¡¯t affiliated with any of the other multiverse major factions, ones that were below a certain level threshold, due to early quests in their war against prophet. It had been upgraded three times now, and losing it would mean a drastic decrease in undead output if she had to build a replacement. A new one simply wouldn''t do as well, as these upgrades were all system-unique. There was the upgrade to allow off-world undead to come over, an upgrade she''d gotten for being the most notable native undead faction on the planet Panu that allowed for far less resource consumption per undead produced, and an upgrade she''d acquired for finishing a quest to sacrifice a city''s populace to the death pillar. This last upgrade had been achieved using one of the elf cities, and though she didn''t like losing all those slaves - the upgrade she''d got was more than worth it and allows for spontaneous upgrades to random undead who were within a zone of influence ranging 50 miles out around Brightsville. She snapped out of her thoughts when Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass entered through the tunnels, leading another five of Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s own orc warriors along with another unfamiliar seven orcs with them. The unfamiliar warriors all wore blue painted feathers in their braided hair, and their tusks were slightly smaller than the orcs of the Yellow Skull Tribe that¡¯d been incorporated into the necropolis. Passing the huge pile of rotting bodies, skeletons, and the alchemy lab set up that bubbled and hissed in large vats and cauldrons to their right - the seven new recruits warily sidestepped a pair of heavily armored cyborgs that carried enchanted plasma blades on their backs and automatic rifles in their hands. ¡°All clear.¡± Came the voice of a scout on the outer lip of the entrance through the walkie talkie at Allie¡¯s side. Allie gestured for the seven orcs to step forward, passing some of the larger vats of green bubbling liquid casting eerie light along the walls. Stopping alongside Mara, she pushed her wand and her hands into the dark pockets of her cloak. ¡°Kneel before our queen.¡± Gurth¡¯Rock said, his red eyes glinting in the dim light of the cavern and his wooden cobra staff slamming into the stone floor. The seven newcomers did as he told them, getting on their knees to prostrate themselves. They did not speak until spoken to. ¡°Your tribe is called¡­ What was it¡­¡± Allie said, kneeling to examine some of the blue feathers adorning their braids by picking one up in a gauntleted hand. ¡°The Blue Hawk Tribe? Is that right? You may rise.¡± She let the feather and the man¡¯s braid go, standing as they did. She peered up at the taller orc chieftain in front of her, and curiously hummed to herself while circling him with light steps. ¡°Queen Allie Thane of the Thane Necropolis-¡± The orc chieftain bowed low, a very muscular man with a strongest jaw who carried an axe at his side. ¡°I am humbled that you would spare time to meet with me personally. Your reputation precedes you.¡± Allie giggled slightly, coming back around to stop in front of him with another twirl of her wand. ¡°And what reputation is that?¡± The orc chieftain didn¡¯t skip a beat, giving her a menacing smile. ¡°Your brutality, bloodlust, and ruthlessness. They are all qualities we desire in a leader - especially when they¡¯re directed towards high elves.¡± The other greenskins chuckled ruthlessly, and the orc chieftain gestured to two of his men. Together they dragged the body of a blonde elf man forward, still covered in blood and wearing what had once been pristine clothing that was now shredded. The pointed ears were still intact, but his eyes had been gouged out and the expression rested in a silent scream while a deep wound was torn across his chest. ¡°I present to you the prince of the Tereen. My clan and I ambushed his honor guard when crossing the twin rivers to the northwest.¡± Allie took the body in her free hand, noting the tattoo of the royal family on the man¡¯s neck. Turning to Mara, she gestured to the marking while prodding it with her wand. ¡°Have our sources confirmed the prince¡¯s death?¡± Mara nodded. ¡°They have. That is the genuine article.¡± In response, Allie pulled out a sack of coins from her spatial bag and slapped it into the outstretched palms of the orc chieftain representing the Blue Hawk tribe. Then she stored the body of the prince for later use. ¡°Very good. Here¡¯s your bounty, run along now.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ My queen.¡± Gurth¡¯Rok interrupted, bowing low and hesitating with a glance the other orc chieftain¡¯s way. ¡°What about the other matter?¡± ¡°Other matter?¡± Allie asked, puzzled. She blinked twice, then snapped her fingers in realization. ¡°Oh yes. They can join the necropolis if they want to, but it¡¯s your responsibility to make sure their tribe accommodates just like yours did. You¡¯ll be speaking for them Gurth¡¯Rok, I don¡¯t want any more incidents like the last one where your soldiers were caught torturing a slave. I¡¯d hate to hang more of them from the tower as another display of what happens to those who damage the property of the crown.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Gurth¡¯Rok grimaced slightly, but nodded - and the other orcs present remained absolutely silent while he spoke. ¡°Of course your majesty, I will make sure they understand the consequences of damaging any of your slaves again and I will let them know what the norms of our country are. Do I have permission to take funds and build another residential area?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Likely renovated buildings from Brightsville itself.¡± ¡°Then yes you do.¡± ¡°And the other stipend? I had promised the chieftain of the Blue Hawks tribe that he¡¯d be paid for integrating his people, as is your policy. They bring another two thousand orcs ready to serve you, most of them being civilians as their numbers were culled by the Teleen.¡± ¡°Oh yes. Sorry, my mind has been elsewhere lately ever since I enrolled in the academy.¡± Allie pulled out yet another bag of coins, this one much bigger than the first - which she tossed onto the ground for the greenskin leaders to pick up. ¡°Thank you my queen!¡± Gurth¡¯Rok replied happily while the other greenskins of both tribes both grinned widely. They were just happy to have more of their own kin now, as both of their tribes had been almost decimated during the early integration. It was the fourth orc tribe to join, and their numbers were growing fast. ¡°You will not regret this! Our people are steadfast in our loyalty and your kindness will not go unreciprocated! Now if you do not mind, I need to attend a hunt. My people are tracking Locust Wraiths spawned in the outer reaches of our lands, and they rapidly breed with other feral undead to produce small swarms if not put down.¡± Allie nodded, then waved them away with a shooing motion rather impatiently. The orcs packed up and left, laughing to one another and speaking excitedly about what to expect when moving into the suburbs of Brightsville that were being rebuilt and renovated as more people moved in from the surrounding wildlands or other less well-protected areas. Then when they¡¯d finally left, Allie motioned to the two elite cyborgs nearby. One was female, the other was male, and both wore very stern looks of hardened military veterans with various metal pieces incorporated into their bodies. ¡°Follow the Blue Hawk leadership after Gurth¡¯Rok lets them depart. If they seem to be galivanting off with the money given to them and don¡¯t take a route headed towards the necropolis, assassinate them and bring the money back. I don¡¯t want a repeat of the Bloodhound Tribe¡¯s treachery where they stole a bunch of money and ran off with it.¡± Both cyborgs silently nodded, then activated stealth fields and disappeared entirely. The only reason Allie knew they were there was due to their heartbeats that continued to disappear down the cavern and then out a tunnel exit the way the orcs had departed. ¡°Back to the drawing board!¡± Allie turned heel towards the center of the cavern, and as she did her friends Vin and Nin activated the sigils that¡¯d been placed there. ¡°Is it ready?¡± The sigils on the stone floor glowed a faint neon teal, shimmering with black wisps as death mana poured into the magical construct and slabs of stone began to rise at intervals akin to an evil stone-henge. The loud bubbling of the chemical vats nearby came up an octave when lines of power connecting them and the sigils began to intertwine, and Vin nodded expectantly while rubbing his skeletal hands together. ¡°Yes Allie, we¡¯re good to go! Do you have the corpse?¡± Allie nodded, walking over to the circle - lifted a hand, and withdrew a small bauble. One that Riven had gifted to her after defeated and containing the dungeon boss after saving Hakim¡¯s team across the planet. Then, smashing it between her fingers almost effortlessly, the corpse appeared before her. The drake was enormous, far larger than she¡¯d thought it would be - an it almost instantly took up half the cavern. It was only just big enough to fit on the runic sigils and inbetween the pillars of stone, and she nodded approvingly at the scaled blue behemoth while noting the wounds still kept fresh by the time freeze her spatial sack had. ¡°Riven killed this thing huh?¡± Allie muttered, rubbing at her neck and giddily skipping backwards to the edge of the runic circlets while clapping her hands together. Then, with hand stretched to the right, Mara placed a soul stone they¡¯d crafted together just for this particular occasion from a combination of soul shards. With a recent breakthrough Allie could now say that - though she couldn¡¯t completely resurrect people yet without damage to the original soul, she could mix-and-match different pieces of souls and imbue these newly created true souls into bodies. It was a grand step in the direction of complete revival, and was supposedly not often done even in the outer reaches of the multiverse. ¡°I don¡¯t know of anyone who can completely revive a soul from true death without immense cost to themselves.¡± Kathrine had told Allie months ago when she¡¯d asked. Well fuck that. Not just anyone had a 100% affinity to the death pillar either. Other people might not be able to do it, but Allie was hellbent on figuring out a way. Mara nudged Allie with a wide smile. ¡°Good luck! I¡¯m excited. To your first ¡®Captain¡¯ undead!¡± Captain Undead minion slots were those reserved by Allie¡¯s swarm necromancer class. She had two of these slots. The ¡®captains¡¯, which she hadn¡¯t successfully created until now, were supposed to be intelligent and could control the other undead she commanded alongside giving her swarm a command stat buff whenever they were nearby. However, she¡¯d failed every time when trying to create a ¡®captain¡¯ type undead, as it required the soul to remain completely intact while simultaneously controlling them. But that problem was now gone. Mostly, anyways. ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± Allie cracked her neck, then concentrated on the unique soul she and Mara had infused into the soul stone clasped between her fingers. The stone lit up, becoming a bright neon teal that flared and pulsed over and over again with each infusion she channeled into it. Cracks started appearing on the stone one after the other, little pieces of crystal chipping off of it and falling to the ground until eventually - suddenly - it burst. Blinding teal light roared to life as the uniquely crafted soul - a true chimera masterpiece created from their most deadly enemies - was let loose and directed into the body of the drake. Power flowed and pulsed, charging forward and slamming into the huge blue-scaled monster. The corpse shivered and trembled. The ground shook with the infusion of necromantic power. The runes along the stone pillars and cavern floor lit up and pulsed from teal to white. Scales began to fall off the massive dead beast, leaving behind exposed flesh that crackled and tore at the air with smoldering necromancy. Diseased flesh rotted away and was replaced with thick cords of black miasma. Membranes along the wings decayed and fell away, only to be replaced with a similar black power that stretched between exposed bones - integrating little trickles of neon teal light like blood vessels would do. The drake then opened its eyes to reveal a dull gray-white color, and the undead creature slowly rose to its feet. [You have created a new minion with additional boost enchantments to the soul aperture. New minion¡¯s soul has been fed numerous other souls to strengthen its core. Affinity with body is still intact due to 43% of current soul being utilized from previously deceased drake. Your minion¡¯s affinity to the Death Pillar has increased after being imbued with your blood. New Captain Minion has been applied to your status page and can control all other minions you possess as long as those orders do not contradict your own: Undead Drake, Level 60, Unnamed Ability Synopsis is shown below, see individual status page for this minion for more details: ¡°Bravo.¡± Mara muttered under her breath while slowly clapping, watching the titanic monster stand to its full height - though it had a hard time stretching its wings out without touching the cavern ceiling. ¡°Bravo, bravo, bravo¡­¡± ¡°Oh yeah baby!¡± Allie humphed triumphantly while the other undead around the room cheered or gawked, and let the drake¡¯s enormous skeletal head drive itself forward to get a better look at her. A deep rumbling sound came from the monstrous, zombiefied, skeletal drake - and it breathed a brief bought of flames out its nostrils while side-eyeing her when it turned its head. The eye itself was larger than she was, but it centered on her position with intent. When it spoke, the noise was like a demonic hiss that echoed through the caves and tunnels beyond. ¡°You are¡­ Master.¡± ¡°Allie Thane, and yes. I am the one who created you.¡± The drake picked its head up to look at her from another angle, then let off another rumbling sound. ¡°Allie Thane¡­ is a good name. My memories are¡­ jumbled. My understanding of this world is¡­ limited. Please advise me on what my purpose is, and what I was created to do.¡± ¡°Your purpose is to serve me.¡± Allie replied, staring up at the large creature with a devilish gleam in her eye. ¡°And your first order of business is to educate yourself.¡± Allie gestured over to Vin and Nin, the two skeletal humanoids. ¡°They will be your tutors here in the cavern while I¡¯m gone. Learn about what our situation is, about the world outside, and I will be back to claim you in due time. As for the rest of you¡­¡± She turned heel to stare at the others who¡¯d gathered here in the cavern, witnesses to her new mount¡¯s birth. ¡°Prepare yourselves for an assault, you¡¯ll all be coming with me in upcoming days. Riven will be too, but he¡¯s currently on a long-needed date and I have my own plans at the academy. So it¡¯ll wait. The assault will take place in two days.¡± ¡°Assault?¡± Mara asked curiously, shoving her hands into her pockets with another side-eye at the large draconic creature looming over them. ¡°This is the first time I''m hearing about it. Who are we attacking? Are you and Riven going to break the front line stalemate with the Tereen?¡± Allie shook her head. ¡°No, we¡¯re going to let our own forces continue that fight. They need the levels, the system rewards those who kill and champions will rise from this war. No need for myself or Riven to get involved because we¡¯d simply end a good opportunity. No, we are going to be attacking the dungeon who is supporting the Tereen. Dungeon Alibast, and I hear it has lots and lots of treasures.¡± Chapter 169 Chapter 169 The barely present drizzle splashed along the cement pathway leading them along the river¡¯s edge. A metal railing separated them from a small drop off into the water below, and numerous restaurants that¡¯d re-opened along the riverwalk were now in full bloom with people sitting underneath umbrellas while eating or drinking. Flowers even lined the roadside, and there was a guard patrol in case any monsters managed to make it this far into the city. It was a rarity now that the city was under complete control, but the city was big and a lot of the population had been culled upon integration - so there were still a few spots here or there that just simply hadn¡¯t been swept yet. That being said, Brightsville was pretty safe since the Thane siblings had taken over. There were even human kids running around and playing on a nearby playground with their parents¡­ and this in turn made Riven think of the little elf girl Len. Fay¡¯s hand tightened around his own, and she pulled him closer while they walked - catching a lot of attention from other couples taking a stroll or people dining nearby along the riverwalk. ¡°Are you ok? We¡¯ve been having such a good time! Why so down!?¡± Taking a large bite out of the chocolate ice cream cone and tugging on Riven¡¯s hand to get his attention, she leaned over and kissed him with a wide smile. ¡°And the restaurant was really nice. Thanks for the date Riven, this has been a great experience. I hope to repeat it again. Also - the suit really fits you well!¡± Yeah. Now was not the time to think about the elves. He¡¯d just need to introduce those programs and get it rolling so it was out of his hands. Turning to face the beauty beside him, he let go of her hand while they walked and slung his arm around her shoulders to bring her in - passing by another couple who shot them wary smiles. Then, coming up to a bench where they could sit, Riven motioned for her to sit after wiping the bench off of rain as best he could. Holding an umbrella out so they wouldn¡¯t get wet, he joined her shortly after and sat down to take in the view. ¡°Thanks Fay. I¡¯ve got to admit, I haven¡¯t worn a suit like this in many years now.¡± He grinned, gesturing to the red tie and black suit jacket he had one while crossing his legs. ¡°Many years.¡± ¡°But why!? You look so good in it!¡± Riven snorted and out of nowhere ripped the icecream cone out of her hand - causing her to gasp as he snarfed the last of it down. ¡°HEY!¡± Fay jabbed him in the rib while he began to cackle through mouthfuls of food, her jaw hanging down in fake disbelief before she too began to laugh. ¡°You jerk! You owe me another!¡± ¡°Fay you¡¯ve already had three! You¡¯re going to get fat, I¡¯m just saving you from that fate by eating all your calories for you.¡± ¡°AM NOT! Have you ever seen a fat succubus?!¡± ¡°No but I don¡¯t usually meet many succubi, so you can¡¯t hold me to that standard!¡± ¡°Well I¡¯ll have you know that I won''t get fat no matter WHAT I eat! MY METABOLISM IS GOD LEVEL RIVEN! GOD LEVEL!¡± She gave him a rather rude gesture with one middle finger and then licked some chocolate remnants off his face before shoving him off the bench and into the rain. Snatching the umbrella as he laughed, she humphed and crossed her legs while glaring down at him. ¡°Oh get up! You¡¯re going to make me look bad if you just sit there, all these people are going to think I¡¯m committing treason or something by attacking you.¡± He covered his face to subdue a belch, then stood up and brushed off his suit while enjoying the slight drizzle. ¡°Maybe I should call the guards over and have you arrested. Oohhh¡­ They could handcuff you and stuff you in my room so I could deal with you later.¡± ¡°I actually kind of like that idea.¡± She winked, then pat the bench and took on a more serious expression. ¡°Hey, Riven¡­ Can we talk?¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows lifted, then he nodded and came to sat next to her. ¡°Yes?¡± Fay fidgeted for a bit, then huffed and turned her entire body to face him with one knee tucked under her body. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about¡­ us. And about what happened - HEY! Stop that sad expression RIGHT NOW! That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± She pooched her lips and scowled until his frown departed, and she reached out to grip his hand tightly while leaning forward. ¡°Don¡¯t even think I¡¯m trying to put you down easy. That¡¯s not it at all and what we talked about earlier is true. But there is a topic surrounding this that we need to discuss, and it¡¯s an important one. It¡¯s Athela.¡± ¡°Athela?¡± Riven repeated, unsure of what to think. ¡°What does Athela have to do with¡­¡± His words trailed off as she stared at him, and he eventually shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes me like that.¡± ¡°Riven, don¡¯t be an idiot.¡± Fay cocked her head to the side and her lips thinned into a straight line. ¡°You love her. I saw the video footage where you said you did.¡± ¡°Oh. Is that what this is about?¡± Riven shrugged helplessly. ¡°Well I do love her. She¡¯s my very best friend. I¡¯d die for her without a thought if it came down to a choice. Is this a jealousy thing because I¡¯m close with her?¡± Fay leaned back, closing her eyes and gathered herself. ¡°Yes, Riven, I know. And I don¡¯t expect that to change. What I¡¯m saying is that she¡¯s got her sights set on you.¡± ¡°Doubtful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± ¡°Has she ever even once told you so?¡± Fay hesitated, then shook her head. ¡°No¡­ but I can tell.¡± Riven smirked, then leaned back to put his arms behind him over the rim of the bench. Looking out over the river, he stayed motionless for a time while pondering what to say next. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re right. She probably has some actual spider lover in the nether realms.¡± ¡°And what if I am right?¡± Fay asked bluntly. ¡°If Athela came to you tomorrow, if she told you that she wanted you to be with her instead of me¡­ What would you do? Would you pick me - or her?¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and he stared at Fay for a long moment. ¡°Fay¡­ Athela and I aren¡¯t like that-¡± She held up a hand to silence him, pushing her fingers up against his lips. Huffing again, it was her turn to shake her head - causing her long white hair to flow back and forth. ¡°You asked me earlier if you could be blunt with me. Now let me be blunt with you. I like you a lot, Riven. I¡¯m falling in love with who you are. But let¡¯s be realistic, I¡¯m a succubus and you¡¯re a summoner-¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°That has nothing to do with anything.¡± Riven said angrily, pushing her hand away and glaring at her. ¡°How can you even say that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying that we can¡¯t have a relationship of some kind.¡± Fay clarified, keeping eye contact. ¡°But I am saying that putting a label on it so early would be bad. I know you joked about calling me your girlfriend, and honestly my heart just wanted to jump right out of my chest and hug you for it! But it¡¯d be idiotic to do that. To make it exclusive would put a target on my back, and if I¡¯m right about Athela she¡¯d never forgive me for stealing you when we find a way to bring her back.¡± Riven¡¯s scowl deepened, but he didn¡¯t get mad or raise his voice despite being irked by her words. He hesitated, then shook his head again as his eyes fell. ¡°Was bringing you here a mistake?¡± ¡°NO!¡± Fay exclaimed, gripping his arm hard and tugging on him to get his attention. ¡°Stop it! Fucking stop it, ok!? That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying¡­ God damn it. Please just listen and stop interrupting, ok?¡± Riven looked up, still frowning, but remained silent and waited for her to finish. She huffed once more, straightened her shoulders, and held her head high. ¡°Here¡¯s me being blunt. You are a prince of an intergalactic multidimensional empire run by some of the most powerful vampires in existence. You are a prince of an S-grade faction, and I¡¯m not talking about S-grade like how you were S-grade here or how Allie is S-grade now. Those are planetary grades. I¡¯m talking about S-grade by multiverse standards. Riven, I¡¯d be assassinated within a year if you let it be known that I was your official girlfriend - let alone wife. And it¡¯d be a permanent assassination, likely from some other woman who wanted to get your attention who comes from a rich and powerful family much farther up the foodchain than my own. A prince of the Blood Moon Requiem is a very steep prize to attain, and you¡¯re going to have a lot of women try to draw your attention.¡± Riven opened his mouth to protest, but she shut him up again with another finger to his lips. ¡°Nope, not finished.¡± She stated with a sad smile. ¡°Let me give an example. You already have Kathrine here who is DEFINITELY trying to gain your favor, and by the way she skipped off this morning so full of energy after having laid with you; last night is no doubt in her mind a political success.¡± ¡°Kathrine wouldn¡¯t have you assassinated, Fay.¡± ¡°Oh she wouldn¡¯t!?¡± Fay drew her hands back and placed them on her hips, letting go of the umbrella only for Riven to catch it and hold it upright. ¡°Let me ask you this Riven, why wouldn¡¯t she? Until last night she¡¯d utterly failed at establishing a connection with you, she¡¯s a very minor princess of a branch family WITHOUT the gift of malignant prophecy, and if she doesn''t succeed here by their high queen¡¯s standards - she and her entire family will be executed. Killed. Murdered for lack of results. I have zero doubt in my mind that if she thinks I¡¯m in her way, she¡¯ll not even think twice about getting rid of me one way or the other. You may not THINK it¡¯s her when I¡¯m dead, but that wouldn¡¯t change the reality of it. She is going to be doing everything in her power to get you hitched, engaged, whatever you want to call it - or at the very least she¡¯s going to want to become your concubine.¡± Riven snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. ¡°I think she has higher sights set than becoming someone¡¯s concubine. As you said, she¡¯s princess of-¡± ¡°A MINOR princess! She isn¡¯t anyone of importance on the grand scale of things! At least not when compared to you! You just don¡¯t see it now because you¡¯re stuck on this little rock of a planet, you haven¡¯t seen the scale and gravity of the empire your family rules over!¡± Fay stated loudly, holding her hands out to either side to emphasize her words. ¡°Look, Riven, I¡¯m not going to sit here and argue with you about this. All I¡¯m saying is that putting an official label on it would be bad for multiple reasons. I absolutely adore you and I want to be with you, but making me the sole recipient of your affections would mean a very bad time for me.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°Fay, are you telling me that I should also be sleeping with other women?¡± ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be jealous of that?¡± ¡°Did I seem jealous when you were making love with Kathrine and Genua last night?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, and Fay started to blush profusely before folding her arms and glaring at him. ¡°OK I might have been a little bit jealous from time to time last night, I admit it. But still - I¡¯m not stupid enough to officially label myself and then get myself killed. All I want from you is your affection, your genuine affection, and¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, become faint while her blush grew stronger and her eyes darted to the ground. ¡°And what?¡± Riven asked, somewhat amused. ¡°And for you to love me. Eventually, I mean. I know you probably don¡¯t love me NOW, not yet anyway¡­¡± Fay gave him a sheepish smile and clasped her hands in front of her chest. ¡°But I want to get there, one day! Beyond anything else, I just want true emotion involved. Emotion between us, a real connection - and for you to not view me as just a thing to use. I want to be loved, and I want to love in turn. Eventually.¡± He snorted, and reached out to pull her into a hug. Rubbing her back and feeling her sigh in contentment, he leaned back again and brushed the hair out of her face while continuing to maintain eye contact. ¡°Fay¡­ I¡¯m not really sure about all that.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that, although I¡¯m certainly not entirely opposed to the idea of being with multiple women - what straight guy wouldn¡¯t like that¡­ I just don¡¯t know if it¡¯s what I really want in the end.¡± He gave her a shrug, then put his hands on his knees and sighed. ¡°It¡¯d be great for the bachelor¡¯s life, and god knows my sex life has been lacking. Last night was amazing. But when it comes to truly dating someone, and starting a genuinely caring relationship with someone, I¡¯ve always wanted to be with a person who knows me intimately. I¡¯ve always had a vision of growing old with that person and having kids, and not needing to worry about being cheated on or lusting after other women. I want a soulmate, not just someone who I get to fuck. So to reiterate: although I did have a great time yesterday and wouldn¡¯t mind repeating it here or there, I am looking for someone who I can give my all to as a lifelong partner.¡± ¡°But what if you could have that with more than one person?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could. Maybe, but it feels dirty to think about it.¡± ¡°What if it did work though, theoretically? That you could feel that way about multiple people at once?¡± Riven pondered this for a while and scratched his chin, waving to another passing family further on the path. ¡°Theoretically it would be fine, except that I wouldn¡¯t want those people becoming jealous of each other either. Realistically I don¡¯t feel like it¡¯d be an easy thing to find because one person or multiple people are always going to feel like they¡¯re being neglected. I¡¯ve had friends who were in committed ¡®open relationships¡¯ before, and they almost always fell through because one person would always get jealous. OR, even worse, one person would fall out of love and find someone else.¡± Fay hesitated. ¡°I see. I¡¯m not entirely disagreeing with you either. Just¡­ keep an open mind for now. I want you, and I want to be with you, just¡­ let¡¯s keep it out of the public eye for now until you, I and Athela have a chance to talk about it together. Bare minimum. Then after that, we can discuss things like Kathrine, the tens of thousands of other succubi currently asking to be your familiar right now, and intergalactic politics that will involve themselves in the form of hungry brides wanting a bite out of an S-tier faction prince.¡± Riven shot her another wary look. ¡°I like you a lot Fay, but I¡¯m not entirely sure I want the same thing you do. I¡¯ll do as you say and keep an open mind for now¡­ and I¡¯ll talk with Athela even knowing she doesn¡¯t feel that way about me. But is this about something else? Like, are you into girls? Is that it?¡± Fay rolled her eyes dramatically. ¡°Somewhat, but that literally has nothing to do with what we¡¯re talking about. Riven, Do you trust me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then trust that everything I¡¯ve said is the absolute truth.¡± She squeezed his hands and pulled him into another kiss, getting an exclamation of ¡®EWWWW¡¯ from a little boy who¡¯d been walking by - only to have his parents quickly usher him away while others on the sidelines chuckled. Fay pulled back, gave Riven another peck on the forehead, and softly pinched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯m falling for you, hard. I have been for a while. Trust me, this is not me pushing you away. I want you more than you know, it¡¯s just that¡­ things are more complicated because of who you are. Now, are you ready to take me on that big wheel in the sky over there or not?¡± Riven grinned, then gestured for her to stand. ¡°It¡¯s called a ferris wheel, and yes. I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s grab another two ice cream cones though.¡± She held up three fingers with gusto. ¡°THREE ICE CREAM CONES!¡± He laughed. ¡°Three it is then. Now come on, there¡¯s a lot more to show you about human Earth culture.¡± Chapter 170 Chapter 170 YEAR 1 SCHEDULE: Beginners Magic Theory ¨C Instructors Kremsin Bots and Ori Orumi Beginners Battle Abilities 1: Applications of Magic, Miracles, and Martial Arts ¨C Instructors Jaimest Vorvus and Thoi Jorsem Beginners Battle Abilities 2: Combined Warfare Tactics ¨C Instructor Mince Quarteple Combined Combat Class ¨C Instructors Nester Rose, Jokzofrie Belfast, and Jupis Astirith Beginners Healing ¨C Instructors Nuthak Ororin and Jan Wetzle Lahn Lucio put his parchment away in the bright lighting of the academy hall, stuffing the schedule into his bag with his right hand as he struggled to maintain balance with his left despite it being shriveled and weak. His matted brown hair was damp from the rain, and the family maid assigned to him had been pulled off her duty to attend to his brother instead - per his brother¡¯s request. No doubt to cause Lahn even more trouble getting to class on time, as his two siblings were always trying to find ways to make his life harder. For what reason: Lahn didn¡¯t know. Perhaps they were embarrassed he was here, perhaps they were just malicious, but regardless of the why - the results were always the same. At the very least they were years ahead of him, so his classes were devoid of their harassments. Mostly. He¡¯d gone to his Beginners Magic Theory and Battle Abilities courses earlier that morning, and had been disappointed to see that Allie¡¯d skipped out again. She usually skipped Beginners Battle Abilities 1 after the incident with Instructor Thoi Jorsem, but the other courses she often attended. Occasionally she¡¯d miss due to ¡®family matters¡¯, as did many of the other nobles who were inheriting their parent¡¯s estates, but she was certainly an outlier for how often it happened. And seeing as she was one of only a few people who gave him the time of day and didn¡¯t shun him outright, Lahn had grown very fond of his new friend - always disappointed when he ended up sitting in class alone. So he took in a deep breath, already late to Combined Combat Class - as if HE would ever see combat, and rattled the door. The metal knob squeaked and turned, and it took a good bit of effort he managed to push the door open and wheel the rolling chair he used into the crack before it shut. Inside he could already see that the class had started - with numerous people getting into groups and firing off basic projectiles of different sources towards a target at the back of the gymnasium. ¡°Late again, Mr. Lucio?¡± A motherly voice called out from the right, and he managed to push himself through the door entirely when the teacher strode over and helped open the heavy wooden obstacle. Instructor Nester Rose was the kindest of the three Combined Combat instructors. She was middle aged, redheaded, and was a very committed teacher - even for someone like him. ¡°Come now Mr. Lucio, we can¡¯t have you always being late just because your siblings steal your help. You need to leave earlier. Overcome, adapt, and struggle against the odds - I have faith you will one day see success.¡± These were some of the kindest words he¡¯d ever heard from his teachers, and she always told him thus any time he came late. She knew what he was going through, and he gave a smile of appreciation to the encouragement. ¡°Thanks Instructor Rose, I appreciate it.¡± The middle aged woman wiped down her finely made, richly colored blue robes and nodded with a thin-lipped smile. ¡°Very good. Now, find a group to join and get started. We¡¯re practicing projectile magics today. I know you have at least one.¡± Lahn sighed and nodded with a grimace. ¡°Yes Instructor Rose. I do.¡± ¡°Very good. Now move along, you¡¯ve already missed a third of the class.¡± Nodding and wheeling himself further into the room, the instructor left to go attend to other trainees in the gym. Half of the class was on his right, half was on his left, and they were all facing away from him as they practiced their various spells and miracles. There were even a few martial arts being practiced, but most of these included projectiles like arrows that were infused with power rather than an outright energy projectile that the other types of energy produced. Though there were always exceptions to every rule. He scanned the room, looking for a very particular person, until his eyes landed on her. His face brightened and he quickly began to wheel himself towards the back left corner where Allie was currently leaning against a wall, looking bored as would-be male suitors of various noble houses tried to talk to her and gain her attention. They looked like flies drawn to a corpse the way they swarmed her, and the reason it¡¯d taken Lahn so long to find her was because of just how packed it was over on this side. That and he was in a sitting position and it was hard to get a good view. ¡°This spot is taken.¡± A snobby female voice sourly called out when he neared one of the groups to pass them by, an orange-haired young woman in bright yellow judgingly glaring at him as he gave a sheepish smile and continued on. It wasn¡¯t like he was wanting to ask that group anyway. He knew Precilla was a jerk and wouldn¡¯t have taken him unless he groveled. Struggling and breathing hard now after the exertion of wheeling himself across campus with only one arm, occasionally needing to correct his direction by reaching over to the other side and take the left wheel with his right hand. It truly was a struggle. Huffing and puffing, he came across another young man who only glared down at him, refusing to move, so Lucio had to wheel around him and then tried to make for a straight line in Allie¡¯s direction. ¡°Allie!¡± Lahn called out excitedly, getting a few glares or mocking laughter from some of the men surrounding her position. He ignored them. ¡°Hey Allie!¡± The room was loud, and she didn¡¯t hear him despite his two attempts while she continued to watch in boredom while some of the other young men tried to impress her with displays of their own fireballs, tiny ice lances, holy smites, or sparks of electricity. Instead, one of the men who was already looking disgruntled by being shoved to the back of the crowd around her took notice. It was none other than Gleetus Nefrand. God how Lahn hated this guy. But Gleetus¡¯ own frown of annoyance quickly turned to wicked malice when noticing Lahn, and his pristine victorian-styled jacket - complete with buttons and a frill - was adjusted quickly before Gleetus began walking in Lahn¡¯s direction. Gleetus took a comb and touched up his already perfectly gelled brown hair, eyes narrowing like a snake ready to strike, before stopping directly in front of Lahn with a sneer. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gleetus asked in a low hiss, his hands clasped behind his back and his chest puffed out arrogantly. One finely made boot tapped on the gymnasium floor, as if impatiently waiting for an answer even though he¡¯d only just asked. ¡°Lady Wraithtide is busy. You¡¯ll have to come back later after more suitable men speak with her first. If you are trying to woo her, don¡¯t bother. No one would want to court a cripple like you - Lucio.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to woo anyone! She¡¯s just my friend!¡± Lahn retorted in a half snarl, barely containing his anger. He tried to wheel around Gleetus, only for the bigger man to step in front of him again. ¡°Get out of my way Gleetus! Allie and I always partner up!¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Gleetus said down the bridge of his nose in a nasally sigh. Then he inspected his nails, one by one, enjoying every second of being in a position of power over Lahn. ¡°You barely know her. Do not act like she is your friend. I realize you¡¯re desperate for any kind of social interaction, even your maids don¡¯t want to be near you. I feel sorry for your siblings, having the family name marred by one such as you. Your lies about being on good terms with Lady Wraithtide only further insult that name. Begone, before I report your misgivings to your elder brother again. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d not want to here you¡¯re dragging their reputation through the mud once more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not desperate.¡± Lahn growled through gritted teeth, glaring up hatefully at his long-time nemesis. ¡°And I¡¯m not trying to court her. I know she wouldn¡¯t want to be with someone like me, I am merely her friend. That¡¯s all. Just because you¡¯re at the back of the line and can¡¯t get a good spot with all these other guys jockeying for position doesn¡¯t mean you need to take it out on me.¡± Lahn had obviously hit the nail right on the head, by the way Gleetus froze in place and began to redden in the face. Stepping forward menacingly and hissing low so that only Lahn could hear him, his eyes were barely slits - and his hands trembled. ¡°Watch your insolent mouth, Lucio, or I will break that other leg of yours so you know your place.¡± ¡°LAHN!¡± Allie¡¯s voice called out excitedly from behind, and Gleetus abruptly straightened and turned around with a wide, bright smile to intercept. ¡°Lady Wraithtide!¡± Gleetus said sweetly while stepping in front of her as she pushed her way through the crowd. ¡°I¡¯d been hoping-¡± She merely walked around Gleetus, completely ignoring him like he wasn¡¯t even there, and knelt in front of Lahn¡¯s wheelchair with a brilliantly white smile. The way she walked, the formfitting leathers she wore that were far different than most ladies of the court, the way her hips moved, the way her perfect features shown like the sun and her blue eyes twinkled were enough to captivate any man¡¯s heart - and Lahn felt himself flush a bright red when she got down on her knees to put a hand on his own. She was utterly stunning, an angel having taken human form - there were no other words for it. ¡°My favorite person! I¡¯ve been waiting all day for you!¡± She said with a laugh, brushing her silky brown hair to the side and tilting her head. ¡°Have you been practicing with those tips I gave you!? The way you form your intent when casting?¡± Lahn was very aware of all the hostility oozing out from the dozen or so other young men, and he gulped while avoiding their gazes - but kept this eyes locked onto hers. ¡°Uh, yeah! I¡¯ve been practicing¡­ can¡¯t say I¡¯m all that great at it. But I¡¯ll get there! And there is NO way you¡¯ve been waiting all day. You¡¯ve been skipping again.¡± A sly grin etched itself across her features, and she shrugged - standing up and getting behind his wheelchair to push him forward through the group of nobles to the front. ¡°Well I can¡¯t say you¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m a slacker.¡± A fake laugh from one of the other men, and Lahn was almost shellshocked to see it was Braden Rooze. Braden was probably the most popular man in their year. He was incredibly handsome, muscular, had a father who was a front line war hero who¡¯d even achieved the prestigious A-class category on the world power boards, and his family was filthy rich due to owning many of the laboratories in Dawn used to create potions for the war effort. That being said, Braden had never been mean or vile towards Lahn - so Lahn didn¡¯t necessarily think poorly of the man either. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that you¡¯re a slacker, Lady Wraithtide.¡± Braden cut in with a swish of his blonde hair, stuffing his hands into his pockets. ¡°From my perspective, you¡¯re just more advanced than the rest of us and don¡¯t need to attend those classes. And hello Lahn. How are you today?¡± A small pit of jealousy built inside Lahn¡¯s gut, but he quickly pushed that back down. He knew there wasn¡¯t anything between himself and Allie anyways, and Braden would make a great suitor for someone like her. So instead, he put on a warm smile and reciprocated the friendly gesture with a wave. ¡°Hello Braden. I¡¯m doing well, though I¡¯m obviously a bit wet from the rain.¡± Braden chuckled warmly with a nod of understanding. ¡°Yes, that tends to happen when you have¡­ a lack of help. Lady Wraithtide has been telling me a lot about how she¡¯s teaching you tips and tricks. It must be nice to have such a beautiful tutor. I tried to get her to teach me too, but she said she doesn¡¯t have time and we merely settled on lunch.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Lahn cought Allie¡¯s brief smile, one directed towards Braden, and his heart sank even though he know it shouldn¡¯t. ¡°Oh! You had lunch together?¡± ¡°We did.¡± Allie nodded in confirmation, putting a hand on Lahn¡¯s shoulder and directing him to the marked line where people would stand to cast spells. ¡°Braden is slightly less insufferable when compared to many of the other people here. It was a nice chat.¡± Braden¡¯s victorious smile cut like a knife, not only to Lahn - but to many of the other nobles present too. Four of them wordlessly left right there and then, with two more following shortly thereafter - admitting defeat without even a word. Allie seemed to not notice, and she focused on coaching Lahn instead. ¡°Alright, so show me what you¡¯ve got. Remember the intent part is far more important than anything else, and the imagery of what you need should be incorporated simultaneously when you channel the power through your Holy pillar. Got it?¡± Swallowing the lump in his throat, Lahn nodded and began to cast. Raising his good arm forward, he closed his eyes and focused inwards on his soul apparatus. He could see the faint sparks of white energy channeling up the pillar, could see them etch themselves into the foundation, and slowly he opened his eyes again to see a small sphere of brilliant light forming in front of his outstretched hand. ¡°GREAT!¡± Allie exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down just once and pointing towards the target carved into enchanted stone at the end of the gymnasium. ¡°Now fire!¡± Lahn concentrated, imagining the arc the holy bolt would need to take, and the orb began to move forward. Only it veered left. Slamming into another projectile further down the gymnasium, he saw his small holy projectile get crushed by a flurry of ice and snow - torn apart instantaneously by another more proficient caster who began to shriek in outrage. ¡°GET AHOLD OF YOUR MAGIC, LUCIO!¡± A shrill, high pitched scream from Precilla echoed through the room - getting a bout of laughter from multiple groups who¡¯d seen the two magics collide. Her face was flushed red in irritation, and her yellow dress swayed when she pointed his way. ¡°I had PERFECT MARKS until your stupid sphere made contact! Now look! The marker is going to record my attempt as a miss!¡± Lahn visibly recoiled. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Fuck off bitch.¡± Allie called out with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like that pissant attempt at an ice flurry would have killed anyone anyways.¡± This resulted in even more laughter, and Precilla¡¯s red face almost matched the color of her orange hair as she stomped one foot into the ground. ¡°I have had PERFECT marks thus far, Lady Wraithtide! Unlike you, who fails to even attend the most basic schedule of classes! It is apparent that only one of us is taking our training seriously, and we¡¯ll see just who is superior by the end of the year for it!¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Allie called back with a bored yawn. ¡°Just shut the fuck up and stop screeching in the meantime, you¡¯re annoying voice is nearly making my ears bleed.¡± Even more laughter erupted from different parts of the audience, and Precilla¡¯s anger was visibly rising. Strutting across the room right over to where Allie stood looking back at her with an impassive expression, Precilla stopped directly in front of her and pointed a finger in Allie¡¯s face. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, you low class country bumpkin, I challenge you to a restricted duel.¡± Excited muttering quickly replaced the laughter, and even the instructors were now looking over to see what the commotion was about. Allie glanced over to Instructor Nester Rose, and then instructor Jupis Astirith. ¡°Is that allowed here? Or do we need to take it out to the colosseum?¡± Instructor Rose waltzed over, her thin-lipped smile quirked in amusement as she gazed down at Lucio as if telling him she knew he was the cause of this dispute. Perhaps she did know and had seen it from beginning to now. ¡°We can do it here, though we¡¯ll have to take up one side of the gymnasium to do it. It appears everyone is rather interested to see the end result anyways. Is that alright with all of you?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was now drawn to the dramatic scene where Precilla was heaving angrily every breath she took, and Instructor Rose got a unanimous answer in the form of ¡®Yes¡¯ by the audience. ¡°Very well. Everyone spread out, the other instructors and I will set up a mana field.¡± ¡°Allie!¡± Lahn hissed under his breath as muttering began to pick up around the room and Precilla stomped off to be with her friends. ¡°She¡¯s really good! Probably just as good as you are, you don¡¯t need to do this! You could lose!¡± Allie¡¯s amused giggle made her eyes sparkle, and she covered her mouth with a warm expression directed his way. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Gleetus sneered at them from the sidelines after watching the friendly interaction, then muttered something under his breath to a friend who only nodded with distaste in Lahn¡¯s direction. It didn¡¯t take long for the instructors to set up a rectangular mana barrier, encompassing a field about half the size of the gymnasium with everyone present watching the proceedings. They¡¯d had very minor practice bouts with pseudo-sparring sessions in the colosseum before, but Allie had never faced Precilla before and they were arguably two of the most competent people in the room alongside a few others. Instructor Rose began the usual speech. ¡°As usual, these restricted duels come with protective gear. Neither of you can or should remove the bracelets we dispense to you, unless you want to accidentally die. They are meant to save your life in case of an attack to potent, and will heal any wounds you receive afterwards within reason. Any wounds that the bracelets do not heal can be dealt with by us, or by the medical bay staff should it be severe. Outside of mortally wounding your opponent, you can do whatever you want to do in order to win - but you must stop if the instructors pause the fight. Failing to stop when instructed to do so by our staff will result in immediate expulsion. Any equipment damaged during a fight is not our problem, and it is your responsibility to get it repaired if you need to do so. Do I make myself clear?¡± Allie nodded calmly with her arms crossed. Meanwhile, Precilla continued to snarl and drew out a very decorated wand with gold trimmings and diamond studs. ¡°Very well. Are there any further questions or words you¡¯d like to have before the fight begins?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Precilla raised her hand to garner the attention of the class. She smiled wickedly Allie¡¯s way, then raised he nose up as if in disgust. ¡°I¡¯d like to make a bet.¡± Allie¡¯s eyebrow quirked up in amusement. ¡°What kind of bet?¡± Precilla paused, dramatically looking Allie up and down and then gesturing with an upturned lip at Allie¡¯s outfit. ¡°I would like to have a wager of wealth on this fight¡­ though I¡¯m not sure how much you can afford to bet concerning how poor your family is.¡± Laughter yet again echoed from around the room at Precilla¡¯s jab at Allie¡¯s outfit. Precilla paused, waiting for the laughter to sink in. ¡°I know your family is from a poor, and poorly known country estate. Based on how you dress I am concerned you may not be able to match me, but if you can - I¡¯d like to bet my wand.¡± Precilla held the sparkling, gold and diamond encrusted wand out for the admiration of everyone else. ¡°It is worth at least a hundred platinum, if not two hundred platinum. Do you have anything to match? Anything at all?¡± The noble lady in training cocked her prominent hip out to one side and rested her free hand on it, waiting expectantly with a confident smirk. Allie hesitated for a moment, tapped her pointer finger on her chin, then shrugged. ¡°I might.¡± Allie first made a display of rummaging around in her spatial sack, as if searching for a time. Spatial sacks were very rare and of high value in of themselves, and no one had known up until now that it even was a spatial sack. They¡¯d though it merely a bag she carried around. But when Allie pulled out a book that was far larger than the sack itself, two realizations hit the class simultaneously. The first realization was that the bag was indeed a spatial sack and worth more than the wand itself. The second realization was that this book was of even far greater value, and although not many of them had identification classes or items to help them do so - the basic description of this book along with the way its aura pulsed through the room made things very obvious. [The Prophets Call (Holy Grimoire, Legendary Holy Relic): ???] Brilliant white and gold inscriptions were written into the back, front, and spine of the hard silver cover. It was rather large, and magic literally danced around the object like a thin cloud of radiance. The book¡¯s presence was palpable, spreading warmth through the room like a cozy campfire on a cold winter¡¯s day, and many of the people there felt not only rejuvenated - but energized just by looking at it. ¡°I believe this should suffice as reasonable compensation should I lose the bet.¡± Allie said plainly, handing the book to Instructor Rose - who just gawked at the item. ¡°Though I highly doubt I¡¯ll lose. I do believe that wand will look rather nice strapped at my hip.¡± Precilla¡¯s eyes were large, round with greed, and her fingers twitched while almost reaching out across the room as if to take the book now. ¡°What is an unholy-based caster doing with such an item? That book is obviously not meant for you.¡± Allie grinned, remembering how she¡¯d stripped it off Prophet¡¯s corpse. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it was a gift. Now are you going to stop gawking? Or do I need to wait?¡± Turning back to glare at Allie despite the murmurings of admiration concerning the relic, Precilla nodded with a fire in her eyes. ¡°Instructor Rose, please let us know when to proceed. I have a lowly country bumpkin to squash and a bet to win.¡± Instructor Rose, who¡¯d been turning the book over in admiration, quickly cleared her throat and stepped back from the wall of mana that encompassed the two combatants. ¡°Very well. Are you both ready to begin?¡± Both women nodded. Allie remained silent with folded arms while examining the protective bracelet meant for dueling, and Precilla took a casting stance with wand pointed in Allie¡¯s direction. ¡°Then BEGIN!¡± Instructor Rose made a chopping motion with her hand, and Precilla immediately went on the offensive. A blast of ice and snow similar to the one Lahn¡¯s tiny projectile had interrupted crossed the space between Precilla and Allie over the course of two seconds. Lahn took in a quick inhale of breath when he thought it was going to collide with Allie¡¯s face, only to let out a sigh of relief and shock when the ice magic shattered and dispersed. Precilla blinked rapidly, not understanding what had happened, and she swung her arm around in the air dramatically for another casting. Ice yet again billowed out and shot Allie¡¯s way, only this time the rebuttal was more obvious. Death mana, radiating out in waves of neon teal and dark black energy, briefly pulsed from Allie¡¯s figure when she began to casually walk forward. The energy rebuffed the ice immediately, whipping forward and crushing the glacial magic in an instant. ¡°Is that an Aura?¡± Braden Rooze asked one of his acquaintances in a shocked whisper. ¡°How does someone at this level already have an aura!?¡± Becoming enraged, Precilla conjured a different spell. This time, a spike of ice three-fingers in diameter jutted out from the ground right behind Allie and ripped forward towards her left calf muscle. Yet the same thing happened, and the ice shattered the moment it made contact with the aura surrounding Allie¡¯s figure. ¡°What kind of treachery is this!?¡± Precilla shrieked, trying yet again as Allie continued to casually approach. The ice shattered for the fourth time, leaving Precilla in shock and building dismay. But things changed even more dramatically when Allie took out her own wand next. It was a thin instrument, longer than most other wands and created from black wood and ivory bone - with a very sharp end to it with jagged edges on one side akin to small vertebrae. The weapon was drawn out from her spatial sack, and the moment it appeared an overwhelming aura of dread overtook the entire room similar to what the book had done. This aura was far more malicious though, and it literally staggered not only Precilla - but many of the watching nobles too with one of them even keeling over right there and then. It was as if their very souls had been humbled in the wand¡¯s presence. The weapon hissed, and then it let out an ear-piercing shriek when Allie lifted it to point in Precilla¡¯s direction. Lahn¡¯s jaw dropped as a billowing cloud of black and teal flames roared to life around Allie¡¯s wand-holding hand, then her arm. Her silky brown hair whipped backwards with the explosion of power, and an uncharacteristic, malicious grin spread across her face as she laser-focused on Precilla in front of her. The four walls of the containment field shuddered and cracked, and with another piercing scream from the wand in Allie¡¯s hand - dozens of flaming strings tore forward to attack the other caster. Precilla screamed in horror and anguish as she was penetrated all across her body. Needle-like threads of death mana ripped open her skin along her abdomen, neck, face, arms, legs and feet in a simultaneous flash of darkness. Precilla crumpled, seizing on the ground with dozens of burn marks as the attack immediately ceased. Her yellow dress was utterly destroyed. The classroom remained silent aside from the calm footsteps of Allie¡¯s boots. She came to stand over the seizing girl with a look of utter disgust, bent down, and ripped the diamond studded wand out of Precilla¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh my! How pathetic!¡± Allie said with a giggle, a hand daintily covering her mouth, her malicious intent having gone as quickly as it had come. She attached the diamond studded wand at her hip, nodded in approval as she spun around, and then walked over to the barrier wall between her and instructor rose. Tapping the mana barrier with a finger just once, the magical construct the instructors had created shattered into a million pieces and drifted away into the air. Taking the holy relic out of Instructor Rose¡¯s hands, she turned heel and sauntered over to where Lahn was gawking. ¡°I think I¡¯m over this class today. How about we go get some food? I¡¯m hungry!¡± Braden Rooze was quick on the uptake, nudging past another admirer and putting his handsome self at Lahn¡¯s side. ¡°I would be glad to accompany you for another meal in his stead if you don¡¯t mind, Lady Wraithtide! Your display was quite remarkable, and I do believe I¡¯d like to continue the conversation from earlier!¡± Braden put a hand forward and touched Allie¡¯s lower back, a little thing but something with tremendous weight behind the gesture. Lahn didn¡¯t fail to notice it, and his eyes faltered, but was surprised when Allie took a step away from Braden with raised eyebrows. ¡°My dear sir.¡± Allie said with a soft smile, tisking at him and removing his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t get so frisky. I¡¯m not spoken for yet, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re the man to do the job.¡± She turned back to Lahn, smiled, and then knelt. ¡°You ready to go? I have some stuff I want to talk to you about, and we can practice together in a more private setting in the colosseum later!¡± Lahn gulped and nodded, watching as some of Precilla¡¯s friends helped her back up and carried her out of the room towards the medical bay. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to go! But don¡¯t you want to stay and keep practicing?¡± The question was absurd after what he¡¯d just witnessed. He and everyone else there knew it, but he couldn¡¯t help but ask. He felt obligated to do so out of respect for Instructor Rose even despite Allie¡¯s utter display of dominance. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t need to be here, and she was likely only here - if Lahn had to guess - for political connections. But if that was the case, then why had she chosen him? He was a nobody. Maybe she wanted to connect with his family? ¡°I¡¯m fine, and I¡¯d much rather have a scone.¡± Allie mused with another light-hearted laugh, coming around to Lahn¡¯s back and beginning to push him forward out of the room. ¡°As long as you have no objections, I¡¯d actually only come today so that I could meet up with you and then leave. I¡¯m very much wanting to try those new cream-cheese dumplings too¡­ or the candied applies. This place has all sorts of tasty treats and I haven¡¯t experienced even half of it yet!¡± Chapter 171 Chapter 171 The food courts at the academy were truly something to behold, and were actually lined up corridors of individual restaurants set up on two different plazas. There was one in the East and one in the West. Allie had chosen to take them to the Eastern plaza. ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯d like you to meet!¡± Allie exclaimed excitedly while rolling Lahn down the cobblestone pathways lined in marble that¡¯d been swept free of snow. ¡°I¡¯m stoked!¡± Lahn looked back over his shoulder and gave an interested smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure anyone would be all that excited to meet me, but I¡¯ll do my best to give a good impression for whoever it is.¡± Allie only rolled her eyes. Coming up to one of the restaurants where two butlers and a maid in very high-life style uniforms greeted them, Allie stopped when they gave her a bow. The entrance was created from elegant crystal, the floors were made of polished wood lined with gold, and it had to be the gaudiest place Lahn had ever seen. ¡°My lady, my lord. We¡¯ve been expecting you.¡± The foremost butler gave a low bow, then gestured them inside. Lahn looked over his shoulder again. ¡°They were expecting us? What exactly is this place?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get out much do you?¡± Allie asked with a chuckle - following the man inside where numerous flowering plants were in full bloom and illusionary butterflies soared through the air. There was even an artificial sun overhead, burning with a dull warmth in the main lobby that had a glittering pool underneath with multi-colored fish - and it was surrounded by numerous tables on the bottom and top floors of the two story establishment. Lahn gawked, looking around and seeing numerous high-profile people he¡¯d seen his father talk to in the past while at house parties - though Lahn had never once been introduced to them himself. Still, he got recognizing glances from time to time due to his unique look, and even one wave from a high ranking general that oversaw the recruitment of new officers into their military from this very academy. ¡°What is this place?¡± Lahn repeated as they circled around, following the butler into a secluded hallway that led to a double-door twice the size of a normal man on either side. Two heavily armored soldiers in heavy plate armor bearing the king¡¯s sigil of a sun on their breastplates stood at attention on either side of the hallway, but they shifted at Allie¡¯s approach to open the doors and let her in. Inside was a private room. The scent of sweet aromas lingered in the air, an artificial sky overhead showed bright blue with clouds dotting the ceiling, more illusionary butterflies permeated the air here as well - and there were at least a dozen different servants all wearing butler and maid uniforms standing along the walls. Three personal chefs were cooking food in front of a small group of onlookers sitting at a square table, where two men and a woman sat eating. The first man was familiar to Lahn. He had a short, neatly trimmed beard with red hair and a wide happy expression, laughing alongside the other man while downing a swig of very expensive alcohol from a golden bottle. He was burly, roughly mannered, yet wore exquisite clothing with the king¡¯s sigil on the front of his shirt as well. The second man was very pale, extremely good looking, wore a basic black combat robe, and Lahn could immediately guess at who he was. He had to be a relative of Allie¡¯s, possibly even a brother, because he had the same striking blue eyes and the same strange amulet around his neck that she did. The last at the table was also extremely pretty - even giving Allie a run for her money in the looks department. She was blonde, fit, with a striking silver dress and proportional curves with a nearly perfect face. Lahn couldn¡¯t see a single blemish on her, and she had both hands wrapped around the second man¡¯s hand - as he¡¯d left it out on the table for her to hold. ¡°Lady Allie Wraithtide!¡± The first man called out with a wide grin, beckoning her to come join them at the square table and motioning at a servant. Immediately one of the servants pulled out a chair, but hesitated when they saw Lahn. ¡°I¡¯ll be sitting next to him.¡± Allie stated simply with a gentle nod, and she pushed the chair over a tad in order to make room for Lahn. Putting Lahn''s wheelchair in place and pulling the chair back behind her she slumped down and immediately started picking at some of the exquisite fruit displays that''d been thoroughly decorated with chocolate. ¡°Hello your majesty. How are you this afternoon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite well!¡± The bearded man said with a hardy laugh, slapping the pale relative of Allie¡¯s on the shoulder as they smiled at one another. ¡°Especially since getting to know this fine young man. Your brother is quite the guy!¡± Lahn¡¯s heart immediately dropped into his gut as he realized just who the first man was. This was the king. King Arthur Brix, the man who¡¯d sat on the throne of Dawn for well over two centuries now. He didn¡¯t look a day past 40, and Lahn had a very faint memory of meeting him once as a child at a palace party. Lahn stuttered when the king¡¯s eyes rested on him, and he attempted to wheel himself out for kneeling and bowing as was proper - but he was immediately stopped by Allie as she firmly caught his wrist. ¡°You¡¯re fine. This is a private meeting so there are no needs for formality. Right, your majesty?¡± Allie stated with a look of intent to Lahn, then glancing over at the king. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± King Brix said with a grin, then he gestured to Lahn¡¯s chair. ¡°I remember you. You¡¯re that Lucio boy, the second son. Is that correct? Your father is a close friend of mine.¡± Lahn¡¯s eyes went wide, and he immediately caught a lump in his throat. Clearing his head, he took in a deep breath and nodded mechanically just once. ¡°Yes, your majesty. I am sorry for my improper attire, I was not aware that I¡¯d be meeting you today!¡± He shot Allie a glare, who just smirked back and teasingly poked his ribs. King Brix watched the interaction with interest, though he feigned ignorance when Lahn¡¯s gaze returned to him and downed more of the alcohol. Passing another entire bottle of the gold over to the second man and woman who were still holding hands, he gestured to them next. ¡°Have you both met Mr. Lucio yet? Or is this your first time?¡± ¡°Travis Wraithtide.¡± Riven said, extending a hand to introduce himself with a warm smile of his own. He shook Lahn¡¯s hand, then pulled it back to look at Fay as she held his other one. She only looked back, blinking rapidly and then furrowing her brow in confusion. ¡°You can let go of my hand now. I promise it¡¯ll be here when you''re done introducing yourself.¡± Travis stated, amusement creeping onto his lips as she immediately flushed a bright red. ¡°Sorry!¡± Fay said in her illusionary form of a blonde woman - and she extended her hand out rather aggressively to shake Lahn¡¯s own a second later. ¡°My name is Fay Wraithtide! Er- not Wraithtide, just Fay!¡± The admission of her last name caused her to blush an even deeper red. Her eyes went wide, and she squeaked something inaudible under her breath as Allie and Travis both loudly laughed. ¡°This is my brother.¡± Allie said, pointing to Riven - or ¡®Travis¡¯. ¡°He¡¯s kind of a knuckle head but I love him. This is his new¡­ Friend? Girlfriend?¡± Allie raised an eyebrow in question, and Fay covered her face with both hands while groaning. ¡°I¡¯ve been giving her shit about that all day.¡± Travis said, pouring himself fine wine out of the bottle and into a crystal glass. ¡°Apparently she¡¯d rather just be my hoe.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°That is NOT what I said!¡± Fay demanded, slapping his thigh and getting an ¡®OW!¡¯ from Travis. ¡°I SAID, that I just need time to think about how I can avoid ASSASSINATION from competitors if I¡¯m dating you!¡± ¡°That is definitely not what she said.¡± Travis mused, swirling the wine in his glass and sipping at it while staring back at Fay - who only glowered back at him in an unsaid threat. ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t think she knows what she wants.¡± ¡°Travis! Stop it, that isn¡¯t true!¡± ¡°I do believe it is.¡± Allie and the king exchanged looks. ¡°Is this how it¡¯s been since he got here?¡± Allie asked King Brix rather curiously, giving Lahn a comforting nudge when she realized he¡¯d gone nearly as pale as she was. The king smirked, nodded, and made room for a plate of food that¡¯d been freshly cooked in front of them. Venison slathered in hot butter, steaming vegetables decorating a mashed potato half-sphere, and finely cut fruits creating a cylindrical tower made of ice cream were the first course. ¡°Yes that¡¯s how it¡¯s been since they got here. Riv-Ahem. I mean Travis has been telling me all about how he and Fay went on their very first date only for her to not want to really date him. It¡¯s been quite a¡­ what was it you called it? A soap opera?¡± ¡°That is not how it is!¡± Fay exclaimed, clamping hard onto Travis¡¯ hand so that her knuckles turned white. Tears were welling up under her eyes and her lips were pouting, it looked very much to Lahn like she was going to cry. ¡°It was just a misunderstanding and I¡¯m worried! Stop teasing me, this isn¡¯t funny!¡± Allie side-eyed the succubus, shrugged, then pointed to the king¡¯s plate as she got one of her own set ahead of her.. ¡°These are quite interesting first courses.¡± ¡°Travis told me you were more informal and that desert always comes first with the meal. Is that not true?¡± King Brix asked curiously, only to get a smirking laugh from Travis a moment later. Allie sputtered her own laugh and shook her head, sighing dramatically and leaning over to put an elbow on Lahn¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My brother has always eaten desert at the exact same time as the normal meals. It¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t dip your sausage-egg muffins in ice cream if you don¡¯t have the ice cream with the muffins!¡± Travis chided Allie from across the table, getting a scoff of disgust from one of the chiefs and laughter from another. Travis then pointed to the chef who¡¯d scoffed. ¡°And you stop giving me attitude Jerrard! I¡¯ve had enough of your shit for one night! I eat as I please!¡± This time the entire room with the exception of the man who¡¯d been singled out erupted into laughter, including the king and all the servants. The rather thin chef who¡¯d been called out muttered something under his breath after that. ¡°No self respecting person would dip sausages, eggs or muffins in ice cream. It is a disgrace.¡± Travis belched in the king¡¯s presence, to Lahn¡¯s horror, and he got up while gesturing to a back hallway. ¡°I¡¯m going to hit the restroom. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°Take your time!¡± King Brix said with a chuckle, watching Travis go until he disappeared - then he turned around to face Allie. ¡°I do believe I very much like him. Reminds me of one of my sons, certainly not what I expected.¡± Lahn¡¯s brain was still trying to catch up to the present. Just who were these people? Who was Allie truly affiliated with, in order to get a seat here so informally with the king of Dawn? Was their family somehow related? Were their parents childhood friends of the king? Why was he, Lahn, invited to this luncheon as an absolute nobody? His mother might congratulate him for finding a way here, but his father and his siblings would have had heart attacks thinking about how many different ways Lahn would bring disgrace to the family name in their absence at such an important social viewing. All eyes at the table turned to Fay next when she let out another low groan, putting her elbows on the table like no proper lady would do, and swept her hair back to stare at the food that¡¯d justs been placed in front of her. ¡°I screwed up that date so badly.¡± There was a pause. Then Allie took the bait. ¡°Why? What happened?¡± Looking over her shoulder to make sure Travis wasn¡¯t back yet, Fay smacked herself upside the forehead in a form of self punishment. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s healthy.¡± Lahn said with worry tinging his voice. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I¡¯m anything but ok!¡± Fay muttered. Then, raising her eyes to Allie, she let out a long sigh. ¡°Allie, I know we don¡¯t know each other very well but I need your help. The date was just¡­ perfect, until I screwed it up.¡± ¡°Yes but you haven¡¯t said what you did¡­¡± Allie muttered with furrowed brows and steepled fingers. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem upset¡­ What did you do?¡± Fay glared up at Allie from underneath the hands supporting her forehead. ¡°The very short version is that I told him I didn¡¯t want to be his girlfriend publicly, because I¡¯m afraid someone like Kathrine would eventually assassinate me to get me out of the way. When I tried to tell him why, I could tell he got upset even if he didn''t say it¡­ and then I brought up¡­ the other girl he¡¯s close with.¡± ¡°Why would you be assassinated just for dating someone?¡± Lahn asked hesitantly, getting looks from the others but no outright answer. Fay turned to Allie again. ¡°I talked about how the other woman¡­ she¡¯s coming back, and that she¡¯d be angry if I went ahead and took Travis for myself.¡± ¡°But do you want Travis for yourself?¡± Allie asked curiously, putting her chin on her hands with a confused stare. ¡°Of course I do!¡± Fay hissed in irritation, throwing up hands to either side as the king chuckled and continued to drink or pick at his venison. ¡°That¡¯s the problem! He¡¯s a very important person and if I¡¯m seen as an obstacle, I¡¯m as good as dead! Not necessarily by that other particular person, but by ANYONE in the future who sees him as an opportunity! So I told him he should also court other girls, that way I wouldn¡¯t be a target!¡± Allie¡¯s eyes rose in shock, and she frowned a little more deeply than she had been. ¡°You don¡¯t think Travis could protect you?¡± Fay huffed, looking rather conflicted as her eyes darted back and forth, and then she hung her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d hope so, but the kind of people he¡¯s going to be mixed up with are far beyond what you two can manage right now. It¡¯d be safer for everyone if I remained a background character. But I don¡¯t want to be a background character!¡± Lahn¡¯s brow silently furrowed. If they knew the king to talk with him so informally, couldn¡¯t they just ask him to help with potential assassins somehow? Surely that would be the case. Allie churned over the information bit by bit, putting the pieces of the puzzle together while twirling a fork in her right hand. ¡°What I¡¯m getting out of it is you¡¯re upset that you want Travis for yourself, but believe you can¡¯t realistically or safely have it that way. Yet, you¡¯re the one pushing the agenda of remaining a background character, and not to be his actual girlfriend - or the woman he is ¡®courting - from an official point of view. Because you¡¯re afraid of being killed, and because you¡¯re afraid of hurting that other particular woman¡¯s feelings when she returns from¡­ her extended vacation.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still confused.¡± Allie said bluntly. ¡°Is Travis truly upset about this too then?¡± Fay growled under her breath, fingers clenching the wooden table in a vice grip. ¡°The problem is that I don¡¯t actually WANT him to see other girls because I WANT him for myself! But I¡¯m scared. And when I told him as much, he took it to mean that I am not interested in dating him but rather am just wanting him for other reasons.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! But I could immediately tell that he was put off by the idea! At first I¡¯d thought letting him see other women while also dating me would be something any normal man would want!¡± The king raised a toast to that. ¡°Here here.¡± Fay ignored the king despite a snickering laugh from Allie. ¡°But instead, Riv-uhm-Travis gave me a speech about how he¡¯s wanting to find a soul mate! And that it might not be me, because we want different things! But I DO want only him and I want him to only want me, and I think that he doesn¡¯t want me anymore because he doesn¡¯t think I want him the same way! I WAS JUST SCARED AND THOUGHT HE¡¯D WANT TO BE WITH OTHER GIRLS WHILE DATING ME TOO!¡± The very end of her admission went up an entire octave as she clasped her lips with both hands and let out a squeal of despair, tears starting to stream down her cheeks while the king across the table tried to hide his amusement. Meanwhile, Allie just flatly stared back at the succubus with a puzzled expression - and the king outright laughed. ¡°THIS ISN¡¯T FUNNY!¡± Fay screamed before hiding her face in her hands again and letting out a sob. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely upset!¡± "Fay, you''re overthinking things." Giving Fay a pitying look, Allie noticed ''Travis'' was standing in the hallway now, listening to their conversation while leaning against the wall with a soft expression directed at Fay''s back. Clearing her throat, Allie then touched Fay¡¯s arm and urged her to look up. ¡°Hey. Perhaps instead of spilling this to us, you should just talk to him about it again to clear the air.¡± ¡°Ah, to be young.¡± King Brix stated before munching on some chocolate covered fruit. ¡°But yes, I do believe the topic of conversation has arrived.¡± *** Fay had been taken to the back by ¡®Travis¡¯ where they could have a private conversation after her mental breakdown, leaving Allie, King Brix, and a very nervous Lahn to eat on their own. Lahn¡¯s hand trembled slightly, still very nervous that he would do something stupid in front of their kingdom¡¯s legendary leader, but Allie was speaking to King Brix almost as an equal. As if they were even friends to some extent, though Lahn knew that couldn¡¯t be the case. No, there was something more to this odd scenario that he just hadn¡¯t grasped yet. But his thoughts were snapped out of the trance-like state when he heard his name brought up. ¡°So Lahn is the one you¡¯re bringing to the Royal Ball?¡± King Brix asked, intrigued as he leaned back in his chair to re-evaluate the young crippled man across the slew of food and drink. ¡°Very¡­ Very interesting. I¡¯m sure that his father will be proud to know he¡¯s attending such a grand event after all, especially with such an esteemed guest.¡± Lahn¡¯s face twitched with confusion. ¡°Did you say Royal Ball?¡± He turned to look at Allie, who was fondly smiling back at him from a chin resting on two hands. ¡°That¡¯s what he said.¡± Allie replied with a wink. ¡°As long as you¡¯re up for it. I hear that the rest of your family is already invited, so you¡¯ll know at least a few of the people there.¡± Chapter 172 (Edits incoming) Chapter 172 King Brix stood on the balcony of the academy¡¯s finest restaurant, watching the four younger men and women depart through snow swept streets while animatedly talking about some kind of prank Riven had once pulled on Allie when she was young. He stroked his short red beard with mild amounts of curiosity, and smiled with a chuckle as he thought about the recent luncheon. ¡°Certainly not what I expected of the rank 5 vampire on our world roster. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Kassius?¡± Kassius, the king¡¯s spymaster, unhinged himself from a nearby shadow and took human form - warping from obscurity into the light of day. He wore a black outfit, a veiled mask, and his face was completely hidden as his gloved hands clasped themselves behind his back. ¡°Yes, your majesty. I can honestly even say that, as long as he¡¯s wearing that amulet you provided him, he¡¯s very likable. It really is a shame that he has such a high negative charisma, one day he¡¯ll need something much stronger than your gift to hide amongst the human masses in order not to scare them half to death just by walking by.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth!¡± King Brix bellowed a laugh and slapped Kassius on the back. ¡°He was downright scary when we first met him!¡± ¡°Do you think it is wise to let him travel our city alone though?¡± Kassius muttered absentmindedly, following the group of four until they passed out of sight around a bend in the road - heading towards the barracks. ¡°I may like his character when it was set to neutral, but he did murder and entire city in order to bring one of his demons back. Half a million souls or more by current estimates were wiped out in the blink of an eye. We don¡¯t want that to happen here should he become enraged for some reason.¡± King Brix raised one eyebrow and side-eyed the other, slender man. Folding his arms over the sun crest on his tunic, King Brix gave a loud humph. ¡°And what would be the alternative? Following him would let him know that we don¡¯t trust him, should he find out. No, I do believe it is better to make friends and to not give him or his sister reasons to distrust us. Without their help, we very well could have fallen to the Tereen and their blasted spirit-saints by now. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll even be able to pawn off one of my daughters or granddaughters to wed him as a bride. And if not¡­ perhaps that Lucio boy will surprise us when concerning Allie. I would find it hard to believe from an outside perspective, but there¡¯s always hope.¡± ¡°You hope to make ties by blood?¡± ¡°Oh yes. Whether or not that can be done is to be seen, but I have very high hopes. Not many civilizations will survive this integration, Kassius, but some will rise through the ashes at the end. I intend ours to be one of them, and those two vampire siblings would be a great set of allies to have on our side in the long run - not just for this war with the elves.¡± *** Of Mandon¡¯s 10 city levels each spanning over a hundred miles of stacked earthen layers, the top 7 were above ground and 3 existed underground. They were labeled by the populace as Lower 3 through Lower 1, and Upper 1 through Upper 7. The lower the floor, the poorer the citizens usually were - so here on the highest level it was a given that most of the most expensive items Dawn¡¯s capital city had to offer could be found. ¡°Drak¡¯s Magical Emporium, the place where all your wondering wizardful whims come true.¡± Riven, or ¡®Travis¡¯ read off with a doubtful expression cast over his shoulder while standing in front of the large 3-story building. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± Fay tugged him inside the large, bustling, upper floor shop with a loud giggle; passing many gawking well-dressed customers that stared at any one of the three abnormally attractive people with mixed emotions. ¡°Come on! You said you¡¯d start a magical tinkering with me! You need to teach me all about totems and runes and how to make them. Even Allie said she¡¯d help with the soul imbuement!¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t do that, you know I¡¯m only barely experienced!¡± Travis chuckled and motioned to Lahn. ¡°Don¡¯t let her make you think I¡¯m any kind of pro, I¡¯m barely a beginner.¡± Grinning and leaning forward to kiss Fay in the doorway, he let the beautiful blonde woman in her silver dress pull him through and followed her into a series of displays that had various different gadgets lined up for sale. Pushing Lahn inside, Allie followed after them - with the wheels of Lahn¡¯s wheelchair bumping over the doorframe¡¯s bottom ledge. ¡°Doing ok, Lahn? You look down!¡± From where he sat in front of her, Lahn¡¯s mind was indeed in darker places than normal. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what it was¡­ but should he need to say it out loud - it was probably a mixture of a couple things. Here he was, having one of the best days of his life up until his sudden epiphany. He¡¯d had Allie stand up for him in class - beating Precilla handedly in a restricted duel. He¡¯d gone out on what was almost - at least in his mind - a luncheon date with one of the most if not the absolute most beautiful girl in the entire academy, when she¡¯d picked him over none other than the class stud Braden Rooze. Lahn had then been taken to one of the most expensive restaurants on Academy grounds, of which was abnormal for him because his father and siblings didn¡¯t want to be seen with him in public - yet he¡¯d gotten to meet the king and talk to him on a very personal level. Then Allie had asked him to come along on a double date. She¡¯d literally called it that. ¡°Come on Lahn!¡± Allie had said with the most beautiful smile, teasing him with a jab at his ribcage again while looking down at his crippled form. ¡°My brother and his new ¡®Girlfriend¡¯ are going shopping. Let¡¯s make it a double date, you should come with me as I tag along! It¡¯ll be fun! Who needs class anyways, right!?¡± He¡¯d been so shocked and so excited to hear her say those words that he¡¯d nearly fallen out of his wheelchair. But now, after rethinking things over, he was sure this was just Allie being nice or trying to get into touch with the rest of his family. There was little to no chance that she, realistically, was interested in someone like him. So Lahn dwelt and internally stewed, wondering if it was his father¡¯s connections or his brother¡¯s inheritance that she was after. He wondered just when this daydream was going to end, how it was going to end, and how harsh the disappointment of losing his only friend would affect him when this window into a happier life collapsed around him. Surely, to leave Lahn alone once more. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Lahn said with a fake smile, but it was the best he could muster given his current state of mind - and he cleared his throat while redirecting attention from himself to a couple of stone engravings on slates to their left - each square in shape and about two by two feet in size. ¡°Those are some good models to use for runecrafting if your brother is interested. They¡¯re beginner¡¯s guides, and there¡¯s even an unholy type! Maybe we should grab it for him?! Hopefully it¡¯s not too expensive¡­¡± For a moment, Allie came around to his side to scrutinize him suspiciously, but she eventually nodded and pushed him forward to where the stone tablets were located. Pushing some of the square stone slabs aside and grabbing the one that Lahn had pointed out. Placing it in his lap, Allie let her fingers trail over his withered left hand with a light touch that made him quiver. ¡°Nice find Lahn. He¡¯ll definitely like it. Now, as we continue to browse¡­ Tell me about this little animal sanctuary you¡¯re working on.¡± Lahn blanched, then looked up in shocked surprise while clutching the stone slab in his good hand. ¡°How do you know about the animal sanctuary!? No one knows about that!¡± Allie¡¯s mischievous grin quirked at the side of her mouth. ¡°I have my ways.¡± ¡°Are you spying on me!?¡± ¡°... Perhaps.¡± Allie chuckled low and wickedly, rubbing her hands together for a show while Lahn caught his breath. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. How had Allie known about his animal sanctuary? The very first day they¡¯d met, when Lahn had seen her at the pond in the gardens beyond the academy, Lahn had actually been traveling between his sanctuary and the school¡¯s inner grounds. He went once a day with his maid, or even sometimes by himself, bringing a bag of food for the animals he picked up on the lower levels. Going from pale to a bright pink, Lahn felt his ears grow hot as deep embarrassment set in. ¡°Do I really have to talk about it? I know it¡¯s peasant, feminine work and I don¡¯t like the idea of being made fun of by you too.¡± Allie¡¯s expression went from teasing to shocked. ¡°Peasant work? Feminine? Lahn, creating a secret animal sanctuary is one of the cutest, most adorable things I¡¯ve ever heard of! Are you kidding me?! Who on Earth badmouthed you like that for it!?¡± Lahn¡¯s brows furrowed, and he gave Allie a curious once-over. ¡°Who on Earth? That¡¯s an odd expression. But it was my brother, Parius Lucio and my father, Lord Nikola Lucio who told me so. I had another animal sanctuary back home, because animals¡­ they¡¯re kind. They¡¯re innocent. Especially dogs, and they made me happy to work with.¡± Lahn¡¯s face fell into a soft, contemplative smile, finally losing the hard edge he¡¯d had concerning doubtful thoughts on Allie¡¯s intentions. ¡°I, uhm, go down to the poorer floors of Mandon. The capital¡¯s lower levels are very thick with stray dogs, so I pick up what I can and bring them back to take care of them. I got permission from Zefima, the archmage of the academy, to keep them far out in the gardens in a gated area I made. It was very nice of her¡­ and it makes me happy. Before you came along, I had no friends and the dogs were the only company I had.¡± There was a pause as Allie digested this information, and the voice of her brother cut in from behind Lahn as Travis walked around to stand at her side. ¡°I personally like dogs more than most humans.¡± Travis said with a nod of approval. ¡°I totally get it. Would you like help taking care of them?¡± Allie¡¯s eyes brightened, and she gave Travis a warm smile with a silent ¡®thank you¡¯ when Lahn wasn¡¯t looking - continuing to stare at his feet. But then Lahn¡¯s head snapped up, as if struck, and he stared back at both Travis and Allie with curious surprise. ¡°You want to help me? You want to help take care of stray animals?¡± Allie nodded enthusiastically, clasping her hands together in front of her and leaning into Travis with a nudge. ¡°Absolutely! That sounds so fun!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not afraid to be made fun of for doing peasant work?¡± ¡°Since when is taking care of sick and homeless animals peasant work?¡± Lahn¡¯s face grew doubtful. ¡°It¡¯s always been peasant work. Nobles don¡¯t do that kind of thing.¡± ¡°You do.¡± Allie protested with a humph, folding her arms in front of her. Lahn¡¯s face fell and he let out a deep chuckle, shaking his head. ¡°I am not what you would call normal, and I¡¯m only barely nobility. I¡¯m sure that if it weren¡¯t for my loving mother, my father would have cast me out into an orphanage to live out my days by myself. I am nothing like the rest.¡± Another customer, a plump man sporting a large mustache, a cane, and a top-hat that looked like he¡¯d been dragged out of a Victorian steam-punk magazine, snorted loudly at them while tapping his cane on the floor. His voice was high pitched and nasally, and he had two servant girls far younger than he was carrying books, manuscripts, and various odds or ends that were obviously quite heavy. ¡°You four! You four right there! Move yourselves, so that I may pass through! You are taking up the entire aisle!¡± Slowly, Riven and Allie looked over to glare at the man. The aisle was only halfway filled with more than enough room for him to get through, and the two vampires wordlessly shared a look before Riven stepped around to confront the man. ¡°No, it was easily big enough for you to go around.¡± Riven stated, stepping up to spread his stance; towering over the man with the cane who took a step back at his approach. ¡°You see where I am now? This is me taking up the entire aisle. Go the fuck around.¡± Lahn¡¯s eyebrows raised in surprise. He was very much a non-confrontational, he hated confrontation, and yet Allie had confronted Precilla earlier that day and Travis was confronting this man he didn¡¯t even know in the store like they were made of toughened steel. Both of these siblings truly had guts, because Lahn would have just been cowed and moved without a word. The man with the mustache sputtered something unintelligible, then picked up his cane and menacingly jabbed it into Travis¡¯s gut. ¡°I dare say! You should know when to respect your-¡± Travis whipped his hand forward with a blur so fast that Lahn couldn¡¯t even follow the motion, ripping the cane out of the man¡¯s grasp and snapping it in half before tossing it to the ground before the man with the top-hat could blink. A few eyes from around the store settled on the scene, silently watching the two men stand off, until the man with the top-hat grew redder in the face and lost his nerve. Shaking with balled up fists, he stormed out of the establishment and into the street - losing himself with his servants amongst the high-class crowds in this section of the market. After that the mood quickly went back to normal, and the shopkeeper at the front desk let out an audible sigh of relief. ¡°Travis¡­¡± Lahn asked hesitantly when Allie¡¯s brother came back from kicking the pieces of cane out the door. ¡°You¡¯ve seen combat. Haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Travis said curiously, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his black combat robe. Then he looked down at his outfit, and chuckled. ¡°Are you a warrior?¡± Lahn pressed, even more curious now. ¡°Do you serve in the army?¡± ¡°... You could say that.¡± Travis waved up at Fay who was rummaging through bookshelves on the second level near a balcony railing, and she blew him a kiss while scurrying around trying to collect things that they could use for practicing runecraft. ¡°God she¡¯s so pretty.¡± ¡°GAG!¡± Allie gasped, poking a finger into her throat and making a vomiting noise to the laughter of both Travis and Lahn. ¡°Ooh god you¡¯re gona make me puke!¡± From the stairway leading up to the second level, a familiar voice called out to Lahn - one he hadn¡¯t heard in quite a while now but one that he instantly recognized. ¡°Lahn!? Is that you?!¡± Turning his wheelchair with the one good arm he had, his heart sank and he felt like he wanted to crawl under a rock. There at the bottom of the stairs stood not one, but two people he knew. One of them he knew very well, and the other he¡¯d only met in passing once when his mother had tried to set him up with a potential lady of the court to wed. The voice that¡¯d called out to him was none other than Marsia Bortrost, daughter of Lord Armando Bortrost and Lady Niltini Bortrost - the friends of his mother. Marsia had been the young woman who¡¯d come over via carriage to specifically meet him at the bidding of both their parents, only for her to - in private and not so nicely - tell him that she was by no means interested in even pretending to court him. Marsia, a woman of 19 years of age, was in her prime years to get married to another of the court. She wasn¡¯t spectacular to look at for most people, but she certainly wasn¡¯t ugly; having brown hair and large dimples just like her parents while wearing a bright green dress. And she stood with a shocked expression right beside Lahn¡¯s older sister, Linela Lucio. His sister was quite pretty, from what Gleetus often said about her when rubbing in salt to the wounds he brought upon any interaction that asshole could get with Lahn. And honestly Lahn couldn¡¯t disagree. Linela was blonde, unlike Lahn¡¯s own chestnut hair, and she was tall with a thin but very symmetrical frame. She was wearing a similar green dress to match Marsia, and they had three man-servants in suits following them at a few paces behind to carry their luggage. Linela remained quiet with her dainty hands clasped in front of her lower waist just like Marsia did, but she wore an equally surprised expression to that of Marsia while quietly evaluating both Lahn and the company he held. ¡°Lahn, is that you!?¡± Marsia eventually said again, stepping forward with perfect posture - her brunette hair pulled up in a bun while her high heels clicked against the polished floor. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d hired new help!¡± Allie and Travis shared a glance, then they both burst into laughter - clearly amused at the obvious probe for information concerning who they were. ¡°They are not hired help¡­¡± Lahn said in an exasperated tone, letting out a deep sigh and already dreading this interaction. ¡°This is Lady Allie Wraithtide and her brother Lord Travis Wraithtide. They¡¯re nobility as well, and Allie attends the academy too. She¡¯s in my classes, that¡¯s how we met.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Allie asked, casually resting a hand on one hip and giving Marsia an unconcerned glare upon seeing Lahn¡¯s cringing reaction to the women¡¯s presence. ¡°Friend of yours?¡± ¡°Family friend.¡± Lahn muttered, then he gestured with his good hand to Linela. ¡°That¡¯s my sister, Linela.¡± Linela curtsied, then took the opportunity to join the others while giving ¡®Travis¡¯ a once over. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Lahn kept such good company. Usually he is found mingling with the lower class. Are you attending the academy too? I dare say I would have noticed someone like you if you were walking around. Your features are quite striking.¡± Lahn inwardly cringed again at the flirtatious jab oriented towards Travis, as well as the fluttering eyelashes his sister gave Allie¡¯s brother. ¡°He doesn¡¯t attend-¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking to you, Lahn.¡± Linela quickly cut him off with a scornful glare, then returned a flirtatious smile on Travis again. ¡°Let Lord Wraithtide speak for himself.¡± Travis¡¯ eyelids dropped slightly, unamused by the interaction. ¡°As Lahn was about to say, I do not attend the academy.¡± ¡°Then what is it you do? Are you running a family estate of some sort? What exactly does your family oversee since the integration began? I assume you¡¯re one of the newly risen nobles, after the political landscape was oh so rearranged given the merging of worlds?¡± Linela took another step forward, a little close for comfort, to get a better look at him. ¡°You smell wonderful by the way.¡± Lahn could almost hear Allie¡¯s cringe to match his own, but it got even worse when Marsia did the same. ¡°He does smell good!¡± Marsia exclaimed happily, almost pushing herself past Lahn¡¯s wheelchair in order to get in close. ¡°We saw your interaction with that snob from earlier. You were quite fast! Are you a soldier!? Have you fought in the war?¡± ¡°My father, the esteemed Lord Nikola Lucio is on the front lines.¡± Lahn¡¯s sister Linela exclaimed with a proudly puffed chest - head held high. ¡°He¡¯s an A-ranker. Perhaps you have heard of him?¡± Chapter 173 Chapter 173 ¡°I¡­ have heard of your father.¡± Riven replied slowly. He hadn¡¯t heard GOOD things about Linela¡¯s father, but he was also Lahn¡¯s father - and he didn¡¯t want to overstep by saying something rude. ¡°A-ranker huh¡­ that¡¯s¡­ impressive.¡± Linela beamed with pride, and smoothed out the front of her green dress to try and emphasize her curves. ¡°Indeed it is. He¡¯s even a personal friend of the king, believe it or not. Not meaning to brag, of course, but I have even had the opportunity to personally deliver the king a letter - and he acknowledged my family¡¯s house name in passing. So we ARE known to him!¡± Linela let out a proud humph and her chin raised even higher. ¡°You¡­ delivered a letter¡­ to the king?¡± Riven replied, a little dumbfounded and not sure if this was supposed to be impressive. ¡°That¡¯s very¡­¡± ¡°Honorable, I know.¡± Linela smiled brightly and flipped her blonde hair out to the side. ¡°My little brother Lahn probably wouldn¡¯t know this because he is unable to attend such events, but my father was even given tokens to attend the upcoming royal ball next month. If you¡¯d like, I could extend you an invitation¡­¡± She let the words trail off, waiting for the expected reaction of shock and awe to set in. Instead, she got something else entirely. And not from Riven, or ¡®Travis¡¯, but rather from Allie. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Lahn able to attend?¡± Allie asked, confused and more than a little irritated. Linela frowned, barely cast Lahn a glance in his wheelchair, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? He¡¯s a cripple - and a cursed one at that. How is he supposed to dance and mingle in the crowd when half his body is afflicted with some kind of obscure cursed rot? I do truly feel bad for him, but we aren¡¯t allowed to bring our own servants into the royal palace and none of us real family members can spare the time to babysit him.¡± Lahn¡¯s face fell, but he remained silent. Allie was torn. Torn because she wanted to violently kill the dumb bitch for being so mean, and because she wasn¡¯t sure if that¡¯d upset Lahn due to Linela being his sister. She also wasn¡¯t sure if telling Linela about her own invitation to Lahn as a date to the ball would be met with further problems for him, so she merely scowled and kept silent. ¡°I know you must feel bad. I used to as well.¡± Linela said with a fake pout and a tut. ¡°But Lahn here has a different path in life. If I could change it I would. But I can¡¯t, so why bring shame to the family name by dragging him out in public? It would only lead to embarrassment for him anyways. Better he become a librarian or something like that, instead of dealing with the politics of the noble houses or war efforts against the Tereen. Since you¡¯re at the academy yourself I can assume you¡¯re also interested in either political or military aspirations, so be honest with yourself. Do you ever see Lahn fighting on the front lines against the elves when he can¡¯t even walk properly?¡± Both Wraithtide siblings remained silent, and Linela took this as the go-ahead for her to continue - and that they agreed. ¡°The only reason he¡¯s here is because mother has a soft spot for him. We all know it, and we all know it¡¯s a massive waste of time. Father was furious about the entire ordeal and it took weeks of mother arguing with him in order to even let him leave the house, much less attend the academy. I¡¯m sure she spent many a night on her knees in order to woo father so he¡¯d do as she asked.¡± She let out a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes at that last statement, to which Lahn got visibly angry. Shaking in his chair and face flushed red, he pointed his one good hand up at his older sister with a wavery voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare talk about mother like that!¡± Lahn hissed. ¡°She¡¯s your mother too!¡± Linela hummed with amusement, hands clasped in front of her while other high class people in the shop continued to move around them while browsing. ¡°Truly, she is. Though I do believe you¡¯re misinterpreting my intentions when concerning mother. That woman is a true master of manipulation and seduction when it comes to father, one I aspire to be like.¡± Linela gave Travis a wink, and let her eyes linger on his. ¡°So what do you think? Would you like to attend the royal ball with me or not? Do not dawdle, it would be a great opportunity for connections and I will only extend the invitation once.¡± Marsia Bortrost, the young woman who¡¯d shunned Lahn all those months ago at the Lucio compound, did not like being put on the backburner. Even if it was by her friend and peer, Linela. ¡°Linela - I do believe you have already offered your accompanying spot to Lord Bortrude¡¯s son, did you not? Perhaps Lord Wraithtide should go with me instead as I have not given my extra token away yet.¡± Linela shot Marsia a look that could kill, and her fingers tightened around one another with venom clear in her words. ¡°Lord Bortrude the Second will have his offer retracted if Lord Wraithtide so wishes, as it was mere charity that allowed my initial exchange in the first place.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Marsia asked plainly, ignoring Linela¡¯s frown and pushing further into Travis¡¯ personal space to pull out an invitation. ¡°Well it just so happens that I have my extra invitational spot with me. Do you have yours?¡± Linela froze, and a building stormy glare centered on her peer while her eyes darkened. ¡°I happen to have left it at home.¡± Travis remained unconcerned, with his hands stuffed in his pockets. ¡°I already have an invitation.¡± Both women turned immediately, shocked into forgetting their brief squabble. ¡°You have an invitation to the king¡¯s ball already?¡± Linela pressed with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of your house before. How would a small house such as yours gain such a boon?¡± In response, Riven pulled out a letter with the king¡¯s seal. Opening it and letting them read it for themselves for only a few seconds, he ripped it out of Linela¡¯s grip when she reached for it and stuffed the letter back into his pocket. ¡°My sister and I will both be attending.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Marsia began, but she was cut off by Linela who beamed at the opportunity to deny Marsia a win. ¡°Then perhaps we can both plan to meet there!¡± Linela stated with a wide smile, pushing past Marsia and getting up right next to Travis who now had his back pressed to a shelf with arms folded. ¡°I¡¯d love to show you around! As a newcomer to the political ambitions of the kingdom, I¡¯d be a lot of help navigating the social ladder-¡± The sound of books and supplies crashing into the floor interrupted their chatter. ¡°TRAVIS!? Is that you!?¡± Fay¡¯s singsong voice called out from behind the manservants near the stairwell, and everyone turned their heads to watch as the succubus in disguise made her appearance. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. She looked just like she had at the king¡¯s luncheon earlier that day: wearing the guise of a blonde young woman with extremely pretty features and a form-fitting silver dress that put both of the other girls attempting to woo Travis to shame. In truth it looked almost exactly like she normally did, only that her skin color had gone from sky blue to a mild tan, her demonic features were missing, and her hair wasn¡¯t a bright silky white in her current state. Coming over from where she¡¯d dropped an entire arms-full collection of supplies she¡¯d intended to use with ¡®Travis¡¯ in their plans to learn runecrafting and totem making together, she completely ignored both of the other young women and even pushed between them. Wrapping her slender arms around Travis¡¯ neck, she planted a long, drawn out, passionate kiss on his lips to the shocked inhales of Linela and Marsia. Allie only snickered in delight at their reactions. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking all¡­ over¡­ for.. you¡­¡± Fay said, booping him on the nose flirtatiously at every pause she made during her sentence. Again kissing him briefly with another peck, she turned to look at the two stunned ladies of the court with raised eyebrows - giving each of them a once-over and solidifying her spot next to Travis by wrapping her left arm around his waist. ¡°Travis, have you been trying to pick up the local whores again? I¡¯ve told you, no more prostitutes! EVEN IF THEY¡¯RE PUSHY! You have me now and that should be enough.¡± Marsia gasped in horror and outrage, eyes wide at the sheer audacity this newcomer had in calling them both prostitutes - and Linela¡¯s eyes narrowed with a tightening grip along the seams of her lower dress. ¡°Did you just insinuate-¡± Linela began, but Fay cut her off with a loud giggle. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry if I offended you two. I didn¡¯t mean it! You were just both pressing yourselves up against my man in the aisle and I assumed you were trying to sell yourselves.¡± Fay rolled her eyes playfully, reached around and smacked Travis to grope his ass - making him yelp in surprise while grinning dangerously back at Linela while maintaining eye contact. ¡°Unfortunately this fine specimen is taken by someone better - being me. Go along and find yourselves another man. For someone like you two - I¡¯d suggest a pimp of some sort.¡± Marsia let out another exaggerated and shocked gasp of disgust. ¡°HOW DARE YOU!¡± ¡°How dare you!!!¡±¡± Fay repeated in a high pitched and whiny voice while poofing out her cheeks, and she poked her fingers into the sides of her face, creating impromptu dimples that were far exaggerated from what Marsia had - but the point was taken. It was a mockery. Absolute mockery. ¡°MY WORD!¡± Marsia huffed, now red in the face and stamping down a heeled foot with trembling hands clasped in front of her in an attempt to maintain as much of a ladylike appearance as possible. ¡°HOW IMMATURE!¡± Linela looked from Travis to Fay, from Fay to Travis, and kept her frown to a thin-lipped look of discontent. ¡°Is this one yours, Lord Wraithtide?¡± Travis looked down at Fay, who suddenly became sheepish under his gaze - something that Linela definitely caught. Then he smiled warmly. ¡°Yes. I am courting her.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Linela flatly replied, glaring back at Fay - who¡¯d just become public enemy number one. ¡°Well then. I am Lady Linela Lucio, daughter of Lord NIkola Lucio - high inquisitor of his majesty. Who might you be?¡± ¡°Why should I share my name with you?¡± Fay replied, gaining her composure now that she¡¯d turned her attention away from Travis - but also feeling bolstered and glowed with a new warmth as his hand came to settle on her waist. ¡°I have no desire to do so.¡± ¡°Yes, well seeing that I¡¯ve never seen you at any of the public events - I¡¯m rather tempted to say that you¡¯re not nobility at all. You¡¯re a commoner, aren¡¯t you?¡± Linela let the question hang in the air, and when she didn¡¯t get a reply back - she grinned wolfishly. ¡°Yes. As I thought. Lord Wraithtide has decided to take a pretty commoner over her betters, diluting the gene pool for superficial looks rather than good genetics with high affinities for the pillars or good heritage in wealth. A tragedy, but that¡¯s how men work I suppose.¡± Fay¡¯s nostrils immediately flared, and she took an aggressive step forward - coming within Linela¡¯s personal space and meeting the other woman eye to eye. Travis couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint what had set Fay off, but something in that line of sentencing had flipped a switch. Something Linela had said not only made Fay mad, but truly triggered her to a degree that Fay looked like she was going to strike the girl down. How curious. ¡°And what if I am not nobility?¡± Fay asked curiously, green eyes narrowed with a venomous smile - fingers twitching and almost ready to cast a spell. ¡°When I become Lord Wraithtide¡¯s bride one day, I will be then. Won¡¯t I? Does that hurt your pride, knowing you are being bested by a mere commoner? My name is Fay. I don¡¯t need a house name and daddy¡¯s money in order to secure a man, unlike you little flat-chested whores that continue to run ragged attempting to take other women¡¯s belongings.¡± Linela held up one dainty hand, laughing dramatically into the back of it with her head thrown back. ¡°Quite the fangs on you! Well then, commoner trash. How about you put your bluster to the test. A bet, perhaps? One that is system-enforced by Elysium itself - we could even get a magistrate to recite the rites.¡± ¡°And what did you have in mind for that?¡± Fay asked with a fake smile that twitched at the edges. ¡°I do love tests, especially if it involves putting you in your place.¡± Linela snapped her fingers, summoning one of her man servants over while not looking away from her newly found arch nemesis - and held out a hand for her man servant to deliver a small pristine card. Checkmate. She took the small white card, laced with platinum trimmings, and extended it to Fay with a smug smirk. ¡°This is a pass that allows you into the High Tide Women¡¯s Tea Club. I wouldn¡¯t expect you to know anything about it seeing as you¡¯re lowly commoner trash, but it¡¯s a well known establishment here on the top level of the capital. Inside, 7 days hence, we will have a competition between the two of us. It will involve things that proper ladies of the court and wives of the nobility must know how to do properly, in order to satisfy their men. Seeing that you are oh so desperate to be one of us, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t shirk your duty to show us all just how superior you really are¡­ right? If you have any questions about what I mean, of which I¡¯m sure you will, perhaps you can ask my crippled brother about it. He should at the very least be able to tell you that much, even if he is otherwise useless.¡± Allie scowled on the sidelines, and was about to come up and smack a bitch - but Lahn reached out to grip her wrist with a pleading glance. Fay glanced down at the card, stiffly clasping it between her hands while glaring at the other blonde woman. ¡°And what is it that you intend to bet, harlot? What exactly could you entice me with so that I would attend such a senseless kind of competition? What do I have to gain?¡± ¡°What is it you want?¡± Linela said with a wicked sneer - and by this point the clerk at the counter was spellbound, fascinated by the verbal catfight taking place in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m sure that I could come up with something to appease someone as poor and lackluster as you.¡± Fay raised her eyebrows, thought about it for a moment, then grinned in satisfaction as her eyelids narrowed. ¡°You obviously have the upper hand in this bet, so why not make the winnings all that more dangerous? If I win this pathetic little competition of yours, you have to work cleaning cow shit out of the stables for a week. It would be a fitting place for you.¡± Silence followed. Linela paled slightly, but regained her sneering composure when Fay began to snicker. She straightened, and to everyone¡¯s surprise she agreed. ¡°Fine. I accept, on one condition.¡± Fay¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°If I win, I get to take your man to the royal ball on a date." Fay¡¯s smile immediately dropped, and Allie butt in a moment later. ¡°You can¡¯t pawn my brother off like that.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Linela asked curiously, sizing Allie up before checking Travis out again with a grin. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯d do a much better job making him happy than this commoner could. Perhaps I¡¯d even be able to steal him afterwards, just as this ¡®Fay¡¯ has accused me of trying to do. I think I¡¯d like that very much.¡± Fay hesitated, and her face grew dark with anger. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. We''ve already made plans.¡± ¡°Oh? Intimidated? Getting cold feet now after all that false bluster? How pathetic!¡± Linela laughed, then turned to wave at her man servants in the back. ¡°Well if you change your mind, do let me know. I¡¯ll be there in 7 days¡¯ time, waiting for you at noon - just in case!¡± ¡°We can make another bet.¡± Fay stated promptly, only getting a side-eyed and demeaning look of one who thought themselves superior. ¡°No my dear. We can¡¯t. You¡¯re obviously not quality material, not confident enough in yourself to win against someone like me - as it should be. You are not worthy of someone like him, and it is a sad thing to see indeed. Sad that nobility like him would fall for trash like you.¡± They glared at each other, both seething under their falsely polite smiles, before Lahn¡¯s sister turned heel. With a humph and a straightening of her shoulders, Linela walked out of the store with Marsia and all of their servants carrying luggage quickly in tow - only looking back to blow Travis a kiss and seductively wink his way. Chapter 174 Chapter 174 Lahn¡¯s little animal sanctuary was positioned in the gardens on the outskirts of Dawn¡¯s Royal Academy - located between hills and secluded from the surrounding area. Enclosed by a tiny wooden fence only big enough to keep the rescued dogs inside, it was adjacent to a pond with a couple heating stones positioned in tiny wooden doggy homes to keep the animals warm during winter months. There were about two dozen dogs there, half of them being puppies, and as he pushed open the latched wooden fence they came barreling over to him with yips, yaps and happy tail wags as he laughed and laughed and laughed. ¡°Jesus that¡¯s so cute!¡± Allie whispered to the others with a warm smile, latching the fence behind her as they all stepped inside - getting assaulted by the licking, panting dogs themselves soon thereafter. Riven reached down and picked up a tiny brown mut that looked like a cross between a basset hound and a weaner dog. It was only a few months old at most, and the excited licks, barks and pawing at his arm was more than enough for him to appreciate what Lahn had done. ¡°You little rascal! I didn¡¯t give you that, come back here!¡± Riven said with another laugh as he chased the tiny puppy around the enclosure after it snagged one of the many treats they¡¯d brought in paper bags. Fay watched him go, clutching at her waist where Riven had held her for the entire trip to the sanctuary in order to hold her close. Smoothing out her silver dress and laying the paper bags down, she began to pull out bones, chew sticks, and various dried meats - distributing them to the ferocious pack of yipping puppies, strays, and even a few older hobbling dogs that were more than friendly. Many of them nuzzled up against her, and she even had one of the older dogs yawn and lay down on her lap while beginning to go to sleep. ¡°This has GOT TO BE the CUTEST FUCKING THING I¡¯VE EVER SEEN!¡± Allie exclaimed while being bombarded by the animals. Lahn meanwhile was introducing the individual animals by name to Allie, or at least the names he wanted to give them. Only a few of them actually responded to their given names, but it was adorable nonetheless. Though he paused to consider Fay after a while of playing with the dogs when seeing that she looked rather down. ¡°Fay? Are you doing alright?¡± Fay, who was now staring at her own reflection and kneeling along the side of the pond, jolted out of a thoughtful stupor. ¡°Oh! Yes, I¡¯m fine. This has been quite fun! Why do you ask?¡± Lahn glanced over to where the Wraithtide siblings were having a very serious discussion about puppy adoptions and playing fetch with some of the toys Lahn had brought. ¡°I feel bad about the interaction you had concerning my sister. I¡¯m sorry you had to deal with her like that. Don¡¯t feel bad, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being a commoner and you¡¯re far prettier than she is anyway. She¡¯s just jealous.¡± Fay¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise, then she grinned. ¡°Thanks! And it¡¯s ok, nothing that you did to warrant an apology. I came off a little aggressive too when I saw her hitting on Travis and I think she only responded so poorly because of my initial prompting. I was rude too.¡± ¡°Yeah but it was nice to see someone finally say those things to her. The evil bitch.¡± Lahn wheeled himself up to the pond, tossing some bread into the water and smiling as beautifully colored fish came up to the surface - nibbling at the bread before diving back down again. ¡°It must be nice, having a sister that actually cares about you. I¡¯m jealous of Travis by a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious Allie cares about you too you know. Which brings me to my question - just what DID you do to get her attention?¡± Fay asked, contemplating the possibilities and giving him a curious smirk. Lahn blushed furiously, shaking his head from side to side as snowflakes began to slowly fall against his skin. ¡°I think you have the wrong idea! We¡¯re just friends. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d be interested in me like that.¡± ¡°I do believe you¡¯re wrong.¡± Fay stated with a simple shrug. ¡°But believe what you will.¡± There was a very long silence after that as Lahn considered her words. He glanced up from his hand to look over the pond towards Allie, then looked back to Fay - brows furrowed. ¡°Why do you think she¡¯s interested in me like that? It seems almost impossible.¡± Fay held her hands out to either side. ¡°I¡¯d thought it would be impossible for her to settle down at all. She has a lot of suitors. A LOT of suitors. And she¡¯s¡­¡± Fay held her tongue, wanting to say that she¡¯d acquired thralls to use as sex slaves one after another until recently. Fay wanted to tell him that Allie had abruptly stopped visiting her man harem after she¡¯d started talking to them about Lahn. Fay wanted to also tell him that although she didn¡¯t know Allie very well - she¡¯d come to view Allie as a bloodthirsty, ruthless killing machine and a cutthroat queen that was very much reversed into a blushing schoolgirl in Lahn''s presence - but Fay couldn¡¯t say any of that. Nor could she voice her more personal thoughts - such as she didn¡¯t know why Allie would take a liking to Lahn either, but then again the more time Fay spent with Lahn the more likeable he became. Perhaps Lahn¡¯s personality really had won Allie over. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ what?¡± Lahn pressed, frowning at Fay¡¯s hesitation. Fay sighed, then began giggling when a snoopy hound started nuzzling its nose under her arm to begin licking her hand. Petting the dog, her shoulders lost their tension. ¡°She just seems different. I think you¡¯re good for her. It may not be romantic, but it also may be that way, I don¡¯t know. At the very least I do believe it¡¯s possible - so keep your chin up. I can tell you¡¯re very hard on yourself because of your disabilities, but you shouldn¡¯t be. After all, it¡¯s not your fault you have an Azagnitide Rotworm living inside you.¡± Lahn¡¯s face blanked. ¡°What?¡± Fay¡¯s smile widened mischievously. ¡°I said it¡¯s not your fault you have an Azagnitide Rotworm living inside of you.¡± Lahn blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Fay pointed to his left arm, then his left leg - where the flesh had withered and shriveled into black and green, almost mummified limbs. ¡°It¡¯s eating you away you know. You¡¯ll likely die within three years, and I¡¯m surprised you¡¯ve lasted this long. You¡¯re getting sick more often, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lahn¡¯s face scrunched up in confusion, and his mouth opened and closed repeatedly while trying to find the words to reply. ¡°Yes, I have been getting sick more frequently. How did you know that? I never even told any of you that I had bouts of sickness. Do you know what my condition is? Have you seen it before?¡± His voice picked up an octave, hope shining in his eyes. ¡°No one has ever found out the source of my sickness! Do you have a clue about how to treat it?! And what is an Azagnitide Rotworm?¡± Fay slowly and sagely nodded, standing up to brush off dog hair from her formfitting silver dress. ¡°Oh yes I am very aware of your predicament. You see, I¡¯m a curse specialist. I only have a few spells under my belt but I was schooled in many different theories and I know a lot of the lore. One of my lore lessons, taught to me by my mother, talked about your condition in detail.¡± Fay reached out, touching his withered mummified hand. ¡°Essentially, your life force is being slowly drained over time to fuel a void beast. It first takes parts of your body, then at the end of your life it takes your soul and eats that too. Azagnitide Rotworms are very common parasites in the void, but elsewhere¡­ Not as much. They use high-grade curses of flesh-melding to blend in with your body - disguising themselves from healing magics to avoid purging. I¡¯m not sure how you ever came into contact with one but it is possible to cure your condition entirely. Allie actually asked me to come along today in order to evaluate your condition after hearing that you thought it was a curse, and I¡¯m glad to say that I think I¡¯ll be able to get the resources together for a sufficient ritual. It may take a while, but it¡¯s certainly worth a shot.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lahn''s breathing picked up dramatically, and he nearly jumped out of his chair due to the excitement; which ended up causing him to fall over. Fay had to catch him as he sputtered a reply, but she calmed him down - getting curious glances from the Wraithtide siblings as they started to walk around the pond to Lahn¡¯s location. ¡°You can CURE me!?¡± He asked, heart slamming inside his chest - which was very evident to the two vampires nearby. ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that!?¡± ¡°Whoa now!¡± Fay stated with a stern glare. ¡°I am NOT making any promises. I am merely saying it¡¯s possible and that I¡¯ll try. First I have to get the right ritual set up, and that¡¯ll require some digging through old texts from my mother¡¯s library. I¡¯ll have to pay her a visit. Then I¡¯ll have to collect the right ingredients and we¡¯ll have to have a healer on standby - because by the hells, if it works, the purging of that worm is going to be a very painful process.¡± *** Allie wheeled Lahn right up to his dormitory, right outside the first floor entrance where other fledgling lords and ladies of Dawn¡¯s high society bustled in and out. Many stopped to stare at the three immensely attractive people talking to Lahn, but not a single one of them paid him any attention at all. In fact, they treated him like he was some sort of plague-ridden ghost - even going out of their way to avoid him most of the time. ¡°Those puppies you saved are adorable, and I¡¯m glad we got to meet them today.¡± Allie said, getting on one knee and clasping his good hand in her own. ¡°And try not to think so much about what Fay said! I know you¡¯re excited, but we aren¡¯t sure if it can be done yet.¡± Lahn, meanwhile, was staring back at her the same way he stared at his mother all those years growing up. He suppressed a sob, clenched her hand harder, and tried to swallow a ball that was building up in his throat. His voice was shaky, and it was all he could do not to cry and embarrass himself in front of everyone there. ¡°No one has ever done anything like this for me before. No one but my mom.¡± He promptly shook his head to cut her off when she began to protest. ¡°No, I mean it. I¡¯ve only known you a relatively short time and you¡¯re already one of the best things that has happened to me since I was very little. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better friend. Thank you for at least trying Allie, and even if it doesn¡¯t work - the mere fact that you tried says and means more to mean than you can ever imagine. Thank you.¡± Lahn then loudly coughed into his withered hand, getting disgusted looks from one of the other noble brats walking by. Sheepishly putting his bad hand back in his lap, Lahn¡¯s eyes shifted towards Allie and the others again. ¡°Sorry. Anyways, thank you all. Fay, I appreciate your efforts no matter how it goes. I¡¯ll be waiting eagerly to try, but I need to be off. I have to study for tomorrow¡¯s test¡­ Are you going to be there to take the test tomorrow, Allie?¡± Allie smiled, pressed her hands against his, and stood to shake her head. ¡°No. Family business calls, my brother and I have some things to do.¡± Lahn immediately looked disappointed. ¡°Things?¡± ¡°It involves the war effort.¡± Allie stated, then winked. ¡°Classified.¡± ¡°Against Tereen?¡± Lahn said, opened mouthed. ¡°Wait, are you really caught up in the war already? That would explain why you¡¯re so strong! Are you already an officer? What are you doing here!?¡± Travis and Allie both chuckled. ¡°She did say ¡®classified.¡¯¡± Fay stated with a wink. ¡°Do you need one of us to help you to your room?¡± ¡°NO! No, that¡¯d be embarrassing.¡± Lahn replied with a reluctant exhale. ¡°Fine! Keep your secrets! I¡¯ll figure them out later anyway!¡± With a teasing grin, Lahn turned his wheelchair back around and headed into the dormitory. Waving at Allie and his two new friends, he turned left and started wheeling himself towards his room. It was only a couple doors down from the main entrance, intentionally placed there for easy access, and he ignored the stares he got from other academy students while fumbling with his keys. Finding the correct one and inserting it into the lock, he looked down the hall the way he¡¯d come as if to see whether or not Allie had followed. And of course she hadn¡¯t. He gave a wistful sigh, turned the key, and entered the room. His maid wasn¡¯t there. She¡¯d probably been called off on an errand for his brother again, as she did technically serve the entire Lucio household and not just Lahn. Locking the door behind him and strenuously pushing himself into the main dining area, Lahn approached the bed where he took out the royal ball invitation Allie had given him. Peeling open the parchment imbued with the king¡¯s sigil and reading the golden texts, his excited smile was accompanied by a light laugh of disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± his sister¡¯s familiar voice called out from the dark interior of the kitchen, and Lahn whirled around as fast as he could in his chair to give a set of three figures a startled look. There, sitting or leaning against the countertops in the kitchen were his brother, his sister, and none other than his arch nemesis: Gleetus Nefrand. Gleetus wore a look of malicious glee, cracking his knuckles and glaring down at him while Linela hopped off the counter to coldly jut her nose upwards in Lahn¡¯s direction. Meanwhile, his elder brother Parius Lucio stalked forward with slow steps - his boots thunking against carpeted floor. Parius was one of the most handsome men around, and always had flocks of girls trying to catch his eye. He was blonde, a lot like Lahn¡¯s sister Linela, and wore his hair in a ponytail. Much like Gleetus, Parius also wore a victorian-styled buttoned coat with frills coming up off the collar. His blue eyes glared down at Lahn between the other two figures, obviously the alpha in this situation, and he snatched the invitation to the royal ball out of Lahn¡¯s hands with a sneer. Then, as his eyes traced the lettering amidst the dead silence of the room, his eyebrows lifted. Parius flicked the page twice with his pointer finger, and turned his attention back to his crippled younger brother. ¡°Who did you steal this from, little brother?¡± Lahn paled. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it from anyone! It was given to me!¡± ¡°By who?¡± Parius questioned again. Lahn¡¯s fists curled. ¡°Lady Allie Wraithtide!¡± Gleetus, who¡¯d remained silent up until now, sputtered in exaggerated disbelief. ¡°No, no, no. Parius, your little brother has been stalking that poor girl ever since she arrived here. Allie Wraithtide is a new, beautiful, rather rich young lady of the court and is quite popular in our classes. No doubt during one of his attempts to stalk her he snatched this invitation from her bag when she wasn¡¯t looking.¡± ¡°I can attest to that.¡± Linela said with a snobbish flip her hair. ¡°I saw him stalking the poor girl and her brother at the magic shop in town just earlier today. It was rather pathetic, if I may add. She wanted nothing to do with him and he continued to follow her like a kicked dog.¡± Gleetus snickered. ¡°That isn¡¯t true!¡± Lahn said desperately, using his eyes to plead with his older brother as he extended a hand for the parchment back. ¡°That is an invitation for me! She personally gave it to me so I could attend with her!¡± ¡°AS HER DATE!? HERS?!¡± Gleetus roared with laughter, and even Linela seemed genuinely amused this time. ¡°THAT¡¯S OUTRAGEOUS! Now I¡¯m CERTAIN he stole it from her! Parius, if you saw this woman for even a moment you¡¯d understand just how absurd it would be for someone like her to ask him to the ball.¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± Linela spat, with her arms crossed. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better-¡± Parius snapped his fingers, still glaring down at Lahn, and the other two people in the room quickly shut up. Folding the invitation into his coat pocket, he pat it twice and clasped his hands behind his back. He let out a weary sigh, shook his head, and began to slowly exit the room. Coming to the door leading out, he stopped and briefly glanced back. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out to return the invitation you stole, Lahn. Your very existence is already shame enough to the family, as your performance at this school has been. I will try to correct this and make amends before even more shame is brought onto the Lucio name by returning the invitation to her, and in the meantime I urge you to reconsider just what it is you¡¯re trying to accomplish here. Gleetus, you may proceed.¡± Turning the knob to leave the room, Parius quickly exited and locked the door behind him with a click. Lahn just stared at the door shut behind his older brother, a combination of embarrassment, fury and despair sinking in as tears welled up under his eyes. ¡°Oh, are you going to cry now?!¡± Gleetus laughed alongside Linela, who began to laugh behind a hand covering her mouth. Cracking his knuckles and walking over to where a fire poker was set next to the dormant fireplace at the end of the room, he picked up the metal object and gave it a few swings. ¡°Well don¡¯t get too hasty now. Do you remember what I said to you in class? About how I¡¯d break your legs if you kept that attitude of yours up so that you¡¯d remember your place?¡± Gleetus turned around, smiling menacingly at the crippled young man in the wheelchair. ¡°Well now you¡¯re about to find out that I¡¯m not all just bluster after all!¡± Gleetus dashed forward, and Lahn yelled out in surprise and fear as Gleetus swung the fire poker as hard as he could - slamming the metal object into Lahn¡¯s good leg. There was a snap of bone, a shrill scream, and Linela began to outwardly laugh. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± Lahn yelled, falling out of his chair as he tried to escape and bleeding from a gash wound along the leg that didn¡¯t want to hold his weight anymore. ¡°HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!¡± *CRACK* The metal object slammed into the back of Lahn¡¯s thigh, tearing out a small strip of flesh whip it as Gleetus started to angrily and repeatedly hit Lahn¡¯s good leg as hard as he could. Over and over, Gleetus struck the downed man while Linela watched from the sidelines, and over and over - Lahn let out horrified whimpers and screams for help. Chapter 175 Chapter 175 The creature was exactly as the hologram had depicted her - a large red and black spider that was a rather pretty creature for an arachnid, which was odd considering how he¡¯d always thought most spiders looked disgusting. Athela¡¯s blood-tipped legs tapped rapidly in excitement as it looked around, and as her two red eyes settled on him ¨C she lifted the two front legs and spread its fangs while getting up on the hind legs. ¡°Hi there, master! How¡¯s your day going?¡± Riven was taken aback. The spider could talk? The voice was high pitched, feminine, and was the equivalent to a soft summer¡¯s breeze or wind chimes. It was nice, pleasant to hear, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Not only was the spider very pretty for an animal, but even its voice was pleasant and friendly? He gave Athela a mixed expression of confusion and amusement, before getting up and walking over to the dog-sized arachnid. Extending a hand and shaking one of its rather cold, sharpened front legs ¨C he smiled down as it clicked its mandibles together. ¡°You¡¯re rather cute. How¡¯d I get so lucky with my minion choice?¡± He could have sworn that the spider flushed pink for a moment before it shook his hand vigorously with dramatic affect. ¡°Now, now, human; I can¡¯t have you hitting on me right after summoning me. We¡¯re different species and it wouldn¡¯t¡¯ work out.¡± *** Riven blinked, and the memory faded. Chopper blades whirred overhead, creating a symphony of beating metal against the wind as two dozen apache attack helicopters and a couple transports zoomed over the forested landscape beneath. The birds of prey had come to roost in the dying light of sunset. Their destination had been set to Dungeon Alibast. A burning village, a battalion of marching undead, and ruined battlegrounds passed them by. The front lines were fast approaching, and once they even encountered an elvish strike squadron on horseback running down men from Dawn¡¯s armed forces - only for the apaches to annihilate the elves in a storm of gunfire imbued with power from the machine pillar. The apaches had been modified by system engineers, classers that could upgrade mechanical units various ways - the equivalent of mages for the machine pillar. Thus, the imbued arrows and lightning strikes that did manage to connect with the helicopters only burnt out and fizzled away when the plasma shields activated - lighting up the mechanical runes along the sides of the machines¡¯ heavy armor. The attack finished just as fast as it began - ending in an abrupt bloodbath, and the men of dawn below cheered their thanks while the apaches rapidly passed them by. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t surrendered yet.¡± Riven said through a microphone incorporated into his ¡®Messenger¡¯ helmet by one of Chicago¡¯s engineers. His red eyes shifted over to Allie, who merely shrugged and laughed back at him through the coms. ¡°Most of their elite troops have been wiped out, but they¡¯re far from done putting up a fight.¡± Mara yelled over the whirring of the helicopter blades through her own mic, gripping the side of the transport helicopter with white knuckles. ¡°It¡¯s only guesswork as to why they haven¡¯t given up yet, but some think they¡¯re too proud - and others think their king has gone mad. Either way, it means more bodies for us from both sides of the conflict and they have a lot of soldiers left.¡± ¡°But if this goes right, they might even surrender today.¡± Allie chimed in through the mic. ¡°Regardless of if they choose to or not, we still win. When the war is over we¡¯ll split the land between Dawn and the Necropolis with a third of their empire going to Dawn and two thirds going to us, and I¡¯ve already laid claim to the capital. It¡¯s a prize I won¡¯t give up, the city is supposed to be full of natural treasures and has an enormous population we can use to our own ends.¡± ¡°It is very generous of you to even give them a third, my queen.¡± Gurth¡¯Rok, the vampiric orc chieftain cut in with a harsh cough. ¡°We did most of the work in this war. If it was up to me, I¡¯d have given Dawn nothing. It was prize enough to save them from eventual disaster and enslavement.¡± Allie¡¯s chuckle rang clear. ¡°True enough, but it is nice to have a real ally for once. Think of it as an investment. We can¡¯t just go kill and conquer everyone we see, and lending an olive branch now may prove useful in the future.¡± *** The transport choppers ended up landing two miles from the dungeon on a secluded plateau at the end of the mountain range, dropping off their loads and quickly making a break back towards the necropolis with their apache escort. Riven watched them go, but eventually turned around when they¡¯d been lost out of sight beyond the mountains in the northeast. He then abruptly found himself being watched - by everyone. They expected him to lead. Fay leaned over and nudged him with a chuckle, tipping her witch¡¯s hat and spreading her wings to encompass his body -armor and all. Meanwhile, Azmoth just stood beside him with all four arms folded and his massive molten warhammer head-down on the ground. Allie and Gurth¡¯rok came to stand beside him in solidarity, both turning around with Allie¡¯s hands clasped behind her back and Gurth¡¯rock putting weight on his cobra staff. ¡°So this is our best and brightest.¡± Riven said aloud, evaluating them one by one. ¡°I only very briefly introduced myself earlier, but I¡¯m sure you all know me. Now it¡¯s my turn to know all of you. You were all recommended by Allie, Gurth¡¯Rok, or General Bruner - so I expect great things. Tell me about yourself and what you can do, we¡¯ll start down the line. Brief descriptions only.¡± The group consisted of a mix-and-match of different races, classes, and abilities. Each of them were in the low to high A-tier brackets - being between levels 49 and 56, and introductions didn¡¯t take long. Including Riven and his two demons, there were 36 of them total. There were three cyborg sharpshooters with modified silenced sniper rifles and plasma swords for close combat - but they were primarily for long range fighting and picking off dangerous targets from afar. Each of them had various and different pieces of their previously human bodies interchanged with technological equivalents, brought about by their pillar orientations and classes, and they each wore form fitting black nanotech armor that was self repairing by nature. Two hackers and one combat engineer followed next - with the energy hackers being able to not only track energy signatures, but were able to indicate what type of incoming attack would target their group if they identified it fast enough. Sometimes they were even able to misdirect enemy energy signatures and use it to their own ends - meaning they could turn enemy spells and martial arts around on their casters - hence the ¡®hacking¡¯ aspect of their class. Meanwhile the combat engineer was layered between plates of metal in a medium-sized mech a little bit bigger than Azmoth, with various utility gadgets attached to different appendages that included repair kits, healing rays, a large mining laser, 3D mapping technology and tracking beacons, utility arms for rapid construction, and a couple of self-defense measures that mostly included short range burst fire from a machine gun on one arm. What was most unique to Riven about the mech though, was that this mech was actually integrated into the machine pillar and sub pillars this man had - becoming an extension of himself by default. It wasn¡¯t something he could just give up or give away, which wasn¡¯t always apparently the case - but doing this made his mech all that much more powerful because he could level it up. Twelve warriors in enchanted heavy plate armor made up the front line: comprising of seven muscular orc death knights and three ghoul death knights - who¡¯d actually obtained the real class of deathknight rather than what Allie had referred to her minions as previously, and two hulking flesh golem unholy-berserkers with exposed musculature and metal plates or spikes protruding from around their red-and-white bodies. Two skeletal skresh assassins, a single ghoul assassin, two human rogues and a lone goblin thief were all present on the subterfuge department - being outfitted with varieties of equipment that gave stealth bonuses. Each of them had various plasma daggers - which were quickly becoming a staple of the Necropolis forces, enchanted crossbows, silenced pistols, handheld energy bombs supplied by Chicago¡¯s engineers, and a variety of shadow-pillar abilities that attributed to stealth. Then, lastly, were the mages - not including Riven, Gurth¡¯rok, or Allie. There was obviously Mara, Nin, and Vin - all of them necromancers and dark arts practitioners. But there were a couple infernal-based bombardment mages in their ranks too - three humans to be exact, and a defense-oriented orc shaman that was able to cast healing spells and air-based defensive domes - having forgone the transition into the unholy foundational pillar at Riven¡¯s altar in favor of keeping the fae foundational pillar. Healers were a rarity, so it turned out, thus the shaman was highly valued - as was Gurth¡¯Rok the orc chieftain and the utility-based combat engineer concerning his mech¡¯s healing rays. Unlike the shaman though, Gurth¡¯rok HAD taken the plunge into the unholy pillar. He¡¯d had to after his vampiric heritage clashed with his Fae pillar, and it¡¯d meant he¡¯d had to relearn a bunch of new spells. However, the transition hadn¡¯t been a complete reset - because many of his old spells had been mutated or warped into unholy versions of their fae counterparts. This ended up giving Gurth¡¯Rok a lot of blood-related spells that were actually healing oriented, and Riven in hindsight probably would need to learn at least one of them from the orc in time. The problem was that his blood pillar was filling up in terms of runic space, and they¡¯d even started transitioning to etch themselves into his soul core rather than the pillar itself. He had room for potentially one to three more blood based abilities in his pillar - depending on runic size, and a few more in his core from any orientation. Not all spells took up the same amount of space. When the blood sub pillar filled up, Riven wouldn¡¯t be able to create the sigils needed for lock-and-key access to new spells unless they were of different pillar orientation - as the other pillars he had could place their own oriented spells on their part of the soul aperture, but they wouldn¡¯t allow spells oriented to other pillars to be drawn onto them - unlike his core which was a free for all. He currently had Bloody Razors, Crimson Ice, Blood Lance, and Blood Nova - with the two particular spells Crimson ice and Blood Nova taking up enormous portions of his blood sub pillar just by themselves when compared to the others. Not immediately, but soon if he wanted to learn new blood spells after his core filled up: he¡¯d need to start sacrificing other abilities to learn them. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. So he had to choose wisely on which new abilities he wanted for the future. ¡°Let me be clear.¡± Riven said, slamming the butt of his spear-staff into the ground with the black blade pointing upwards. ¡°I am here to help ensure your safety, but I want this experience to go to all of you. I will intervene if I feel it is absolutely necessary in order to save your lives, but I cannot promise you won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll do my best, but the coming world quests will need more than just me to see them through. We have liches, snow giants, invaders from out of this world and more that we don¡¯t even know about coming to fuck our day up.¡± He let his words sink in, watching the firm expressions of his soldiers unwaveringly stare back at him. Riven nodded in approval. ¡°We are entering this dungeon for the same reason we are allowing this senseless war with Tereen to continue: it is because we are in the business of raising this world¡¯s elites to combat the bigger threats of the future. Conflict breeds heroes in this new multiverse, and though I¡¯m sure not all of you will make it that far - I¡¯m willing to bet that some of you will. This venture into the dungeon is going to be on all of your shoulders. From this expedition and later expeditions: Allie and I will select future guildmates to accompany us regularly to participate in only god knows what when the guild system finally comes. I am told by our allies in the Blood Moon Requiem that guilds have a large part to play in upcoming events across the multiverse, even beyond this planet, so do your best to impress us. Think of this almost as a tryout. You¡¯ll be evaluated the entire way through - but all of you already knew that when you signed up, didn¡¯t you?¡± He got nods and grunts of acknowledgement from the party in front of him. ¡°Dungeon Alibast, as many of you know, has been supplying Tereen with many of its dungeon creatures to fight alongside the elves in the war. By estimates, it should have a couple thousand creatures inside it even right now despite sending most of its forces to help aid the enemy.¡± Riven continued, red blood-silk flaps off his lower back armor rustling in the breeze. ¡°I do not intend to outright destroy the dungeon. This dungeon will be temporarily put down in favor of looting the wares it has, and if all goes well - we¡¯ll be able to do so a few times before it either relocates entirely or becomes a training dungeon for us. We¡¯ll see how things go. Now, aside from myself you¡¯ll all be participating - including my sister Allie, my minions who need the levels as well, and Gurth¡¯Rok. There may come a time where we split up into teams, but only for short intervals. No need to senselessly waste such good talent on a training expedition - so most of the expedition is going to be together where I can intervene if need be. Any questions?¡± ¡°No sir!¡± One of the cyborg sharpshooters called out, and many of the others shook their heads in silence. ¡°Good. I expect great things from all of you. Now let¡¯s move out.¡± *** The dungeon¡¯s entrance was an enormous cave, built into the side of the last mountain in the chain; where a couple dozen large plant-like humanoids were playing cards with high elf sentries. The plant-like creatures were called ¡®Lesser Dryads¡¯ even by the system, and they were the dominant dungeon creature that Dungeon Alibast produced. Aside from that, there¡¯d been a number of other plant-type monsters that ranged from carnivorous walking trees and flowers, to living, rolling masses of vines that sucked the blood and bile right out of your body. There¡¯d also been a few reports on greater dryads too, though they were patchy and contradicted one another at the best of times. ¡°Stealth team A is in position, targets have been eliminated on the eastern slope.¡± ¡°Stealth team B is position.¡± ¡°Overwatch team is in position.¡± ¡°Bombardment team is on standby and ready to nuke em.¡± Riven clicked his tongue, watching from the hillside where a dead elf archer was held by his snapped neck - one of many that would be raised from the dead to act as temporary cannon fodder by the necromancers. He mentally activated his coms. ¡°Begin.¡± Immediately three of the sentries standing around the table watching the card game were decapitated in single-strike blasts of targeted gunfire. The shock from the dryads as well as the elves was only short lived, but it was enough time for the sniper rifles to take out another four of their number. ¡°WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡± One of the elves, a young man with blonde hair and a white longsword yelled out while drawing it from a scabbard. He was quickly cut down by a skeletal hand wielding a dagger as one of the skresh assassins ruptured from a nearby shadow. The defenders died within seconds, and Riven nodded in appreciation at the skill these soldiers showed while coming down from his hiding place at a vantage point. Stopping near the man who¡¯d called out to try and raise the alarm, Riven frowned. He wondered just what kind of lies he¡¯d been told, what kind of pay he¡¯d been enticed with, what morals he held that allowed him to stay here and fight this war. Perhaps the young man wasn¡¯t all that different from himself, or at least he might not have been before becoming a corpse. ¡°They started this war.¡± Allie reminded him upon seeing his gaze linger on the dead young man - barely older than a boy. ¡°They were committing atrocities, purging entire villages and towns - enslaving people from Dawn without cause and treating those slaves a lot more brutally than you allow us to do with the elvish prisoners of war. Remember that.¡± Riven didn¡¯t look back, and instead he turned towards the cave entrance - peering into the darkness. ¡°Yes. I know.¡± *** George Kalsky¡¯s yellow bionic eye zoomed down the iron sight of his silenced sniper rifle on thought. Positioning on a ledge that overlooked the roaring battle below, he took a moment to soak in the field. As a previous Navy Seal, he¡¯d had his fair share of warfare. But this was a lot more intense than what he¡¯d been used to back on his mission in the Middle East and southern Asia. The line of heavily armored, fully plated death knights were beating back a horde of carnivorous vines akin to snakes, as well as a multitude of their plant-like dryad masters that looked like people carved from wood, stems and flowers or other different plants. Heavy metal tower shields were held out in front of the knights as each of them wielded swords that let off soul flame of neon-teal and black energies. The death magic ripped through the plants, and various body-enhancements were obviously in full glow as they carved through the dungeon¡¯s defenses like a meat grinder, but their main job was to tank for the real damage doers in the back. Black holes overhead soaked in both light and life as the necromancers continued to suck in enemies and raise the dead - sending the undead creations back into the still living dryads in a never ending wave. Blasts of fire akin to mortars and bombs tore holes in the hundreds of racing enemies charging their position - decimating the underground caverns that¡¯d once been littered with flowering plants. Stealth-based classers vanished in and out of the shadows on the sidelines, killing stragglers or enemies that¡¯d been separated from the main groups - while also looking out for enemy stealth types that were few and far between but still occasionally present. Feeling the pulse of his armaments pillar, flare in his soul, George set his sights on one of the backline druid casters and began channeling the tier 2 martial art: ¡®True Shot¡¯ - one of the most basic, but one of the most useful abilities of his class. The silenced sniper rifle, a magnificent sleek black gun half the size he was, shimmered with pale light and let an infused projectile rocket out of the chamber. Tearing through the air, the bullet infused with ¡®True Shot¡¯ passed by an erected energy shield and made contact with the first physical item behind it - the shaman¡¯s heart. [You have landed a critical hit. Max Damage x9.] The dryad¡¯s chest blew out the back, showering his allies in gorey plant matter to the enraged screams of the other defenders. Grinning wolfishly, George turned his closely shaved head to the next target and readjusted his aim. This time it was a mutant treeant, a large, hulking humanoid created out of thick bark, branches, and enormous limbs. It was gigantic, racing straight for the front line and shrugging off flaming bolts of fire and darkness that the backline casters, but it wasn¡¯t about to get there alive. He channeled another True Shot and fired. The bullet howled through the air, slamming into the tough defenses of the treeant¡¯s hide and completely ignoring the outer layer of energy shielding the creature - but the thick bark was more than just for show. The bullet, as fast as it was, only lodged in half an inch and caused the treeant to stagger. ¡°Shit.¡± Getting to one knee and making sure that there wasn¡¯t any enemy coming up from behind, he exposed himself to activate another ability: Plasma Cannon. It was the very first skill he¡¯d acquired from the Armaments pillar, and it temporarily shifted his arm into a weapon. Holding out his right hand in a straight line, his entire arm began to change. Metal pieces quickly shifted, churned, rotated and clicked into place as his fingers were reincorporated into his body and a long hollow steel barrel glowing with orange light replaced it. Neon lights etched through lines of power across his entire extremity, and a whirring noise began to rumble within the limb as small fan-like blades began to rotate inside. *THRUM* The orange energies congregated, forming an orb inside the small cannon attached to his arm - and he took a more careful aim as he felt the plasma begin to charge. A percentage counter began ticking up, letting him know what kind of energy output he¡¯d unleash. 178 V. 204 V. 267 V. 305 V. He didn¡¯t know what the ¡®V¡¯ stood for, but it definitely correlated to the power output of his cannon - and when his arm started to shake and overhead around 509 V he let the cannon rip. The ball of orange energy roared forward and rocked the room, nearly blowing him backwards with an aftershock as the ball of plasma collided head on with the incoming tree giant. The monster roared as half its body shattered into splinters of wood. It fell over, crushing many of the dryads underneath it that were madly rushing ahead - and George¡¯s arm began to simmer with heat as it cooled down. ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± He muttered to himself with a smile, narrowly dodging a wooden spike that was launched in retaliation from the enemy backlines And that¡¯s when he heard the crunch of wood on stone behind him. Eyes narrowing he whirled barely seeing the incoming root before he dodged left. The root passed him by and skewered the stone he¡¯d been laying on, then whipped back around and retracted into a green woman with vines for hair and a pink flower for her left eye that covered half her face. She wore a long dress made of interwoven leaves, and her legs trailed with roots that supported her weight and helped her move as if her feet were hovering a few inches above ground. She hummed with amusement and held up a hand as George raised a pistol - deflecting numerous bullets as the semi-automatic weapon chipped away at the bark shield she conjured. ¡°Quite the little rascal, aren¡¯t you?¡± Her voice was like honey, too human for George¡¯s liking, and he quickly drew out a plasma knife from his belt that flared to life with neon light. Yellow rectangular runes of the machine pillar began to light up his arms and legs as body empowerment abilities activated, and he set himself into a combat-ready stance for close combat. [Greater Dryad, Wood Priestess, Level 70 Elite] The notification glowed in golden flames, signifying the ¡®Elite¡¯ Status that he¡¯d heard rumors about but hadn¡¯t actually seen until now. And she was level 70 to his level 55. This did not look good. But he steadied himself anyways, ready to match her attack as she simply smiled and blinked back at him through the roar of battle. Then another figure appeared from the hallway from whence the expedition had come. And then another, and another, and then even more. They poured in, silently evaluating the battle from the ledge George had decided to use as a vantage point - and his body grew cold when he saw the last of the figures emerge from around the bend. She was only a little girl and looked a lot like the dryads did. She had vines and leaves for hair and half of her right arm was covered in bark, but her small body was otherwise created from green stalk and dozens of small flowers. [Greater Dryad, Wood Priest, Level 61 Elite] [Greater Dryad, Flower Priestess, Level 72 Elite] [Greater Dryad, Earth Shaman, Level 69 Elite] [Reincarnation of Gaia, Planet Earth-based Demigoddess, Level 103, Legendary] The little girl looked up to George, studied him through narrowed hazel eyes, and frowned. ¡°George¡­ Why are you attacking me?¡± Caught off guard by the monster knowing his name, George abruptly took a step back. ¡°Huh? Do I know you?¡± ¡°I know all of the people who were born on my world¡­ or at least I used to.¡± The little girl put on a sad smile. Then she walked over, unperturbed by the violence below, and stood to watch the massacre of her people. ¡°George¡­ Can you bring Allie and Riven to me so I may speak with them?¡± She turned around, a bastion of innocence. ¡°I do believe there has been a misunderstanding.¡± Chapter 176 Chapter 176 Riven stared at the young girl sitting across from him a few feet away, red eyes narrowed through the visor slit, and vertical jaws along his ivory plate armor hissing from time to time. Jackal had taken its dog form, a shadowy canine that glared over at Gaia¡¯s reincarnation wordlessly as its body shimmered with black wisps of shadow. ¡°So let me get this straight. You¡¯re saying that you¡¯ve been quarantined here, unable to control any of the monsters you create-¡± ¡°I do not like to refer to them as monsters.¡± Gaia replied sweetly, a smile adorning her lips while new flowers began to bloom from her outstretched palm. ¡°They are my children, just like you.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°Right¡­ You are unable to control your children outside of this dungeon because the elves have¡­ What, mind controlled them somehow by using nature-attuned magics?¡± ¡°That is correct. My children are very susceptible outside of my dungeon realm, and I cannot leave this dungeon myself until I have matured.¡± Gaia stated with a nod - letting the flower grow into a fully formed crystalized multi-colored rose, shimmering with light, and plucking it to set the flower on the floor between them. ¡°This is for you as a sign of good faith. I know you better than you think you know yourself, Riven Thane. Being born on my world before the integration I knew you even better back then, and there are both many secrets that I can share - as well as many boons that I can give you, should you help me.¡± The fighting had stopped entirely now. Gaia¡¯s treeants, plant creatures, and dryads had all retreated to a safe distance on the opposite end of the cavern from where Riven¡¯s own forces were currently located. Gaia claimed that no harm had been done because she could resurrect any of these creations with their souls intact as long as they didn¡¯t leave Dungeon Alibast, whose avatar was actually one of the greater dryads watching over the goddess reincarnate. The elves, apparently, had been taking the dryads regularly from the dungeon to use as cannon fodder in the war - abducting them to warp their minds with some kind of ritualistic magic Riven was unfamiliar with. Due to the high affinities of the Fae pillar that these elves had, and the high affinities these dryads had to it as well, the dryads were very susceptible to this kind of mental attack and were even identified as minions to the elvish masters by Elysium¡¯s status pages. This made Gaia very angry, because once they left the dungeon and died outside of this dungeon - there was no way to bring them back to life. They were gone for good, and thus the elves of Tereen had essentially kidnapped and murdered many of her newly created children. Riven hesitated, then picked the glittering rose off the center of the floor that¡¯d been covered in soft layers of moss over the last few minutes just by being in Gaia¡¯s presence. He personally didn¡¯t feel any different, but many of the still-human soldiers he¡¯d brought along and the orc shaman who¡¯d remained unaffiliated to the unholy pillar claimed that they¡¯d felt rejuvenated just by seeing her. It was¡­ interesting, to say the least. ¡°Do you know what happened to my parents?¡± Riven asked slowly while Allie caught her breath on the sideline, waiting expectantly for Gaia¡¯s answer. ¡°Since you are apparently the mother nature of Earth on our old world reincarnated, perhaps you could let me know?¡± Gaia slowly shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately I am unable to tell you exactly what happened because they were not born on my body, but elsewhere. I did not have a connection to their spirits as I did yours, or Allie¡¯s, or the others prior to integration. However, I did have eyes and ears. The plants and animals spoke to me even then, and I do have snippets of the things that passed before they left my body together.¡± ¡°Together?¡± Riven repeated, eyebrows raised. ¡°My father left years before my mother disappeared, and I was half convinced they¡¯d died. You¡¯re saying they not only left alive, but they left with each other?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± Gaia said with visible empathy etched into her features. ¡°I am sorry. I know how thoroughly it broke the two of you at that time. I would have been more involved in situations like yours if the gods of Olympus hadn¡¯t banished me and worked with other pantheons to steal the magic of our planet, but alas that isn¡¯t the case. All I could do was watch as my children, like you two, suffered unjustly.¡± That response brought a lot more questions than he¡¯d originally had. ¡°The gods of Olympus are real?¡± ¡°As are many of the other pantheons you humans considered mythology.¡± Gaia replied sweetly. ¡°They were all banished to their own versions of reality when the magic left, after they failed to harness the world¡¯s power properly. It is why Earth was devoid of magic and why magic was a myth to you when the other two worlds Earth merged with during the integration already had some knowledge of the subject. I believe that now many of them will be making an appearance just like me, likely secluded to different dungeons or instance events the administrator has created until¡­ Until we are deemed ready to leave into the combined world of Panu.¡± ¡°Back to our parents-¡± Allie cut in, irritated that the subject had gotten off track. She stepped forward, only to be met with flares of power from the greater dryads and Dungeon Alibast¡¯s dryad avatar - each having auras that matched Allie¡¯s own. She stepped back, grunting in irritation and glaring down at the little flowering plant girl. ¡°Why did they leave? Why couldn¡¯t you see them and why don¡¯t you know where they went or what happened if plants and animals in their area told you!? That doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Gaia looked up to Allie, sighing softly and shaking her head - causing the vines creating her hair to shift. ¡°I don¡¯t know why your father left you all those years ago, but he remained on my body until he left with your mother much later. When he left you, he entered a complex of some kind that shielded my gaze - it was underground, with unholy auras permeating the structure. I only ever saw him when he came out to feed on my other children. Eventually when your mother was being chased by¡­ some kind of otherworldly creature not native to Earth, she killed the beast and made preparations for the two of you. She wiped clean any traces connecting her to her two children, and headed for the same complex your father had stayed at all those years. It was then attacked by similar shadowy creatures, and I felt a rip in space as a portal activated. Soon after that the presence of your parents disappeared and the complex blew up to stop the monsters from pursuing. That is all I can tell you.¡± ¡°What did the creatures look like?¡± Allie pressed, concern evident while she bit her bottom lip. ¡°I cannot say.¡± Gaia stated again with a helpless frown. ¡°My state at the time was weakened, and I could not make out their true bodies. All I know is that they were shadow-oriented creatures of some kind, and that they were dangerous. They killed many of the other people in your father¡¯s facility before the underground complex exploded, and they were dragging the bodies out by the many dozens to use their parts as sacrificial rituals of some kind before everything was purged with infernal flames. I apologize for not knowing more.¡± Allie paused, taking in the information, but let out a shaky breath and slumped. ¡°Thank you anyway. It¡¯s more information than we¡¯ve ever gotten before.¡± Riven took Allie¡¯s hand and squeezed reassuringly, then turned his attention back to the flower. It looked crystalline in nature, was multicolored and shimmered in the light. He couldn¡¯t get a read on it even with his suit¡¯s low tier identification ability, so he held it up and asked. ¡°What does this do exactly?¡± Gaia turned her gaze from Allie to Riven, and then to the brilliant crystal flower she¡¯d plucked from her palm. ¡°That is a piece of my soul.¡± Riven stared. ¡°Why would you give me a piece of your soul, exactly? What use do I have of this?¡± ¡°Do you not have someone you love waiting to be revived?¡± Gaia asked, a small grin creeping up onto her face. ¡°Think of this as an upfront payment. Do not worry, my soul will regenerate over time as long as the core piece is intact - and Athela¡¯s core is what attached itself to your own soul aperture. What do I want in return? Free my children from this quarantine the elves have placed on my home, destroy the runic glyphs that siphon my power to keep my growth stagnant, destroy the seals that keep us inside, stop Tereen¡¯s king from mind controlling my children by taking his head - and you will have a lot more than this. That, I promise you. And you will have made an ally of me as well. I cannot leave the dungeon myself yet even if you do destroy the glyphs, but I will be able to do so eventually. When that time comes, you will need me for the invaders that seek to take this new planet for themselves.¡± Riven barely heard the words she spoke after the first sentence. ¡°This can help Athela come back?¡± Gaia nodded. ¡°It can. It will also impart a gift to her in the form of my own power, should she choose to take it. The art of soul mending is a thin line between utter failure and creating a new being - but this rose already has the commands programmed into it that would allow Athela¡¯s soul to regrow properly while keeping Athela as herself.¡± The little girl held up a finger before Riven could speak. ¡°I also suggest that you are very careful about letting in too much aspect in, concerning the sin of gluttony you have acquired. Athela¡¯s soul was created out of nothing by the power of your sin shard, from what I can gather by looking at it. Is that correct?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Then Athela will be very in tune with Gluttony¡¯s power when she revives. Be very careful that Gluttony does not consume her outright in an attempt to claim my gift, and that the core of her soul remains intact. If done right, she will likely take both the power of Gluttony and my own gifts to combine them into something unique - but it will be up to you to hold back the greed and hunger Gluttony represents when that shard realizes the gift I have given you isn¡¯t for yourself - but rather for your minion. Eat the flower now, and within one week¡¯s time - your minion will be back in your company. Lastly, I would heavily advise against trying this again with her or with anyone else. Soul mending can go very wrong, as I have mentioned, and you could very well destroy the essence of who she is if it isn¡¯t done right. An example of this would be even now, should you fail to keep out Gluttony¡¯s shard from devouring my pre-set sigils of power, you could very well lose Athela entirely.¡± ¡°... Is there not a safer way?¡± Riven asked hesitantly, glancing down at the flower. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Gaia gracefully held out one hand to either side. ¡°Probably, but not a way I personally know of.¡± *** While Riven, Allie, and the others were destroys the sigils and various magical constructs left in place by the elves surrounding Dungeon Alibast, Fay decided to enter the nether realms. She¡¯d been dreading going back home to see her family after what¡¯d happened with Tupper, but she wouldn¡¯t simply stand by and watch her relatives torture her brother for what they considered as ¡®improper behavior.¡¯ It was just ludicrous. Personal nether realms were available to all demons. Just like angelic races, it was an inherent part of what they were. Fay could retreat to her own personal nether realm and create a small space where she was able to relax, devoid from harm or fear, untouchable to the greater universe beyond. But when nether realms were shared entities between groups of demons like clans¡­ that¡¯s when things got a little tricky. They became more physical and real in nature, and it was also a lot less safe. Stepping out of her portal, she touched down onto a large stone temple adorned with flowers and large marble statues depicting different incubi and succubi with various lewd poses. Her feathered boots hit the floor, and her black wings flapped twice before settling into a folded position behind her. Various demons were talking, eating drinking, or outright mating with one another right there on the temple grounds - which was pretty typical for her breed of demons. Unlike the variously colored succubi and the incubus she¡¯d seen at Dungeon Negrada¡¯s trading commune, her clan were all like her - having short black horns, black eyes, a black tail, silky white hair, and characteristic sky-blue skin. ¡°Welcome back home to the Sojavi Clan¡¯s nest, dear sister!¡± A familiar light-hearted voice called out as Nitidi, Fay¡¯s favorite older sister came skipping through the crowd of various bodies from a temple doorway. Fay¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Nitidi! One of only two people I want to see today!¡± Her older sister laughed, and quickly they embraced int a strong hug. Nitidi was pretty tall for a succubus and her horns curled slightly more than fay¡¯s did. Her thighs were slightly thicker too, but otherwise the two sisters looked very similar to one another. ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought back some fashion statements!¡± Nitidi teased, letting go of Fay and flicking the witch¡¯s hat before motioning to the feathered knee-high boots and the torn, purple skirt outfit. ¡°You really need to get that skirt and top replaced. You can have some of mine, I¡¯ve been collecting clothes just for you while you¡¯ve been gone¡­ It¡¯s the least I could do to make you feel better after what happened.¡± Fay¡¯s body suddenly went rigid, but she played it off with a cough and another friendly smile. No doubt Nitidi was talking about how Fay had been kidnapped, tortured, and used by the cultists, and it wasn¡¯t a fond memory to think of. Fay had seriously thought she was going to die, permanently, after seeing Athela get cut down and the sheer pleasure that blonde man had taken from seeing Fay in pain. She looked down at her outfit, which - even though it did have some minor self repair enchantments, hadn¡¯t mended itself properly after being torn apart a couple times. ¡°Uhm¡­ Thanks Nitidi. It is appreciated.¡± An awkward silence ensued, and then Nitidi perked up with a nudge to Fay¡¯s side. ¡°But hey! That new man you¡¯ve got¡­ I¡¯m jealous! What a hottie, right!? And the title of GIRLFRIEND!? Now THAT is something you¡¯ve got to tell me about! How did you manage that!? Most guys just want to use us for fun, but emotional investment?! Mother is most pleased.¡± Fay¡¯s deep blush said it all, causing Nitidi to chuckle viciously. ¡°Is mother truly happy with me?¡± Fay managed to mutter under their breath as they began walking towards the temple¡¯s entrance. ¡°I was afraid she and the other elders would be angry after I helped Tupper escape.¡± Nitidi scoffed, brushing the comment aside with a flip of her hair. ¡°Not at all. They¡¯re happy to be rid of him, I think it was best for all parties involved.¡± Fay let out a deep, long sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I was afraid of what they¡¯d say.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like they should care anyways. Just let Tupper do what he wants to do and let it be - no need to pressure him to follow the family line of work.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± Stopping at a small windowless room on the left, Nitidi quickly picked up a couple stacks of clothes and deposited them into a sack - then handed them to Fay with a wink. ¡°I included some edible lingerie so you and Riven can have some fun.¡± Fay slapped a hand over her face and the blush deepened. ¡°Nitidi! Stop, you¡¯re embarrassing me!!!¡± ¡°Fay you¡¯re a succubus, get used to the idea!¡± Nitidi laughed, poking Fay in the stomach and let her younger sister carry the bag as they continued down the hall towards Mother¡¯s library. Finally getting to the large door and opening it, Fay stepped inside and beheld the massive amount of books her clan had collected. The room was huge. Utterly massive. It contained different textbooks, novels, documentaries, maps, lore, scrolls, and other ancient texts from numerous worlds across the multiverse. Most of them had been taken from previous warlock masters their clan had bound themselves to at one point or another, while others had been traded for, stolen or bought while on the job. Fay¡¯s mother, Saemi, was a book fanatic and as one of the clan elders had ordered the library be added onto whenever they got the chance. ¡°Fay!!! You¡¯ve finally arrived!¡± Saemi exclaimed upon seeing her youngest daughter, getting up and pushing off one of her bare-chested incubus suitors, rudely shoving him and gesturing for him to get lost as he scurried out of the room. Saemi smiled widely down at Fay and took her head in both hands, turning Fay¡¯s face back and forth before kissing Fay on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering when you¡¯d come back to talk to me! I got so worried¡­ but I¡¯m glad to see your summoner cared enough to save you." Saemi raised one eyebrow, her finger tracing down Fay¡¯s chest to the poorly repaired top she wore. ¡°We need to do something about this. This just simply will not do. Nitidi, did you get Fay some new clothes with seduction enchantments as discussed?¡± ¡°They¡¯re in the bag, they all have depravity associated boons too. I made sure of it.¡± Nitidi replied with a smile, plopping down onto one of the many cushioned chairs in the library and crossing her legs to swing her foot back and forth while watching her mother and sister interact. Saemi nodded approvingly and took a step back to further evaluate her youngest child. Saemi was somewhere between Fay and Nitidi in height, wore the equivalent of a belly-dancer¡¯s outfit - colored white against her sky blue skin, and didn¡¯t have any shoes on. It was obvious where Fay got her looks from. ¡°I simply can¡¯t believe how well you¡¯ve done! You¡¯ve struck gold, daughter! Securing a prince of the Blood Moon Requiem as a master - you¡¯ll be his servant and have the opportunity to grow for millennia - if not far longer! Vampires do not age after all!¡± ¡°I think he wants her to be more than just a servant¡­¡± Nitidi cut in with a low chuckle, causing Fay¡¯s eyes to hit the floor and avoid her mother¡¯s gaze. But Saemi¡¯s smile only widened. ¡°Yes¡­ I saw that. Very interesting. As I said, you¡¯ve done splendidly. Be sure that even if you don¡¯t feel the same way about him, not to let him know. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity even for us demons who live eternal lives should we not get murdered.¡± Fay¡¯s fingers clenched. ¡°But I do feel the same way about him.¡± There was a brief pause, and then Saemi laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug. ¡°Of course you do! You¡¯re so adorable, I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean that to sound bad. I almost forgot that he¡¯s only your second summoner - and hopefully the last! Who knows, right? By the hells, this is SUCH an upgrade from your last warlock!¡± Her mother winked down at her before letting Fay go again. ¡°Perhaps your brother will take some lessons on obedience from you while under your care¡­ I can only hope. Anyways, is there a particular reason you¡¯re returning today? Or was it just to catch up?¡± Fay¡¯s eyes brightened, and she turned to look up at the soaring stacks of books along many hundreds of extremely tall bookshelves. ¡°I was hoping to find information regarding Azagnitide Rotworms. Riven¡¯s sister has a friend who is afflicted with one, and I was wanting to get a ritual to bring back so we could get rid of it.¡± Saemi¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she bit her lower lip while tapping a finger along one cheek. Turning her head up to inspect a particular bookshelf further down the way - she gestured for Fay to follow. ¡°Perhaps I already know where to look. Come now, follow me and we can discuss things further. You too, Nitidi - this conversation involves you as well.¡± Launching herself up off the floor, their mother began soaring into the massive pathways between bookshelves - taking a sharp right with her two daughters quickly flying behind her. Saemi¡¯s grace was unnatural. Some people in the clan often compared her to the angels and how they used their feathers to better adjust with wind currents, but that¡¯s what you got when you had many tens of thousands of years under your belt to practice flying and to acquire new traits that would assister her in the act. Zipping inbetween the bookshelves a couple dozen yards up off the ground, Saemi eventually came to a stop along one of the large wooden platforms that they used in the library to stand on when up this high. Adjusting a lever and moving the platform to the right a little ways, Saemi stopped the contraption and reached out to pick out two separate leather-bound books. ¡°I believe these two volumes are exactly what you¡¯re looking for.¡± Fay¡¯s mother stated while extending them out to Fay with both hands. However she withdrew them a moment later, a clever smile painting her lips. ¡°But there is something you must do for me before I hand these to you.¡± Fay, who¡¯d been reaching for the books to put in the bag Nitidi had gifted her, frowned. ¡°What trickery are you up to this time, mother? I hope you¡¯re not scheming again and trying to prank me like the last time. You know I get embarrassed easily.¡± Nitidi and Saemi both loudly laughed at her innocent accusation. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by that, Fay! I¡¯m only looking out for the clan¡¯s welfare and growth!¡± Saemi replied with another low chuckle. ¡°Those slugworms were harmless, it¡¯s not MY fault you reacted the way you did. Anyways! I was hoping we could have a quick chat about Nitidi here.¡± Fay lifted her gaze, just as confused as Nitidi was by the look they exchanged. ¡°What about her?¡± ¡°Well she finally escaped that foul man who was using her in sacrificial blood orgies.¡± Saemi stated with a prompt huff. ¡°Took forever to use that contractual loophole but we managed to get her out.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Fay said with an excited bounce on the balls of her feet - still holding the sack of clothes in her arms. ¡°Congratulations Nitidi!¡± ¡°Yeah it¡¯s way better now.¡± Nitidi admitted with pooched lips. ¡°But what does my old master have to do with Fay?¡± ¡°Well it¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it?¡± Saemi said simply. ¡°You need a new one, and Riven has an open slot. Does he not? Last I checked there were over 3 million demons vouching for that single spot, we need it to go to our clan. Not another.¡± There was a pause of silence that followed. ¡°You want Nitidi to bind to Riven too?¡± Fay said, skeptically. ¡°Why? Not that I¡¯d mind, but I¡¯d thought you wanted our influence spread out more across different sectors for information accumulation. Our clan is an information broker after all.¡± ¡°Riven is not a normal summoner, the benefits of binding two daughters to him outweigh the benefits of binding you to separate warlocks.¡± Saemi said simply. ¡°If I were low enough level to meet the requirements, I¡¯d bind to him myself. But unfortunately I can¡¯t, as you well know I¡¯m well above level 4000 now. System regulations won¡¯t permit it - and it¡¯s not often any summoner at all manages to make it that far anymore. Unfortunate, truly. Now if I wish to gain access to the mortal realms I have to beat my way through the hells to do it, and we all know how that usually goes for succubi like us. Those damnable devils are truly barbaric.¡± Fay grimaced and wrinkled her nose, but hesitated afterwards when her mother gave her an expectant look. ¡°Are you¡­ being protectively jealous?¡± Saemi asked, amusement creeping into her voice while rolling her eyes. ¡°Come on now. I know you had fun with that vampire princess and elf slave woman, didn¡¯t you? It wouldn¡¯t be much different than that.¡± Fay huffed with irritation. ¡°That was a little bit different than this. And no, I¡¯m not opposed to the idea of Nitidi coming if Riven wants to do so, but I won¡¯t speak for him and I¡¯ll need both of you to respect any boundaries I set. Riven is mine. He belongs to me. I¡­ I¡¯m very much attached to him and I don¡¯t want any other woman taking his heart from me.¡± ¡°AHHH!!!!¡± Nitidi gasped with hands on either side of her cheek. ¡°That¡¯s so cute! You really DO like him!¡± Saemi once again rolled her eyes, then extended the books once more. ¡°Well at least ask him, you know how hard it is to find a decent summoner. It doesn¡¯t have to be sexual, I¡¯ll leave that decision up to you since you¡¯ve already made a claim on your prince charming, but do let us know. Go on and rid that other poor soul of the Azagnitide Rotworm, I do hear they¡¯re rather foul and I believe the rituals you need will be within the pages of these texts.¡± Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Lahn¡¯s body¡­ hurt. It was painfully obvious to Lady Shovi Lucio, his mother, whenever she looked at him; and her fury had never known such heights. Not until the day he¡¯d withdrawn from the academy a physically and mentally broken man ¡°YOU NEED TO DO MORE!¡± Lady Shovi Lucio, Lahn¡¯s mother, screamed at his father - the esteemed Lord Nikola Lucio right outside Lahn¡¯s room through an open door. Furiously throwing a vase at the wall and causing it to shatter into hundreds of tiny porcelain pieces, Lahn¡¯s mom heaved with a red face - shoulders raising and hands quivering violently with ill-contained rage. ¡°GET OFF YOUR ASS AND FIND OUT WHO DID THIS!¡± Slamming the door as hard as she could in front of her shocked husband and not bothering to even look back at her other children - who¡¯d done nothing but make jabs about Lahn¡¯s situation since he¡¯d withdrawn from the academy, Lady Shovi Lucio sank into a chair next to his bedside and tried to contain a sob with cupped hands over her mouth. Her glistening, watery eyes slowly lifted to match his own as he struggled to breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Lahn. I won¡¯t stop until whoever hurt you is found.¡± Lahn didn¡¯t reply. He couldn¡¯t. Or he could, but he didn¡¯t want to. He claimed to not know who the culprits were. He¡¯d expressionlessly watched his sister sneer at him from the hallway when he¡¯d been wheeled back into the room with his good leg and good arm both broken in multiple spots - something her mother had noticed and honed in on with a suspicious glare, but she had no foundation for any accusation thus far. How had she ever raised such uncaring, pompous brats? Out of the three children she¡¯d raised, only Lahn had ever showed any compassion or interest for anything other than their own wellbeing. In large part she blamed the man she married, but she also knew she was partially to blame for not failing to correct such behavior. Now, as they¡¯d reached young adulthood, she feared it was far too late. She turned her eyes back to her broken, kind, loving son on the bed. His jaw was shattered, his ribs were broken. The beating was so bad in fact, his arms were so mangled after the brutal beating he¡¯d received, that she didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯d have ANY ¡®good¡¯ limb after it was all said and done - and the good healers were all on the front lines helping keep people alive. The ones left here in the capital were either absolutely swamped with more serious cases than his, or simply inadequate compared to the ones who¡¯d usually tend to his injuries - so the healing had been subpar at best. He was still in a massive amount of pain any time he attempted to budge, and it¡¯d caused her to sob uncontrollably at random times throughout each day since he¡¯d been back. Rearranging the pillows he was laying in and making sure Lahn was as comfortable as he could be under the thin sheets of his bed, Shovi stepped back to the window and opened it for some sunshine. It was still winter and sunshine wasn¡¯t all that abundant, but it was better then nothing. She took out a brush and nervously combed her brunette hair like she usually did whenever she was upset, staring out across their courtyard, only to notice a new carriage had parked itself sometime over the past ten minutes right outside. Curiously frowning down at it, she heard a knock at the door - and wondered who it could be. ¡°Lahn¡­ I believe we have company.¡± Shovi said in a shaky, hoarse voice from all the screaming and crying she¡¯d done over past days. Clearing her throat and flattening down her green dress, she clasped her hands and put on as kind a smile as she could while trying to catch the gaze of her broken son. He only barely acknowledged her with a brief glance, then turned his lost gaze back to the window - not moving for fear of causing himself more pain. Not knowing what else to say, she excused herself and started for the main hall where talking was already starting to echo throughout the house. Stepping gracefully to the first platform overlooking the entrance hall where a painting of her and her husband was set up the first flight of stairs, she furrowed her brows even further when she saw the new guests. There were three of them. None of which she recognized. One was an extremely attractive, extremely pale man with startling blue eyes and an athletic build - dressed in very basic yet a stylish vest, shirt and pants. Beside him on either side were two startlingly beautiful young women, one tan and blonde with green eyes and a silver form-fitting dress - while the other was brunette, pale, and blue-eyed just like the man; probably a sibling. This last woman wore a very bright red dress, and it hugged her body to reveal otherwise hidden toned musculature along her hips and abdomen with her shoulders bare. She also wore long red gloves that came up her arms while leaving her fingers bare, and had a strange amulet strung around her neck similar to the man beside her - likely a family sigil if Shovi had to guess. They were talking to her husband, and there were two maids on standby along the right wall. ¡°You¡¯re here for Lahn?¡± Her husband asked curiously, his deep voice echoing throughout the room as Shovi made her way down. ¡°What were your names again?¡± Lord Nikola Lucio, High Inquisitor of the king¡¯s court, was a very thickly built man and more resembled his eldest son Parius than anyone else. Nikola was blonde, hazel-eyed, with a neatly trimmed beard and a short stylized haircut. Whenever he was out of his armor and not on the front lines, he could be seen in attire that most of the nobles wore - frilled, victorian style jackets over white long-sleeved shirts with military-esq pants and boots. ¡°Lady Allie Wraithtide is my name.¡± The stunning woman in the red dress said politely, though by the way she nor either of the others smiled or even attempted to address Lord Lucio properly in his home made it obvious she was not in a friendly mood. ¡°I¡¯ve said that twice now. Where is Lahn?¡± ¡°Are you friends of Lahn?¡± Shovi asked, hurrying down the hall and becoming excited at the prospect of Lahn having made friends. He¡¯d always struggled with that, and although this wasn¡¯t likely the case - Shovi could hope. Lahn could use all the positive energy he could muster¡­ Allie¡¯s eyes settled on Shovie, and the piercing gaze was oddly unsettling. Coming to stand beside her husband, who was frowning at the three people in their entryway, Shovi put a hand on Lord Lucio¡¯s wrist to squeeze meaningfully. ¡°What business do you have with my son?¡± Lady Allie Wraithtide paused, her gaze almost calculating while she coldly evaluated both parents of the household, before clasping her hands behind her back. ¡°He is my class partner. I was on a family business trip and heard he was beaten half to death¡­ Lahn and I have become close. I was hoping to speak with him.¡± Lord Nikola Lucio¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, giving the young woman a once-over - and Lady Shovi Lucio¡¯s breath caught in her throat. ¡°You¡­ are close with my youngest son?¡± Lord Lucio responded, skeptically. ¡°And you are an academy attendant? I have not heard of House Wraithtide before.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Father? Who is that?¡± a young male voice called from the kitchen area on the first floor, and soon Parius came into the light from beyond the next corner. He was very handsome, confident, with a very straight posture and muscular build - very much like his father. Strutting over with a rather cocky attitude often found with the sions of noble houses, he nearly tripped when he laid eyes on both Allie and Fay. Then his gaze landed on Riven, and it was as if he was a peacock that''d gotten its tail feathers in a tussle. Immediately assuming an air of better-than-thou-ness, Parius walked directly up to square off with Riven, evaluating the man of equal height with a piercing gaze as Riven casually stared back. ¡°I do not believe we¡¯ve met.¡± Parius said, extending a hand to Riven for him to shake. ¡°Parius Lucio, heir to this house.¡± Riven glanced down at the extended hand, back up to Lahn¡¯s brother, and without smiling - shook it wordlessly. ¡°Travis Wraithtide.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being rude, Parius.¡± Shovi sighed. ¡°You cannot just barge into the middle of a conversation like that.¡± ¡°Agreed. Mind your manners, boy.¡± Lord Nikola Lucio said with a crisp tone, getting a wince from his son. Parius abruptly nodded, but spared both Fay and Allie sidelong glances. ¡°I apologize. I was just so taken with the looks of these young women that I forgot myself.¡± He gave his most charming smile, of which neither woman returned the expression - outwardly throwing him off as he sheepishly stepped back in line. Lord Nikola Lucio let out a long sigh and placed his hands on his hips. ¡°Excuse the rudeness of my eldest. As for my other son, Lahn, he is not well. It is true that he was severely beaten, but he has not identified the perpetrators and the matter is being investigated. It is best if you leave him be.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Shovi said with a growl, stepping forward and reaching out to stand beside Allie with an approving nod. ¡°My boy would love to have visitors, you must tell me about how the two of you met. He hasn¡¯t brought many friends over to our house before! This is good news!¡± Meanwhile, Parius Blinked in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s because Lahn doesn¡¯t have any friends, mother¡­ Wait, what are your names?¡± Allie gave an exasperated sigh, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes. ¡°Lady, Allie, Wraithtide.¡± ¡°OH!!!¡± Parius exclaimed, his fist smacking into his other open palm. ¡°I have heard of you from my sister, Linela! You¡¯re the girl Lahn was stalking at school!¡± Lord Nikola Lucio immediately stiffened at the news, flushing with anger and embarrassment while giving a sideways glare up the stares to Lahn¡¯s room. Meanwhile, Shovi¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Stalking¡­?¡± Lady Shovi Lucio repeated with an awkward laugh. ¡°Surely not¡­ Lahn wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°He would.¡± Parius shot back, irritation showing in his flick of the wrist to motion in the same direction his father had glared up at only a moment ago. ¡°You know how desperate he is for attention, mother. You of all people should know. You need to stop babying him. Lahn even went as far as to steal an invitation to the royal ball from this young woman! Is that not true, Lady Wraithtide?¡± Parius stared back at Allie eagerly, pleased that he¡¯d made the connection, and let his eyes wander across her body rather thoroughly in ill-hidden lust. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the real reason you¡¯ve come, is it not? Lahn admitted to stealing it and handed it over to me, I actually have it stored in my room - I was going to find and give it to you to make amends. Would you like it back?¡± Allie blinked, the clockworks ticking rapidly in her mind as the other two people with her silently glared Parius¡¯ way. Then her demeanor abruptly changed, and Allie shifted from being outwardly cold to being very polite and charming. She put on a fake but convincing smile, fluttered her eyelashes, and stepped in close with an extended hand. ¡°I would certainly like it back.¡± Parius nodded, blushing at her close proximity and clearing his throat. ¡°I will retrieve it then! I should say that, although I¡¯ve never met you before, I¡¯m excited to think about you attending the ball! I¡¯ll be there as well. Perhaps, giving the ticket back that my little brother stole will earn me a dance?¡± Allie didn¡¯t reply, only keeping her hand extended expectantly - and Parius then cleared his throat to quickly walk away and up the stairs towards his own room on the opposite side of the house from Lahn¡¯s. Shovi was utterly crestfallen. While her husband remained blushing with shame over what Lahn had done, she was pale and felt like all the hope she¡¯d had about potential friends coming to visit her crippled boy was out the window. ¡°We¡­ Uhm, we apologize for our son¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Allie asked Shovi with a raised eyebrow. Lord Nikola Lucio barked a scoffing laugh, shoving his hands into his pockets and muttering to himself while glaring at Allie, then up the stairs towards Lahn¡¯s room again, before huffing to turn back to Allie once more. ¡°Of course we speak of our youngest boy. I¡¯m mortified to think that he¡¯d stalk you, much less steal something so valuable from you. I was confused at first at your appearance, but it appears Parius and Linela know who you are and intervened in time to reacquire your invitation. I am glad for it. Invitations to social events like that are in high demand and I can understand why you came personally to fetch it. You have my most sincere apologies. I am sure that, should time permit it, I will break time away from the king to speak to your parents on my family¡¯s behalf to also offer my apologies to them in turn.¡± Allie stared back at Lahn¡¯s father, the fake smile still plastered there for many seconds. ¡°Lord Lucio, I am afraid you¡¯re mistaken.¡± Lahn¡¯s father shuffled slightly, then raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? How is that?¡± Allie¡¯s eyes narrowed in turn. ¡°That invitation was given to your son so he could attend the ball as my date. Lahn never stole that invitation, which begs the question as to why your daughter Linela accused him of stealing it - and why Parius has it now. I¡¯m quite curious.¡± Dead silence filled the entrance hall. ¡°You¡¯re taking Lahn? Lahn, my youngest son? To the royal ball?¡± Lord Nikola Lucio sputtered, disbelief written plainly for all to see. He gestured up and down at Allie. ¡°You?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you got out of what I just said?¡± Allie asked, her words now coming out venomous as her anger began to rise. Her teeth clenched again, and for a brief moment her eyes flashed a brilliant red as the amulet around her neck abruptly cracked. But it came so fast that neither of Lahn¡¯s parents were sure that it¡¯d actually happened. Rather, their attention was drawn down to the amulet where a tiny piece of the oddly shaped sigil had chipped and fallen to the floor. Shovi didn¡¯t know what to think. On one hand she was internally reeling that this stunning young woman would go out of her way to ask Lahn to the ball. A mysterious young lady of the court, an academy attendant, and one as gorgeous as her? Shovi couldn¡¯t ask for more concerning her youngest boy, but what exactly was Lady Allie Wraithtide implying here? Surely she didn¡¯t think that Lahn¡¯s siblings had anything to do with his beating. Linela and Parius weren¡¯t bastions of innocence and had grown up into poor excuses for adults, being spoiled all their lives and being taught by their father that they were better than everyone else, but to claim that they were involved in Lahn¡¯s current state? That was preposterous. There was certainly another reason why Parius had the invitation, and Shovi could think of many possibilities off the top of her head even now. Perhaps Parius had acquired the invitation after the beating, finding it in Lahn¡¯s room and assuming he¡¯d stolen it. Perhaps Lahn had given it up out of shame when the incident had occurred. Perhaps Lahn knew he couldn¡¯t go to the ball and had spun a lie to his brother and sister so they¡¯d take the invitation and put it to good use. There were many, many reasons Parius could have acquired that invitation. Parius¡¯ footsteps came thudding back under the heels of his leather boots. The young nobleman proudly displayed the invitation to Allie¡¯s outstretched hand, and Allie snatched it from the man without a word. ¡°Well? A promise to a dance?¡± Parius asked eagerly, folding his arms, sucking out his stomach and puffing out his chest to make himself look bigger than he naturally was. ¡°I¡¯d love to take you as a date, if you don¡¯t already have someone attending the ball with you!¡± Allie¡¯s eyelids dropped. ¡°I¡¯ll have to decline. I¡¯m attending with your brother.¡± There was a pause. Then Parius nearly choked, and his eyebrows narrowed in confusion. ¡°Huh? Surely this is a jest¡­ Wait, are you being serious? Is this out of pity for what happened to him? He won¡¯t be able to attend the ball the way he is anyways! He¡¯s a cripple, and he¡¯s been so badly beaten-¡± ¡°Then I will sit with him in his room as he recovers and simply forgo the ball.¡± Allie replied flatly. Turning away from the shocked father and son duo, Allie smiled Shovi¡¯s way. ¡°Please take me to Lahn. I have a lot to talk to him about. I hope it doesn¡¯t feel like an intrusion.¡± Shovi nearly choked as well, but her reason was far different than her eldest flabbergasted son. ¡°Not at all! Oh my, Lahn will be so excited to see you! Come! Come, he¡¯s up the stairs to the left.¡± Chapter 178 Chapter 178 The portal between worlds opened, and legions spilled forth. Hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers marched in columns through fiery gates, singing songs of war to the beat of thousands of drums. The sky was filled with the fleet of the Empire of Dying Suns, bearing the flag of an angled sword piercing a ball of flames on a golden backdrop. The time for the invasion of Panu had finally arrived. ¡°Captain Vros Kinal.¡± The general addressed him as they stood alongside the king on a flagship in the sky - watching their armies venture into unknown lands to conquer whatever lay in wait. The old man¡¯s piercing gaze caught Captain Vros Kinal off guard by the tone of his voice, and the general stroked his chin while inspecting the younger, muscular man before abruptly saluting. ¡°Good luck. May you bring glory to the Empire of Dying Suns, may you find victory upon the boundless path of eternal war, and may you bring this new world of Panu under control for the glory of our empire. A lot is riding on this expedition, captain. I hope you realize that.¡± Captain Vros Kinal abruptly saluted back, armored gauntlet slamming into his pristine breastplate as the robed, elderly king stepped forward to place a hand on his pauldron. ¡°Captain.¡± The king said with a smile. ¡°You are the best we can afford to send. You will encounter 4 other invading forces there aside from the locals, as well as whatever other planetary quests the system decides to throw down as a gauntlet for the inhabitants to bypass. You will need to crush them all. Do so by the end of 5 years and the planet is ours, but if it comes down to it - you merely need to hold on and root yourself into position, keeping the beacon intact until then so reinforcements can arrive. Survival trumps supremacy, but supremacy will bring great honor. Do you understand what I am telling you?¡± The captain abruptly nodded, piercing eyes shining under the barbute helm he wore. ¡°Yes, my king!¡± The old man smiled, letting go of the other man¡¯s pauldron. ¡°Good. Now go, the other factions who have acquired invasion tokens will no doubt be looking for a place to plant their own beacons too. Find out where they are, dispose of them early, and smash the locals into submission. For the glory of the empire.¡± ¡°For the glory of the empire!¡± The surrounding officers repeated in unison. *** [World Quest 3 Update, Invaders from Beyond: Other factions of the multiverse have greedily been watching your small planet, wanting its resources for themselves. Be it mass slavery, genocide, forced societal integration, or being farmed as literal food - your planet¡¯s people are in danger. Invasion tokens have been distributed, and the invasion portals have finally been opened. Invading forces have until the end of the 5 integration years to either conquer Panu entirely, or alternatively survive that long in order to acquire reinforcements from the homeland. Any invading force left at the end of 5 years will have free access through system portals until a victor is decided. To rid this planet of an invading force, you must destroy their beacon - which will be highlighted by a marker in the sky above its location with the symbol of their empire. Maximum level cap for entry invaders has been set to level 80, with growth still enabled after arrival. Invading Forces: Prepare yourselves, natives of Panu. The enemy is coming.] Allie dismissed the notification almost as quickly as it¡¯d come. She had other, more important things to worry about. It was a far different reaction than Lahn¡¯s elder brother and father, who immediately exited the manor to head for the palace. Even Lady Shovi Lucio was troubled, and she hesitated at Lahn¡¯s door on the second floor of their household to read the world quest update twice over before glancing Allie¡¯s way. ¡°Do you need to get back to your family?¡± Allie didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°No. I¡¯d like to see Lahn.¡± Nodding in appreciation, Shovi opened the door - letting Allie, Riven, and Fay inside. Allie had hardened herself to extreme degrees since the integration had begun, so she didn¡¯t flinch when she saw the broken body on the bed. Lahn was bruised, swollen, with his two good limbs having been wrapped in soft casts and some kind of ointment being spread along his jaw and ribcage. The extent of the damage was obvious, and there were even a couple of isolated areas where the fire poker that¡¯d been used to beat him half to death left imprints of the shape of the item. There were even a few open, oozing wounds - though most of those had already been closed by the mediocre healers that¡¯d been available here in the capital with all the good ones out to help in the war. Riven, Fay, and Shovi watched from the door in silence as Allie approached, and she came around the bed to sit on the side where the window let light in. She glanced down at him as he stared absently through the glass, then looked out alongside him. Wordlessly they sat together, until she reached out her hand and clasped his own shriveled one. Tears began to accumulate under his eyes and his lips began to quiver at the contact. He managed to get out a hoarse whisper after that, and rapidly started blinking to try to control his emotions. ¡°Thank you for coming. But¡­ why?¡± She turned to look at him, kindly squeezing his hand in her own. ¡°Why what?¡± He choked back a cough, still only whispering through his teeth in order to keep his broken jaw from hurting. ¡°Why did you come?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my friend. Of course I would come.¡± ¡°Why though?¡± ¡°Why are you my friend?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Allie paused considering his question. ¡°Because you¡¯re genuinely kind. You are internally strong. You deserve to have friends, don¡¯t think otherwise.¡± Lahn scoffed, then winced as his jaw moved in a way that caused the fractures to grind against one another. ¡°I am not any of those things.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because being kind and internally strong are the defaults I am forced to abide by. Being weak makes me act that way, I don¡¯t have a choice. These are not admirable qualities. If I were to have power, if I were to be physically capable, and then I were to act the way I do with kindness - then it would be admirable. But being weak and therefore not having a choice in how I act should not grant me the same kind of admiration that a truly powerful man should get, because I don¡¯t have that choice.¡± Allie shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Not true at all. Those stray dogs you keep in your little animal sanctuary are proof of that. Even how you are now, you still have power over those helpless animals. Do you not?¡± Lahn looked like he was going to protest, but he ended up not doing so - instead deciding to remain silent. ¡°And can you honestly tell yourself that you¡¯d be a different person should you be granted power today?¡± Allie asked curiously, his shriveled hand still clutched in her own. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Lahn let out a sputum filled cough, then managed a barely visible shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d probably be the same, but that¡¯s something I¡¯ll never know. Not after this. The injuries are too far gone, even the best healers we have - should they come back from the front lines - won¡¯t be able to completely heal me when the bones reset the way they are now. Even if you do manage to get rid of that worm, whatever you called it, and cure me¡­ I¡¯ll still be a broken man.¡± Shovi immediately furrowed her brows, contemplating whether or not to ask about this ¡®worm¡¯ and ¡®cure¡¯ he was talking about - but didn¡¯t want to ruin the moment and chose to stay silent. She was just happy someone had cared enough to come, and happy that he was willing to finally talk with someone. Watching the child that she loved not have any support at all aside from her had broken her heart - so this was an incredibly welcome surprise and it made Shovi¡¯s heart swell to watch. ¡°I agree with you about one thing, you¡¯d probably still be the same.¡± Allie said, pushing his hair out of his eyes to get a better look at his bruised face. Her expression turned sad. ¡°I haven¡¯t known you for long, but I can honestly say that I¡¯m pulled to you. I haven¡¯t met anyone like you before, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just because you¡¯re weak.¡± To this, Lahn began to laugh. It was a sardonic laugh. Even despite his injures he just couldn¡¯t help it, and with every laugh came a wince. ¡°Drawn to me. I don¡¯t understand. Truly, I don¡¯t. Don¡¯t get me wrong, Allie, I¡¯ve loved being around you¡­ but you could have such better friends. Friends that don¡¯t hold you back and friends who don¡¯t need to be pushed around in a chair just to follow you into a cafe. Friends that have higher social status than me. Friends that have brighter futures than a cripple like myself that will hold no true position of power in the ruling classes despite my noble birth. I have nothing to offer you, and I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re wasting your time. You have everything, Allie - you¡¯re incredibly kind, stunningly beautiful to the point that you make all the other girls jealous, and you¡¯re talented. You have a far brighter future than I do. Being friends with me will only push away potential suitors that would no doubt make your family proud, as they¡¯d probably get the wrong idea about your intentions and find spending time with me inappropriate - even if it is innocent and just as friends.¡± Allie threw up her hands in mock despair. ¡°Oh god! Not that! Whatever will I do should the suitors decide to go away!?¡± Riven failed to hide his grin. Then Allie gave Lahn an exasperated but still kind stare. ¡°Come on Lahn. Catch a hint.¡± Leaning down and brushing her long brown hair behind one ear, Allie slowly pressed her lips against his - kissing him to a sharp and excited gasp from his mother who was still standing next to the door. Letting the kiss linger, Allie eventually pulled back and poked a very confused and very bright-red Lahn in the chest - getting a wince from him when she forgot that he had broken ribs. ¡°Oh, sorry! I forgot you¡¯re injured.¡± She winked. ¡°And you look like an apple right now you¡¯re so damn red. You almost match the color of my eyes or my dress.¡± The silence was palpable, and it took a while for the young crippled man to gain his bearings again as Allie laughed and the other two women held hands over their mouths with grins underneath. ¡°Your eyes are bright blue! They¡¯re not red!¡± Lahn said snarkily through clenched teeth, trying and failing to hide his growing, giddy smile as his heart hammered loudly in his chest to the ears of the vampires in the room. ¡°But yes, I can see why you¡¯d¡­ Uhm¡­ compare my face to your dress. I kind of daydreamed this would happen¡­ but I never thought you¡¯d actually be interested in someone like me. Why me? You have so many other options.¡± Allie flicked his nose. ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°It does. I want to understand. You¡¯re just so¡­ you¡¯re everything I¡¯m not. As I said before, you¡¯re kind, beautiful, talented, and I just don¡¯t see what you see in me. And mother, please! You¡¯re embarrassing me! Stop making those cutsie noises!¡± Riven chuckled while Shovi mumbled an excited but hushed apology. Allie raised an eyebrow, the smile fading. She turned to face him on the bed with one knee bent and tucked under her other thigh. ¡°Lahn¡­ I have been called many things since arriving on Panu. Kind is not one of them.¡± Lahn blinked. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about, you¡¯re one of the nicest people I¡¯ve ever met!¡± Shovi was eating this up like an old woman watching mid-day soap operas with both hands still clasped over her incredibly wide smile - eyes wide and taking it in second by second. She was so, so excited for her son and she¡¯d been desperate to get him to find someone - but not many people had been interested in pitching their daughters to a crippled man like him. Yet here Allie was - far better than anything Shovi could have hoped for, and it made Shovi just as giddy as Lahn to see it. Allie straightened on the bed, her back becoming stiff, and she hesitantly glanced over to Riven who gave her a nod of encouragement. Then her hand wrapped around the amulet around her neck, and her grip tightened. ¡°No. I¡¯m not a good person, Lahn. In fact I¡¯m probably one of the worst people you¡¯ll ever know.¡± Confusion struck him like a freight train. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Allie gave him another sad smile, and she pulled away slightly. ¡°I like you, Lahn. I like you a lot. You inspire me to be a better person, I want you to know that. I admire you, in many ways, and you remind me of my brother back before he was forced to change. Perhaps that¡¯s why I like you so much. Anyways¡­ I¡¯ve done some terrible things and I think you should know before you get too excited about - well, me.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a lot that you could tell me that¡¯d change my mind.¡± Lahn replied with a lighthearted laugh. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a mass murderer, Allie. What did you do? Embezzle funds? Bribe some officials? Is your family caught up in the syndicate or something? Because if that¡¯s the case then - yeah, that¡¯s bad, but¡­ but I¡¯ll work through it. I was thinking you and your brother were kind of odd in that way - mysterious even. I doubt whatever you did is unforgivable though.¡± Allie¡¯s face had become rigid as he spoke. She let out a deep breath. ¡°No¡­ No, I''m not part of any kind of syndicate. I didn''t realize there was an organization like that here to begin with. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s far worse than that. Lahn, I have killed people.¡± Lahn blinked. ¡°Oh! Like, in the war¡­ right? Is that what this is about? I forgot you went on that trip concerning the elves¡­¡± His voice trailed off as she shook her head. ¡°I mean¡­ yes, I¡¯ve killed a lot of elves too.¡± Allie said hesitantly. ¡°A¡­ LOT of elves?¡± Lahn repeated, concern etched into his face. ¡°Too?¡± Allie nodded. ¡°Yeah. Funny that you mention it, but I actually am a mass murderer. I think I¡¯ve killed well over ten thousand people just by myself, and I¡¯ve ordered many, many more to die too. Some people I killed out of need or revenge, but I¡¯ve killed other people because it¡¯s fun.¡± Lahn¡¯s confusion and concern matched Shovi¡¯s own as his mother stood stiffly in the background. None of this was making any sense to either of them. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d better recognize me as Queen Allie Thane of the Thane Necropolis, Vampire Princess of the Blood Moon Requiem, or by what the elves are calling me: ¡®Butcher of Carnis¡¯ - rather than Allie Wraithtide. Wraithtide is my parent¡¯s family name, while Thane is the name Riven and I used growing up.¡± Sighing and firmly tightening her hand one last time on the amulet around her neck, Allie gave it a tug - snapping the latch strap in the back and putting the item on the bed. Within a matter of seconds, her eyes began to go from bright blue to a bright crimson, and her vampiric aura along with her vast negative charisma hit the room like a cannon. It was as if Shovi and Lahn had both been physically slapped, and the reaction only got more pronounced as Allie¡¯s red dress faded away into her spatial sack, only to be replaced by a very famous set of soul-stitched bone armor. Boots, pauldrons, cuirass, gauntlets, underlying bone-linked chainmail, black robe, and finally - the skull mask appeared on Allie¡¯s body one after the other. When the mask finally came to rest on Allie¡¯s face and her crimson eyes gleamed out at him, she took it off and placed it on Lahn¡¯s chest. ¡°Tell me, Lahn.¡± Allie said with a hesitant smile, displaying her small fangs. ¡°What do you think of me now?¡± Shovi was as pale as the sheets on Lahn¡¯s bed, and slowly her eyes traced across the room to land on Riven. Putting one and two together, she started to literally shake - and her thoughts were only confirmed a moment later when Allies poke. ¡°Riven¡­¡± Allie said softly, still maintaining eye contact with the broken young man on the bed - still softly holding Lahn¡¯s withered hand in her own slender fingers. ¡°What do we do, to the people who harm our friends?¡± Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed, and his amulet shattered as a pulse of his aura rocked the entire manor in a sheen of red - causing Shovi to stumble and catch herself against the wall while maids downstairs could be heard screaming. ¡°We brutally kill them.¡± Allie¡¯s eyes slowly lifted to Riven¡¯s own as his aura began to fade. ¡°I agree. Would you do me a favor and bring me the lordling Gleetus Nefrand? I do believe he has a very special role to play today after our ritual is complete. You know where to find him.¡± Riven grinned. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ve changed, Riven. Perhaps destroying that city was good for your character after all, you no longer balk when circumstance comes calling.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but I very much approve of your proposed methods concerning this scenario. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Riven raised a hand, and a shadowy rift flared to life in front of him. Stepping through it, he disappeared and closed the portal behind him. Fay began to walk around the bed, stopping beside Allie and dismissing her illusion to show what she truly looked like - which was pretty much the same, only that her skin color changed to blue, her eyes turned black, her hair turned white, and her demonic horns and tail were on full display. She kept her wings retracted. ¡°Hey Lahn! I found some textbooks regarding the ritual we need to get rid of that worm¡­ the problem is that it¡¯ll be very painful, and normally we¡¯d have to battle it when it gets out. Thankfully I believe Allie should be able to handle it rather easily and it¡¯ll only be a very minor struggle, so there isn¡¯t any need to switch locations. Are you ready to begin?¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179 Scented smoke filled the room and where sunlight through a glass window illuminated various books, chairs and a central table the three men sat at. Otherwise it was pretty dark, as there was only one window and the room was rather large. Gleetus belched loudly over the laughter of his two friends while giving them a rude gesture, yet he smiled too. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°She is out of your league my friend!¡± Another of the young men said with a cackle, smacking the ass of a passing nearby maid. The young woman yelped, angrily scowled at the man, and then hurried out of the lake house with more laughter following her. Gleetus grumbled to himself and held a glass of wine to his lips, sipping on it out of frustration and thinking back on the new lady of the court he had a crush on. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why Allie wastes her time with that maimed twat! He¡¯s useless to everybody and the only person she ever talks to is him!¡± ¡°I heard even Braden Rooze was shot down. She must be a real looker.¡± The other of Gleetus¡¯ friends said thoughtfully, smoking on a pipe and blowing out rings of smoke. ¡°Either way, at least you taught Lahn a lesson to stay away from your girl. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s from a poor country household and I¡¯m sure your father¡¯s influence will be enough to pressure them into some kind of courtship.¡± Adjusting his frilled, buttoned jacket looking out the window onto the shimmering lake nearby, Gleetus only grunted. ¡°Yes you¡¯re probably right. I¡¯ve already told my father about it and he said he¡¯d look into house Wraithtide soon. Perhaps I¡¯ll be able to meet with their head of household sometime to apply pressure this week if lucky.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We¡¯re already here.¡± Gleetus nearly fell out of his chair in surprise and one of the other lordlings screamed just as an aura of extreme malice slammed into them like a sledgehammer. The third man abruptly vomited, puking all over the table. Gleetus, who cried out as red frost began to accumulate along the surroundings and even along his skin - shoved the chair back and scrambled in a panic to wheel around. But there was no one there. ¡°What the hell!?¡± The sound of bone on wood cracked the silence, and Gleetus wheeled around again to see his two companions slump to the floor on either side of a hooded man clad in black, feet up on the table in a relaxed position. He stared out at Gleetus with glowing crimson eyes, face otherwise shadowed in the light of the single window and arms crossed. They just stared at one another, the unknown intruder very calm while Gleetus felt his heart rapidly pounding in his chest. He didn¡¯t know who this guy was, but his soul roared at him to run - telling him that this man was dangerous. How had he not heard this person enter? Why was Gleetus¡¯s mana not coming to his call? Why was the air so frigidly cold? There was only one option. Gleetus was the definition of a coward, thus he decided to abandon his friends to their fate. Shakily, Gleetus made his move - bolting for the door only to stagger and fall when crimson ice swept up one leg to hold in him place. Gleetus flopped forward, hitting the ground and breaking his ankle with a shrill scream when the ice halfway up his foot didn¡¯t budge and the rest of his body kept going under momentum. ¡°HELP! HELP WE HAVE AN INTRUDER! GUARDS! GUARDS COME NOW!!!¡± ¡°Your guards have been¡­ incapacitated.¡± Riven said, not having moved from his spot on the chair between the two crumpled men on either side of him. ¡°Let me introduce myself¡­ I am Allie Wraithtide¡¯s brother. My name is Riven Wraithtide, also known as Riven Thane.¡± Gleetus, who¡¯d been bawling and wailing on the ground while intermittently calling out to the soldiers his family hired as personal security - froze upon hearing Riven¡¯s words. His eyes went wide, and his breathing picked up between tearful coughs of pain. ¡°Wait¡­ What?¡± The shock was apparent, but Riven didn¡¯t say it again. Instead, Riven slowly lifted a finger - and abruptly a spike of crimson ice shot up from the floor and punctured Gleetus in the left thigh. Again, Gleetus screamed. ¡°Allie sent me to collect you.¡± Riven stated, only whispering but infusing his voice with mana to amplify the sound over the wails of the bleeding man on the floor. ¡°For what you did to Lahn.¡± Again, Riven lifted a finger and another spike lanced out from the frost-covered floor to skewers Gleetus in the right shoulder. ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT YOU¡¯RE TALKING ABOUT!¡± Gleetus yelled between choked sobs. ¡°WHAT IN THE HELLS IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHO ARE YOU REALLY!?¡± Another finger lifted, skewering him this time in the left hand. Gleetus flailed, writhing about and trying to rip his body off of the magics while his heart beat like a cherokee drum in a panic. ¡°No¡­ No that will not do.¡± Riven said, getting ready to lift another finger. ¡°Admit what you did, and tell me why - so that I can upload this recording to the Dawn forums. We were going to get Lahn to do it, but we found out that he¡¯d already tried. Apparently subterfuge is still somewhat protected unless certain circumstances are met, that clause covers your little stunt in the barracks the other day. So I¡¯m going to continue torturing you until you tell me in vivid detail what it was you did that day - and why.¡± Another finger lifted, another crimson spike skewered Gleetus¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯M INNOCENT!!! I WASN¡¯T THE ONE TO-¡± Another spike skewered his pelvis. Gleetus screamed. ¡°FINE! FINE IT WAS ME!!! I BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM WITH A FIRE IRON! BUT I WAS ONLY TEACHING THAT LITTLE CRIPPLED BITCH THAT STALKING YOUR SISTER WAS-¡± Another spike skewered his good ankle, causing Gleetus to break down into violent sobs. Blood was everywhere, and he¡¯d pissed himself halfway through the exchange. He couldn''t even move properly anymore with the amount of spikes sticking through his extremities. ¡°He wasn¡¯t stalking my sister at all.¡± Riven said flatly, kicking his legs off the table and leaning forward with a chuckle. ¡°If anything, my sister was stalking him. She had a crush, you see, and it even appears you and those twat siblings of his stole the invitation to the royal ball that she¡¯d given him - after you beat him half to death. I¡¯m convinced, by the looks of him, you actually meant to murder him right then and there. It was only luck his maid came in time to get some help. He would have died if she hadn¡¯t - which brings us to now¡­ You tried to kill Allie Thane¡¯s friend. That was a very big mistake. So tell me the real reason why you did it? Not some made up hocus pocus about stalking - because we both know that¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°M-My family w-will-¡± ¡°Your family will do nothing, unless they want to join you in hell after you¡¯re dead.¡± Riven said, cutting him off with narrowed eyes. ¡°You pathetic little meatbag.¡± Riven started channeling energy through his unholy pillar, and the next words he used were infused with the ability of ¡®Silvertongue¡¯. His voice reverberated unnaturally, and Gleetus seemed to shrink back when Riven spoke. ¡°Give me the real reason you decided to try and kill Lahn.¡± [Silvertongue (Unholy): Soak your words with unholy mana to briefly capture the minds of lesser beings, allowing only those with a less Willpower than you to be affected and enabling you to persuade them more easily. This spell scales with both Willpower and Negative Charisma, as well as the amount of mana you put into it. This spell may be developed into a better version of itself by acquiring the ''Depravity'' subpillar. Extremely high mana cost, low cooldown.] Gleetus¡¯s eyes glazed over, his words became drawled as if he was drunk, and his body became relaxed despite the numerous red spikes skewering his limbs. ¡°I did not mean to kill him, I only meant to beat him badly - but I got carried away when he started crying. It was just too easy, he was such an easy mark to pick on. It made me look better in front of the other nobility, and it was fun - especially when his sister urged me to go on during the beating. Lahn spoke back to me in class not long ago when your sister was there, he was the reason why your sister ignored me. So I took care of him to get the attention of your sister - and even if it was bad attention, I¡¯d have used the threat of potentially ending him next time to manipulate her to sleep with me. My father is a powerful man, and he could have shielded me from a small noble house such as yours. At least I had thought so until now, I did not realize who she really was if what you say is true.¡± Riven let the spell drop, and the distant far-off look on Gleetus¡¯s face vanished - only to be replaced with the pained horror of what was happening when he began to scream again. Another finger rose, another spike punctured the floored victim, and Riven sneered when Gleetus began to beg. *** Fay continued to draw out the ritual circle, once in a while taking time to evaluate the sigils, runes and diagrams in the books her mother had given her before going back to the chalk she was scribbling with on the bedroom floor. Occasionally she¡¯d take an item from a pouch at her side, such as an odd marble, a roden¡¯s skull, and some of Lahn¡¯s hair - circling them with different diagram outlines before continuing on with the rest. She was trying not to smile at the two on the bed. They were fucking adorable, and Lahn¡¯s reception of who she was had gone over very well. He¡¯d been obviously surprised, but otherwise hadn¡¯t changed his opinion of Allie in the slightest. Allie lay there next to him, still armored up, eyes locked and holding hands while whispering to him. Occasionally laughing at whatever he was saying in reply, the two had fallen into their own little world even despite Fay¡¯s presence or Lahn¡¯s mother - Shovi - who¡¯d taken up residence in a chair in the corner of the room after guaranteeing the maids of the household that everything was alright. Shovi didn¡¯t know what to make of this situation, and it was obvious. On one hand Shovi was incredibly happy for her son, not only because he¡¯d found a friend and a potential lover - which were both long shots for him prior to now given the social circles he was introduced to alongside his condition - but this was very dangerous waters he was treading. Not only for himself, but for the family. Shovi had often heard rumors of Queen Allie Thane, Butcher of Carnis, the she-devil that struck fear into the hearts of Dawn¡¯s enemies while striking awe into the most veteran soldiers of the king¡¯s men on the battlefield. Up until now neither Allie nor Riven had any footage that Shovi had seen displaying their faces - perhaps there was some obscure video somewhere, but even after going back through the forums it hadn¡¯t been found. How was Shovi supposed to know these two abnormally pale siblings were the Thane siblings? The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. With a snap of their fingers either one of them could spell disaster for the Kingdom of Dawn. Allie wasn¡¯t as powerful as Riven but she was still a walking disaster, and she was the primary figurehead of their allied, primarily-undead kingdom to the north. While her brother was just a gods-damned monster who had literally wiped out an entire city with hundreds of thousands of people if not more than that over the course of a few minutes when he¡¯d become enraged. Yet here Allie was¡­ snuggling up to Shovi¡¯s crippled son on the bed and giggling at his stupid jokes while occasionally giving him giddy pecks as kisses. Meanwhile Riven¡¯s demon - THE Riven Thane¡¯s demon - was creating a ritualistic cure of sorts for her boy. What would her husband say after learning of this? What would he do? Would he finally acknowledge Lahn if things changed for the better? Daring to look up and watch Allie crinkle her nose with another high-pitched laugh at Lahn¡¯s whispers, Shovi blushed with pride and unbridled glee - but quickly averted her gaze uncertainly and abruptly when Allie looked her way. ¡°Do you wish to pull up a chair, Lady Shovi Lucio?¡± Allie asked with a bright smile as she propped her head up on one elbow. ¡°Come tell me about what your husband and eldest son are likely up to. I know they left for the palace due to the announcement of foreign invaders, but I know little of what internal politics and military mindsets are here in the capital. It was one of the reasons why I even accepted the king¡¯s invitation to come - I wish to be acquainted with your people to get a better idea of who you all are.¡± Shovi¡¯s eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she abruptly stood up to curtsy in respect before pulling the chair she was sitting in behind her and walking over to the edge of the bed - being careful not to step on any of Fay¡¯s chalk drawings. Sitting down with an elegant flare of her green dress, she parked herself nearby and spared an excited wink to her blushing son. ¡°Well I can¡¯t tell you too much because I simply don¡¯t know. My husband, Lord NIkola Lucio has always been rather tight-lipped about the happenings of the capital. Though I¡¯m sure if you wanted to know more, other ladies of the court could fill you in at our regular gatherings. Other husbands are more liberal in what they say - so they potentially have some insight that I would not.¡± Allie began to grin - displaying her small fangs just barely, and Lahn visibly rolled his eyes. ¡°I see. Are you inviting me to one of these¡­ gatherings, then?¡± ¡°Precisely so! It isn¡¯t anything important, just tea time and gossip with some good food.¡± Shovi beamed, clapping once with a delighted nod. ¡°Oh I¡¯m so very excited to actually get to meet and speak with you! It¡¯s truly an honor, your majesty! ¡°Oh please! Call me Allie. And certainly, I¡¯d love to come. When¡¯s the next one?¡± Lahn huffed. ¡°Don¡¯t let her wrangle you into those boring tea parties, they¡¯re dreadful. I¡¯ve had to sit through them myself and I nearly want to roll my chair off the deck to end it all whenever my attendance is required!¡± ¡°LAHN!¡± Shovi exclaimed to the laughter of her son and Allie both, putting her hands on her cheeks in mock anger. ¡°How could you say something like that!? All my friends just LOVE being around you!¡± ¡°They treat me like a broken puppy dog.¡± Lahn stated with a knowing look. ¡°But yes, at least they¡¯re nice to me. Could certainly be worse.¡± ¡°Indeed it could. And don¡¯t you ruin this opportunity for me to show off your new lady friend to my posse! That¡¯s just rude!¡± Shovi paused mid sentence and hesitated, then lifted a finger of inquiry. ¡°May I ask¡­ Would it be too forward to assume that you and my son are courting?¡± ¡°MOTHER!¡± Lahn exclaimed, only to get more laughter from Allie while she blushed. ¡°That¡¯d only be correct if Lahn wants it to be so.¡± Allie replied warmly, having dismissed her gauntlets to wrap her slender fingers around Lahn¡¯s own again - not withdrawing in disgust at all like so many others had before her when his withered flesh touched her own. ¡°I personally was aiming for that, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m good enough for him.¡± ¡°Allie, shut up.¡± Lahn stated flatly - getting a wide eyed glare from his mother. But the reaction Allie had showed Shovi just how close the two had become in such a short time. It¡¯d only been a few months that Lahn had been enrolled in school, and things had been a roller coaster since then - but they¡¯d turned out brilliantly here at the end. Shovi cleared her throat, and her nerves calmed as she realized that not only did Allie not take offense, she even enjoyed the banter and the fact that he¡¯d teasingly told her to shut it. Perhaps telling her son to be extremely respectful would be a bad idea, but it¡¯d been the first knee-jerk thought Shovi had when finding Allie¡¯s true identity out. No, she¡¯d not interfere in any major way and just let it take its road. He obviously was doing something right by the way Allie looked at him. ¡°So how did you and Lahn meet, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Allie opened her mouth to reply - but a black portal appeared and a flash of black propelled both Riven and Gleetus into Lahn¡¯s room. Riven was hauling Gleetus by the collar, yet the limp, whimpering man that Riven tossed to the ground with a splat of blood was far from what Allie remembered Gleetus to be. The young lordling bully was broken, far worse than what Gleetus had even done to Lahn. His legs and arms were snapped backwards in multiple places at awkward angles, and he looked like a bloody pincushion with dozens of spikes sticking out of him. The blood that did seep out of his body was being rerouted back into his vessels as Riven manipulated it to do so - keeping him alive, and he smiled widely at his sister with a thumbs up when he appeared. ¡°I just learned my first healing spell! Er... Perhaps healing isn''t the right word for it. Maintenance of life spell, perhaps?¡± Riven said with a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s pretty decent actually. If people can¡¯t go into shock because of blood loss, they don¡¯t die. Simple, but effective. I¡¯ve essentially kept this asswipe alive for the past hour by mapping out his blood vessels to replicate them, whereas any normal person would bleed out in minutes.¡± Pulling up a screen and ignoring the horrified, shocked looks of Shovi and Lahn, Riven showed Allie the new spell. Though he did note that the shock and horror was quickly replaced by rage in Shovi, whereas Lahn was overcome with an emotion Riven couldn¡¯t quite place when looking down at the man who¡¯d tormented him for years. [Voodoo Doll (Blood)(Tier 2): Scan your target to map out their vessels and infuse your mana into their bloodstream. You then gain the ability to replicate their bloodstream regardless of whether or not they have extensive wounds - enabling you to keep them alive as long as their brain remains intact. You may also use this ability on hostiles to form painful blood clots. Heart attacks caused by this ability do critical strike damage. Dependent on both Intelligence(90%) and Willpower (10%) stats. Medium cooldown. This is a channeling ability and will not work if interrupted by using other spells.] Allie¡¯s eyes widened and she shifted off the bed, putting her boots on the floor and exclaiming her excitement with a laugh - hands on her head. ¡°Riven! That¡¯s so good! Can you show me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m showing you right now.¡± Riven stated, confused. "I can cancel it and reshow you if you''d like to see the hand gestures, if that''s what you''re getting at. I''ve done it a couple times already when casting portals to jump across this capital city. Uhm... Mandon is the name of this city - right?" ¡°No! I mean yes - it is called Mandon, but no! I meant the blood clots!¡± Allie stood up and walked over to the sniveling man who was coughing blood intermittently on the floor and shaking violently. ¡°Give him a heart attack and watch him squirm a bit before saving him again! You can do that right?¡± Riven thought about it a moment, scratching his chin, then underwent the proper motions for his new tier 2 spell. He flared his fingers - spreading them apart before pointing his open palm in Gleetus¡¯s direction in a grasping motion to test it out. Immediately Gleetus began to gasp, turning white and spasming on the ground even more violently than he¡¯d been choking up blood. Allie began to laugh and clap her hands, violently kicking Gleetus in the rib cage to the sound of snapping bones that sent the lordling slamming into a far wall - still spasming. Riven shifted his hand slightly, and Gleetus gasped for air - beginning to violently sob. ¡°He¡¯s like a little porcupine! Isn¡¯t he cute!?¡± ¡°Allie¡­ Can you please stop?¡± Both vampires turned curiously back to where Lahn was trying to sit up on the bed. He was giving it quite the effort, and his mother next to him had turned pale. ¡°Our house is going to be in a lot of trouble if you murder him¡­¡± Lahn said hesitantly, glancing over to his mother where she was beginning to have a nervous breakdown by the way her mouth and eyebrow twitched while scraping her nails against her thighs. ¡°Please don¡¯t kill him. Gleetus has a very powerful father who-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll kill his father.¡± Allie said with an upbeat, chipper tone, bending down to pull gleetus up by the hair and bringing his wide, bloodshot eyes to meet her own as he dangled limply under her strength. She gave Gleetus a wide, fanged smile. ¡°That¡¯ll be after we kill Gleetus first though! When we change you into a vampire Lahn, your first meal will be this guy!¡± Allie roughly shook the man, sending droplets of blood everywhere like a dog would shake off water - but they quickly retracted and sank back into the streams of blood across Gleetus¡¯s ruined, torn body - flowing outside of his severed vessels in many places due to Riven¡¯s magic. That¡¯s when Gleetus began to beg. ¡°P-Please Allie! I didn¡¯t know-¡± Her other fist slammed into his gut, causing Gleetus to lose the air in his lungs before her hand ripped out part of his lower intestine. She flung the organ to the floor, sneering at the man in her grasp. ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk! No, no, no¡­ You¡¯re just-¡± ¡°Allie!¡± Lahn called out, timid but also fearful. ¡°Allie you¡¯re scaring me! Please stop!¡± For the first time since Riven had met Allie after the integration started, Riven saw doubt and uncertainty in her eyes. She glanced over to where Lahn¡¯s chest was heaving despite broken ribs, and her eyes softened. ¡°Allie¡­¡± Lahn said warily, grimacing due to speaking too fast after Gleetus had broken his jaw. His eyes fell to the sobbing face of Gleetus when Allie flung him across the room with another splat, before Lahn took in a deep breath. ¡°Allie, for me¡­ please don¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Allie said, frowning. She took a couple steps towards the bed, past Lahn¡¯s mom who was pale and staring at the entrails that¡¯d been ripped out of the young lordling, and sat beside her crippled friend. ¡°Why? He hurt you, severely. He tried to kill you Lahn. I¡¯d thought you would want this¡­ and you¡¯ll need to feed if you become a vampire. When the change occurs, you become crazed because you start out starved! When I turn you-¡± ¡°Allie!¡± Lahn said, exasperated - trying to hold up a hand but grimacing as he did so. ¡°Allie, you¡¯re amazing and I appreciate that you¡¯re trying to protect me - but this isn¡¯t what I want. I don¡¯t want to¡­ to feed on him. You never even asked me Allie - you just assumed. But I don¡¯t want to become a vampire.¡± He gave her a sheepish smile, and Allie¡¯s face froze in shock. ¡°You see!¡± Gleetus gasped with a horrified, blood-flecked rattle to his voice. He was frantic, despite all his injuries, and he grasped onto Lahn¡¯s words despite the shock of what was going on in this situation and all the things he¡¯d learned in the past hour. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want me dead! You don¡¯t need to do this! Spare me!¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± Riven, who was standing nearby, kicked him with a blur of motion so fast that neither Lahn nor Shovi could follow the motion. In turn, Gleetus¡¯s head was literally snapped off his body - hitting the ceiling and bouncing down onto the floor. Shovi screamed. Lahn went pale. Fay giggled. Allie sighed. ¡°Riven! He just said that he didn¡¯t want us to kill him!¡± ¡°Oh he¡¯s not dead.¡± Riven casually gestured to the head where blood was still streaming into the arteries of the decapitated neck. ¡°I haven¡¯t stopped channeling yet. This voodoo doll magic is really neat! I figured that¡¯d work, just wanted to see for myself - but his brain cells aren''t dying because I''m still supplying them with blood.¡± Indeed, Gleetus¡¯s shocked face with a smashed-in nose and unhinged jaw was blinking rapidly - eyes darting around to let out a silent scream. But he didn¡¯t have lungs, and although the blood streams were drawing his head back towards the rest of his body - he wasn¡¯t able to utilize anything below the neck where Riven had kicked his head off. Allie gawked for a moment, shook herself out of her stupor, then turned back to Lahn. Clasping his withered hand in her own - she returned his sheepish smile with one of her own. ¡°I¡­ guess I got ahead of myself. I¡¯d just assumed you¡¯d want to become like me¡­ it¡¯d make you a lot stronger, and we¡¯d be able to fit together better because of it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to be a vampire to fit together with you, as long as you¡¯ll have me as a human.¡± Lahn replied, having let himself drift back into a thick pillow underneath his head. Sighing, he closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s just a very, very big decision to make. Maybe I¡¯ll change my mind one day, just¡­ just don¡¯t throw it on me so fast. Is that ok?¡± ¡°That¡¯s absolutely ok!¡± Allie said in turn, smiling gently down at the young man she¡¯d fallen for. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I was being stupid. And I also kind of wondered how you¡¯d react¡­ so we have a backup plan to feeding Gleetus to you. Fay, how¡¯s the ritual coming along?¡± Fay glared up at Riven, pooching her lips and humphing to point to where some of Gleetus had smeared the chalk diagrams. ¡°It¡¯d be done if Riven hadn¡¯t bounced Gleetus¡¯s head onto the drawings. I¡¯ll have to redraw it, it¡¯ll take another two minutes tops.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Allie replied, rubbing her hands together wickedly to glare daggers at the ruined man on the floor. ¡°Time for plan B!¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Riven asked curiously. ¡°Well we¡¯re going to take Lahn¡¯s worm and shove it up Gleetus¡¯s ass of course! What else is there if Lahn isn¡¯t going to eat him!?¡± Chapter 180 (Marked for slight editing) Chapter 180 ¡°Slayfather, the advance force has launched their assault on the natives.¡± Peskus bowed at the waist, black tailcoat billowing in the wind as he and his superior officer stood atop a huge half-flesh half-machine abomination that was burrowing itself into the coastal cliff face. It mutated and convulsed, but took care not to dislodge any of the many tens of thousands of people still inside the construct. It was a living fortress created from a combination of unholy and machine foundational pillars, with huge spires, battlements, guns and steam-punk defensive tech mounted at intervals all along the outer wall. Tunnels were being dug, causing the ground to shudder while the drills went to work - but soon the entire cliff would be one big defensive layer that would be almost impenetrable to any army without immense casualties. The slayfather glanced back from underneath his black tophat, red eyes narrowed while he supported himself with his intricate cane. Not that he needed to, it was more of a fashion statement than anything else. ¡°Are the harvesters with them?¡± ¡°They are.¡± Peskus said, keeping himself bowed and blinking through one monocle. ¡°The first order of business, as you instructed, was to acquire a food source. That¡¯s what they set out to do. We sent them to a merfolk lair to the north, and after that they are to travel to a coastal city run by humans. Our scouts indicate it¡¯s prime real estate with lots of cattle for the picking, and I do know how you like your humans.¡± The slayfather grinned, displaying his vampiric fangs. Holding up one steampunk gauntlet, that ticked with a compass of some sort in the backside of his hand, he nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Oh I haven¡¯t had one of those in days¡­ that sounds rather good right now. Once they¡¯re back, bring me the fattest, most plump human you can find - I feel like gorging myself right about now and I am oh so weary of the nargles we¡¯ve had to settle with due to food shortages back home in Rippenvire.¡± *** At Lahn¡¯s request, Riven had force-fed Gleetus a couple healing potions and stabilized the man while Allie and Fay performed the ritual. It was a lot of chanting, sitting, praying, and hand gestures that Riven simply found boring. But it was working. He casually watched from the sidelines next to a cowering, sniveling Gleetus on the floor. Hands clasped behind his back, Riven stared at Lahn¡¯s body as the young man groaned and occasionally whimpered in pain - yet his necrotic, unnatural rot was beginning to fade away. It was being replaced with new skin, and his mother Shovi was hysterically crying in the hallway - having removed herself after being overcome with emotion that her son was going to be cured of the ailment that¡¯d plagued him nearly his entire life. Internally glancing at his soul aperture where the crystal flower he¡¯d recently eaten - a piece of Gaia¡¯s soul - was wrapped around Athela¡¯s core piece, he saw the piece flare with pulsing light again. It¡¯d done that a few times now, and her soul piece was beginning to grow larger - exponentially so. Whereas it¡¯d only been a spec when he¡¯d first got it, the soul piece was now a fourth of the size of his core. Riven smiled. He was excited to see his friend again. A draconic roar, and then the sound of large talons crashing into the ground outside caused Riven¡¯s head to turn slightly. Casually walking to the window, he saw Allie¡¯s undead pet drake. Its black wings were marked with glowing neon-teal veins, bones created most of its body with black strings of mana and neon-teal miasma shimmering off of the huge creature. He¡¯d remembered that fight - before it¡¯d become an undead toy. It¡¯d been a hard thing to kill, but what was it doing here? ¡°Allie isn¡¯t that your new pet?¡± Riven asked with a sidelong glance, but Allie shushed him even despite the lumbering creature that shook the ground with every step - causing the people downstairs to scream in horrified echoing cries. ¡°Allie, seriously your pet is here.¡± Allie huffed loudly in irritation and stood up, ending the chant while Fay continued on with it almost in a trance-like state. Walking over to the window as Shovi looked open-mouthed at the huge skeletal dragon head staring in with one eye taking up the entire viewpoint - Allie pushed the glass open and angrily grumbled at the monster. ¡°Tyranus, this better be good! You KNOW you¡¯re not supposed to come here in broad daylight - even if the king DID tell the fleet to let you through! And you¡¯re SUPPOSED to be guarding Dungeon Alibast so the elves stop enslaving dryads!¡± Tyranus? So that¡¯s what she¡¯d named it. Riven chuckled at the dumb expression the creature gave her for being chided, but perhaps that was all in his head. Gleetus screamed and wet himself when he saw the huge drake after sparing a peaking glance - and one of the maids ran up the stairs to report the huge monster in a panic only to swoon when she saw the huge head staring into Lahn¡¯s room. When the drake spoke, his words were deep and raspy - but boomed loud enough for everyone in the house to hear them. ¡°I was told to come by Gaia, to send you a message.¡± ¡°Well spit it out then. What¡¯s Gaia¡¯s message?¡± Allie said, tapping her foot impatiently. The drake paused, cocking his head as if trying to remember what the fae goddess had imparted to him. ¡°A new enemy approaches.¡± Stolen novel; please report. Allie and Riven both exchanged looks. ¡°That¡¯s surely not all she said.¡± Riven stated flatly. ¡°What else?¡± The drake¡¯s pale eye shifted to Riven, then back to Allie. ¡°A wave of death unsettles the land, imbalances nature, and culls the living. She says that you are needed on the coast, that an independent city state is now fighting for their lives against something called Rippenvire - one of the outworld factions. They are here, and soon they will head inland to slaughter our own citizens if you choose not to take the fight to them now. Gaia says they are strong, and many, and that if you cannot defeat them - that perhaps seeing what they are capable of is itself a boon to use for later when the time is right.¡± Allie frowned deeply, rubbing at her chin. ¡°One of the invading forces is already at our southern coast? Isn¡¯t there a town there controlled by Dawn?¡± ¡°T-There is¡­¡± Shovi cut in from behind at the doorway, still hesitantly peaking in due to the huge skull-faced drake at the window. ¡°But the city being attacked is independent?¡± Riven asked, confused. ¡°Do we know of any city states along the coast nearby?¡± No one said anything, until Shovi cleared her throat. ¡°There was a recently confirmed report of such a city further south¡­ but it¡¯s over two hundred miles from here. That¡¯s what my husband told me, we don¡¯t know much about them yet.¡± Again, Allie and Riven exchanged glances. ¡°Tyranus¡­¡± Allie said slowly, turning to the large beast in the window. ¡°Do you know where it is, exactly? ¡°I do not.¡± immediately replied the drake. Frowning, Allie sighed. ¡°Alright. Riven? Want to join me on a little scouting expedition?¡± Riven nodded. ¡°Certainly. Tweedle, John, you¡¯re to stay with Fay and make sure her ritual goes according to plan.¡± Out of the shadows, a skresh assassin alongside a human rogue nodded and knelt. ¡°Yes my king.¡± The skeletal skresh assassin said, bone hand clasped against his heart and hooded head bowed. ¡°Nothing will befall her.¡± ¡°The boy will continue the ritual as planned. We will take care of the worm when it arrives¡­¡± the human rogue trailed off, setting his eyes on Gleetus who sat dumbstruck that there¡¯d been two other stealthed people in the room without him even knowing. ¡°And if this one causes problems, I¡¯ll just cut out off his head.¡± ¡°I very much like that idea.¡± Riven replied with a chuckle. Walking over to where Fay was glaring up at him, giving him a pouting expression despite continuing to chant and make motions with her hands amidst flickering lights in the air - he bent down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ¡°Keep safe. When I get back, let¡¯s go for a nature walk. Or fishing. Or something outdoors. I think it¡¯d be fun.¡± Fay blushed, nodded, but kept doing what she was doing as he turned to jump out the window. Allie said something to Lahn and Shovi, talking to them for a few minutes before following Riven out. ¡°Ever ridden on a dragon before?¡± Allie asked with a giddy smile, clambering up the monster¡¯s huge back to where a pair of saddles were stationed between spines. ¡°It¡¯s pretty funnnnn!!!¡± Riven snorted and followed her up, strapping himself in as his clothes were changed out by warping them between his spatial sack and the stuff he had on his body. Soon, Jackal was in spear-staff form and the heavy armor set ¡®Messenger¡¯ was also encompassing his body with a ivory-painted pair of steel boots and leg armor. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever ridden one, no. But I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re putting my hard won victories to work - now show me what this guy can do. Let¡¯s go see just who and what ¡®Rippenvire¡¯ actually is.¡± *** Athela¡¯s eyes opened, and once again she found herself before her new god. Gluttony, the great maw, hovered over her a thousand times larger than she was while hissing down at her. In an abyssal black hell, Athela was utterly nothing in comparison to this ancient entity that¡¯d existed even at the dawn of time. ¡°HEY!¡± Athela snapped, angrily shaking a fist up at the toothy bastard. ¡°SEND ME BACK AND STOP INTERFERING WITH MY RESURRECTION! You fuck¡¯n toothy BABY BACK BITCH! You KNOW the system won¡¯t stand for this rule breach!¡± She gave the great maw a sideways glare, and she felt it mentally reach out to her again - but she humphed and turned away. ¡°NOPE! NOT happening! I know what you want and you aint gonna get it!¡± There was an ominous pause, and the maw¡¯s hissing stopped. ¡°You do not have a choice¡­¡± Gluttony muttered - the ancient voice coming in from all directions in a way that made even Athela¡¯s bones shudder. ¡°You do not¡­ have a choice¡­ I will pay the price for defying Elysium, but you will obey me on this¡­ it is a certainty¡­¡± Athela, for all her posturing, was terrified. She felt the cold pressure of the original sin weighing down on her mind, breaking her mental defenses like they were nothing. She felt the sensation of icy tendrils wiggling their way into her body and semi-formed soul aperture. She was scared, but she swallowed the pit of fear forming in her throat and squinted hard to fight the presence off - to reclaim herself, and to stop it from getting what it wanted. Athela would not betray Riven. She would not do it, not even to save herself. She¡¯d rather stay dead than have that happen, so despite the mental anguish that abruptly wracked her brain as her mind was pulled apart - she held on for what felt like the millionth time. Time, after all, worked differently here - but she kept going no matter what. Because one day, she knew she¡¯d get to see Riven again. That little twirp had it coming after all the shit he put her through. She would see him again¡­ She would see him¡­ She would see¡­ She would¡­ She would eat him. Athela¡¯s eyes lifted to the maw in the sky, where a crystalline flower was slowly emerging from Gluttony¡¯s mouth. She would devour everything in her path. *WHAM* She smacked herself across the face as hard as she could, shaking herself rom her stupor. ¡°NO! NO, NO, NO!¡± Athela shook her head back and forth like a wet dog. ¡°Come on, come on, come on, stay sane - stay sane - stay sane! I just have to wait until Riven gets me out of here and I¡¯ll be fine, I just have to hold on¡­ Hold on¡­ Hold¡­ on¡­¡± She needed to¡­ to feed¡­ On Riven¡¯s core¡­ To take the¡­ the¡­ Athela¡¯s mind went dark, but then a distant light began to brighten her otherwise fading consciousness. The blooming, crystal rose showed itself to her once more, and she felt a warmth spread over her as petals began to sprout along her skin. Gluttony shrieked in rage with a roar that trembled the heavens. Her demonic soul shivered with greed. The rose wrapped itself around her, and she was finally at peace - awaiting the day that she would return home. [You have acquired the trait ¡®Fae-Unholy Hybrid.¡¯ Gluttony has been punished by Elysium for attempting to circumvent its rules. You have stolen a shard of Gluttony, original sin. Evolutionary changes commencing.] Chapter 181 Chapter 181
The huge African guy that¡¯d first dove into the fray was covered in shallow cuts and large bruises, but he stood tall and limped over to where Riven was panting. Holding out a hand of friendship, he bowed his head in appreciation. ¡°Thank you for doing what others would not. You are a good man. What is your name?¡±
The man¡¯s voice had a thick accent, Nigerian maybe ¨C but Riven couldn¡¯t be sure.
Riven gingerly collected the hatchet from the corpse at his feet, casually smiled, and took the man¡¯s handshake with a nod of thanks. He had to look up just slightly in order to meet the man¡¯s eyes even though Riven himself was over six feet tall. ¡°Riven. My name is Riven¡­ what¡¯s yours?¡±
¡°FEARRRRRR MEEEEEEEE!!!!!¡±
The dancing spider was hopping up and down on its six hind legs while wiggling its front ones up in the air and gnashing its teeth. Athela was chittering loudly as she did it: bouncing around, moving her butt up and down, and hissing every couple seconds while decorating herself with the innards of the men she¡¯d killed. She was wearing a head-dress made of intestines, and all Riven could do was look away and pretend not to know her.
¡°Hakim.¡± The man said with a small smile, releasing Riven¡¯s bloody hand without a second thought. ¡°You were very brave. Is that your pet?"
¡°Nope. I don¡¯t know her.¡±
¡°Are you sure about that?¡±
¡°Uh¡­ Yes. I mean, no. Ok she¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t call her a pet though, she doesn¡¯t seem to like it.¡±
¡°Should I call her a demon then? Identifying her says she¡¯s a level 3 Blood Weaver demon.¡±
Riven gave the spider a sideways glance. ¡°You guessed it.¡±
*** Riven was quite enjoying himself, hands behind his head as he was strung along for a joyride unlike anything he¡¯d experienced before. Wind whipped Allie¡¯s face and her hood violently flapped due to the speed they were going. Tyranus¡¯s wings beat slowly but powerfully, each time sending them forward with another small increase to their speed for but a moment. Mountains had turned to sprawling forests, forests had turned to plains, and the coastline was reached soon thereafter before making an abrupt change from south to southwest as they followed the beach. ¡°How are you doing down there!?¡± Allie screamed through the coms over the roar of wind as the sun began to set on the horizon. Riven whooped loudly and gave two thumbs up, being strung along by a long, thick cord of wretched snare that he¡¯d used to connect himself to the dragon instead of sitting directly behind her. The snare had held easily, and it was almost as if they¡¯d decided to go inner-tubing - where Tyranus was the boat, and the wretched snare was the rope pulling the inner-tube behind. That and they were high up in the sky soaring through clouds, versus being on a lake. It was slightly more intense than the normal version. Even Jackal was enjoying the ride, sending pulses of excitement through its connection to Riven while it remained latched to Riven¡¯s back ¡°Ah man¡­ Athela would love this kind of joyride.¡± Riven sadly smiled, but dismissed the emotion soon after. She¡¯d be back. Her soul was already forming, but the spunk she always brought to the party was sorely missed. He¡¯d probably cry like a little girl when she finally did get back, and if he did she¡¯d no doubt make fun of him. The snare he¡¯d attached himself to was firmly secured around his waist. The thick heavy gluttony-infused armor, Chalgathi¡¯s 5 piece set that¡¯d now turned into the item ¡®Messenger¡¯, was much more indifferent to the experience than Riven or Jackal were. The red feathers down the center of the helmet occasionally swayed back and forth, and the eye sockets in his horned vampiric pauldrons flared whenever a nearby bird passed. Sometimes even the maw along the front of his breastplate rumbled and hissed, but it wasn¡¯t anything other than grumbling about wasting time as they hadn¡¯t killed anything in quite a while now. Messenger was becoming impatient. But the coastline was truly a sight to behold, especially from this far up. With the sun setting, brilliant orange, red, and yellow hues lit up the horizon like a painted masterpiece. Allie had to avoid the sight by keeping her hood down, but Riven¡¯s armor gave him the ability to watch without being afflicted with the vampiric debuff pertaining to sunlight. So watch he did, as he was dragged along far behind the huge drake and his sister with a relaxed sigh. He even started to doze off after another hour of it being like this, until he heard a sharp cry from in front. ¡°RIVEN! LOOK!¡± He yawned, blinked, and squinted - looking down the coast and then out to sea. His eyes widened in shock, and Allie¡¯s drake Tyranus came to a slower drifting flight while adjusting their trajectory more inland to ride the outskirts of the catastrophe that no doubt awaited them. There was indeed a city, but a large portion of it burned with ongoing explosions that could be seen even from here. Thousands of airships, the details of which were hard to distinguish from this distance, soared through the sky. But it did look like they were firing on the city at this distance. Far more land forces had accumulated too, having encompassed the city perimeter entirely as it laid siege. Then, further out too sea, there was more commotion as more of the airships were being engaged by what looked like huge krakens along with various creatures flinging magics up from the depths. Were those merpeople? Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a human city? Drawing himself up along the long rope of his wretched snare, he clambered back onto the drake and sat behind his sister while they flew closer. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Allie asked over her shoulder while Riven stared out towards the ongoing battle. ¡°Just a scouting mission, right? No commitments? We don¡¯t know how strong these invaders are supposed to be, but if there are only 5 of them and they¡¯re supposed to conquer the planet¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re likely far stronger than the natives, yes.¡± Riven said solemnly. He gestured to a group of hills to the north of the city just on the outskirts of the battle. ¡°Let¡¯s land there. We can leave Tyranus and go on foot, we¡¯ll be less likely to be noticed that way. Tyranus is huge.¡± ¡°Eh¡­¡± Allie trailed off, obviously not liking the idea. ¡°I mean, yeah¡­ He is. But I think you should stay with him. Stay as my backup in case I need it, you¡¯ll be close by and I can do the scouting myself.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Riven asked rather curiously. Allie chuckled. ¡°Because you¡¯re too much of a hero for your own good. If I go in there and see innocent people dying, I¡¯ll stick to the plan and not endanger us to help them. You on the other hand? You¡¯d go guns blazing. Even if you are rank 5 on this planet¡¯s leaderboard, that doesn¡¯t mean the invaders won¡¯t stack up to you. We need to know how strong they are first and we need to be smart about it before you get yourself killed. In the end, that¡¯s the smarter thing to do even from a saving-people perspective - because if you die, you won¡¯t be able to save anyone else later on. And yes, if it looks like we can help the natives without risking our lives then by all means you can go agro on their sorry ass. Agreed?¡± ¡°No, absolutely not. I¡¯m going in with you, don¡¯t be stupid. Now let¡¯s see about where we can park this baddie¡­ We have a battlefield to explore.¡± *** They landed without issue, touching down inbetween two large hills that only barely hid Tyranus¡¯s large frame when he intentionally laid down. The creature was massive, but thankfully he was more than ok with taking a rest break after the long flight. Allie hopped off, hitting the ground with a thud before she was landed on with an *UMPH* when Riven intentionally plopped down onto her. ¡°You fucking cuck! Get off of me!¡± Riven cackled and violently ruffled up her hair to the screeches and protests of his little sister before getting up and lending a hand. ¡°I just have to remind you who¡¯s big bro from time to time, miss queen bee.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°God damned turd nugget¡­¡± Allie grumbled, taking his arm and pulling herself up to her feet with a humph - then brushing her bone armor off. ¡°Alright - so, wanna escort me to the border of the fight?¡± Riven paused, then nodded. ¡°Sure. But I¡¯m coming in with you no matter whether you like it or not. I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if you got killed in there, and we don¡¯t know how strong these guys are.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m sure, you¡¯ll start world war 3 up in this bitch if you follow me. I guarantee there are things in there where you wouldn¡¯t be able to just stand by, and it¡¯s important we do that. Frankly I¡¯m more ruthless than you are and it¡¯ll be something I can live with, whereas you won¡¯t be able to do that.¡± She gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder where one of his large pauldrons was. Riven, however, was adamant. ¡°I will literally fucking drag you back to the necropolis and go in myself if I have to argue my point about coming inside to make sure you¡¯re ok. Got it?¡± ¡°Bleh. FINE! Just keep your head on your shoulders and don¡¯t go killing things just to play hero, ok!?¡± With that she turned heel and walked away, through the crevice between hills and to the right - where the sounds of magics, gunfire, and distant explosions could be heard a few miles away. Riven glanced down at his boots, then up to Tyranus. The undead, skeletal drake only stared back, probably not even knowing that it¡¯d been Riven who¡¯d been responsible for killing the previous inhabitant of that body. ¡°We¡¯re gona take a walk. Catch ya later big guy. Stay hidden.¡± The drake only grunted with a flare of teal flames out its nostrils, closing its eyes and curling up with a yawn. Pulling out Jackal in its weapon form, Riven went to follow his sister - who was waiting around the bend at a distance. The space they traveled was truly flatlands, rolling fields of grass and wildflowers with only scattered trees all the way to the coastline where a raging battle was ensuing. Missiles flying through the air in both directions - both magical and mechanical. Barriers and shields of various shorts behind barricades on either side of the quarantined city would flare and deflect oncoming barrage - but it was apparent that the aggressors had the upper hand due to the airships raining down hell throughout the city from a much higher point. The only reason why this city likely hadn¡¯t been bombarded into dust already was twofold by Riven¡¯s guess. One, what was the point of taking a city if you didn¡¯t want to leave SOMETHING intact to lay claim to. Two, the ocean was in an uproar where creatures and what were probably merpeople had begun shooting down the airships these invaders had brought. Rippensire had thus been engaged on two fronts. The airships themselves were for the mostpart very big, thick, bulky things made of metal and what he assumed to be flesh - looking almost like upside-down turtle shells with attached cannons sprouting out their bottoms. ¡°It¡¯ll be tough getting inside at this angle. Airships are landing on the coastal edge of the city where Rippenvire looks to be in control.¡± He pointed over the army surrounding the city, past the northern front lines of combat towards what appeared to be large transport versions of the vampiric airships on the southern side. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve set up a temporary headquarters that way. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll probably be able to observe the most valuable information.¡± ¡°Remember no unnecessary risks.¡± Allie chided with a growl. ¡°We¡¯re about to walk into a city full of hostiles, potentially from both sides as they won¡¯t know whose side we are on.¡± Riven shot back with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You got any stealth spells?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then we do our best without them. Lets¡­¡± Riven¡¯s words paused as he caught sight of two small children racing across the plains in their direction. They¡¯d somehow gotten past the battlefield and were crying, screaming, and running for their lives from a group of two six-legged dog creatures and their masters in black uniforms just as one child fell. The other, a little boy, tried to pick the little girl who¡¯d fallen up - only to have his head ripped apart by the dog a second later. Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed and his grip clenched. ¡°Mother fuckers.¡± ¡°Oh, god DAMN it Riven! This is EXACTLY what I was talking about!¡± *** ¡°RUN, CHILDREN! DON¡¯T LOOK BACK!¡± Sister Anita¡¯s voice echoed in Sara¡¯s ears, and she wept. The old woman had tried to fight the bad, red-eyed men off with a kitchen knife and her cain. But they¡¯d eaten her, Sister Anita had been too weak - and her screams and sobs haunted Sara¡¯s mind while the little girl raced as fast as she could into the foothills outside the city. Their orphanage was somewhat displaced from the rest because the nuns had believed it would be good for the children to experience nature - and the governor had even supplied them with guards to fend off animal attacks. But animals hadn¡¯t been the only things that¡¯d attacked that day. It¡¯d been far worse. Though there were those mean dogs that¡¯d eaten Sara¡¯s friends. They were still probably chasing her, and the thought scared her so much that she covered her face with Teddy to stop herself from seeing as she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. Her flip flops rapidly snapped against the bottoms of her feet, and her pink short tore on a bush when she tripped and fell - screaming to land shoulder-first onto the hard dirt beneath. Her friend, Sam, quickly caught up and huffed to try and pick her up. ¡°SARA GO! WE CAN¡¯T STAY HERE, THEY¡¯LL EAT US TOO!¡± But Sara was too scared to move. Instead of getting up, she covered her face and just continued to cry and shake despite him trying to tug her to her feet. It was hopeless, the bad men and evil dogs were almost here. And a moment later Sam¡¯s scream right next to her was abruptly silenced when the snarling of a hound and and ripping sounds caused Sara to hold Teddy even more tightly against her face. She didn¡¯t want to see it. She didn¡¯t want to see what¡¯d come to eat her. She was so scared, and her short blonde hair was abruptly cached in warm liquid - from where she didn¡¯t know. She felt hot breath on her cheek, and heard the panting of an animal along with the deep chuckle of an approaching man. ¡°She¡¯s burying her head in a toy! That¡¯s hilarious!¡± One of the bad man cackled to another of his comrades. ¡°It¡¯s even kind of cute! Too bad they said we have to feed the dogs this way, but they¡¯ve gotta eat too. Have at it¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice trailed off, and a deep chill settled over Sara¡¯s body. The dog abruptly yelped, and there was another splash of warm fluid - this time covering her legs. The hot breath went away though, and so did the panting. But Sara did not move. She could not move. She was just too scared. *** Riven glared at the five vampires chasing the children and their¡­. What exactly were these things? [Tiki Hound, Level 32] Well whatever the fuck Tiki Hounds were, they were ugly little shits. The remaining beast he hadn¡¯t already killed was essentially a 6-legged dog, with a mouth that opened in 3 directions a lot like the sand wyrms in the ¡®Dune¡¯ movies did. The maw produced squirming, writhing tentacle-like appendages that came out of its hissing throats as the creature backed up - obviously sensing the danger and not wanting to engage since he arrived. ¡°So much for subterfuge.¡± Allie followed to stand beside Riven with a sigh, casually examining the oncoming vampires behind the hound. If all the enemies Rippenvire was composed of were like this, then Rippenvire was essentially an army of steampunk vampires. Another group following behind the first that¡¯d come with the hound also sported similar dogs, but their various pets had warped versions of machines inserted into their bodies, and Riven had already seen them cutting down the defenders systematically at a distance. Riven shifted his thoughts back to the present, turning his glowing crimson eyes to the sobbing little girl burying her head in her teddy bear - with her little dead friend next to her. If he wasn¡¯t so shocked at the complete brutality of it all, he¡¯d likely have already killed the vampires who¡¯d chased her down along with their strange tiki dogs. He thought he¡¯d been bad, but this? He knew he was being hypocritical. He was sure he¡¯d killed children when he¡¯d wiped out that city in the canyons, but it¡¯d been detached and it was very quick. This felt very real, it was far more brutal than a purging fire - they were feeding these kids to their animals. It made him physically sick to think about. As he was thinking, the five other vampires just stared - awestruck at his and his sister¡¯s presence. One of them even knelt before them, and he was soon joined by a second and a third. Each of them wore styled dark coats with buttons and top hats, along with various mechanical gadgets infused with unholy, blood, death, and shadow powers of various sorts. Riven also felt various types of ¡®Machine¡¯ pillar influence as well. Though he was less attuned to the latter, it was still unmistakably Machine Pillar after having spent so much time in Chicago. They also wore different shades of tinted goggles, but their eyes were still unmistakable red. Though their eyes also didn¡¯t glow like his, and instead of a bright crimson they were rather dull in color. Perhaps another breed of vampire? [Lesser Vampire, Restrainer, Level 62] [Lesser Vampire, Restrainer, Level 75] [Lesser Vampire, Animal Tamer, Level 41] ¡°My apologies¡­ I didn¡¯t realize the nobility had sent one of their sions to the field¡­¡± One of the restrainers hesitantly stated, taking a step back to reach for a pirate-style pistol and eyeing the black spear-staff that pulsed with writhing streams of blood along its surface. ¡°I do not mean offense. If you wish to take that one as your own meal, or as a meal for your companion, then do so - but this is a sanctioned war effort. Killing us or our charged hounds needlessly will be punishable, even for a sion such as yourself. The council demands results, and infighting is prohibited. You know this.¡± Riven¡¯s glare was interrupted by a blink. Oh. So that¡¯s what it was. He¡¯d almost forgotten - he was a pureblood, as was Allie. That¡¯s why this man likely thought them to be sions of Rippenvire¡¯s elite. He merely shook his head, with pools of blood beginning to swirl around him as the ground started to freeze over for dozens of yards in all directions. ¡°Oh no. I do believe you¡¯ve got this all wrong. I¡¯m not from Rippenvire. I¡¯m a native, and I¡¯m about to tear you guys a new asshole. I don¡¯t use lube.¡± The ground shook with power, causing the others to fall back in confusion, and black lightning tore through Jackal as he twirled the staff around to point at the oncoming invaders. ¡°Prepare yourselves.¡± Chapter 182 Chapter 182 Jestus was a tall, greater vampire, and like so many others of the Rippenvire faction he preferred a tophat and suit jacket with coat tails as his primary attire. Gold trimmings laced a vest underneath with a pocket watch, a pocket protector, and two ornate pirate-styled pistols holstered under either arm. He wore tall black boots up to his knees, dark baggy trousers, and his red eyes glowed slightly brighter than all the lesser vampires he lorded over on this harvesting expedition. One thing the vampires always faced as an initial trial on these world-conquering invasion missions was a lack of food - because unlike other factions that could just bring their food with them, vampires also required mortal blood. That gave Rippenvire two options - either decrease the amount of vampiric soldiers they could bring with them to conquer a planet in order to bring cattle, or bring as many vampires as they could and just kill or enslave the local population to feed on. Rippenvire always chose the latter, often settling on a mass execution of anything and anyone around their initial breach point to secure their borders and have a reserve supply of blood without needing to use other more basic but still valuable food supplies other than blood to feed the slaves. After Rippenvire secured a foothold they¡¯d then start enslaving rather than just mass slaughtering for blood. They simply didn¡¯t have the early resources for keeping a large supply of slaves or cattle just yet. ¡°Those merfolk really didn¡¯t like it when we came and harvested that outpost of theirs, did they?¡± Jestus Bloodrain said with a chuckle, swirling the red wine of his goblet while casually observing the battle over the ocean underneath his flagship. ¡°Truly pesky little things.¡± His lieutenant nodded, staring over the flagship¡¯s steel rails at a kraken that¡¯d been tamed by the natives while its limbs reached skywards to try and pluck at their airships. ¡°We could always pull our fleet over to the city in its entirety to avoid a double-sided battle, your excellency.¡± ¡°Nonsense. More merpeople means more bodies we can harvest from the sea - and they are quite terrible at attempting to kill us. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Jestus snorted and sipped at his wine as the bowl-like undersides of the flesh-metal hybrid airships continued to carpet bomb the merpeople ruthlessly while they in turn did their best to use various water-based magics to strike out at the vampiric fleet. ¡°In fact, I do believe-¡± An ominous feeling of dread spread over Jestus right before an explosion echoed across the battlefield from across the besieged city; and a pulse wave of power crashed into the enormous flagship. Alarms immediately began ringing and he was nearly thrown off over the rail into the sea before a nearby soldier latched onto his ankle. The sky turned into an ominous red and black as crimson snow tore into the fleet, and dozens of the domed airships of metal and flesh were tipped over entirely - spilling many of their crew into the waiting hands of the merpeople far below. ¡°WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS HAPPENING!?¡± Jestus roared over a torrent of power that even now continued to push down on him, making him feel small and almost helpless in a way he¡¯d never experienced in real battle before. Red eyes wide and holding onto the railing for dear life, the flagship slowly tipped back to right itself as a black cloud dispersed overhead to blanket the sun. Normally that would be a welcome sight, but not this time. The teal, flaming eye of some unknown god opened up to reveal itself through hundreds of large spatial tears in the masmic cloud - glaring down on the besieged city and everything around it to judge the unworthy. Jestus screamed, his body began to tear apart in dozens of places right before the defensive shields of the ship sprang to life. He abruptly hit the deck, gasping and spitting blood while leaking fluid from numerous wounds as the shields flared in response to some kind of death-attuned attack. He didn¡¯t even have time to question it as his eyes lifted to see another of the airships with its turtle shell-like bottom, cannons still blasting, rocket towards the large flagship with half its hull missing. He watched in real time when a torrent of red and black lances ripped through the ship moments later, then felt the jarring impact of similar lances crash into the shields right before the allied airship did with the sound of snapping ligaments and tearing metal. *CRASH* The allied airship had been caught completely unaware, not having had time to activate their own shields which left it only as a heaping chunk of metal and muscle that crunched and sagged against the unholy barrier surrounding Jestus and his men. He watched as soldiers on the other ship who¡¯d somehow miraculously survived until this point were smashed up against those same shields, watched their bodies splatter, and he hastily made his way back into the inner command chamber while other officers scrambled and alarms continued to blare across other ships of the fleet. ¡°Your excellency!¡± One of his underling officers called out, pulling up a 3D image of the battlefield, which was now in complete chaos when compared to the rather controlled scenario he¡¯d had under his thumb only twenty seconds ago. ¡°Two enormous mana signatures are on the northern end of the city¡¯s edge! OH GODS! THE ENTIRE GROUND FORCE HAS BEEN WIPED OUT, THEY¡¯RE ALL JUST GONE! ALL GONE! AND WE HAVE INCOMING!¡± ¡°Incoming!?¡± Jestus spluttered, his dead heart beating fast in his chest as he stared slack-jawed at the two mana signatures on the hologram. They were both enormous, with even the weaker signatures being leagues above anything he¡¯d seen anyone at his level of 80 perform before. The sensors of the flagship were comparing one of these readings to fluctuate around 1400, while the other was now even surpassing a power level of 3000¡­ and it was continuing to RISE. ¡°IMPOSSIBLE! CAPTAIN, SEND WORD FOR REINFORCEMENTS IMMEDIATELY AND ROUTE ALL POWER INTO SHIELDS! GET US ABOVE THOSE DAMNABLE FISH AND WITHDRAW THE FLEET-¡± *CRASH* The flagship shuddered - sending Jestus sprawling onto the floor as another volley of SOMETHING blasted into its shields. A wave of heat along with infernal mana bathed the shields that began flickering as one by one: airships on the hologram began to melt away and dissolve amidst a burning cloud of hellfire. Orders were sent out over the communication as he picked himself up, and soon the engines started upticking while cannonfire from the main guns continued to blare. ¡°FIND OUT WHO OR WHAT THOSE MANA SIGNATURES ARE!¡± Jestus screamed while officers yelled over encrypted lines to the main base - calling in for backup. His eyes then shifted to the ¡®incoming¡¯ dots racing towards his fleet. First it was five, then twelve, then twenty - and the number just kept growing. ¡°AND ACTIVATE THOSE GODS DAMNED TOTEMS - WHATEVER IT IS ATTACKING US ISN¡¯T PLAYING AROUND AND WE¡¯RE GOING ALL OUT!¡± *** The combined storm of death, blood and shadow energies Allie and Riven wove together was astronomically devastating. The entire ground force of Rippenvire on this side of the city had been wiped cleanly off the face of the planet within twenty seconds, all of their defensive barriers and talismans having been oriented the opposite direction from where the two Thane siblings stood. It¡¯d been like taking candy from a baby, and now their combined storm was focused on the fleet on the opposite side of the city. Allie¡¯s unholy obelisk sang overhead, the teal eye of some foreign behemoth laser-focusing all enemies with a crushing wave of oppression. Crimson ice spun with crackling arcs of lightning that shattered machine and flesh alike. Airships warped and tore, bodies began falling into the sea and the entire harvesting strike force of the invaders was upended in a violent display of power. Massive amounts of weaker enemies were quite easy for area of effect mages to deal with, they were essentially just XP fruits for the picking - so this kind of battle with the enemy backs turned in closely knit formations was exactly the kind of scenario both she and Riven would excel at. Riven stood in full gluttony-attuned plate armor at the central eye of the storm, atop a mound of corpses to look over the field of death; his black weapon flaring with streams of blood magic as he cradled the sobbing young girl in his arms. She still held her teddy bear close, but was beginning to calm down while answering Riven¡¯s questions and even asking some of her own as she became more comfortable with the idea that she was safe. Allie cackled as the level increases raced in, squaring her shoulders and typing furiously into her laptop while hovering a few feet in the air cross-legged - communicating with the approaching squadrons as officers one by one checked in. ¡°Alpha team on lock.¡± ¡°Bravo team on lock.¡± ¡°Charlie team on lock. Now that our two walking tactical nukes have done their deeds - I hear these so called invaders have a good amount of oil to plunder, and that they could use some good old fashioned freedom! Aint that right, my lady!?¡± ¡°FUCKING RIGHT! I want these motherfuckers liberated with some red, white and blue!¡± Allie crowed over chat, having had this conversation with the squadron leaders before on other raids against the elves. Laughter from the fighter pilots echoed across the comms channels, and the modified F-35 fighter jets were soon seen on the horizon in seven V formations. 81 of these things had been produced with shield upgrades, radar upgrades, and weapon boosts since integration had begun - and each of them was a terror of the skies. If Earth had been lacking in magic, it¡¯d more than made up for it when finding ways to kill each other using technology. This was only emphasized even more since the system had come into play. ¡°We¡¯ll take the storm down a notch right when you arrive, go guns blazing gentlemen and do the necropolis proud. No risky moves, we want you all to level up your piloting classes and we can¡¯t have you die on us early. Gain your XP, bail or eject if you have to, and give them hell. Good luck ladies!¡± Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°For the necropolis!¡± Came the simultaneous call over the main comms before each squadron separated into their own respective chat channels. Allie watched them spread out overhead in the sky. Riven had turned around and casually walked to stop near his sister, looking down at her with a crimson glare under his feathered helm as the storm thundered around them. ¡°This little girl¡¯s name is Sara. I¡¯m going to drop her and her teddy off with Tyranus, then we¡¯re heading in for the big kahuna.¡± ¡°Yup. So much for the stealthy approach, we¡¯re all in now. Whatever happens by the way - this is your fault.¡± Allie gave a thumbs up, still looking at the screen and sending private messages to different squadron leaders. Priority targets had already been selected by drones sent by engineers who were currently piloting them from Brightsville. There were a few heavy-hitting artillery flesh golems on the enemy side that had built in siege cannons along their arms or chests, and these were for the mostpart actually located within the city after the outer perimeter had been wiped clean. They would be a problem and a danger for her jets and the drones were currently pinging well over twenty of their locations even now - with some other very fast and agile vampiric rogues that¡¯d already been seen wiping out skybound human-made missiles from the defenders of this Earth-originating city on the coast. If these melee fighters were fast enough to take out missiles mid flight by slicing at them with daggers while acrobatically flipping around in mid air, as ridiculous as it was they¡¯d likely be dangerous if the jets got too close to the ground. It was just something to keep in mind concerning warfare with how the system worked now. Though it may seem to be stupid not to solely use long-range spells or weapons fire during a fight, she¡¯d already seen numerous instances of classers who were built around sturdiness both in this battle and battles against the elves - they¡¯d often been able to just blow off explosions, bullets, cannon fire, magical blasts, or other ranged onslaughts entirely if they were high enough level. She¡¯d seen her own flesh golems or bone giants charge into a swarm of elvish magic-infused arrows or wind storms without so much as a blink, and she¡¯d seen elvish griffons tank bombs with barely a scratch before tearing off the heads of her ghouls. It was why she was creating a front line legion of death knights back at the capital, as they¡¯d be used as line breakers and shock troops in the future for quarantined siege situations exactly like this one had been. Before Riven got back, Allie sent a final declaration over the laptop for the drones to redistribute across all Machine-pillar related communication lines. ¡°The Thane Necropolis has claimed this city as part of its empire, starting now. Should Rippenvire give an immediate unconditional surrender and lay down its arms, we will spare you. Otherwise, prepare to meet the afterlife. Veni Vidi Vici motherfuckers. - Signed Allie Thane, Queen of the Thane Necropolis and Princess of the Blood Moon Requiem.¡± *** [Jackal (Ascended Legendary Weapon. Type: Vampiric Artifact, Sin Artifact, Sorcerer¡¯s Spear-Staff): 894 average damage on strike with each physical strike dealing additional shadow damage. Each physical strike steals health from the enemy and heals you and repairs this item. Mana regeneration is increased by 305%. Stamina regeneration increased by 8%. All Shadow and Blood abilities cost 10% less mana while dealing 36% additional damage. This item has an abnormally high endurance and is hard to destroy. Requires Vampiric Heritage and a piece of Gluttony¡¯s Original Sin to wield. Space split apart and Riven tore through a portal, exiting out the other side to clear the distance instantaneously before the other vampire even knew what¡¯d hit him. Blood frost bloomed in the air all around, and black lightning thundered along Riven¡¯s curved blade as his spear staff blurred ahead with the roar of a thousand storms. The ground shuddered. *BOOM* The city buildings around the two combatants exploded as the Rippenvire officer¡¯s legs snapped under Riven¡¯s strike. His weapon barely held, blocking the blow just as another Rippenvire rogue came in from the side to slip a dagger into the underside of Riven¡¯s armor where the platemail was gone and only bloodsilk remained. Yet the stamina-infused dagger strike didn¡¯t pierce even that, sliding off of ¡®Messenger¡¯ with sparks flying before Riven¡¯s armored elbow crashed into the rogue¡¯s face - snapping his jaw 90 degrees to the left in a clean break with teeth flying everywhere. ¡°I fucking HATE ROGUES!¡± Riven snarled, blurring left to slice through the stunned man¡¯s torso and backflipping over a mana attack similar to his own blood lance. Quickly identifying the two vampire mages that¡¯d targeted him, he swung his spear staff and activated Gluttony¡¯s Riptide. The image of Gluttony¡¯s maw roared behind him, paralyzing his targets with fright as dark sin magics flashed forward - instantly ripping apart the two men and the buildings behind them for many blocks. The docked Rippenvire transports were continually being downed by Necropolis F-35 jets, being priority targets that were marked by drone pilots whenever they did manage to get off the ground - and the remaining Rippenvire forces that¡¯d entered the city were now scrambling in a panic. Allie and Riven, along with Azmoth and a legion of undead who¡¯d been summoned not long ago to help guard from any would-be assassins, were quickly tearing through the poorly entrenched vampires after their frontline gains across the city had been bulldozed. The swarming undead were kept in the back surrounding Allie and chasing down any nearby enemies while she focused on cleaning up ships in the sky to support the fighter jet squadrons, and Riven took the very front with Azmoth as a spear-head effort to break any enemy lines that tried to form a defensive hold. So far, Riven could honestly say that these Rippenvire vampires weren¡¯t pushovers. They were certainly not a match for him and Allie combined, at least not here and now, but if this was just a part of their invading army - which he assumed to be the case - the Thane Necropolis would have a hard time beating them should they muster their true forces. Already he¡¯d met multiple level 80 vampires that¡¯d put up real fights against him even despite being lower level by a good amount. True, he was focusing on honing his close-combat abilities and was also utilizing his magics and aura to rip into the fleet above as a distraction - but he was still surprised with the quality of these enemies nevertheless. As usual the rogues and stealthy types were the ones that gave him the most issue - but there were a few heavily armored knights wielding claymores that he¡¯d also come to respect. They had regeneration abilities similar to his own, were completely covered in very thick mechanical body-suits, and were massive - obviously somehow augmented by both blood and armament subpillars. How this was possible he didn¡¯t know, but he intended to find out - and it was five of these Azmoth-sized vampiric beings that now stood in front of him with large claymores drawn. They glared out at him, suits sparking with electricity and unholy miasma, unblinking in the sunset as the fleets overhead crashed into one another amidst a storm of magic. They were some of Rippenvire¡¯s elites, and Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read their descriptions. [Greater Vampire, Bloodborg Paladin, Level 85] [Greater Vampire, Bloodborg Paladin, Level 81] [Greater Vampire, Bloodborg Paladin, Level 78] [Greater Vampire, Bloodborg Paladin, Level 80] [Greater Vampire, Bloodborg Paladin, Level 86] Azmoth snapped the neck of another enemy, cackled, and stomped over to settle in beside his master while giving a demonic smile towards the five large enemies ahead of them. ¡°Azmoth take two. Riven take three. Deal?¡± Riven grinned underneath his helm, and his aura of malice exploded forward like a physical entity that caused the five brave warriors ahead of him to stumble. The crowds of fleeing vampires boarding transport ships simultaneously stutter stepped or fell over completely, and a sign on one of the buildings with Chinese lettering snapped off entirely to crash to the ground. ¡°Deal.¡± Azmoth launched himself forward with his ¡®Propulsion¡¯ martial art, sending flames behind him in the dash as he slammed into both of his marks with a heavy four-handed swing of his giant stone maul. Riven on the other hand launched a dozen storm-razor balls at his enemies and rift-walked to teleport along their side, smashing magics into his three marks before activating ¡®Jackal¡¯s Lunge¡¯. His curved blade shimmered with sin energy, and the red maw of a fanged jackal roared ahead of his weapon when he pointed it towards the lined-up targets who¡¯d braced against his initial magic strike. The jackal¡¯s maw snapped and he blasted forward - hitting all three at the same exact time his red and black storm-razor balls collided against the enemy vampires. The first body tore apart effortlessly, but the second and third heavy frontliners turned with amazing speed to almost match his own. The first claymore he came into contact with blocked and paired his strike using a defensive shielding ability, but sent the man stumbling to the left just as his comrade activated his own martial art - claymore glowing red with blood magic that left a red ribbon in its wake and crashed into Riven¡¯s large pauldron. Riven was sent rolling, crashing through a concrete wall only to whirl about to catch an incoming sword strike that clipped his staff. He snarled at the oncoming paladins, striking back in a flurry of blows as his weapon collided with the other two claymores in a blur of metal, sparks, blood magic and black lightning. The building around them was blown apart under the furious assault, and Riven soon found himself locked into a melee combat of epic proportions. Concrete shattered and explosions of power sent debris flying as the three combatants went at it - with Riven beginning to smile from underneath his visored helmet. Should he dismiss the storm overhead to deal with these two? No. That would leave the squadrons at a disadvantage and cost lives. And he¡¯d almost forgotten what it was like to struggle. This was kind of fun. Chapter 183 Chapter 183 Lahn gasped, lurched, and screamed as Fay¡¯s mana tendrils literally ripped the worm out of his skin. The sightless brown creature was long, the width of Fay¡¯s arm, wicked looking with numerous thorns, and had a gaping sucker that pulsed and slurped at the air using its tongue. Lahn¡¯s mother Shovi gasped in horror-stricken awe, and even the two rogues assigned to escort Fay were a little unnerved by the sight of the disgusting creature. But the succubus reached out a slender blue hand to grasp the thing by its throat as it wriggled, not thinking twice and smiling victoriously as she held it aloft. ¡°I told you so! There it is!¡± The magics of the ritual circle died away, and she quickly pulled out two healing potions to pour onto Lahn¡¯s numerous wounds where the worm had been taken out of his withered side. They were pretty high grade, kept in glass vials with cherry-red liquid that smelled quite nice as they washed over his skin. She also had Shovi help feed him another one so it¡¯d work from the inside out, and within seconds - Lahn¡¯s body began to heal. It was literally right before their very eyes. His shriveled limbs remained skinny due to years of muscle atrophy, but they were covered in new HEALTHY skin without the shriveled look. He gasped, almost seizing on the bed as his mother and Gleetus just gawked - but when Gleetus made a move to leave he was abruptly kicked in the gut and sent sprawling back along the floor. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± The skresh assassin said as a faint whisper, its skull chattering as a blade twirled in its hand. ¡°My lady Fay? Do you wish us to proceed as planned?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Take him to the designated spot for now. Allie wants to do it personally.¡± The succubus nodded, handing the worm over to the human rogue before the two stealth personnel dragged Gleetus out of the room kicking and screaming - while also carrying the odd squirming creature she¡¯d ripped out of Lahn. Shovi only stood, dumbfounded, staring with tears in her eyes at the young man in the bed ahead of her. Reaching out and touching Lahn¡¯s completely cured left arm, she pulled down the covers to reveal his leg was the same. The bed was soaked in blood and potion, but neither she nor Lahn cared as he continued to sweat and pant in a puddle of his own sweat. ¡°Lahn¡­ Lahn you¡¯re healed! YOU¡¯RE HEALED!¡± Shovi screamed and barreled into the laying young man, hugging him and sobbing as Lahn grimaced - but even he had tears in his eyes as he shakily examined his left hand. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what to even say¡­¡± Lahn muttered shakily, voice quivering. He hugged his mother back, then glanced down at the foot of the bed where Fay was warmly smiling at him. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about the first time I met you and Riven at that dinner. A lot of what you said now makes sense.¡± Fay blushed with embarrassment and rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, well¡­ I¡¯m a bit obsessed over Riven. I will admit it.¡± The strode over to the bedside and sat down on the edge - caring to give Lahn and Shovi their space as she straightened out her silver dress. Night was falling now, it¡¯d been many hours since the ritual had begun and still Lahn¡¯s father and brother hadn¡¯t come back. She stared out at the night sky, up above at the starlit heavens, and snorted at the memory of her mental breakdown. ¡°Sorry if I came across as crazy.¡± Lahn smiled and shook his head. ¡°No. Not crazy. Just stricken, and even if you were crazy - I wouldn¡¯t care anyways. Not after what you did for me.¡± Fay turned her face in the candlelight of the lanterns around the room. Her small obsidian horns glistened, and she tucked her long white hair behind her ears with a smooth dual motion of her hands. ¡°I appreciate that.¡± There was a moment of silence as Lahn let his mother continue sobbing into the bed while she laid on top of him to hug him tight, but then he cleared his throat and looked around - realizing finally that Allie was gone. He¡¯d been so out of it and in so much pain during the hours-long ritual that he¡¯d lost track of time, and his frown deepened at the note of her absence. ¡°Hey Fay¡­ where did Riven and Allie go?¡± Fay cocked her head to the side, amused. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember?¡± He shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re fighting right now.¡± Fay replied absentmindedly, turning her gaze back to the starlit sky. ¡°Spearheading the fight against one of the invading forces on the southern coast of this continent.¡± ¡°The invaders!?¡± Lahn asked, bewildered. ¡°They¡¯re already here!?¡± Fay raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh yes. They¡¯re here all right, though this particular group I believe bit off a bit more than it could chew having selected this area of the world to start in.¡± *** The heavens roared with conflict, and the battle raged to new heights. Riven and Azmoth both crashed through the deck of the flagship as it began to fall from the sky. Sinewy flesh snapped and metal ominously creaked, fires raged and the injured screamed. Rolling to his feet he blurred to unleash a wall of crimson ice that blocked an incoming scimitar. The weapon smashed halfway through the wall, lodging itself into the magic before he countered with bloody razors that quickly morphed into their storm-ball variant - tearing through the air and smashing into the lightning-fast blade of the vampire expedition leader. ¡°I AM JESTUS BLOODRAIN, SON OF THE GRAND DUKE AND A SION OF RIPPENVIRE - YOU INSOLENT WELP!¡± Jestus screamed in rage, wisps of black exploding out of him in a cloud that rapidly hid his location right before a torrent of blood lances blew holes in the ship where he¡¯d just stood. The voice of Jestus echoed out again through the unnatural darkness that even Riven¡¯s eyes could not see through. ¡°I WILL TEAR YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR BODY AND FEED IT TO MY DOGS!¡± Azmoth cackled and charged four more paladins that rushed them through the black, colliding with one via a shoulder charge and snapping another man¡¯s head with a maul strike. Riven¡¯s wretched snares rapidly incapacitated the remaining two paladins, leaving them as easy prey for the brutalisk to tear apart as Jestus leaped from a position behind Riven¡¯s own. The scimitar whistled forward, and the vampire¡¯s red eyes gleamed underneath his tophat as he struck out at Riven¡¯s neck. Riven¡¯s own body exploded with crackling lightning and blood-wisps as he activated Blessing of the crow, forming a smoothly flowing cloud of energy that rippled along his armor and shot him left before a supersonic counterstrike with Jackal caused the enemy leader to stagger. Blades collided, and Jestus found his arm missing a second later in a spray of blood. The vampire screamed, and then cursed even more furiously when Messenger¡¯s maw opened up and shot out black tendrils to wrap around one of his legs. ¡°NOOOOO!!!¡± Unhesitating, Jestus cut off his leg to get rid of the snaring gluttonous armor and kicked off the floor to launch himself up into the air by twenty meters - before freefalling overboard to be lost from sight. Riven grimaced, tisking in annoyance as he lost track of his enemy in the madness surrounding him. Fires continued to flare up and the flagship was still creaking ominously as it fell from the sky. Not far off, Allie¡¯s drake Tyranus was breathing neon-teal blasts of flame onto any ships that remained - or she¡¯d downright land on them and let the drake have a buffet as it gorged itself on the screaming vampires. F-35 jets raced through the retreating enemy fleet, a few less than they¡¯d started when entering the fray but still largely intact across all squadrons - and the merfolk were ravenously picking off and killing any of the invaders that fell overboard into the ocean. Riven¡¯s peripheral vision and an uptick in a nearby heartbeat caused him to turn and block an incoming sword strike - catching the blade in his free hand while glaring out at the vampiric female officer as she hyperventilated. Yanking her sword out of his hand while he stood watching her with apathy, she screamed and drove the blade forward again - only for him to catch it yet again, rip it out of her hand, and behead her in a single swift motion. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The woman¡¯s body staggered and fell, and her head spun through the air to bounce along the metal floor. *CLANG* Riven grunted and spun as a bullet slammed into the back of his helmet, bouncing off of it completely and giving him a slight headache. Seeing another man in a buttoned coat stationed on a deck above with a large, ornate, wooden rifle similar to the pirate-styled pistols so many of the others carried - Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed. He began to activate ¡®Launch¡¯, an inherent ability his suit had, and sin energy began gathering along four panels at his back. Black and red churned and writhed in streams of power, building up and then bursting into red flames as the suit torpedoed him through the air first-first into the man¡¯s face. The blow would have been enough on its own to completely tear the man¡¯s head off, but with the ¡®Ripping Claws¡¯ buff attached to his gauntlets - the vampire quite literally was torn apart in a blur and explosion of rage. Riven exited the falling flagship the same way he¡¯d come - in a blaze of profane glory and red flames while his suit torpedoed him through the air like a jetpack. Air whistled by and he narrowly dodged another falling ship, zipping over Allie as she rode her dragon through the mess of skybound debris and giving her a thumbs up before readjusting his trajectory towards the half-destroyed city. There were still a lot of Rippenvire survivors, including their expedition leader - the self-proclaimed duke¡¯s son, and he was intent on finding and killing them all. [Messenger (Mythic Heavy Armor Set, Gluttony Aspect) (Evolving Symbiote) (World Quest Item: Panu) (Unique Soulbound Sentient): This Mythic tier armor set was created on the world of Panu during its integration cycle by the pureblooded vampire Riven Thane. Having far surpassed the realm of normalcy, this armor set has been afflicted with the original sin of Gluttony. As a messenger of sin and a holder of a sin shard, Gluttony has blessed this armor to even further heights so that the wielder may one day become the tidebringer of wanton destruction Gluttony seeks. All shall perish before the great maw, all hail the abyssal depths. > Devour - This amulet can use shadowy tendrils to attack and pull in prey for devouring. If bitten, a potent paralytic poison is applied to your enemy. Devouring enemies allows this item set to slowly grow. > Identifier¡¯s Clause: Wearing this item increases your ability to identify information concerning items or living creatures, being the equivalent of a low tier identifier class. Your own basic information will be much harder to identify. > Blood in the Eyes: These pauldrons absorb blood mana passively from your surroundings up to a maximum of double your normal mana pool. These pauldrons act as a reservoir for your passive vampiric regeneration, this suit¡¯s Launch ability, and acts as a mana font to pull from like you would environmental resources. Once the pauldron¡¯s eyes dim, your extra resource pool has run out. > Ripping Claws: Punching someone with the spikes of your gauntlets will cause massive hemorrhaging damage over time. > Launch: The back of your suit can open up, creating a blast of sin energy that damages enemies and acts as a propulsion method to blast you in a given direction at speeds dependent on how much energy you drain from the stored reservoir of your pauldrons. > +20% to all base stats > +300 Strength, +600 Sturdiness, +300 Agility > +1858 Defense to all Plated Areas of Armor > + 965 Defense to all Bloodsilk Areas Between Plates > Natural sunlight does not affect you while wearing this suit > Liquid breathing is bestowed upon you while wearing this suit > All senses enhanced by 40% while wearing this suit > Allows passage free from harm in any underverse controlled by Gluttony > Immediately identifies and locks on to any nearby Sins or Commandments > This armor set will occasionally urge you to undertake feeding frenzies. Wear at your own risk. A high willpower is needed to combat the urges.] *** Jestus Bloodrain watched in horror-filled fascination from a rocky outcropping along the coast while his body regenerated. Watched his fleet, the one his father had vouched for him to command, burn to the ground in what was probably one of the most humiliating defeats of any integration invasion mission to date. Rippenvire hadn¡¯t ALWAYS conquered the planets they visited, but they¡¯d never been defeated so soundly in any battle that¡¯d been recorded to his knowledge. Simply put, he was doomed. He was no doubt going to bring his house shame after this major blunder, and although this had just been a relatively small harvesting force of the military might Rippenvire had brought with them - that wouldn¡¯t be an excuse he could use. The huge flagship hit the plains with a brilliant plume of flame, the shearing sound of metal tearing across the landscape in an ear-piercing screech. Jestus had to cover his ears and winced when a shockwave of radiation tore through the ground and into the ocean, no doubt caused by the large generator meant to power the shields of that behemoth. The same shields those fucking monsters had ripped through like it was nothing. Specifically, the armored vampire who¡¯d nearly killed him. Thinking back to the brilliant crimson eyes of his opponent, Jestus shuddered. That was, without a doubt, a pureblood. How one even existed on this planet, and as a self-proclaimed native was an absolute mystery to him. How the natives here knew of the Blood Moon Requiem to make false claims about their origins was an even bigger mystery¡­ and it made him second-guess himself concerning their true origins. Perhaps the message that Allie bitch had sent out was true. Perhaps she really was a princess of the Blood Moon Requiem and the man with her had been one of her champions¡­ but that simply didn¡¯t make sense. Invasion tokens were public knowledge and the Blood Moon Requiem hadn¡¯t been one of them. Not only that, but that kind empire would never allow their sions - especially their princess, to engage in a world-conquering activity like this. Their bloodlines were too valuable to risk due to the heritage of Malignant Prophecy, and entire sector-ending wars had been started in order to retrieve their lineage from the hands of other forces millennia past. There¡¯s no way the high queen of the Blood Moon Requiem would allow it. So who the fuck were those two? A slight breeze, a ripple in space, and a cold sensation tearing down his spine sent Jestus into an abrupt panic. Whirling around and limping when his still injured leg hit the rock he was hiding behind, his eyes darted left and right. But at his back had only been the slowly crashing waves of the ocean. Sending out tendrils of mana, then divinity, and then stamina - he didn¡¯t catch any significant signs of life¡­ so he began to relax. Turning back around to watch the rest of his humiliating defeat at the hands of these unknowns, he- *CRACK* *SNAP* *RIP* Jestus fell limply to the ground, a hole in his chest where his heart had been and his skull caved in with large claw marks torn through his bone and brain. And there, standing over him, was a woman with pitch black skin. Her brilliant red eyes bore down into the dead man laying at her feet, and six blade-like limbs gently brought the man¡¯s heart to her opening mouth - utterly silent - before she chomped down onto it. Raven hair billowed in the wind while she absentmindedly chewed, staring at her victim with distaste. Looking towards the city where she felt the tangible presence of her master, Athela wanted to run to him. She wanted to find him, to hug him, to cry in his arms¡­ to tell him how she really felt about him. To let him know that she was back, and to grovel in the reaction she knew he¡¯d have once he saw her. And her feelings only welled up to greater heights when she replayed the video of the moment he¡¯d confessed. The video that was circulating Panu¡¯s cortex like wildfire, one that she would not put aside now that she knew how he felt. ¡°But you¡¯re a good man!¡± Luke croaked out with desperation, waving to the carnage and destruction Riven had wrought and was continuing to spill down onto the surrounding city. ¡°What''s the point of this Riven? You¡¯re killing indiscriminately because you¡¯re upset? Because you¡¯re angry at the world?¡± Riven slowly cocked his head to the side. Then he chuckled. ¡°That isn¡¯t true at all. Let me pose a question, Luke. Just how far would you go, just how far would you push yourself, to save the ones you love? This¡­ this is my answer to that question.¡± Not bothering to wait for a reply, Riven looked back up to the writhing ball of hellfire overhead - and his free hand began to move. It created a circle of flames, pushed through the center of that circle with a clenched fist, and then his forearm twisted while chanting. ¡°Rain fire upon mine enemies, cast doubt upon divine providence, and bathe the land in a blaze of profane glory.¡± She watched Riven burn that city in the canyon to ashes, sacrificing his morals and all the people there to save a small piece of her soul so that she would one day return. He¡¯d killed them all¡­ for her. She smiled with giddy and warm sensations she¡¯d never experienced before now, emotions that boiled up to a precipice inside her evil little heart. Then it clenched, and a livid rage overtook her when her thoughts turned to Fay. ¡°That bitch.¡± Athela sneered, clawed fingers curling, turning her athletic hips to walk down the coastline along the beach - northwards, to where she knew the other contracted demoness was. Since Athela¡¯s mutation into an archdemon, she could hide her presence from the others. She was simply that powerful now, and had even blinded Riven¡¯s own sight to her return after wanting to surprise him. But what she¡¯d found was¡­ was this pretender, this succubus cunt that¡¯d stolen Riven while Athela had been dead. This would not stand. Riven was HERS. Athela¡¯s body began to crack, snap, and shift - rapidly mutating from her stealth variant into her new siege variant. She grew to be thirty times larger, dwarfing even Azmoth and equaling the size of a small house. She retained the upper body of a beautiful woman, though she grew another set of red eyes for a total of four and her entire body became a brilliant bright white - a stark contrast to the otherwise pitch black of her original form. Her lower body in turn grew the abdomen and legs of a spider, and crystalline flowers began blooming all along her body and the path she walked. A large, crystalline, vertical maw erupted across her lower abdomen and won into her arachnid half - groaning as she hungrily rumbled across the beach. Picking up speed and summoning the power of blizzards and wind to her - she raced northwards towards her new target in a storm of fae magic. Fay had known how Athela felt. Athela had seen their interactions through Riven¡¯s memories in her time dead, and Fay hadn¡¯t tried very hard to correct Riven¡¯s assumptions that Athela wasn¡¯t head over heels for him. The succubus very well knew what she¡¯d done, and thus had whatever punishment Athela could devise coming. Fay had crossed a line. She had this coming. Chapter 184 Chapter 184 Metal creaked and groaned as cogs in the gigantic landstrider continued to churn. They were the only sounds left now in the dark interior of the council¡¯s room - only lit by a faint blue hologram spread out as a map along the tabletop. Peskus shifted nervously in his seat, his eyes meeting the Slayfather¡¯s only briefly before rapidly descending to look at the metal table in front of him. Other officers of Rippenvire were the same, not wanting to be the targets for the wrath or ire of their commander. Pale hands steepled in front of the man at the head of the table, and he took in a deep breath to let it out very slowly as he closed his red eyes. ¡°That report was from five minutes ago. A fourth of our entire fleet, lost within a little over a day of arriving on this planet. That is not acceptable, and I do not intend to be held responsible for such humiliation when I return back home. I assume you all feel the same way, unless you want to each be shunned for the remainder of your lives for such a blunder.¡± Peskus nodded in agreement. ¡°If I may, your excellency.¡± The Slayfather curiously glanced left, then leaned back in his chair and motioned for Peskus to continue. ¡°Go on.¡± Peskus cleared his throat. ¡°Those same reports also indicate that we know from whence these vermin come. The battle is only now finishing, and although we may not be able to reach the remnants in time to clean up - we can use this opportunity to strike back.¡± Murmuring agreements echoed through the dark room over the next dozen seconds. ¡°I propose we strike now.¡± Peskus continued, growing in confidence from the audible support he was getting. His finger landed on the hologram. ¡°This should be their capital, and I doubt they are advanced enough to have any kind of protections against portaling in. There is no doubt in my mind that the ones who attacked our harvesting fleet are the strongest they have, I would have thought it impossible to encounter such strong natives this early in the integration - but I am more than certain they do not have more. We should strike now and hit their home base before they come back, and then when they arrive to see the smoldering ruins of their great city upon a return home - they will truly know what it means to attack Rippenvire.¡± ¡°AGREED!¡± One of the other officers roared out, standing to his feet. ¡°KILL THEM ALL!¡± One by one the officers stood shouting their encouragement and urging their leader to take action as they began to chant ¡®kill them all¡¯ over and over again. The Slayfather held his hand up for silence, and when the room became quiet he too stood up and tipped his top hat in Peskus¡¯s direction. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be a bad start. In the meantime, collect what information you can on the name ¡®Allie Thane.¡¯ Send a message back to the homeland and seek out whether or not her claims concerning the Blood Moon Requiem are true. As all of you know I am highly skeptical that a princess of their empire would be here on a frontier integration planet, but it is better to be certain. The fact that a native even knows of their name is somewhat concerning, and although it is likely a bluff - thoroughness in all things is a virtue. If it¡¯s true, if by some miracle she really is who she says she is, taking her as a prisoner for breeding purposes so we can acquire the bloodline for ourselves is a new and top priority. Prepare the legions and the fleets.¡± Peskus saluted. ¡°Yes, your excellency. Which ones?¡± The Slayfather raised an eyebrow and tapped his cane on the metal floor with a resounding crack of sound. ¡°All of them.¡± *** Fay leaned over her cup of tea, cooling it with a soft whispering puff of air - then sipped. The warm amber liquid was gentle on her tongue, with traces of scented herbs mixed into a sweet and soothing taste. ¡°This is quite nice. Thank you Shovi.¡± Lahn and his mother both smiled back at her, sipping on their own tea as they sat at a wicker table on the backyard porch of their estate - overlooking a large garden with a flowing brook full of brilliantly colored fish similar to the ponds in the gardens of the academy. This place had a nice view, as the Lucio estate was positioned on a hill overlooking some of the other well-kept neighborhoods of middle to upper class citizens - and little tiny lights dotted the streets along the roads where merry nightlife was still in abundance. Shovi yawned, and she glanced up at the starry night sky where airships of the royal fleet were gathering in abundance a few miles out. There were thousands of them, mostly created from wood and styled in a way that would allow them to act as regular ships of the sea should they need to let their engines cool down. Smaller drakes and rocs along with their riders were also swarming the area - landing on large flat hover platforms to join the gathering horde. ¡°I wonder¡­ It is not often to see such a large amount of the fleet here at one time.¡± ¡°News of the invaders is quite a topic on Dawn¡¯s forums, especially here in Mandon - the capital.¡± Lahn said softly, giving his thin but now healed left arm a once-over again. ¡°They speak of the legions assembling, retreating from the front lines and heading home. I am not sure if they expect an attack or not¡­ but it is certainly concerning. To just give up all the ground we fought for overnight¡­¡± The quick slapping steps of a hired maid rushing through the house became louder when the back door quickly opened - and a young woman came to bow before Shovi. ¡°My lady! News from your husband - a quarantine is about to be announced and all people are to shelter on the lower floors! The academy and the palace are both being evacuated! Your husband is joining the fleet as we speak, and your two children are being escorted with the other academy students on campus to floor 6!¡± Shovi deeply frowned. ¡°Quarantine? Take shelter? We are on the 7th upper level, the very top of the city. Why would we go down? Are we expecting an attack from the sky?¡± The maid hesitated. ¡°I am not sure my lady, it is merely the message your husband sent via letter. He says it is important, and-¡± The hired maid¡¯s voice was cut off by the blaring sound of alarm bells just as a booming echo radiated out from overhead. High up in the sky and a few miles to the left, a gigantic vortex began swirling about with yellow and red light. Warhorns sounded next, blasting out from the fleet across the city as the thousands of airships began to take formation and magics flared to life. Shields, barriers, and swarms of individual aerial riders made themselves visible and the glowing sigil of Dawn¡¯s sun illuminated the scattered clouds. Lahn¡¯s jaw dropped and Shovi gasped in horror along with the other staff members nearby. The sound of a clattering tray and shattering porcelain plates was heard nearby, and an enormous *BOOM* from the swirling, ominous portal sent shockwaves across the landscape. A layer of hot air billowed out rustled the plants nearby, sending Fay¡¯s hair into a frenzy as the succubus stood up - and it nearly knocked Shovi over completely. There, far above and distant to Dawn¡¯s own fleet, was another - unknown swarm of incoming airships. These ones were far different from the wooden galleon styled ships of Dawn, and instead they were made of metal and flesh. Many were domed with cannons hoisted up on mounted turrets - bottom and top. Others were larger, more boxy, illuminating the ocean of dark figures on the other side of the portal with red lights. And there was one in particular that dwarfed all others¡­ It was an absolute mammoth of a construct, and spanned many hundreds of yards in all dimensions. Looking like an enormous spiked ball, there were hundreds of levels where figures illuminated by red lights were outlined on battle stations. Huge turret guns and a few plasma cannons beginning to charge up along the forward side glowed in the darkness, and huge writhing appendages made from metal and muscle stretched out like the arms of an octopus - letting off sparks of yellow lightning that crackled and simmered against the dark backdrop of the huge construct. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The blaring war horns and clamoring alarm bells of Dawn¡¯s forces were met in turn with a deep, ominous boom of a single echoing horn from the gigantic spiked ball miles out. The portal expanded, and behind it came many thousands of more airships. Quickly these newcomers began to double, triple, and then quadruple Dawn¡¯s own numbers as their slow advance was set and spread out across the skyline - incoming red lights dotting the horizon. ¡°By the gods¡­¡± Shovi whispered with wide eyes, her voice shaky as she staggered to her feet. Then she whirled. ¡°GET THE CARRIAGES READY! GET LAHN¡¯S CHAIR, HE STILL CAN¡¯T WALK YET! WE LEAVE FOR THE 6TH LEVEL STAIRWAY IMMEDIATELY! GET EVERYONE, AND ONLY TAKE WHAT YOU NEED! DO IT NOW!¡± Fay watched as dozens of bright crimson torpedoes rocketed out of the enemy ships. Considering their trajectory was not at the royal fleet but rather at the city itself, and considering that these brightly colored torpedoes were only a couple dozen in comparison to the many thousands of airships - it confused her. That wasn¡¯t nearly enough to do any real damage to the city¡¯s top level, was it? Her mind quickly changed when she saw what they did. One, two, and then three more explosions sounded out upon impact with various points along the cityscape, with accompanying flares of red and neon light in the distance. Fay¡¯s eyes went wide as she realized that they were even more portals. They were smaller versions of the one bound to the sky, but the problem with these was that they were located directly on the city¡¯s 7th floor. One of them had even appeared in a nearby city street down the hill where mercy nightlife had been in abundance with music and drinking only minutes before. And within moments, surging hordes of mechanical abominations, fleshy hounds, and red-eyed steam-punk vampires began to pour out in a blitzkrieg. The neighborhood was quickly set to flame, and the screams of the innocent filled the air as they were burned to ash, eaten alive, and butchered to the tune of laughter and mayhem. *** The sky was alight with combat as the two fleets clashed, sounding like rumbling thunder over a decimated landscape. And Shovi¡¯s attempt to run with her son, Fay, and hired servants had been put to rest - at least temporarily. The nearest stairway to the 6th floor was jam packed with refugees trying to flee the luxurious, uppermost 7th level. Tens of thousands of people trying to cram down one spiral staircase that only fit a few hundred people at one time led to infighting, stampedes, and outright panic while city garrisons tried to keep the citizens safe in a desperate attempt to hold the vampiric hordes back. This particular stairwell was also next to the central most city waterfall, the one that spanned all 7 upper floors and the lower floors before the water was recycled and reused through pipes and aqueducts after being cleaned. Hundreds of people had already been pushed off the edge or had outright jumped in order to avoid the vampires who¡¯d been able to break past the local garrisons where fighting was most fierce - only to find the soft underbelly of untrained, panicking women, children and elderly that died like flies in a nest of spiders. ¡°We can¡¯t get through!¡± Shovi coughed out with a desperate squeal of panic, looking out the carriage window where her driver was trying to control the horses amidst the absolute madhouse of running people. ¡°Gods damn it!¡± Lahn remained quiet, shocked into silence as two of the other maids, a butler, and Fay rested across or next to him in their seats. Fay was quietly summoning and discharging curse traps, laying them in the path of any oncoming enemy that blindly rampaged through the crowds. Flickering runes of green light would ebb and fade away, only to be tripped by anyone she considered an ¡®enemy¡¯ - blowing them to smithereens in showers of gore or torn metal from a distance. Unfortunately she wasn¡¯t able to use her curse of rot, because should she try - she¡¯d likely bathe the entire area in a cloud of death and cause all the civilians nearby to rot away before she even got close to the vampires. And she dared not leave the carriage. The enemies still had quite a ways to go before carving through the crowds before they got here. Not only that but she needed to stay and protect Lahn for Allie¡¯s sake¡­ at least that¡¯s what she was telling herself. Yet she couldn¡¯t help but know internally that wasn¡¯t the only reason. She was afraid, torn between leaving Lahn and his mother entirely to fly away to safety. She still remembered what¡¯d happened the last time she¡¯d fought someone - she¡¯d been abducted, tortured, and¡­ and things had not ended well for her. Not until Riven had come to safe her from the fate she otherwise would have endured until death. She¡¯d be so broken, and shuddered outwardly at the memory before she turned her attention back to the hordes of vampires illuminated by burning buildings. The enemies screamed bloodthirsty cries while they clashed against lines of human mages, firing archers, and armored city guards, trying their best to join what other of their compatriots had found a way around to the terrified, fleeing citizens.. What little organization the defenders did have was minimal at best, and only available to them because the portals that¡¯d ripped open along Dawn¡¯s top floor were spread out and disorganized themselves. It¡¯d become a vast free for all, the city had been breached, and every man was for himself as far as the non-combat citizens that lived there were concerned. Shovi rapidly ducked back inside the carriage when a galloping man on horseback skidded along the side of their carriage, running people over in an attempt to save himself while clutching the limp, bloodied body of a young boy to his chest. She took in a sucking breath and shakily clasped her hands, rocking back and forth with tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Fay? Does Riven know what¡¯s happening? Are Allie and Riven coming to save us?¡± She looked up, hope still present but the fear obviously apparent while she and the other occupants tried not to panic like everyone else outside. Fay nodded, clutching a communication stone in her hands while staring out the window. It was so, so loud, and the fighting was getting closer. Her unholy runes kept popping up and exploding, and she¡¯d gained numerous levels since this event had taken place, but she was constantly on the verge of running out of mana - even after having downed numerous mana potions while in the carriage. ¡°They know. They¡¯re coming, as are reinforcements from the necropolis. Even Deepnest is sending one of their hive swarms to help defend the city, but the fastest of them will probably take a few hours before arriving.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s closest?¡± Lahn asked, a mixture of relief and worry crossing their faces. Fay hesitated. ¡°Uhm¡­ let me ask¡­¡± A shrill scream erupted from overhead and the ground beside the carriage split apart as a large, twelve-foot tall gargoyle with leathery wings and red eyes skewered a man right outside. Shrieking in delight and tearing out the man¡¯s neck, people abruptly began to scatter in the immediate vicinity - only for the gargoyle to abruptly trigger a nearby rune and explode in a shower of gore. The horses bucked and charged, bulldozing another couple people with the crunch of bodies underfoot. Fay sighed uncomfortably as Shovi and the other maids screamed, but they quickly calmed themselves when they realized the threat was dealt with and the horses were brought under control. ¡°T-Thank you, Fay..." Shovi muttered under her breath, violently trembling now and reaching out to take Lahn¡¯s hand as she cowered against the wooden carriage wall. Fay looked out the window again, frowning, and then gestured to the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. I think we may need to forgo the stairway altogether¡­ things aren¡¯t safe here.¡± Immediately overhead more of the gargoyles clashed with rocs, small dragons and their riders - blood magics colliding with holy and fire spells as the smaller aerial units of both fleets duked it out over the crowds of civilians. Bodies began to fall more and more frequently, and a couple hundred yards away a smoking galleon spiraled down to crash into a pub with an explosion of fire. Then, then the chanting could be heard. It grew louder, starting as a faint echo and building into a roar as the vampires withdrew to congregate along a city street. The marching footsteps of leather boots, the sounds of rifles and pistols going off, the clash of sword on sword and the snarling barks of vampiric hounds rose up like a wave. That¡¯s when Fay saw them. Thousands of enemies, led by one of the gigantic vampire paladins wielding a huge claymore, marched in a mob towards the defending lines. Arrows bounced off of him, magics splashed against his mechanical armor, but he just kept coming in a steady, monotonous rhythm of heavy footfalls. But then, he abruptly stopped and turned. His eyes went right, and the chanting died down as he gave an obviously perplexed look of surprised. The defenders and what civilians that weren¡¯t frantically trying to rush down the spiral staircase or simply couldn¡¯t fit followed his gaze - all settling on the same area. There, coming out between buildings, were shadowy cloaked figures. Fay¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she let out a quivering sigh of relief when she saw them, though it was far from over and she wasn¡¯t sure if they could win. Still, it was hope to latch onto, and despite being a contracted demon Fay was still traumatized with the very real experience of almost true death not long ago. Did that make her a coward? Absolutely. But she didn¡¯t care. There, coming out into the open to face the vampiric horde from the side where Mandon¡¯s defenders and the advancing vampires were standing off from one another, was a swarm of undead. Zombies, skeletons, and flesh golems - many of which gave off clouds of pestilent green gas or flickered with shadow magics came to a silent halt. Three necromancers, all cloaked and hooded, held wands at the ready. Two skresh and a beautiful, pale-eyed ghoul woman. Mara¡¯s dead eyes shifted to the carriage where Fay and Lahn were kept, and she nodded once before raising her wand. Teal wisps of light began to gather around her as her body flared, and the other two skresh necromancers followed suit with the same exact spell. Then the horde of undead charged, the vampires roared to meet them or continued their mad dash into the human ranks, and all hell broke loose. Chapter 185 Chapter 185 Carnage erupted behind them, and they¡¯d had to abandon their carriage in favor of walking due to the crowds. They¡¯d even lost all of their hired servants who¡¯d either been pushed aside, behind, or had simply gone off on their own to try and force their way to the enormous spiral stairway and ramps leading to lower floors. But they¡¯d finally made it, given time by the defenders of this city sacrificing their lives - and the timely intervention of Mara who even now continued to battle topside in a violent struggle against the vampire hordes. Fay¡¯s guilt was building because of it. She¡¯d even flown over to assist for a time, but had been yelled at by the ghoul necromancer - telling her to get back to help Lahn walk and escort his mother down to the next level. So Fay did just that, flying back and landing in the startled crowds before morphing back into the figure of a normal human woman to avoid attention as much as possible. And it was true. After the servants had been separated from Lahn and Shovi, only Shovi was there to help Lahn get down the stairs while simultaneously trying to avoid being trampled. Her son was still weak, though his flesh was not withered any longer on the left side it still had significant muscle atrophy from years of disuse. So Fay took up the burden of supporting him instead, urging Shovi to focus on herself due to the significant struggle she was showing just to remain upright with all the jostling of the crowds. The slope of the spiral staircase and adjacent ramp was not steep, traveling deeper into the land mass holding up the 7th city level; but it was very large with long, drawn out arcs coming around the spiral in order to maintain something of a flat but slanted surface so people wouldn¡¯t simply roll down if they accidentally fell. It was also wide enough to fit a couple hundred people across at one time, but even despite this there were still dozens upon dozens of bodies underfoot that¡¯d been trampled to death in the mass panic taking place. ¡°Are you ok!?¡± Fay asked, yelling over the booming, thunderous crash of powers up above as the chunk of tectonic plate this 7th level of the city had been built upon shook around them. ¡°Do we need to stop!?¡± The echoing screams filtered through the relative darkness, with only lanterns along the stone walls illuminating their surroundings. Shovi had stuttered and almost fell, but¡¯d caught herself on a bigger man in front of them before righting herself again with a shake of her head. She was panting, high heels clacking on the stone floor, and Fay wished it was only one of them that she had to babysit - because at least that way she could fly that person down. But here she was. And she was relatively sure Allie would not be happy if she let either of these two people die. ¡°We need to keep moving!¡± Shovi yelled over the booms and screams, brunette hair plastered with sweat across her face. ¡°We can¡¯t stop! We¡¯ll be run over!¡± Fay merely nodded, considering whether or not she could fly them down one at a time - but shook her head. She¡¯d already had to physically beat off people from steamrolling both of them, Mara was right - she couldn¡¯t leave them alone and if she did she wasn¡¯t even sure if she¡¯d be able to find the other again in this mass of running bodies should she fly back up. Twenty minutes passed before they finally made their way through the landmass and into the sky of upper level 6. The stairway continued to spiral down, with nearly a mile of space between their position and the floor. Far below them, various subsections of city with parks, industrial buildings, manors, residential neighborhoods and market places were scattered out as far as Fay could see. This capital city, Mandon, was truly enormous - but even so there were scattered areas of burning buildings even here. How many people did Dawn have under its thumb? Thousands of people were filing down this staircase alone, occasionally showing people being accidentally pushed off or falling to their deaths in the mad rush, while other enormous staircases to their left or across the central waterfall on either side also showed similar events. One of them even showed large amounts of fighting halfway down, with vampiric soldiers rushing along the steps after civilians to cut them down by the dozens every second. Fay grunted when Lahn tripped again, and the communication bauble in her pocket started vibrating furiously. Pulling it out, she held it to her chest with her free hand that wasn¡¯t supporting Lahn¡¯s left side - and pushed mana into it for the contraption to work. ¡°Hello?!¡± ¡°YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THAT STAIRWAY NOW!¡± Mara¡¯s voice screeched through the black bauble. ¡°WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD THEM BACK! THEY¡¯RE PREPPING A-¡± A shrill gasp, an audible scream from Mara, and a *SHUNK* cut through the noise before the connection cut off entirely. Fay looked down, wide eyed, shock apparent. Had she just heard Mara die? Fay¡¯s gut formed a knot and she looked up behind her where crowds continued to roll down the large stone construct, but flashes of eerie light radiated from the tunnel of tectonic plate and ominous roars echoed out to follow their advance. And then it came. A wave of red lava that devoured everything in its path, blindingly hot, roared down the steps like an avalanche down the face of a mountain. Fay¡¯s eyes widened as she saw hundreds of people swallowed and engulfed in the molten metal over mere seconds, and the flood of destruction was rapidly descending on her position. ¡°Fuck.¡± Grabbing Shovi by the collar as the older woman screamed and yanking Lahn to the side where the edge was nearby, she decided on the long shot. She didn¡¯t have much of a choice, and jumping over the waist-high barrier - she dove off the stairway and into the air. Just in time. The rolling wave of molten metal washed over everyone that¡¯d been around them in a splash of heavy, searing hot pain - muffling their screams as soon as it swallowed them up. Even despite this the enormous wave of magma was also being launched off the sides of the stairway due to the sheer volume of the material, splashing Fay¡¯s left wing mid flight and causing her to swerve with a pained grimace as Lahn clutched onto her - pale faced. Meanwhile Shovi shrieked in horror, squirming in a panic in Fay¡¯s grasp as they fell towards the ground a mile down. ¡°STOP STRUGGLING! I¡¯M GOING TO DROP YOU BY ACCIDENT!¡± Fay screamed over the roar of wind while they plummeted. ¡°I NEED TO GET A BETTER HOLD!¡± Shovi only continued to panic, and levels of the spiral staircase blurred by as their speed picked up. During this time, despite the panicking woman, Fay closed her eyes to go over the options she had. Her magically infused, bat-like wings were not strong enough to carry both Lahn and Shovi, but it was still possible to blunt the landing or perhaps drift for a very short time before the strength of her wings gave out. It was really her only option, otherwise¡­ Fay sensed the stamina signature before she actually saw the creature, and she quickly accelerated their fall with a burst of speed to avoid the tearing claws of a gargoyle¡¯s empowered slash. Looking up, the succubus saw the following monster as it howled in a rage - joined quickly by three other of its kin as more of the beasts swarmed out of the upper levels to descend on the 6th city level below. She sneered. Plumes of black clouds tore out of her outstretched hand as she momentarily dropped Shovi, hitting two of the pursuing gargoyles head on. They shrieked and banked left, their bodies starting to decay while the succubus turned her attention back to Shovi - wrapping her arm around the other woman¡¯s waist and altering their trajectory to avoid another dive-bomb swipe from another of the monsters. Fay dodged expertly, then created a dreamwalker zone around her - burning through her mana to create hallucinations that would hide them from the gargoyles that continued to grow in number while simultaneously sending out diversions of what looked to be her. The gargoyles scattered, following the hallucinations off into different directions while screeching and roaring their hate with thick gray skin flexed and talons open. Rapidly approaching the bottom of the staircase and aiming for a lake, Fay managed to infuse as much mana as she could into her wings with a monumental effort. Pulling back and feeling the mana channels in her musculature almost pop, she screamed in pain and felt one of her wing membranes tear on the right side before ripping into the deep end of the waters below. Cold fluid engulfed them, but the angle was right and the pullback was enough that no serious damage was done to anyone. Gasping when she came up for air, she managed to pull Lahn up with her while Shovi wildly doggy-paddled to the surface and began to cough violently. Fay felt her mana flicker and die in that instant, completely running out of juice, and her hallucinations ran dry to dismiss the decoys and her more human form. She also wouldn¡¯t be able to fly, so she retracted her injured wings and began to tug on Lahn - kicking and paddling to the shoreline while shrieks of gargoyles, screams of civilians, and the thunder of pouring lava was heard overhead. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Come on Lahn! We have to move!¡± Fay gasped, coming up beside Shovi while the older woman coughed up lungfuls of water on the shore. Lahn wasn¡¯t in too good of shape either, he¡¯d used all the strength he had with his right side just to hold on - and he¡¯d been nothing but deadweight since abandoning the carriage. Only having one side of his body to use made him strained at best, and his breathing was ragged from the ache in his muscles. A thundering roar reverberated from above and the ground beside them quaked when an enormous body hit the sand below. Fay staggered, accidentally dropping Lahn to the ground to catch herself - only to look up with wide eyes when she saw a gaping maw looking back at her. There, only a couple feet in front of her, was an enormous red-eyed gargoyle. It was far, far larger than most of the others that¡¯d been pursuing her, but it was certainly one of them. Saliva dripped from its mouth, and huge talons extended from its hands and feet while gray rippling musculature flexed in anticipation. Wings outstretched, it stood to its full height of twenty feet tall and snickered down at the three smaller individuals. ¡°I have come¡­¡± The gargoyle began with a wicked grin, pointing a clawed hand directly at Fay while other gargoyles began to swoop down - landing behind their bigger cousin with roars of their own. ¡°... To try my very first piece of succubus meat. I have heard it tastes quite nice¡­ I hope you do not disappoint!¡± Fay blanched. Even though she likely would be sent to the nether realms should she die, the other two people next to her would not. They¡¯d be permanently dead, and even despite all this - she felt her legs began to shake in fear. Trauma from recent events was still fresh in her mind, and she began to silently cry while her body shook. And as the gargoyle¡¯s large maw opened up with a snarl, lunging forward in a flash of speed - another, even larger figure crashed down onto the gigantic gargoyle. Blood splashed everywhere as the huge monster screamed in anguish, its bones cracking and lungs bursting while one enormous, white, arachnid limb skewered the gargoyle like a kabob. The other gargoyles backed up in shock, and Fay had to wipe away the monster¡¯s viscera from her face in shock before being able to see properly. Her eyes traveled up, staring wide-eyed at the creature looking down at her. Fay felt a mixture of emotions when she recognized the face looking back at her. It was a mixture of fear, of shame, regret, sadness, happiness, and relief all jumbled around into one condensed moment. Fear, shame and regret for having betrayed Athela¡¯s trust to pursue her own wants. Sadness knowing that Athela was likely very, very angry at her by the way this arachnid was glaring down - and that they¡¯d been good friends for a few months before Athela¡¯s death. Happiness and relief that Athela was resurrected, if not having been very much changed since doing so. Because even if Athela was angry, and even if Athela would potentially find a way to take revenge, Fay truly liked her and was glad to see her back. But all those emotions quickly gave in to awe after the initial shock of seeing her co-bonded demoness acquaintance. Athela now stood as tall as a house, with the upper body from the waist up of a beautiful young woman with four narrow crimson slits for eyes. The lower body was that of a gigantic spider, with a vertical maw along her front similar to that of Riven¡¯s ¡®Messenger¡¯ armor - but this one was made of crystal or ice. Even now it breathed out swaths of frostbitten air, chilling the area around them and causing frost to accumulate on anything it touched, with similarly crafted flowers blooming spontaneously along Athela¡¯s huge body like shimmering white-translucent roses. The rest of her body was also a bright white, which was a stark contrast to the pitch black of her previous form. Even her hair was a bright white, and when she sneered - so too were the rows of sharp fangs that bared down at the succubus in a hot rage. ¡°Athela¡­!¡± Fay exclaimed, hesitantly taking a step back as did the other gargoyles to Athela''s turned back. They were all very aware just how much stronger this new demon was by the way she¡¯d flattened their largest companion like a pancake, and by the billowing aura of absolute malice exiting her while she stared Fay down. ¡°Athela, I didn¡¯t realize you¡¯d be back! Is Riven here too!?¡± Athela continued to stare, and as one of the gargoyles gained enough courage to shriek and lunge with claws outstretched - a dismissive backwards wave with one of Athela¡¯s large arachnid limbs sent a spiraling crash of elemental chain-lightning that instantaneously eviscerated all of the dozen or so gargoyles that¡¯d been lined up on a perimeter around them. Their charred husks fell to the ground in pieces, flesh peeled from bones and streaks of smoking earth slathered in gargoyle body parts. It¡¯d been so effortless, and the fact that Athela had just shown off an ability that was without a doubt from the Fae Foundational Pillar completely shocked the succubus into silence. Demons should not have access to the Fae Foundational Pillar or its sub-pillars at all. Ignoring the two humans, the house-sized demoness approached the smaller succubus to tower over her - and with one feminine hand, Athela reached down and grabbed Fay by the waist. Bones snapped and Fay screamed as she was brought to eye-level with the glaring arachnid, which was no doubt some advanced variation of Dryder - but far more powerful than what was normal. ¡°You¡­ little¡­ cunt¡­¡± Athela bit the venomous words off one by one, sharp and distinct from the others. Her grip tightened, and another rib snapped - causing Fay to scream in pain yet again. Overhead and to the west, one of the spiral staircases blew up - showering the distance cityscape in thousands of tons of rubble amidst a wave of fire. Rippenvire airships were beginning to descend through the gigantic hole in the center of the city where the waterfall rushed down, either entering the 6th city layer or passing it by entirely to travel to the lower levels to wreak havoc there too. ¡°Please!¡± Fay gasped for breath, shuddering when one of her fingers snapped under Athela¡¯s grip. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me!¡± ¡°LET HER GO!¡± Lahn screamed up at the arachnid, not knowing who or what Athela was while Shovi frantically tried to drag her son away. Athela turned her head, all four red eyes settling on Lahn and his mother with confusion before it clicked after faint memories she¡¯d accumulated through her bond to Riven¡¯s soul materialized. ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯re Allie¡¯s new plaything. She does have unique tastes, doesn¡¯t she? Well, little one - this has nothing to do with you. This is between Fay and I, demonic sisters of the same warlock master. We have a score to settle¡­ do not worry, I will take care of you and make sure you come out safe. But as for Fay¡­¡± Athela¡¯s four red eyes narrowed, and her grin widened to display the rows of dagger-like teeth while Fay struggled to breathe. ¡°Do you have anything to say for what you¡¯ve done?¡± Her grip loosened around the succubus, and Fay shuddered as air finally found its way inside her lungs. Meanwhile the carnage and chaos around the city only continued to escalate. Fay grimaced, but her determined look had resolve etched into it. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry you got caught upon my return, without Riven to be here to stop me?¡± Athela mused thoughtfully, one slender finger tapping at her lips. ¡°Or perhaps, sorry that you betrayed my trust - knowing full well how I felt about him, yet deciding to use my temporary death as an opportunity to take him away from me? Do tell.¡± Fay huffed, but she couldn¡¯t manage to feel angry even despite the broken bones and bruises she¡¯d been given. She understood how Athela must feel, and if anything - there was only guilt in Fay¡¯s heart. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I hurt you, and I¡¯m sorry that I likely lost a friend. I¡­ I was weak. When I nearly died that day and Riven came to save me, all that pent up emotion just came out and it never left¡­ It was the first time I¡¯d ever felt that way so deeply. About anyone.¡± Athela raised an eyebrow. ¡°Do you regret what you did?¡± Fay hesitated, then slowly shook her head. ¡°I regret that I hurt you¡­ but no. I don¡¯t regret my actions. I am falling in love with Riven. I want him, even if it means¡­ even if it means that you¡¯re angry with me. I care about him, a lot. And I care about you too, I just¡­¡± Fay¡¯s voice trailed off, and Athela¡¯s glare grew more angry. With her free hand, Athela lifted a palm - presenting a shimmering block of ice. That ice began to fade away, and her smile returned as the item within the ice began to present itself to the world. Fay¡¯s face blanched, and true fear overcame her when Athela¡¯s grip tightened. There, in Athela¡¯s palm as the arachnid gave the succubus an evil smile, was the demon-slaying sword Athela had been killed with. ¡°I took this from Riven¡¯s bag without him noticing before coming this way¡­¡± Athela mused, letting the sword hover there over her hand while Fay began to puke in fear as she realized what was about to happen. ¡°You know¡­ I have two bodies now. This one, which is more geared towards large scale battles, and the other¡­ a modified version of my original arshakai body. That version of myself is very adept to stealth and assassination, even more than it was before, so stealing something like this was merely childsplay. Who¡¯d have imagined that I of all demons would ascend, becoming an archdemon by passing through the veil of death? By defying one of the original sins itself? To gain the boon of a fallen fae goddess? It is both laughable and absurd¡­ but it happened. So here I stand - a demigod amongst my lesser demonic peers.¡± Icy tendrils connected to the sword from Athela¡¯s bright white palm, taking the hilt and turning the blade to approach and point at Fay¡¯s neck. The weapon drew just the barest hint of blood from Fay¡¯s sky-blue skin, and the succubus began to convulse as she thrashed and screamed in a panic while searing pain erupted along her soul aperture. The amusement was completely gone from Athela¡¯s cold stare, and her grip tightened to crunch down again. ¡°You may have thought me weak¡­ or a pushover, because I would act silly in Riven¡¯s presence. Perhaps you thought I wouldn¡¯t actually find a way to strike back at you without Riven protecting you when I got back¡­ but let me tell you something, you little scheming bitch. I am far more malicious, cunning, and vile than you will ever know. To take something that is precious to me¡­ leaves me with only a few options. The most forward of these options, right now, is to simply kill you. To sentence you to an everlasting death, and if Riven is not here¡­ even if his skill wasn¡¯t on millenia-long cooldown¡­ how would he then save you like he saved me, hmmm?¡± Fay was hyperventilating, sobbing, and quivering in Athela¡¯s grip - but slowly the sword began to pull away, becoming encased in ice again before the block of ice vanished into a mist of frost. Athela still glowered, but eventually her features softened and she let out a long and defeated sigh. ¡°But that¡­ would unfortunately make Riven angry with me. Riven is¡­ important to me. So permanently killing you would be a self-defeating thing to do, even if you do deserve it. I just wanted to let you know that, if I wanted to, I could have easily ended you right here and now. Forever. Do those big breasts you use for brains understand that?¡± Fay, who was still crying but not nearly as violently, nodded - humbled with wide, wet eyes. She involuntarily shuddered. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Good. Then you¡¯ll also understand that this is a declaration of war. I will have Riven for myself, and I will attempt to get him back.¡± Athela cocked her head to the side, waiting for Fay¡¯s reaction, but the succubus only let her gaze sink solemnly to the ground beneath them. ¡°No words, eh? Very well. Then, lastly, I have one more thing that I need to do.¡± Fay¡¯s eyes hesitantly blinked, then lifted again to the large demon holding her. She sniffled. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Athela grinned jovially. ¡°Well I¡¯m not going to permanently kill you, Riven will no doubt resurrect you soon, but I¡¯m certainly going to show you how I feel about all this!¡± Opening up her mouth to display a gaping maw of sharp teeth, Athela chomped down on the abruptly screaming succubus. With a rip and a tear, Athela tore off Fay¡¯s upper body and swallowed Fay¡¯s head and chest in a single gulp. She pulled off Fay''s boots to give back to the succubus later, knowing they were one of Riven''s gifts to Fay and were important. Tossing Fay¡¯s lower half to the side and licking her lips, she turned to Shovi and Lahn who remained on the ground - gawking up at her. ¡°What are you two looking at!? It¡¯s personal business, and don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure Fay will be back in the next day or two. Now, let¡¯s find the two of you a nice place to hide so I can go kill some stuff!¡± Chapter 186 Chapter 186 Gurth¡¯Rok jogged at a fast pace, his green skin sweating from the exertion he¡¯d put out in getting here with the rest of the legion behind him - but he was far from too tired to fight. The sounds of war drums beat into the night sky where clashing fleets continued to battle it out over elevated slabs of land stacked on top of one another for each city level. The clank of heavily armored death knights or heavy orc berserkers, many hundreds strong, led the way with dark-arts assault mages, necromancers, archers, sharpshooters, and swarms of more mindless undead minions on either side of the column. Further back and catching up quickly were two regimens of tanks and heavy assault mechs - humanoid in form but very thick, each standing as tall as the bone giants that took up the rear of the undead columns. Behind the tanks came another column of support mages, system engineers, mana hackers and a large group of cyborg elites that¡¯d been utilized as a strike force against the elves not long ago. And that was just the beginning. More forces were pouring in from the north, including two more undead legions, another three armored divisions from Chicago¡¯s side of the portal, a fleet of modified apache helicopters numbering well over 150, more of Dawn¡¯s own armies withdrawing from the front lines against Tereen, and swarms of ratkin from Deepnest. However these forces were going to be dispersed over the course of hours, and Mandon held over a million civilians over the area of its 10 city levels with the majority of them being completely non-combat related. Already it¡¯d been reported that complete slaughters were taking place, and it was unknown just how many of the civilians their forces could save even if they should win this battle. Then there was the fleet to the south, with Allie and Riven heading at breakneck speed to this location. Gurth¡¯Rok wanted to do them proud before they arrived, and he bared his vampiric fangs in a grin as he clutched his cobra staff and rushed headlong towards the first level, the ground level, of Dawn¡¯s capital. Even here, only a few hundred yards away, Gurth¡¯Rok could see them fighting. Dozens of red-eyed vampires with various pistols, sabers, hand cannons, flamethrowers, mechanical gadgets that produced various qualities of force fields, and numerous flesh-machine hybrid abominations of various sorts. Some were hounds, others were large flesh golems with iron spikes and steel skulls, ripping apart any human who got close. Here on the city¡¯s edge as civilians screamed, ran and scattered - many of them heading towards the oncoming forces of the Necropolis in an attempt to gain sanctuary, attempting to outpace their pursuers while their city burned behind them in various places. Gurth¡¯Rok gave the first signal with a wave of his cobra staff, illuminating it with blood magic to send off a flare as his heartbeat picked up in excitement. The forces behind him began to spread out, swarms of mindless skeletons and ghouls racing left and right while the death knights - fully kitted in heavy dark-gray plate mail - began to pulse with unholy power. Their towershields lifted in unison, and their longswordswere unsheathed. A warhorn blew out from where the battalion of enemy vampires were wreaking havoc amongst the civilians at the edge of the city, and quickly the vampires began to gather upon seeing the forces of the necropolis approach from down blood-stained cobblestone roads. ¡°GET IN LINE AND WAIT FOR MY COMMAND!¡± One of the vampiric captains, also wearing a top-hat, screamed at his men. Top-hats seemed to be a status symbol amongst these black-coated, red-eyed, pale looking people. ¡°SMIDGES TO THE FRONT AND SIDES!¡± Civilians were quickly disregarded as the vampires stopped giving chase, forming lines and raising their pistols, rifles and hand cannons to take aim - some of them ignoring the commanding officer and firing at the oncoming horde early as more and more of the vampires gathered. They took care not to hit their own units while dozens and then hundreds of barking split-faced hounds, along with mecha-flesh golems, began taking a frontline stance. ¡°SHIELD WALL!¡± Gurth¡¯Rok called out, backing behind the frontmost line of heavily armored foot soldiers while they sprinted ahead. The shields linked together, fused with stamina energies and abilities each of these warriors now possessed after training in the yards together over past months. The towershields reinforced one another holding a long line of seemingly impenetrable metal with barriers of death energies roiling in front of the charging row. Metal boots thundered on the ground, and supporting caster mages in the very back flung up additional buffs to aid their passage forward. The rumbling of the undead swarm turned into a roar, muffling the enemy vampire captain¡¯s command as the first volley was unleashed into the necropolis forces just as Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s second signal bloomed in a red burst overhead. The mad rush of their cannon fodder charged to the right and left of the death knight column, a wave of mindless carnage sprinting headlong into bullets, bombs, and various blood magics that¡¯d been infused into different thrown gadgets. Bullets and blood or death energies also crashed into the line of death knights and orc berserkers, most of them bouncing off harmlessly against the reinforced shield wall and the barriers of death mana immediately ahead of them - but a few of the repeatedly hit frontliners went down. One man¡¯s helmet exploded right next to Gurth¡¯Rok when a torpedo of some kind was launched over the horde of skeletons and ghouls - crashing into the eye socket of the orc berserker with a squelch of brain matter. A skeletal skresh death knight hissed in rage at his friend¡¯s untimely demise, and he roared - pulsing with mana and anger that was quickly joined by the others. The Rippenvire frontline charged, red hounds and golems crashing into the cannon fodder swarm to defend the vampires at their backs - just as the final flare went up from Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s staff. Dozens of infernal suns each the size of a car bloomed behind them, created by numerous assault mages working together in conjunction with one another before they ripped forward into the vampiric ranks with explosions of melting, searing heat. The vampires retaliated with barriers and exchange fire of their own, but well over two hundred of them were left as piles of ash or charred corpses while dozens more continued to scream and writhe - flaming on the ground. Gurth¡¯Rok roared over the din of battle, pointing down the middle of the fight where the two swarms of cannon-fodder had left an opening. ¡°RUSH THEM NOW!¡± In conjunction the tower shields flared, and as one - the front line of death knights utilized ¡®Shield Charge¡¯. Flares of deathly energies roiled when the martial art activated, and they blurred ahead - clearing the distance and smashing into the poorly organized enemy ranks like a steam roller. *BOOM* The vampiric captain screamed as his lower body was torn off of him when an assault mech, standing twenty feet tall with huge steel metal plates tore into him with a 9-foot plasma blade extending out of a metal forearm. The blue sword shimmered and hissed when the vampire¡¯s blood hit the searing energy, the pilot cackled in delight through speakers on its side - and then the mech lifted a huge mechanical foot to smash down onto the disbelieving captain who¡¯d been completely caught off guard from the side. The vampire¡¯s skull crunched, and the death knights tore through the Rippenvire golems and hounds like a scythe through wheat; their bloodthirsty rage pulling them forward to where the backline vampires continued taking pot shots. More mechs raced ahead in a pincer attack, thundering with each step or using thrusters from their backs to jump or even fly briefly - landing amidst dozens of enemies and tearing them down in a brutal display of carnage. Tanks barreled through a defensive blockade to the right, speeding further into the city as dozens of them cleared a path while booming out explosive shots and machine gun fire - their objective being the closest stairwell leading to the second floor. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s own blood magic continued to heal those around him, making sure the injured front liners were ok before turning his attention to occasional blasts of simmering red orbs that tore into some of the hounds that tried to run. ¡°This¡­ this is what we have been waiting for!!! COME ON BOYS! WE HAVE SOME OUTLANDERS TO KILL!¡± The orcs, undead, and human forces alike roared as one and continued to beat back the enemy - routing this particular section of Rippenvire forces and claiming the edge of Mandon¡¯s ground level for the necropolis. *** Peskus cursed internally, watching in silence as he began to sweat along the pale skin of his palms - still clutching his large saber and trying to calm his nerves. Why had the Slayfather chosen HIM to lead the spearheading charge into the city¡¯s lower levels? Why couldn¡¯t he have just stayed topside on the 7th where they had support of the fleet? The greater vampire, along with the many dozens of other vampiric heirs and paladins of their order, shuddered in fear as the creature continued to approach. The massive figure moved through the mists like a reaper of death, no doubt a demon - but unlike any that Peskus had seen or even heard of before. It was some kind of unique variant that somehow accessed Fae and Unholy pillars simultaneously, and his identifiers had told him it was some sort of archdemon - but what would an archdemon be doing here in an integrating world? What kind of summoner had been able to even BOND to an archdemon so early? Was this some kind of sick joke? The monster screeched out an ominous giggle, causing Peskus to flinch involuntarily while her huge frame cast shadows from inside clouds of mist and ice. The monster¡¯s huge, sleek, pointed legs crunched onto the mountain of corpses underneath her, the elemental frosted mists obscuring most of her body while radiating out of the many crystalline flowers along her skin that occasionally glinted through the foggy backdrop, and four brilliant red eyes locked onto him from a shroud of white and gray. The head of General Brimblood, a vampire almost on equal terms with Peskus himself, was flung from the mists and bounced once, twice and three times to roll to a stop in front of his feet. Peskus blinked twice, going pale even for one of his own race, and red magic flared along the polished wooden pistol he carried. He looked up again, examining her as best he could through the shimmering cloud surrounding her. ¡°Sir¡­¡± One of the paladins warily asked in a low whisper, eyes flitting back and forth as eerie figures darted back and forth in the mists surrounding the enormous, shrouded monster staring them down. ¡°I believe a retreat is in order¡­ If General Brimblood is dead, that means¡­¡± ¡°That means this abomination wiped out all eight strike groups under his command.¡± Peskus finished the sentence for him, looking around at the mutilated bodies of his kin that painted the surrounding road, buildings, and landscape with their entrails. ¡°Fuck. What are the odds¡­¡± His voice cut off and he abruptly stiffened - yanking his empowered pistol and activating ¡®Red March¡¯ with a blast of energy. Encasing his body with blood magic that shimmered and flickered in the mists that continued to surround their 90 or so elites. Just in time to empower himself enough to dodge a quickly moving lance of ice. *WHIP* *BOOM* Dozens of ice pillars tore through the mists to violently impale numerous vampires at once. Crackling thunderbolts tore out from different directions, not just from where the demon was standing, and nearly twenty of the vampires died outright in an instant from the sheer force of the brutal attack. Instantly the vampires returned fire with their own weapons, launching blood-pillar infused projectiles and various magics, with five of their paladins exploding forward with mecha-based movement martial arts. The monster giggled and laughed, letting the attacks hit her one by one without so much as moving - many of the projectiles outright being rebuffed by the icy mists surrounding her. Others bounced off her silky, graceful skin like pebbles slamming into a concrete wall, and when the five paladins made it to her - the scythe-like arachnid limbs blurred so fast that none of them could react in time. *CRUNCH* *SNAP* ¡°AHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The cry of the last paladin quickly snuffed out when another arachnid limb skewered his skull. And then the creature was gone. Peskus frantically looked around, not even recognizing the creature had left until it was already completely obscured due to the absolute shock of having lost so many of their elites in such a short amount of time. Other vampires under his command sent out radiating waves of death mana, hoping to disperse the mists around them, but they were rebuffed effortlessly even despite combining spells to stack onto one another. ¡°GODS DAMN YOU!¡± Peskus roared, empowering his pistol and firing off explosive rounds that decimated buildings one by one - but every time the blood magic would explode to disperse the mist, the icy fog would merely float right back to where it¡¯d been seconds later - filling in the gap and leaving them blinded again. Then a man was yanked out of their formation, screaming in horror before he too was cut off with an ear-splitting squelch. A giggle came in from the opposite side where another vampiric officer, a woman with a long ponytail, was yanked by her hair into the mists and gutted ruthlessly to the pained screams echoing out where she¡¯d been taken. The vampires panicked, utilizing different methods, magics, gadgets, bombs defensive wards, enchanted talismans, or martial art abilities to blast everything around them. They didn¡¯t know what they were hitting if they were doing anything at all, and above the building ruckus - the feminine giggle of the archdemon continued to rise like a gleeful child. Chittering sounds began whispering through the mists next despite the bombardment, and in the periphery - just outside of the range of their attacks, a set of four blue eyes snapped open. Peskus centered his attention on this set of eyes, quickly snapping his pistol up and firing - hearing a squelch and a screech of pain. His heart lurched in excitement when he realized he¡¯d hit something, only to see another set of four blue eyes settle to his left. He fired again, but this time the eyes disappeared back into the mist and three more sets of four eyes appeared on his right. The chittering grew in volume, still whispering all around him until the whispers overlapped one on the other into a torrent of ill-fitting sounds not meant for this world. The remaining vampires all backed up to cluster around one another, forming a tight defensive circle as more and more of these blue eyes glared out at them from the mists - bodies obscured through the haze of frost. Then the single set of red eyes appeared, far larger and higher up than the smaller, more numerous sets of blue. The monster appeared before them now, stepping out of the fog to put her entire body on display. She was truly beautiful, but utterly terrifying, as the vertical crystalline maw along her front crunched down onto one of Peskus¡¯s men - casually eating him while she slowly walked forward. Her upper half was humanoid, her lower half was that of a giant spider, and crystalline flowers that¡¯d been producing the mists cut off making the fog - letting some of it disperse to reveal their surroundings at a limited extent. As the fog began to very slowly move away, the figures behind the blue eyes were revealed next. Dozens, then hundreds, and then thousands of dog-sized, crystalline spiders chittered eagerly and hissed in the direction of the vampires. They screeched in anticipation, an ocean of them all around as Peskus¡¯s heart dropped in horror. There were so many. The enormous archdemon clicked her tongue, letting out an amused hum while keeping her nose arrogantly up - intentionally looking down on the smaller vampires from her large height. ¡°I do believe I¡¯ve stomped babies sturdier than you¡­ Do you have any last words, meatlings?¡± A man beside Peskus screamed in rage and charged - only to be blasted with a crackle of lightning so powerful that it didn¡¯t even leave a single remnant of his mecha suit intact. His body exploded in a shower of flesh and metal, creating a crater in the place he¡¯d been only a second before. ¡°We can come to terms!¡± Peskus tried, his voice catching in his throat as the hissing spiders began to advance all around him. ¡°Please! Whatever you¡¯re doing here, we can offer you or your master recompense! We can strike a deal!¡± It was a far fetched gamble, and one that did not pay off. And Athela only hummed in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ not.¡± With a snap of her fingers, the horde of crystalline spiders roared forward like a tidal wave onto the small island of remaining vampiric elites - cutting down their people to the screams, wails, and futile last efforts to fight back as barriers and abilities were broken down. Standing over the vampires her children were eating alive, Athela tisked and turned her attention to one of the nearby massive stairways leading up to the next city level. She could sense someone or something very powerful approaching her, something¡­ not familiar. A vampire, certainly, she could tell that much by the aura it gave off, but it wasn¡¯t Riven or Allie either. Smiling to herself and wondering whether or not this one would finally be a match, one that could push her new body to the limits to see what she could truly do with it, her large arachnid limbs carried her forward. It was time to meet a true champion of these puny, pathetic creatures. It was time to show them just what a spider princess could truly do. Chapter 187 Chapter 187 Lahn watched in silence beside his mother Shovi and other refugees hiding here in a pub¡¯s lower cellar. Funnily enough, he even noted how a small group of other students from the academy were here - no doubt having fled down the stairway long before he did to make it down here without flying. But overall it was the locals - the pub owner and his family, a farmer and his three sons, a couple women from the local brothel and a few merchants with their kids. They were all terrified to stay here given the battle raging right outside, but options had run out. There was nowhere left to go with almost every level of the city experiencing some kind of fighting, with exception of the lowermost levels underground - but there was no way Lahn and his mother could make it there. They were on upper floor 6, and by foot it¡¯d take one or two hours just to get down a single flight of stairs between levels. The forums were lit up with activity, with various people in Mandon streaming things that were happening while begging for help or coordinating evacuations or rescues. But it was dire, and people were beginning to lose hope. The king had been critically injured in the battle with some guy called ¡®The Slayfather¡¯, and had to be evacuated from the fight in the air to a more secure location at the cost of many lives. The royal fleet had lost half of its total numbers and was on the back foot, being hard-pressed to assist anyone else and being unable to intercept the large blocky transports that shuttled down invading strike groups to the lower floors along the edges of the city. People were dying by the tens of thousands, being outright butchered or being set up in containment areas with shackles and slave collars - no doubt prizes to be brought back to Rippenvire¡¯s home base after the battle was won. But not all was lost even despite this. Reinforcements continued to flood in through the lower levels as front line fighters who¡¯d been combatting the elves retreated home. Legions from the Thane Necropolis were already securing most of the ground city level, but fighting was still fierce even here. News of armies from Deepnest was also circulating, headed by the ratkin queen herself, and most important of all - Riven Thane was reportedly heading here now. Lahn¡¯s eyes fell as he thought back to having met the man. He liked Riven, or ¡®Travis¡¯ is what he¡¯d called himself while hiding his identity, but he didn¡¯t know what would happen when Riven got here. Past events showed Riven was quite literally an army and city killing machine, specializing in massive area of effect magic that could potentially be the saving grace of Dawn. But what kind of damage would take place in the city should Riven go all out? And what if Riven wasn¡¯t enough? *** Slayfather Tikus, a man with a long silver katana and a tophat in a billowing black suit-coat, continued to calmly walk off the stairs onto flat land - his hundreds of undead thralls tearing into enemies ahead of him so that he merely had to continue raising the dead. So far, the only man he¡¯d really had to put any effort into was the king himself, who was now fleeing across the 6th level and almost out of sight. No matter. It wasn¡¯t as if they¡¯d escape. It was merely a feeble attempt at prolonging the inevitable. His pale lips curled up into a grin to expose his fangs when one of the king¡¯s guards desperately tried throwing an empowered, electrified lance of holy light his way - but Slayfather Tikus smashed the weapon in a swift stroke of his katana in an effortless flick of the wrist. Weak. But he paused as he came across the corpse of a man he knew. Just a lieutenant in the Rippenvire army, but still more real to him than any of the other deaths he¡¯d seen so far. His brows furrowed in irritation, that man had given him a sense of real promise. Looking back up to the fleeing, severely wounded king and his king¡¯s guards, across bloodied cobblestones and hundreds of bodies, past burning buildings where screams of the dying echoed over the cityscape - the Slayfather locked onto the limping leader of this city. This city of cattle, cattle that would be butchered and used for food to fuel Rippenvire¡¯s expansion into this sector of the multiverse. Tikus narrowed his eyes. Perhaps taking his time finishing this would indeed be¡­ unwise of him. After all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to call in reinforcements from the homeland for years from now - so why not put in the effort and save the lives of his men by just helping them out a bit? He sighed, and with another flick of his wrist - the undead thralls around him exploded into red orbs of blood magic. The combined power of their sacrifices thrummed and then blasted across the two-hundred yard gap between himself and the king, and with cries of alarm the king¡¯s guard set up a shield formation right before the wave of red crashed into them. The impact was devastating. Half of the heavily armored guards were ripped apart completely, two more knocked unconscious with severe wounds, and only five of them maintained their stands in a flood of penetrating power. The king and the man helping him limp away were both crushed, slamming them through a brick wall and out the other side where their mangled bodies remained barely breathing and bleeding out on the ground. A blur of silver and his katana caught an assassin¡¯s attack to his left, flaying the semi-invisible man alive with an audible squelch over the roars . Tikus sneered down at the assassin, clutching his throat as fluid spilled out, and Tikus put a foot on the man¡¯s chest to push him onto his back. ¡°I have heard your heartbeat for well over two minutes, imbecile. If you¡¯re going to hide your presence against a vampire, and a greater vampire at that, you need to do more than just¡­¡± Slayfather Tikus slowed his speech, abruptly noticing that his thralls weren¡¯t making noise anymore. In fact, the entire area around him had gone eerily silent¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ He blinked. His eyes lifted slowly from the dying man in front of him, taking in a scene that very much confused him. All across the two hundred meter gap between himself and the remnant king¡¯s guards who were desperately trying to get to Dawn¡¯s leader, were the bodies of his undead minions. They were dead. All dead, and for good this time. He hadn¡¯t even heard them drop, but their bodies were scattered about like someone had just run them through a meat grinder. And there, sitting on top of a central pile of them, was a small spider. Small was a relative term, but rather it was a little larger than half the size of the vampiric hounds Rippenvire had brought with them. The spider was black and red, with two eyes and twelve legs. It was¡­ a demon, if he wasn¡¯t mistaken. One called a Blood Weaver he¡¯d seen in textbooks before, even a favorite of vampiric warlocks if he remembered correctly due to their high affinity for the Blood Pillar; and it wore a black, ruby-studded tiara on its head while simultaneously wearing a cape of fresh entrails. It stood proudly, almost humorously staring at him with mandibles splayed open in a spider¡¯s version of a wide grin. The creature¡¯s heartbeat and power signature were both absolutely and utterly hidden, and if Slayfather Tikus didn¡¯t see the creature with his own eyes he¡¯d not have believed it was even there. That was disturbing. But what really got his attention were the five heads it¡¯d impaled on a stick. That stick was being held much like a staff, too large for the spider¡¯s size but the implication was clear - and Tikus recognized each of these faces immediately. They were five of his generals. Five of seven generals. The best men of this conquering expedition aside from himself. Some were even his friends. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. All were beheaded and strung up like a kabob. That¡­ That got his attention. These events during the invasion were on full display for his homeworld to see, for all of Rippenvire to watch as the invasion unfolded. What shame had they brought to their houses by dying so fast? What shame had they brought to him and his house, considering they¡¯d been under his command when they¡¯d died? Slayfather Tikus rarely felt anger, but when he did - his enemies knew it. Power slowly began to build with his aura, a field of ominous death energies whirling about him as his teeth gritted in rage. Slowly he pulled out the pistol at his side, the weapon flaring with blood magic as his silver katana began to radiate with black and teal death energy. The aura billowed out and roared to life around him, red eyes flaring as he focused his rage and intent on the creature in a display that caused the top layer of ground to explode with debris and rot away. But the spider remained in its stance atop the bodies of his thralls, mockingly wiggling the kabob staff his way. ¡°HELLO PLEBIAN WELP!¡± Athela called out in her blood weaver form, bouncing her arachnid rump up and down while prancing back and forth amidst the aura of death that encompassed this area. She wiggled the kabob staff of stacked heads his way again, cackling with a chittering laugh. ¡°ARE YOU THE LEADER OF THIS BAND OF MERRY MISFITS!? I¡¯m supposed to save that king you know, you gotta get past me if you wana get him! AND I¡¯VE BROUGHT YOUR FRIENDS TO WITNESS YOUR DEMISE - HOW NEAT!!!¡± Slayfather Tikus narrowed his red eyes, warry that his aura had no effect on what was supposed to be a lower tier demon species. But perhaps her level was just that high. Species didn¡¯t mean everything. He took a step forward, suit-jacket coat-tails billowing in the winds of his aura¡¯s power. The ground cracked underneath his weight as he walked, and torturous thoughts of what he would do to this little arachnid bastard crossed his mind in a thousand different ways - making his angry snarl turn into a crazed, malicious grin with bared fangs. ¡°I certainly am the leader of this invasion. Congratulations, you¡¯ve found me. You¡¯ve found your death. Slayfather Tikus, at your service... Now¡­ Tell me who it is you are, or who you serve, so that I may know the names of the people I will so ruthlessly flay before feeding your corpses to my dogs for murdering my men.¡± Dramatically Athela whipped her entrail cape out to the side and stood proud on her hind legs while crossing her front ones over her chest - with exception of the two legs holding the kabab staff. ¡°VERY WELL! I shall introduce myself. I am PRINCESS Athela! I AM THE MOST RENOWNED BABY STOMPER THERE EVER TWAS, TEHHHH GREATEST SMASHER OF SUCCUBI WELPS, TEEHHHHH BRINGER OF CHAOS! I am¡­ ATHELA FUTURE CONQUERER OF WORLDS! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!¡± She jiggled the kabob staff once more and flung back her head, tiara gleaming in the firelight of burning buildings around them while cackling to the heavens. ¡°ALL SHALL FEAR TEHH GREAT SPIDER ATHELA, BABYSTOMPER CONQUERER EXTRAORDINAIRE!¡± Abruptly her face whipped back down, mandibles dripping with dark green venom as her red eyes matched his own with a glint of frenzied insanity. She pointed two of her sharp, arachnid legs at the advancing vampire with a screech. ¡°Now¡­ DIE!¡± Time froze, and Slayfather Tikus was almost floored by the notification that appeared next. His mind reeled, and he suddenly began to take this a lot more seriously than he had been just moments before. Because for the system to consider this a boss fight, for HIM¡­ Well, boss fights outside of dungeons only not only gave huge boons if you won them - but they only occurred when you had a very real possibility of losing and usually had the odds stacked against you. This was not what Tikus had been expecting to see. WARNING WARNING WARNING WORLD QUEST BOSS FIGHT: ARCHDEMON ATHELA (3 FORMS), CUTE WITTLE BLOOD WEAVER / GLUTTONOUS ARSHAKAI / GLUTTONOUS FAE DRIDER, PRINCESS BABYSTOMPER AND FUTURE CONQUEROR OF WORLDS, HAS BEEN INITIATED. YOU MUST KILL ALL 3 FORMS TO WIN THIS FIGHT. [This fight is now being broadcasted to Panu¡¯s cortex, front page, and all local channels.] ELYSIUM HAS SEALED OFF YOUR POINT OF EXIT WITH A DIAMETER OF 5 MILES UNTIL THE BATTLE IS COMPLETE, THOUGH ENEMY AND ALLY FORCES CAN STILL ENTER THIS ZONE DURING THE BATTLE UNTIL ONE OF YOU IS KILLED DUE TO WORLD QUEST AND INVASION PARAMETERS. [50 million Elysium Coins, a custom legendary item, and a legendary dao treasure relating to blood will be provided to the victor.] BEGINNING BATTLE IN 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ The system had the audacity to name this creature ¡®FUTURE¡¯ conqueror of worlds!? What the- Time resumed, a white sheet wall of power from the system closed off a five-mile area, and the spider launched itself off the pile of bodies with an explosive force that made Tikus reel. ¡°YOU SURLY, UGLY LITTLE COW!¡± Tikus barely had time to raise his pistol and fire with a blur of speed that caused the air to crack with the effort, sending an explosive round right into the spider¡¯s trajectory - only for the demon to veer left with flurries of webbing that extending in all directions from various legs. It pulled her left, up, and then back around while maintaining momentum as she veered into him with a gleeful cackle. ¡°GOTCHYA BITCH!¡± *CRACK-CLING-CLANG-WHIP-BOOM-SNAP* Athela¡¯s sharpened legs blurred, smashing against the vampiric general as he backpedaled while cursing and focusing his aura into the silver katana he used. Just as quickly he¡¯d fire off bullets every time she gave him room, bullets and blade meeting arachnid legs and sprays of red webbing or acidic venom clouds in movements so fast that the viewers around the city watching the exchange could only gawk at the sheer display of power and speed. The ground tore up beneath them, building with momentum as the crazed spider continued cackling, jiggling the kabob of heads, exchanging attacks with the Slayfather on equal footing. It absolutely enraged him. Sending out a shockwave of death energy in all directions that gave him some space, Tikus snarled and summoned two shadow lords - elemental void creatures of the beyond to fight for him. Each was twice his size, looking like cloaked wraiths made of black wisps that tore through the air towards the spider - but Athela merely crackled with green light and sent a shockwave of her own energy back at the creatures. The wall of green rapidly expanded and burst, colliding with the shadow elementals and causing them to scream as their bodies turned to clouds of pink flower petals. Those same flower petals quickly sharpened, and in a flurry of thousands of tiny little blades they expanded to all sides before collapsing on the Slayfather¡¯s position. FAE MAGIC FROM A DEMON!? Tikus cursed in shock and disbelief, activating a martial art called ¡®Danger Sense¡¯ that prioritized incoming attacks based on lethality - giving him an edge to concentrate and defend on what was important. Then he activated another martial art: ¡®Soulsaint Swordstorm¡¯ that sent a thousand silver cuts empowered with death energy at the wall of petals in front of him. Translucent blades tore through the air and scattered the petals only to- *WHAM* Tikus reeled backwards, holding his nose when the kabob spiraled through the air and crashed into his face. Blinking rapidly and staring dumbfounded at the decapitated heads on a stick that¡¯d smacked him upside the skull, he turned his angry red gaze to glare back at the loudly cackling demon that pointed his way while dancing around in a victory circle. He¡¯d not seen it coming because he¡¯d been too invested via his ¡®Danger Sense¡¯ on the truly lethal strikes of the petals, but being smacked upside the head with the decapitated faces of his friends was humiliating. ¡°I will teach you to mock me!¡± Tikus said under his breath, spitting blood and wiping it away from his broken nose just before it snapped back into position and healed. ¡°You will regret making a fool of me!¡± Athela had resorted to making turkey-gobbling noises hopping up and down on her hind legs and wiggling her cape of entrails around behind her while her tiara bobbed up and down a few dozen yards off. ¡°SOME VAMPIRE YOU ARE! I¡¯D THOUGHT VAMPIRES WERE HOT SHIT AFTER BONDING TO MY MASTER, BUT IT APPEARS I WAS MISTAKEN! YOU¡¯RE JUST A BLOODSUCKING FAIRY WITH A BIG EGO!¡± ¡°CURSE YOU BACK TO THE HELLS, FOUL DEMON WENCH!¡± Tikus blurred forward and unleashed a ¡®Trickshot¡¯ martial art, causing multiple blood-infused bullets to swerve left and right before veering back to take Athela in the sides as his front carved down with the silver blade. *CHING-CHING-CHING-CHING-CHING* Athela¡¯s legs met his attacks almost simultaneously, sounding like a gatling gun with the rapid exchange before spraying acid all over the Slayfather¡¯s face. Tikus screamed, and then he felt one of her legs rip through his chest. Immediately he exploded into a cloud of blood, reforming three dozen meters away and snarling at the chest wound in his vest that dripped blood. Black-green venom began combatting his natural regeneration, and the skin on his face sizzled with the acid that slowly began to fade away under his vampiric healing qualities. ¡°I do believe I underestimated you in the beginning, little one¡­¡± Tikus said, slowly taking off his top hat and tossing it aside. Ripping off his ruined coat, and then his vest, he exposed his pale and muscular chest to the air while baring his fangs. Dropping his sword and gun, veins began to pulse and bulge all along his arms, abdomen, and upper body until his red eyes buldged out of his sockets. ¡°But I won¡¯t make that mistake again. BEHOLD! MY ULTIMATE FORM!¡± Athela¡¯s cackling came to an abrupt halt as the area around them exploded again in a massive surge of power. The city shook under the immense weight of the vampire¡¯s strength. Blood and death energies intermixed as a roaring howl reverberated around their white-walled enclosure many miles wide, and the vampire began to change before her very eyes. Wings blasted out of his back in a spray of blood. His skin darkened from bright white to a deep gray. Hair sprouted along his back, nostrils enlarged and became vertical slits. His jaw protruded, with large pointed teeth coming up and down from top and bottom of his mouth - emphasizing his fangs most of all; and his fingers became large scythe-like talons. The body also became larger, three times the size of the man he¡¯d once been, and bones cracked as his legs reverted to a more T-rex like figure that rippled with muscle. He was huge, menacing, and bat-like. And Athela was caught off guard as the Slayfather broke the sound barrier to engage her once again. In an instant, her small body was ripped asunder, sending her upper and lower halves scattering apart to skip along the ground¡­ Before her next body began to reform from the pieces. Chapter 188 Chapter 188 Despite the abrupt surge in power, despite revealing his ultimate form to combat this demonic arachnid, Tikus felt both inferior and small when the creature began to reform. His gray wings sagged, his flex claws that¡¯d so recently torn the spider¡¯s body in half stiffened, and his eyes widened in shock as he beheld the creature¡¯s new body recreate itself before his very eyes. Bones snapped. Scythe-like legs each bigger than he was snapped out and crashed into the ground. Four narrowed red eyes looked down at him like he was some kind of bug to squash, and a smile of jagged teeth smiled wide. What was once a small, dog-sized spider had now rapidly warped from the pieces of its mutilated body and grown to hundreds of times its original size. Black flesh turned to white, crystalline flowers bloomed along the creature¡¯s skin, and a drider far larger than any should ever become grinned down at him with teasing malice as Athela licked her lips. She oozed power. The very air around her became frosty, and occasional sparks of lightning crackled around forming snowflakes as a crystalline maw down her lower midsection opened with a hiss - tendrils of black and blue snaking out in his direction with slow, monotonous intent. She was beautiful, but also a creature that could be torn out of nightmares, and her own aura of something primal - something that reached out to him with a hunger at the most basic essence of conscious thought tore into his very soul with probing feelers. Tikus took a step back without thinking, whispering under his breath. ¡°What in the hells!?¡± A warhorn echoed to his left, and both Tikus and the large demon took a moment to look. Marching towards them, over five hundred vampiric paladins wielding claymores and mechanical armored biosuits were rushing their way - activating various buffs, speed boosts and martial arts in preparation for battle. They were some of Rippenvire¡¯s elites, and the Slayfather¡¯s heart grew firm with resolution. He still stood a chance. Though the demon¡­ laughed, and she didn¡¯t seem intimidated or worried at all. Athela lifted up one arm, and the ground shuddered when a pillar of ice tore out of the ground in front of her. Red runes intermixed with deep black, writhing along the pillar that continued to rise out of the ground like a monument to her glory. Ice sculpture carvings, figurines of beautiful women and men, demon and fairy alike, but most of all - hundreds of spiders all climbed atop one another to try and reach the summit while being weighed down by rune-inscribed chains of red-black flame. Half the zone within the 5 mile battle bubble began to simultaneously burn and freeze, spiraling around her in a great cycle that interchanged in waves of elemental fae ice and sin-based flame. Her hands raised higher, the pillar climbed, the ice sculptures screamed out as one - and the great maw along her midsection roared with a pulse of energy that breathed a storm of destruction. It interwoven into the cycle, creating a huge tornado of ice and dark fire that roared and shook the earth with voluminous, expanding, ripping force. Tikus flared his wings, channeling his mana as the paladin elite of his homeworld joined him in solidarity. One by one they saluted him and formed a line, awaiting his orders with red eyes flaring alongside their auras. ¡°MEN OF RIPPENVIRE!¡± ¡°YES SLAYFATHER!¡± The hundreds strong soldiers yelled back, claymores simmering with unholy light - and as one they conjured large towershields that crashed into the ground with a resounding boom. A defiance in the face of the immense power this archdemon faced. And Tikus? He couldn¡¯t be more proud of them. Towering over the others and drawing a battle formation, the equivalent of dozens of sigils and empowered circles of dark mana, that reinforced a given area for all defenders inside it - the large winged vampire snarled at the oncoming tornado that continued to build. The formation boomed and roared, unleashing a wall of miasma that tore through the sky of the enclosed system-made dome - and Tikus pointed. ¡°YOU WILL FALL, DEMON! THE MEN OF RIPPENVIRE WILL NOT FAIL HERE! AND I WILL MOUNT YOUR GIGANTIC HEAD ON MY WALL!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ hmm-hmmmhmm-haaahahahahaAAAHAAHAHAAHAAA!!!!¡± Athela¡¯s laugh grew and her hands weaved tapestries of intricate keys, unlocking the mechanisms of her spell until a gigantic single celtic-styled rune ripped the sky overhead. The pillar of ice, flaming chains and climbing sculptures with red and black sigils made contact with the skybound mark - and as soon as it did, the earth thundered. *CRRASSSSSSHHHHHH* It was like an atomic bomb had gone off. Rows of buildings froze, burned, and crumbled. Fire tore through the earth, ice froze the very air, and the barrier erected by the vampiric elite crumbled in a flash. Tikus screamed in fear when he realized what that strange energy really was. Watching pieces of his hand alight as he kept an arm over his eyes, he felt pieces of his very soul apparatus begin to chew away. He hadn¡¯t been sure before, but now he was certain. This was SIN energy. This creature had somehow acquired a piece of original sin¡­ and now that he was sure of it with mounting horror, he saw that giant vertical maw along her front for what it really was. This was a harbinger of Gluttony, and an instant after the area of effect attack went off - the giant creature was amongst them. *WHIP* *SNAP* *CRACK* *BOOM* Blood sprayed everywhere. Athela¡¯s scythe-like legs tore through the vampiric paladins like they were a child¡¯s dolls. If he hadn¡¯t known better, Tikus would never have guessed these were the strongest soldiers of their level prior to being let into this newly integrated world. This was not how things were supposed to go, this was not how the invasion was supposed to proceed. How could he let himself die within less than a week of arriving on this new planet? How had this happened? The demon¡¯s hands rapidly underwent motions, summoning magics that crashed into her surroundings as dozens, then hundreds, and then thousands of spiders poured out of her giant maw like an avalanche. It was so fast that the vampires nearby were buried within seconds, and only their screams were heard as the dog-sized white and blue arachnids - a variant of blood weavers - poured over the vampiric invaders like a wave of hunger. Electrified snowflakes rippled and swirled, latching onto the mechanical armor of the paladins and stunning them for the spiders to attack - and thick, icy mists rapidly bloomed out of the flowers all along Athela¡¯s body as she moved three times faster than any of the vampiric host could. Tikus coughed blood and then screamed as he felt one of the thousands of spiders tear into his leg, but he smashed the ice-made creature with a single blow. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Only to have three more launch themselves his way - taking him down with frenzied screeches and biting fangs that spread frostbite all along his body. It would have been his final moments, laying there being devoured alive by the archdemon¡¯s summoned minions, but then something odd happened. Time froze yet again, similar to when the world-boss fight had started, and a new notification appeared with screens blipping into existence in front of all participants currently locked in combat within the dome. WARNING WARNING WARNING A JUDGEMENT DESCENDS. THREE HARBINGERS OF GLUTTONY HAVE COME TO JOIN THE BATTLE. THEY SEEK TO CLAIM SHARDS OF SIN FOR THE GREAT MAW, READY TO TAKE BACK WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OWNED BY THE HUNGERING ONE. ALL WILL SUFFER, ALL WILL PERISH, ALL WILL BECOME FUEL FOR THE TIDE OF THE HUNGERING CHOSEN. DESPAIR. BEGINNING BATTLE IN 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Tikus felt numb, his chest burst and split, and before his very eyes - tendrils of darkness ripped out of his heart and buried themselves into his limbs. His mind faded into the background as something else, a new, sinister entity overcame his thoughts - overpowering his will and creating nothing but a husk of the man that¡¯d once been Slayfather of the Rippenvire invasion fleet. And in his place, a monster began to rise. *** Athela watched in silence as her own shard of Gluttony screamed at her to eat and devour the three newcomers; the three apostates that would dare defy the maw¡¯s will. Odd, that this particular piece of Gluttony viewed other pieces as nothing but food for its own growth - but so was the will of the great maw. Until only one remained, they would eternally be in conflict, trying to devour each other until a singular entity finally remained. Her spiderlings withdrew, the wave of white and blue spreading out rapidly through the mists as her four red eyes narrowed into slits. She took a step back when the three bodies, each of them previously having been ranking vampires of the Rippenvire, exploded in showers of gore. Vertical maws ripped out of their chests and screamed to the heavens, black tendrils ripping out from the void and tearing into any biomass nearby to quickly devour it - fueling the transformation of the three harbingers while their bodies rapidly grew. The first was a giant burning stag with a skull for a face, sightless and horns radiating even more brilliantly than the rest of its body. The second grew into a grotesque abomination, fat and full of rolls with various arms, legs and eyes. It had two main humanoid legs and the same could be said for the arms though, while it carried a large morning star with a shadowy spiked ball on a chain. The third was more human in shape and size when compared to the giant abominations who first appeared, but this one was by far the most powerful. A creature built of shadow, this was without a doubt a dread-wraith. A void creature, partially built of spirit and partially built from empty space itself - dressed in black robes with a black hood and black scimitars. In fact it was so black that the only thing giving off any true definition was gluttony¡¯s maw up and down the front of its chest. Which was a similar trait that the other two shared as well, though each of these maws had their own unique characteristics. Gluttony¡¯s maw on the dread-wraith was created from shadow, Athela¡¯s was created from crystalline ice, the abomination¡¯s maw breathed out toxic rotting fumes and leaked flesh, while the stag¡¯s was made of infernal flames. Each monster emitted auras that matched Athela¡¯s own, each was a true powerhouse just as she was, and each of them hungrily eyed her as the four seeds of gluttony roared and screeched at one another in anticipation of the fight to come. It also appeared that because the stag particularly had claimed the Rippenvire Slayfather as a temporary host, Athela couldn¡¯t end this event without killing the creature inhabiting him too. ¡°Athela¡­¡± The shadowy wraith spoke her name as a whisper, but the voice was so filled with power than her very body trembled involuntarily. It took a step forward and held out a hand to her, black blades forming in either palm and pointing one of them in her direction. ¡°We have come to claim your soul¡­ In the name of the great maw, we have judged you unworthy. Prepare to¡­¡± The wraith¡¯s head turned left, and within only seconds the entire domed arena Elysium had set up shook and quaked. A feeling of utter rage set upon them all, red frost beginning to coat the ground rapidly from the point where this malicious aura crept from. The sky of the event dome turned red, then bright crimson, and through the wall of shimmering light - Riven walked through. His plated foot touched solid ground with a resounding boom, his own maw across messenger¡¯s ivory breastplate screamed in anticipation, and red eyes flared as he leveled the blade rippling with ribbons of blood at the three monsters aligned against his friend. The weapon roared, the seeds of gluttony all simultaneously screamed, and the city shattered under his feet when he launched himself forward. *** High Queen Nephridi cackled with delight on her balcony as she watched her great grandson demolish the Rippenvire fleet over the course of mere minutes. And the fact that it was Rippenvire, a vassal of The Blood Moon Requiem''s most prominent but still friendly rival, only made it even sweeter. And hilarious. Entire squadrons fell in the blink of an eye, torn asunder by powers far beyond anything that should be expected at this level. Clouds of blades, torrents of crimson ribbons, and thunderous clouds of black bolts vaporized absolutely everything that got in his path. Truly her grandson was something special. In the beginning, Nephridi had higher hopes for Allie - and although her granddaughter had still shown incredible promise, it still paled in comparison to her brother now. If Riven continued to grow this rapidly, if he continued to gain insights this fast, if his seed of Gluttony was able to absorb the other pieces here, then she had no doubt that he¡¯d be almost unstoppable when thrown against the other forces on this planet. Riven was developing into an army killer, one that did better against larger numbers than he did against smaller groups of concentrated power. Each death fueled him even more, if only temporarily. She was already betting the other invaders were avidly hoping for his downfall here against the unforeseen judgement, but should he live¡­ Should he live, the only way to kill him with the forces they¡¯d mustered would be to make sure he didn¡¯t engage their united armies. They¡¯d have to take him out with fewer numbers of elites, perhaps some supreme treasures if they¡¯d brought any, in order to make sure his power didn¡¯t grow to exponential heights like it had now. The accumulation of death and blood in the area had empowered him to match even the harbingers of gluttony in a one on one battle at the moment, but it was only temporary. It was a boon granted to him by all the carnage he¡¯d created amidst the weaker members of the Rippenvire fleet, now reduced to hundreds of thousands of mangled corpses that would no doubt feed his sister¡¯s army of undead. All that blood energy mixing in with a man who had a 100% Blood affinity was just astronomically terrorizing, and she had to give it to him - he¡¯d been the first to have that particular affinity reach 100% ever since herself. It made her wonder just how alike they¡¯d be in terms of how they handled Blood mana, and she was interested to find out should they ever meet. Turning her attention to Allie and her own activities concerning that human boy, High Queen Nephridi¡¯s smile faded into a frown. She tisked, and caught the attention of her man-servant who held a tray of tarts to her side while overlooking the capital city. ¡°I do hope she doesn¡¯t fall for that welpling¡­ There are so many others who¡¯d literally kill to take her as a bride. Even now, bidding for her hand in marriage has begun - and I¡¯d hate to break it to her the hard way that she now belongs to The Blood Moon Requiem.¡± Her manservant raised an eyebrow, red eyes shining almost as brightly as hers. Though he was merely a servant, to serve the queen meant he had to be at minimum a pureblooded vampire himself - lest he tarnish her presence with his filth. ¡°Do you not feel the same way about your grandson?¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°His relationship with¡­ that succubus. The people of the empire watching these events unfold on the frontier are eating it up rather nicely, I must say. Many are cheering for her, but then again - many are rooting for Athela too.¡± High Queen Nephridi giggled, then loudly laughed while watching the battle unfold between five harbingers of Gluttony - a rare sight indeed. ¡°No dear, those are demonic contracts. They are toys, nothing more, so he can play with them however he chooses. Do not worry, we will find Riven a good, pureblooded wife. And I do believe that, according to Kathrine¡¯s reports, she¡¯s already managed to woo him once. Her family is delighted, and the bidding wars on him are already raging just as fiercely¡­ though should she claim his heart before integration ends, I have already told her that she may have the spot regardless of who wins the bidding. We will see how it all unfolds, and five years from now when we bring them to their family¡¯s inheritance - I hope to see them both bear us children. They both have the gift, and chances of passing the prophecy on to future generations is exponentially increased by ones who are more than just passive genetic carriers.¡± Chapter 189 Chapter 189 Despite the Rippenvire fleet having been wiped out, at least for the most part, many hundreds of dropships had landed troops across different layers of the stacked city and were continuing to wreak havoc. The royal fleet belonging to Dawn was also decimated, and their forces were already engaged at numerous points. The vampires continued to slaughter civilians as fast as possible, either out of spite or simply because they didn¡¯t know they¡¯d lost yet. But the fact remained that without the surging hordes of allied reinforcements coming up from the lower levels, this city would have certainly been lost. Even now forces from both Brightsville and Deepnest had reclaimed the first three upper levels and two under levels, with another four contested city pieces to go. Though honestly when Allie had flown over floor 7, there¡¯d been almost nothing left. The entire topside was a ruined husk of what it¡¯d once been, littered with smoking corpses and broken airships, while the academy she¡¯d been attending was nothing but rubble and flame. Allie¡¯s footsteps echoed through the long hall, the corpses around her twitching and rising in silence as wisps of teal light trickled out of her body to animate the dead. Ahead of her, two more vampiric sets of eyes glared back at her through the dark, leveling pistols her way before firing. The bullets sizzled and hissed through the air - exploding on contact when Allie¡¯s wand shot forward and eradicated them in an instant. Not speeding up or slowing down, she continued her monotonous walk while more of the bullets continued peppering the walls around her. ¡°BLOOD TRAITOR!¡± One of the vampires screamed, drawing out a scimitar and dashing forward when he realized the bullets weren¡¯t doing anything. His companion soon joined him in the frontal assault, and Allie conjured four flaming skulls before letting them loose like cannonfire. The walls on either side of her shuddered in the darkness, only illuminated by the deathly flames as the skulls screeched forward and exploded on impact. The two vampires immediately died, and she effortlessly stepped over their charred remains while casually continuing on towards her goal. ¡°Insects¡­¡± She hissed turning right and approaching a barricaded door where one of the vampiric hounds was digging its way through the old wood into the room. On the other side, screams of civilians and the weeping of children were heard. The monster didn¡¯t even know she was there, too obsessed with the scent of nearby prey, and it too died in a flash of death mana that left it dropping to the floor with a loud yelp. ¡°Is this it?¡± Allie asked, turning to Mara -who was in terrible shape and missing an arm along with half her lower torso. The ghoul necromancer, along with the skeletal brothers Vin and Nin, all nodded. Mara held up a hand, and out of the darkness a shadow elemental in the form of a rat tore itself off a wall to land on her outstretched palm. ¡°He is here.¡± Ignoring the screams and sobbing on the other side of the door, Allie turned back to the old, thick wood and unleashed thin threads of power. They dug into the hinges, the locks, the perimeter of the wooden outline and in a second tore the door off the wall to fling it aside. Then they continued to fling pieces of debris and junk, stuff that the people on the other side of the door had piled up against it as a barricade, and the screaming grew louder. She stepped inside, looking around the dimly lit room under candle light with red eyes through her skull mask as one man brandished a dagger threateningly towards her. There were a couple dozen people here, all scattered throughout a cellar. But another pair of people, a middle-aged husband and wife, quickly recognized her with a gasp when she didn¡¯t move to attack anyone. Immediately they got down onto their knees and prostrated themselves, and the woman began to call out to her. ¡°Queen Thane of the Necropolis!¡± The mood immediately shifted, but everything else that was said filtered out through one ear and out the other when Allie¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief. In one corner of the room, still alive, was Lahn and his mother Shovi. They locked eyes, and without another word Allie picked up her pace while taking off her mask. Lahn tried to stand up, but despite his recent affliction being healed he was still weak - and he stumbled to catch himself against the wall right before Allie¡¯s arms were flung around him. ¡°Good on you for not dying.¡± Allie said softly, sighing when she felt his returned embrace as the room went silent. ¡°That would have made me very sad.¡± Lahn, somewhat speechless with tears welling up under his eyes, nodded just once. ¡°Thanks for coming. But don¡¯t you have better things to do, other than rescue me?¡± She smiled, then shook her head. ¡°No. This is the most important thing, and if I hadn¡¯t come you¡¯d have been dead within a few minutes from now when the vampires broke down that door. We need to move you and your mother to a more secure location, then Tyranus and I are going to join Riven in his fight against the harbingers.¡± Her red eyes shifted to where one of the people had a system cortex screen up displaying the fight, and already it was becoming a fight of the ages. She ignored that for now, Riven would be fine until she got there. ¡°My queen.¡± Mara said under a black hood, looking over her shoulder where Nin and Vin had left upon the sounds of clashing metal and screams further back. ¡°The vampires are approaching in great numbers. We cannot stay, another of their elite groups are sweeping this part of the city and fighting them would stall you even longer from reaching your brother. We need to leave unless you want to get locked into a drawn out conflict.¡± Allie abruptly nodded and let go, seeing Shovi sniffle and give her a wide, shaky smile. ¡°Come on everyone, you heard Mara. We can¡¯t stay, so let¡¯s get going.¡± *** Malice. Hate. Rage. These were the feelings coursing through him when his eyes locked onto those who would dare try to rip Athela¡¯s soul apart to acquire her newly found shard of sin. These motherfuckers didn¡¯t know who they were messing with, and there was no way he was about to let these would-be thieves take Athela away from him only after she¡¯d just gotten back. A giant flaming stag. A fleshy, fat abomination wielding a morning star flail. A shadowy, dual-scimitar wielding wraith. He was going to crush them all into paste. His foot exited the dome of light, coming into the other side of the five-mile wide system-made arena. His aura roared for blood, shaking the very ground he stood on as his entire being radiated with fury as his eyes locked onto the three interlopers. [You have entered an event: World Quest Boss Fight - Tikus, Slayfather of Rippenvire, vs. Archdemon Athela, Baby Stomper and Future Conqueror of Worlds. Warning - This event has been modified. Slayfather Tikus and the forces of Rippenvire have been either devoured or possessed by three Harbingers of Gluttony. This event will not end until either the three harbingers have perished, or Athela dies.] Oh, there would be some perishing all right. Wisps of blood condensed around his weapon and a red, gaping jackal¡¯s maw roared ahead of his outstretched weapon. Black and red wisps lit up along his body, smoldering with power under the upgraded version of Blessing of the Crow. The back of his thick ivory plate armor bloomed with torrential amounts of red flames, and a lightning strike five times larger than he was encompassed him in a protective shell as he prepared the move. Then the city shattered underneath Riven¡¯s feet as he launched himself forward faster than the speed of a hypersonic bullet. Riven collided with the flaming stag, his jackal¡¯s maw snapping down onto its skull as the blade skewered its brain. But it wasn¡¯t enough to kill the creature even despite this. The stag roared, blooming with retaliatory fire and forcibly being torn off the ground by the immense impact. The huge monster was sent careening with Riven¡¯s blade impaling it, screeching in pain and rage as a storm of blood magic ripped through its body while it tried to regain a footing against the uncontrolled, thunderous roll it¡¯d spiraled into. The fight was on. Thousands of crystalline spiders screeched and rushed forward, swarming towards the fat flesh abomination with hundreds of hungry mouths as it charged her. Meanwhile Athela¡¯s cloud of frost became a blizzard, intermixing with electrified snowflakes that whirled about her as she opened her maw of Gluttony to unleash a cannon blast of fire, ice and lightning at the wraith. But the wraith vanished, leaving Athela only a moment to counter the incoming scimitars aimed at her neck as the shadowy figure roared with blazing torrents of void energy - smashing into Athela¡¯s outstretched hand that blocked the attack. But her scream of pain as blue blood began pouring out of the deep wound gave Riven pause across the battlefield. Ripping his weapon out of the stag¡¯s skull and turning only briefly, he saw Azmoth¡¯s armored, flaming figure crash a huge stone maul into the back of the wraith. ¡°AZMOTH SAVE TINY ATHELA!!!¡± The wraith was floored in a shower of shadowy wisps, flames and debris; but immediately recovered even under the enormity of that strike with a quick flip and blur of shadowy blades as it created five more illusions of itself. Snarling, it began the assault - exchanging places with its illusionary bodies from time to time and making it hard for the two demons fighting it to pinpoint its exact location. Each strike it made was met with thunderous claps of discharging shadow, and in turn the frosted scythe-like legs of Athela and Azmoth¡¯s flaming maul creating shockwaves of their own. The multi-mouthed flesh monster was roaring and smashing aside dozens of spiders at a time, only being weighed down temporarily by the swarm of spiders and not taking much if any damage from them - but at least it was being held back for now to buy them time. Clouds of noxious green fumes were spraying from the many mouths and its huge sickly belly jiggled with every thunderous step it took to crush more spiders under foot; flail spiraling in the air and sending out sprays of earth every time the weapon crashed into the ground with storms of arachnid body parts. Riven didn¡¯t have much more time to look, needing to trust in his two minions to deal with the wraith. He needed to finish off this stag before the abomination laid waste to the arachnid swarm. ¡°RUK-RUK-RUK-RUK-RUK!¡± The stag in front of him had regained its legs, letting out an odd, bellowing call with its mangled mouth towards the sky and antlers lighting up an even brighter orange-red as the flames pulsed. A circle formed in the sky above them, and Riven¡¯s eyes widened when a circle of flames opened a portal - conjuring swarms of flaming, molten chains that spiraled down towards him like snakes. And they were fast. Riven¡¯s maw along his chest opened and unleashed a torrent of black tendrils to intercept the first few, but he was forced to riftwalk backwards to avoid the collision of the molten storm. The ground thundered upon impact, and the chains began spiraling out to chase him down while the stag charged. *CRASH* Sparks ignited along Riven¡¯s blade and left pauldron as he stood his ground and took the hit, flaming antlers smashing into his smaller figure and causing the surprised stag to stumble and trip. Counter attacking with a wide swipe of his weapon and simultaneously conjuring dozens of Bloody Razors that rapidly morphed into ripping storm balls through Profane Cyclone¡¯s Path of Black and Red, he split the stag¡¯s side open in numerous places and sent it staggering once again. His weapon radiated amidst the screech of the flaming maw across the stag¡¯s chest, and right before the swarm of chains connected with him - the visage of Gluttony appeared behind him as he unleashed his attack. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Before the stag hit the ground, a torrential amount of sin energy cut down with the swing of his blade and tore through the line of motion hundreds of yards out. The ground was torn asunder and the stag¡¯s internals were sent spraying- *BOOM* Riven was hit head on with the swarm of molten chains, causing him to reel backwards and scream as searing heat began working its way through the slit in his helmet. Abruptly activating hell¡¯s armor, the pain went away and he sighed in relief due to the fire resistance, but his eyes were burned out and he couldn¡¯t see until his regeneration kicked in. Cursing and using his mana to feel out the remaining- *CRASH* The stag¡¯s horns slammed him into the ground, and he felt a hoof twice the size he was repeatedly stomp him into the ground with radiating kinetic energy - causing some of his bones to shatter even though his armor didn¡¯t give. Messenger was holding firm, but so too was his Hell¡¯s Armor that gave him an additional layer of obsidian plates along with an infernal shroud of flame and heat resistance. Somehow that stag had survived the attack after being cleaved in two. *BAM-BAM-BAM* The stomps kept coming, with force that would no doubt crush armored tanks barreling into him repeatedly. He coughed blood, but managed to fight through the pain with his regenerative properties as flaring blood mana rippled up his arm. Forming his hand into a clawing motion, the blood lance tore out of his body - passing through the Path of Black and Red to imbue it further with black lightning. He infused as much power as he could within those two seconds, and the torpedo blindly crashed into the body of the stag that resulting in an echoing scream. He kicked off the ground with a burst of blood energy out of his pauldron reservoirs, tearing through the binding chains that shattered under the mental flex and sending himself out of the crater he¡¯d been smashed into. Landing a ways off and shaking his head to clear it of the ringing, his eyesight slowly started to return. Cursing he ripped away some of the magma that was still glued to his face, his red eyes glared out through the visor and he blinked rapidly through the flames of hell¡¯s armor and wisps of Blessing of the Crow, settling his gaze on the creature before him. This monster was no pushover. The huge, hellish stag was now in one piece again, though some of the wounds from his earlier attacks were still present. How that was possible he didn¡¯t know, but the way his body ached and the still broken bones mending told him one thing - he probably shouldn¡¯t try to fight this monster up close. It was physically stronger than he was, and he¡¯d have the advantage if- The monster rocketed towards him in a blast of flame similar to Azmoth¡¯s own gap-clearing martial art, causing Riven to stumble back and throw out another black lightning strike the size of his thigh. But the creature barreled through it heedlessly, coming at him like a comet from the heavens and smashing into him again. Riven was launched through the air at high speed, mind going in and out due to the massive strike until he regained consciousness mid-flight and activated the thrusters on his armor. Steadying himself mid air and barely avoiding a crash into the domed wall a few hundred feet up, he held out his armors to either side. ¡°You motherfucker¡­¡± The air around him swirled and roared, tearing apart the buildings underneath him while a storm of red began collecting like a cyclone about his body. Dark lightning, red ice and shrieking winds howled as he poured mana into his ¡®Crimson Ice¡¯ spell and his aura. He poured all of the blood energy he¡¯d accumulated after tearing through the Rippenvire fleet - causing the dome they were encompassed into tremble under his power. He lifted his hand, and like a god condemning a mortal to a life of damnation - he let the magic go. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you think about this.¡± A tidal wave of roaring power soared through the air directly towards the stag from all directions, causing the ground to quake and shudder under the approaching strike. The stag backpedaled with wide eyes ,panicking with a cry of fear, and a halo of fire bloomed over its head as the incoming storm of red and black rushed forward. A blinding flash lit up from the halo, illuminating the entire combat zone in a quick instant - and Riven had to blink away the afterimage of the halo exploding. The storm of his mana was gone. The halo was gone. The remaining molten chains were gone. The noxious clouds of the titanic flesh abomination were gone. Even Athela¡¯s swarm of crystalline spiders were gone. The stag had dispelled all of the active attacks in order to save itself from the impending collision, but the way the monster sagged made it obvious that it¡¯d expelled almost all of its own energy to do so. Riven gawked. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be fist fucking me!¡± Then, to his amazement and brief confusion, he saw the flesh abomination tear out towards the stag to swing its large spiked flail directly at the creatures head. The weakened hellstag only had a moment to scream before the huge ball of spikes crushed its skull entirely, obliterating its brain and sending the monster¡¯s flaming body into a spasm before it too exploded in a storm of fire. Despite the explosion, the flesh abomination roared with all its many mouths in triumph - letting its own visage of Gluttony send out spiraling tendrils that dug into the body and soul of the stag within seconds. Riven watched, both horrified and fascinated, as the abomination¡¯s shard of Gluttony ripped and tugged - pulling out the stag¡¯s own while beginning to devour it. The visage of the maw that it yanked out of the stag¡¯s soul was similar to the visage Riven had seen back in Negrada¡¯s hellscape when he¡¯d first acquired it out of that jar, a ghostly maw of red and black, but this time it was the one being eaten. Eaten by another piece of itself. The maw screamed and roared in rage as the other piece of Gluttony chomped down, splitting it apart and absorbing it like a leech would suck down blood out of prey. And as soon as it was done, the flesh abomination began to shiver. Its aura rose, and the monster screamed in glee before it completely disappeared in a flash of light. His eyes narrowed. That certainly made things easier on his end, but it left a lot of disturbing questions¡­ He turned his attention to Athela and Azmoth where they were battling the wraith. It was fast, very fast, and its strikes were on par with anything that any of them could throw out to boot. A storm of strikes from the two scimitars whirled around it as the wraith flipped, teleported, dashed and ducked between the two demons like it was nothing. Athela¡¯s body was covered in deep wounds that flared with black wisps, draining out blood as she tried to pinpoint where the wraith was inbetween the fading figures of its illusions. Azmoth on the other hand was worse off, missing three of his arms with only one remaining. He¡¯d dropped the maul in favor of using his claws now that he couldn¡¯t wield the weapon properly, and part of the armor covering his face had been ripped away to reveal a deep, oozing wound underneath against the side of his obsidian skull. Riven calmed his nerves. Despite having lost most of his mana in that recent, failed attack on the stag, his mana regeneration was quite good. He waited another couple seconds, landing on one of the rooftops that was still somehow standing despite the absolute desolation surrounding him. He slammed his blade into the rooftop beneath, clawed his fingers, and conjured a blood lance to take aim. Back in Chicago, Riven had acquired the ¡®Snipe¡¯ upgrade for his Blood Lance ability as a reward for defeating the Azag Hive Cluster. He¡¯d not had a good time to use it in battle until now, but given the circumstances this would be a perfect opportunity to try it. The crimson lance shimmered in the light, crackling with black lightning courtesy of his path and forming a wretched snared along its back for additional propulsion via his sling-shot method. Strings of mana were sent out, feeling for the enemy¡¯s true position as his eyes closed, and then time slowed when his vision changed from that of his eyes to that of the lance itself. It was like looking down the sight of a barrel. His vision zoomed in during that frozen moment, identifying one of twelve figures that could be the wraith. It was still mid transition between illusionary bodies, but Riven was pretty sure this was the right one based on how his mana strings couldn¡¯t penetrate this particular body. Activating the second stage of his ¡®Snipe¡¯ ability, the blood lance was empowered. It sharpened, becoming thinner and sleeker than its previous form, and the tip of the lance darkened. The air around it shimmered, condensed, and the blood lance pulled back on his wretched snare slingshot for an additional boost. Everything else around him still remained frozen, which made him wonder what other people would see when watching this from an external perspective, and then time resumed. The lance tore through the half-mile almost instantaneously, leaving a long linear tear through space itself as it crashed into the chest of the wraith. Black goop sprayed out the other side of the creature, causing it to gasp as a hole in its body was left crackling with Riven¡¯s power. This was capitalized on by his two demons, and they moved in unison to charge the wraith during its staggered moment of vulnerability. Athela¡¯s shriek of glee echoed through the dome as one of her legs ripped into the body of the wraith, leaving a line of frost in her wake just as another flash of light erupted from behind her. Riven¡¯s heart nearly stopped when he saw that it was the abomination he¡¯d assumed had left. Be it illusion, spatial warping, or some kind of other means to mask its presence - the creature was still here, and its many mouths grinned ominously as the giant morning star flail crashing through all three of the combatants in front of it. And this time, it imbued the strike with a massive amount of unholy energy. Azmoth died on the spot. The wraith died too. And Athela? Her house-sized body was crushed into the ground - smashing her brains across the rubble as the abomination began to cackle furiously. Riven screamed, and he blasted forward with what little mana he had left - throwing his arm back and heaving Jackal forward to throw it like a spear. The weapon was launched forward, smashing into the huge abomination and tearing a hole through its chest that caused it to howl in anger and turn towards him. *CRACK* The flail spun around so fast Riven didn¡¯t have time to adjust his trajectory, and he felt his ribs all snap at the same time with the groan of metal when the weapon impacted his armor. *BOOM* He landed in a cloud of rubble, gasping for air and watching from a limp, prone position while the abomination began consuming the wraith next. Unearthly screeches tore out of the wraith¡¯s soul as it tried to escape, but it could not. The huge fleshy, abnormally fat monster roared in victory once again as its maw of Gluttony ripped and tore at yet another shard, sending the monster¡¯s aura spiking even more than it¡¯d done the first time. The ground underneath it tore apart, pieces of earth and rubble rising into the air all around it while it continued to scream a victory cry - hands raised above while unholy power radiated around it. And soon it turned its attention to Athela next, wanting to consume her soul too, but it paused with a multitude of frowns when it realized she wasn¡¯t there. Then, appearing beside its neck on top of one massive shoulder, the slender form of Athela¡¯s Arshakai body blipped into existence. It was the form Riven was most accustomed to now. Long, slender black legs, black hair, two red eyes and a very feminine, humanoid figure. Six arachnoid blades ripped out of her back, and an evil smile focused on one of the fleshy, bloodshot eyes that the creature had stationed along its body. ¡°Looking for me?¡± She ripped into the eye and dove into its body, a whirlwind of blades digging a tunnel into the monster¡¯s neck before she ripped out the other side in a spray of gore. The monster howled, clutching at its neck and swatting her away with a massive slap - but she easily landed with a backflip and gracefully flung the monster¡¯s fluids off of her in a single motion that defied logic. Riven managed to get to his knees, then pushed himself up with effort to stand. Their eyes locked, and Athela¡¯s wicked grin faltered into something else - having some kind of emotion pass over her that he could not pinpoint. With a nod, she blurred forward again, being far faster than she¡¯d ever been and crashing into the flash abomination with whirlwinds of strikes - using her long black tongue, necrotic poisons, claws, blades, and blood thread needles to attack the larger monster mercilessly. All the while, she dodged attack after attack as the abomination spewed clouds of acidic smog, smashed down with its flail and tried to body slam or stomp her to death. From what Riven could tell just by watching, Athela¡¯s current body had mostly remained the same with two key differences. The first was that it was far faster and more agile than she¡¯d been previously, by a scale of double or triple her previous power - while the second change was a little less obvious. From time to time Riven caught glimpses of Gluttony¡¯s visage on her body, opening up along random places in various sizes to suck away the smog or lash out with necrotic tendrils - before the maw would vanish into her body like it¡¯d never been there before. If he had to guess, it was somehow utilizing her ¡®shapeshifting¡¯ abilities this body had to hide itself and appear as needed in different places. He held out his hand and Jackal soared back into its rightful place. Spinning the weapon around once and having let his vampiric regeneration fully heal him once again, he charged. *CRASH* *THUD* *BOOM* He struck and slashed at the monster over and over again, drawing its attention away from Athela as best he could to provide a less mobile but sturdier target for the monster to focus on. And the enraged monster took the bait. Roaring and giving up on catching Athela for now, the creature tried body slamming Riven underneath a mountain of flesh - crashing into the floor with a resounding boom that shook the earth right after Riven riftwalked away to put distance between them. He re-engaged, smashing down with Jackal into the creature¡¯s exposed shoulder and tearing out a good chunk of flesh before the flail connected with him yet again in a blurring crash. But reinforcing himself with crimson ice that kept him in place, gluing his legs to the ground, he was able to take the hit head on by bracing himself. The weapon smashed against Messenger, and despite feeling his legs snap - so too did the spiked ball. The flail shattered amidst Riven¡¯s scream, and Athela took the moment to go for the monster¡¯s brain. Rapidly digging with the ¡®Flurry¡¯ martial art on repeat, she was able to carve a five-meter hole into the monster before another cloud of acidic gas caused her to retreat. Flipping up over the monster¡¯s back, she dove for the backside as it lay prone and activated the martial art ¡®Backstab¡¯ with all six of her sharpened blade-like legs. The effect was immense, far more than she¡¯d anticipated. Critical strike notifications bloomed before her eyes and torrents of kinetic energy mixed with shadow energy rippled along the monster¡¯s back - causing it to scream and flail. Internal organs ruptured and she quickly dove off when the abomination rolled - only to be flung sideways with a shockwave of force when the creature simultaneously belched of all things from all its mouths. ¡°Shit!¡± Riven cursed when he saw Athela thrown aside, and he began charging up another snipe with a conjured blood lance when a ripple in the dome above caught his attention. And with a roar, Tyranus dove through the dome. The giant skeletal drake dive-bombed the other monster with outstretched claws, deathly flames billowing from its mouth while Allie summoned hundreds of deathly globes that shot forward to bombard the creature below. The drake roared, sending one martial art after the other as it activated ¡®Pulsating Roar¡¯ in waves of kinetic energy to knock the struggling creature back down - flattening it and sending ripples of its fat belly jiggling to all sides. Then the ¡®Deathfire Blast¡¯ came next, barreling towards the creature after Allie¡¯s bombardment in an immense storm of teal and black flames. The hundreds of death balls peppered the monster with tiny explosions and the drake¡¯s fireblast smashed into the screaming monster, burning it alive before Allie and her drake crashed into the smoldering wreckage of the beast underneath. Claws and teeth tore into it, and Allie¡¯s wand lifted to send out lacerating strike of death mana ripping all across the beast¡¯s surface. Riven didn¡¯t think twice and immediately started firing off more of his bloody razors, and Athela dove back in with a scream of glee. The flesh abomination struggled against the equally large drake atop its body, but it was weakened now. Even despite being higher leveled and more powerful than the drake would be in most circumstances, the damage the flesh abomination had taken was too great. Acid spewed up onto Tryanus¡¯s bone claws, but the undead drake ignored it and continued tearing into the monster with wreckless abandon while its wings pinned down the abomination¡¯s arms. Then, when the large gluttonous maw across the abomiantion¡¯s chest opened up to let loose dozens of tendrils to try and combat the drake - Tyranus reared back and fired a blast of flame directly into the maw. The abomination bellowed, puffed up, and exploded in a shower of gore that threw smoldering body parts everywhere. Then as the victory notifications began to seep in and the dome began to fade away; Tyranus with Allie on his back lifted his enormous body up on his hind legs - spread his wings, and roared to the heavens in victory as black and teal death energies burned all around it. Chapter 190 Chapter 190 The seeds of gluttony inside the flesh abomination called to him, but they might as well have been whispers on the wind - the last thing on Riven¡¯s mind. Because standing there next to the large eviscerated corpse¡­ was Athela. Staring back at him with a vulnerable, almost sheepish glance before her eyes hit the ground. It was really her. How had he not known she¡¯d come back? He''d choked back his emotions upon first seeing her to maintain a clear head, masked them with anger during the fight, but now that things were calmer¡­ Riven began to step forward, slowly at first but with increasing speed. He threw Jackal to the side as it warped into its canine form, and his helmet was peeled back and flung off his face to hang from the bloodsilk bindings along the back of his neck. Riftwalking through a portal and coming within ten yards of her, he stopped dead on to stare at Athela with wide, wet eyes. ¡°Uhm¡­ Hey, Riven.¡± Athela meekly said, hands nervously clasped in front of her, eyes searching his face for clues on what he was feeling. ¡°I¡­¡± He broke into a run - crashing into Athela with a muffled sob as he gripped her tightly, eyes shut in a futile attempt to block out tears, his entire body shaking with both arms wrapped around her lithe smaller frame. His voice only came out as a whisper. ¡°Back in the City of Canyons, I thought I¡¯d lost you forever. Athela, I missed you so, so much¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m glad to have you back.¡± Athela didn¡¯t reply, but she pursed her lips into a tight line, eyes squinting with unbidden tears coming to her as well. Burying her face in his chest and clinging to him with her arms around his torso - she let out a long, high pitched, drawn out whimper that lasted for a couple seconds before beginning to quietly sob. Allie watched silently from atop her large skeletal drake, standing guard over them with a warm half-smile across her lips - though she didn¡¯t know how Fay was going to feel about how intense and raw the emotion during this reunion really was. Where was Fay anyways? Allie felt like she needed to leave to give them some space, but with three or more shards of Gluttony within the corpse underneath her draconic mount - as well as the enormous pile of Elysium coins and the glowing dao treasure that¡¯d appeared as event prizes for Athela¡¯s victory, Allie just couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave. She knew that given their reunion, it was very unlikely that either of them would realize it if someone came up and started stealing under their very noses. They¡¯d simply be too invested in each other to care, so it was now up to her to make sure these treasures remained guarded until Riven and Athela got their heads on straight. ¡°Riven¡­¡± Athela said with a quivering voice, sniffling and keeping her head against his chest as they embraced. ¡°I need to talk to you. I have an admission to make, and I also did something bad¡­ but I don¡¯t regret it. And I need you to know why I did it, which may have something to do with the original admission. You might be mad at me.¡± Riven shook his head, holding onto her for dear life - arms tightly wrapped around her. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you could have done that I wouldn¡¯t forgive you for. I¡¯m just happy to have you here with me.¡± Athela paused, letting the words sink in as the feelings of happy butterflies and wavering dread intermixed. She didn¡¯t want this moment to end, but she peeled out of his grasp to stand a foot away - still holding him by the hands. ¡°Promise me?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. ¡°Of course, silly. I promise.¡± Another pause was taken before Athela gained the courage to go through with what she was about to do, with a deep inhale and slow exhale. ¡°Alright. Close your eyes.¡± Riven wiped away a tear with a happy but confused smile, cocking his head to the side with red eyes staring into her own. ¡°Close my eyes? That¡¯s an odd request. Weren¡¯t you going to tell me something?¡± ¡°Just do it, idiot!¡± Athela meekly replied in a soft, wavering voice. She crossed her long, slender, pitch-black legs; avoiding his gaze for a moment before giving him a pleading look. ¡°I have to tell you with your eyes closed. Please trust me.¡± The sound of explosions echoed in the distant city, but neither of them turned to look. Riven blinked just once, sighed with a gentle smile, and did as she asked. He felt Athela¡¯s hands let go of his own, and then felt her arms gracefully glide around his neck before the warm press of her lips met his. Up on her tiptoes, pulling him in, she held the kiss for a long, long time before letting go. ¡°I love you, Riven.¡± *** ¡°THAT WRETCHED BITCH!¡± Fay flung a vase to shatter across the wall in the Sojavi Clan¡¯s nether realm, then screamed at one of the lower class members of their large family to get out before slumping down into a huddling position to sob against a stone wall - head in her hands. Fay¡¯s sister, Nitidi, sat down next to her with a comforting arm laid across her shoulders. ¡°There is a saying from his homeworld¡­¡± Saemi, Fay¡¯s mother stated while sprawled out on a couch with a frown - watching the events on Panu unfold. ¡°All is fair in love and war, I believe it was. She played her cards well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not helping, mother!¡± Nitidi scolded the older succubus before turning to hug Fay more tightly while the blue skinned succubi continued to occupy the inner library sanctum. ¡°This is not over Fay. You¡¯ll be back and can set things right. She¡¯s just taking advantage of you not being there-¡± ¡°Like I did to her!?¡± Fay spat back, self loathing and venom in her words while still clutching her face - digging her nails into her skin. ¡°DAMN IT! This could NOT have gone worse!¡± Saemi frowned at her youngest daughter, giving Fay a once over before loudly sighing. ¡°What exactly did you expect for her to do after she came back? Just roll over and let you take him? You have to fight for what you want, Fay. It is the law of the multiverse, and in the arena of lust and love - you of all people have an advantage. You are a succubus, stop acting like such a spoiled child.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Fay looked up to glare at her mother, but Saemi didn¡¯t back down. ¡°This isn¡¯t about competition, mother. This is about how Riven sees me for ME, and not as a SEX OBJECT like all of your previous masters. You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Fay winced when the clan elder, her mother, snapped forward with her tail to whip Fay across the face. It left a long red mark on one cheek, and the younger succubus immediately went silent. ¡°You will not talk of my previous masters, little girl.¡± Saemi stated with gritted teeth, but settled back down on the cushioned couch a moment later with a calming breath. ¡°There were a couple of them that I liked very much. Just because you are hurting, child, doesn¡¯t mean you need to inflict that same emotional pain on others.¡± The anger towards her mother immediately simmered down, and Fay glanced up to see there was genuine hurt behind Saemi¡¯s eyes. Fay had struck a nerve, probably a half truth or even a full truth, and she immediately felt guilty. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. As you said, I am just¡­ I am not ok.¡± Fay¡¯s quivering voice hiccupped, and she tried to let out another calming breath while warm tears streamed down her cheeks. Looking up at the ceiling and wrapping one of her own arms around her silent sister sitting next to her - returning the embrace - Fay let out a wry chuckle. ¡°I suppose I deserve this.¡± There was a long pause, and Saemi gave her daughter a sad smile. ¡°Child¡­ you have a long, long ways to go on this road if you ever wish to find success. A minor setback like this is nothing in the grand scale of the true game.¡± Fay sniffled. ¡°And what would the true game be, exactly?¡± Saemi smiled, but did not answer that question. Instead, she waved her hand to summon the image of The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s capital city. Gesturing to it, she began to speak. ¡°Did you know that both Riven and Allie are being sold by the high queen as breeding horses?¡± Fay sniffled yet again, wiped her eyes, then frowned with furrowed eyebrows. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that, just like all the ones who have the active gift of Malignant Prophecy, their marriages are being auctioned off to other pureblooded royal houses at a young age. To be wed to the most prominent supporter and highest bidder.¡± Saemi¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Fay. When her daughter didn¡¯t reply, only staring back at her in silence, Saemi continued. ¡°To have a better chance at creating more just like them. Simply put, he is property of their high queen. The Blood Moon Requiem has destroyed entire empires and has committed genocides against trillions of people over even a slim chance of letting that gift of prophecy fall into the wrong hands, and in equal measure it seeks to create more users to solidify their station of power in the multiverse. If you really wish to pursue this man and don¡¯t wish to simply find another, perhaps you should consider whether or not you¡¯re able to recognize that you may never have a choice in the matter of being the only woman with him. Even if that¡¯s what he wants, the high queen could and would simply force him into arranged marriages or worse. Bidding for his hand in an official marriage has already reached absurd heights, going as far as offering up three planets and a treasure trove of supreme dao treasures to the crown for the chance at acquiring his genes and house name. The same can be said about Allie, but for her it is even more an unfortunate circumstance. She can only bear one pregnancy at a time, while Riven can have many children at once. This in turn means that the high queen will be less intrusive into your own relationship with the man, while Allie¡­ Allie will likely be prohibited from seeing anyone else at all - aside from the person the high queen picks for her. Be happy that Riven is a man, Fay, because if it¡¯d been Allie you¡¯d fallen in love with and if you were an incubus - there¡¯d be no hope for you whatsoever.¡± *** [You have abnormally high amounts of stat points to spend. Be advised that it is in your best interest to invest them soon.] Riven watched, mind elsewhere, as his shard of Gluttony violently consumed the three other shards one by one out of the monstrous corpse remnants ahead of him. Athela had told him how Fay had betrayed her trust, how Athela had just been hesitant to ruin their friendship by making a move, and how she¡¯d recently killed Fay (temporarily) in order to get some time alone to tell Riven all about what¡¯d happened. To tell Riven how she felt about him. Fay had originally made it seem like she wasn¡¯t certain of Athela''s intentions, yet she¡¯d lied to Riven about that too. Which bothered and angered him. He was also bothered and angered by Athela¡¯s admission about eating and killing Fay, because Fay had already been recently traumatized and was in a fragile state as it was. To boot he didn¡¯t know what to even think at this point. He was currently dating Fay, but when Athela had admitted how she¡¯d felt about him on the world stage¡­ He sighed, eyes distant amidst the violent ripping and tearing his own original shard of Gluttony as enduring while feasting on other shards. Funnily enough, the changes mostly didn¡¯t portray itself on his own body - but rather had a true link through the armor and weapon he wore. It was inside his soul, sure - he could even see it there as it connected to the other shards and grew in size; but the stats of his armor and his weapon both increased by leaps and bounds for every other shard consumed - rather than his own body being changed like the harbingers or Athela. Well, there was one odd change he noted on his body - but it wasn¡¯t anything out of place. Instead of a new arm, a mouth growing out of his chest, or some weird tail extension - he got a tattoo. It was a sleeve tattoo, covering his entire right shoulder and traveling all the way to his fingertips. There were a couple of stationary Sin-affiliated glyphs along with various Unholy affiliated runes - but most of the pitch black tattoo was actually fluid in motion. Patterns crossed, weaved about one another and shifted randomly all along the inner part of his tattoos borders - and a cold, chilling sensation continued to seep into his bloodstream from the ominous black ink over time. [You have absorbed 5 Pieces of Gluttony. Mark of the Sinner is under construction.] Five? His vision turned inward. He only saw four, all rotating about his Sin Core¡­ until he noticed the faint connection between Athela¡¯s shard in her own soul aperture and his own. Five it was then. And if that¡¯s how it was going to work¡­ perhaps he should distribute his pieces across all the minions he had. Which brought him back to needing to fill his last demonic contract slot, which he still hadn¡¯t done. He¡¯d been waiting this entire time for Athela to get back, wanting her opinion above all others before choosing, but now¡­ Ugh. He loved Athela, and he was attracted to her, but did he love her the same way she loved him? He¡¯d never thought about it romantically before. Not only that, but what about Fay? He was dating Fay, wasn¡¯t he? How would she react to all this? Did he even want to date her after she¡¯d kept such sensitive information to herself before making a move - knowing it¡¯d hurt Athela? ¡°That was¡­ somewhat expected.¡± Allie said softly, standing beside him as helicopter squadrons patrolled the skies overhead. She looked back over her shoulder the way Athela had left, giving Riven the time he needed to compute what had just happened. ¡®Take all the time you need, I¡¯ll be waiting. I don¡¯t need an answer now, I just¡­ I just need to know soon.¡¯ That¡¯s what Athela had told him before going, and she¡¯d given him another hopeful kiss before disappearing into the desolated city to find vampires to kill. What did that even mean? Riven shook his head and let himself fall back onto his ass with a thud, not bothering to catch himself when he sprawled out. Closing his eyes and spreading out his arms, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to snort. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to do, Allie. What should I do?¡± It was Allie¡¯s turn to sigh, and she plopped down onto the ground beside him - poking at the shifting tattoo on his right arm with mild amounts of curiosity. ¡°Do what feels right. Don¡¯t feel obligated to either of them. Don¡¯t act out of a sense of right or wrong. Just¡­ pick whoever you feel would be best for you. Pick the one who you think will love you the most, the one who you could love the most, and hope that it doesn¡¯t go wrong. And give it your all, because if it fails - you want to make sure that you have no regrets. Other than that, it¡¯s up in the air. I¡¯m no good at this relationship stuff. I had a man harem up until recently, remember? You might be asking the wrong girl.¡± Chapter 191 Chapter 191 Captain Vros Kinal, champion of this expedition to Panu, harbinger of The Empire of Dying Suns, was quite amused. ¡°How long has it been now? A few days?¡± The other officers in plate armor cackled or snickered while drinking the rum of conquered locals as they sat atop a keep on a large hill - making the new scantily clad slaves dance for them as they talked about recent events. ¡°You¡¯d be correct!¡± One of Kinal¡¯s subordinates called out. ¡°How pathetic! This is hilarious! Rippenvire is done here! No doubt they¡¯ll be off the planet and out of our hair in a few days, having abandoned Panu due to their embarrassing defeat.¡± ¡°I give it a single day!¡± Another officer yelled over the laughter - chugging a glass of ale. ¡°Two days!¡± Another one cried, slamming his fists merrily into the polished wood as scenes of the battle over the Panu Cortex circulated. Captain Vros Kinal grinned, sipping at his own drink and adjusting some of the documents in front of him before pushing a stack over to the previous queen of this newly conquered country. He slammed a finger into the top paper and gave the beautiful brunette woman a knowing look - then head-bobbed over to where he¡¯d hung her husband from a support beam down the way. ¡°These are the public decrees you¡¯re going to make, and you¡¯re going to make them today. Don¡¯t give me any more attitude or you¡¯ll end up like your husband, and we¡¯ll move on to your children next. Do we have an understanding?¡± The woman¡¯s head nodded and she smoothed out her dress, but she¡¯d been crying so hard that she wasn¡¯t able to actually speak any words. Instead, she just took the papers and pulled them closer to her, beginning to read while trying to maintain a semblance of dignity. ¡°Good.¡± Kinal said while leaning back in his chair. ¡°Believe me, your ¡®majesty.¡¯ This is better for everyone involved, this way we don¡¯t have to slaughter your people to make an example of them¡­ in due time, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll all come around to see the light.¡± *** 14 days later¡­ [Riven Thane¡¯s Status Page: His heavy plate armor glinted in the midday sun, his eyes unaffected from the bright light of early spring Riven sat on the southernmost mountain¡¯s peak, looking out over the distant city of Dawn¡¯s capital - Mandon. Smoke still billowed out even from here, and although the armies of Rippenvire had been thoroughly crushed - remnants of them still remained somewhere on the planet. Interrogations had led to the finding of their original base location, but the fortress they¡¯d brought with them had¡­ moved itself. Apparently. ¡°I am surprised you don¡¯t want to be there with your sister.¡± Gaia said, the little dryad girl playing with a flowers that weaved and moved to dance on the ground in front of her. She glanced up at her partner in meditation, looked over the status screen he¡¯d left up for well over an hour now, and sighed. ¡°My child, it is unhealthy for you to seclude yourself like this.¡± Riven spared the smaller figure of Gaia a brief glance. It¡¯d only been a couple days since she¡¯d been able to exit her dungeon, but he was glad to have her present here. Despite isolating himself from Athela, Fay, and Allie after recent events for introspection and some soul searching - he couldn¡¯t deny that her insight and wisdom was appreciated. ¡°Allie is giving her speech today. For the fallen who died fighting to save the city. The people love her, they¡¯re obsessed with her. She is an ever present figure that symbolizes change and an improvement in their lives, with only a few exceptions - namely for the elvish slaves. As for me? I¡¯m merely a figurehead, an unsaid threat. A weapon to be used in the background. People fear me for what I did in the City of Canyons, and I can¡¯t say I blame them. My presence will not be missed, I have no desire to stay in the spotlight beyond what is necessary, and I needed to clear my head after¡­¡± His words faltered, and his gaze slid to the ground - red eyes piercing the dirt through the visored slit in his feathered plate armor helmet. The bloodsilk around his body rippled, and a comforting, soothing notion from both Messenger and Jackal in his lap oozed through him. It was nice seeing that his two items were there for him, though he did find it odd that this was the case considering what they were at the core of their beings. Ever since the completion of each item, they¡¯d been nothing but supportive both in battle and with mental fortitude. It was like having two quiet guardian angels sitting watch on either shoulder at all times, and ever since his acquisition of the other shards of Gluttony - that presence of there¡¯s had increased drastically with the increase in their stats. Speaking of stats¡­ Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He turned back to his status page. 126 stat points to assign, and over 36 million demonic contracts to sort through. How was he supposed to dig through all of that on his own? He wished Athela was here to help him decide. But he still needed to process everything that had happened. When Fay had arrived back on Panu, the two women had screamed and shouted at one another until Fay left crying and even Athela remained a little shaken. Riven didn¡¯t know what the hell to do. If he was being honest with himself, he cared a lot about both of them. But¡­ Fuck. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it. Shouldn¡¯t he be consoling one or the other, or both of them in their time of crisis? Yet here he was, sitting atop a mountain, avoiding the entire situation of needing to choose between them. It was very apparent to him that should he take one wrong move, he might very well lose one or both of them. He wished he could go back to the days where they were all just friends. To him, it¡¯d be worth it. Then he wouldn¡¯t have to be so terrified of seeing one of them leave. He sighed and did the math again. After Athela¡¯s massive evolution her Willpower requirement had spiked to 190 points. Adding them all up, including Luke - who he hadn¡¯t seen in a while after leaving him back in the Brightsville manor, he had 295 of his Willpower stat points utilized in containing his minions. That left 33 available points for a new demonic contract. That wouldn¡¯t be enough. Not if he had such a large amount of demons to choose from, as he had no doubt the best and brightest of them would be far more of a tax on his Willpower than that. So he pushed all 126 of his free stat points into Willpower, making it rise 454 and giving him 159 Willpower points to work with concerning the new contract he was going to make. ¡°Hiding here will not make your problems go away.¡± Gaia eventually said after Riven was caught staring off into space yet again. ¡°You have yet to focus on your cultivation since experiencing insights during the last battle, you have made little to no progress concerning the two women you have feelings for, Athela has been waiting for you to use her dao treasure as it requires a bonded partner, you have yet to enter the cube you took from Daskus - the City of Canyons. News from The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s outpost here talks of slave rebellions on your inherited planet in another sector, probably a farce and a political play from enemies you don¡¯t even know you have yet - with details from that vampiric princess Kathrine otherwise being withheld until she speaks to you specifically. You need to acquire your new minion. After seeing your display on Mandon, the elvish kingdom of Tereen has surrendered and are wanting to become your vassal in exchange for an end to the war and the return of their people - with talks still on hold because you¡¯re sitting here in seclusion. The King of Dawn has continually tried to contact you for unknown reasons and you simply ignore him, which could have political ramifications. Allie also wants to teach you about the Death Pillar before the time comes to enter Chalgathi¡¯s next trial. If it was anyone else, I would tell them to take the time needed to clear their heads. But you are an important person, Riven, and you cannot afford to sit around and waste time if the goals you have are real. If you don¡¯t figure your own personal problems out now, you will bring that stress and anxiety with you into events that will effect the lives of billions. Please consider this, just as I asked Athela and Fay to consider it in your stead.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, looking over at the dryad demigoddess while perched on their ledge. ¡°You asked them what, exactly? What do you mean by that?¡± Gaia gave him a warm smile. ¡°I just gave them some insight as to what this internal strife they caused has done to you. They are waiting for you to speak to them, back at your manor in Brightsville. I think you should go, it has been long enough already and pushing this confrontation back even further will only make things worse. It is time for the three of you to decide what happens next, for better or for worse, so that you can all move forward in your lives and allow for some much needed healing.¡± *** There was both celebration and mourning in the city of Brightsville as Riven slowly made his way through the crowds like a zombie - dreading the confrontation he was about to have. Upon seeing him, people prostrated themselves - calling him a hero aloud while keeping their distance and giving him fearful glances as he passed them by. He ignored them. Not because he didn¡¯t care about their wellbeing, but because he knew they were more scared of him than anything else. He was a monster now. There was no point in making himself feel good about false praise. In the huge markets now set up around the Elysium Altar was the giant cube, shifting hundreds of feet overhead very much like a rubix cube did from time to time with large blue runes - already having lines of people try their hand at acquiring power from the trials it held at the risk of their lives. He got some shoutouts from various representatives of both the Blood Moon Requiem and Negrada when passing along the perimeter of the trading communes at the Elysium Altar, but these too he blatantly ignored. Instead he continued his trudging death march towards the manor a few miles away on the southern edge of the city, beyond the farms where elf slaves tended the fields. God how he hated the fact that they kept slaves. And if Tereen¡¯s proposal was right, if they were able to maintain a vassal state with the elves under their thumb, Riven was sure to get rid of those slaves as long as their people were re-educated to fit the bill. They needed peace, not more hate, and if that meant indoctrinating the elvish children then so be it. The rest of the trip seemed like a blur, and Riven eventually came to a stop in front of the manor where a large group of people already awaited him. And some of the people here were certainly a surprise to see - most of which were the King of Dawn in plate mail with some of his bodyguards, and Genua¡¯s daughter - Len, who wore a familiar reed dress and held her mother¡¯s hand tightly to the far side with wide eyes. He didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d all been told by Gaia, but that''d probably been what happened upon his descent from the mountains. The pure blooded vampire heiress Kathrine, a line of uniformed maids - including Genua and her little girl, Fay¡¯s incubus brother Tupper, Dr. Brass, Riven¡¯s thrall Luke Blissfallen, Gurth¡¯Rok the orc chieftain turned vampire, Allie, Mara, Vin and Nin the skresh necromancers, Lahn, Lahn¡¯s entire family - including the two sibling brats Riven seriously disliked from the stories he¡¯d heard, General Bruner, the new mayor of Chicago, and his minions were all there. Azmoth stood with four folded arms inbetween Athela and Fay, with both women staring fixated on his position and having various emotions crossing each of their faces. Nervousness, anxiety, fear, hope, love¡­ they were all present. But why was Allie here? Shouldn¡¯t she be giving that speech in Mandon? And the King of Dawn too? Riven¡¯s shoulders sagged when Gaia walked out of the backline, escorted by two of her greater dryad companions, and stopped at the very front with a calming aura filtering in the air around her. ¡°Thank you for coming Riven. I took it upon myself to get everyone here to help ease the transition of things needed to be done. Otherwise it may take many more weeks than we have to get situated. Now, first and foremost - Fay and Athela are going to lead you inside to your room and have a discussion about your future together. I am sorry if I am acting like an overbearing parent here, but I believe it is needed.¡± ¡°The king and queen of Tereen have also surrendered, and are being escorted here now by our troops. They should arrive by the end of tonight.¡± Allie chimed in from the side. Riven couldn¡¯t give two shits whether or not the leaders of Tereen were coming, and the body language he had accompanied by the expression he wore even underneath his helmet was an obvious takeaway on exactly how he felt. Silence reigned. And it was Azmoth who eventually broke that silence. ¡°I come with you. We all speak inside. Follow me and we fix this.¡± The large obsidian demon akin to a hellspawned paladin of legend stepped forward, gesturing for the maids to create a path as the doors to the manor swung open. Kathrine looked like she was about to speak too, but quickly shut up with a glare from Allie. Athela and Fay both turned to follow, but each of them glanced back to make sure Riven was coming too before entering the large three-story stone manor. Hesitating only for a few moments, Riven silently walked through the crowds of his friends, servants and acquaintances until he was at the staircase leading up to his room on the third floor. Then, following Azmoth and his other two demons into his private chambers - the four of them shut the door to have a private conversation about the things that¡¯d happened over the past couple weeks. Chapter 192 Chapter 192 Athela sat on the bed, a downcast expression on her face while she fiddled with the crown Riven had given her as a gift months ago. Fay remained standing, nervously shifting her weight from foot to foot while occasionally giving him sideways glances. Meanwhile, Azmoth took it upon himself to direct Riven to a stool near the bathroom someone had brought into the room during his long absence. It¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d come home, and the balcony windows were closed shut by Azmoth after a few seconds of listening to helicopters passing by overhead. The resounding silence was long and awkward. Riven would much rather be in a life and death situation than something like this, and he inwardly cringed at just what he had to do if these two forced his hand. He didn¡¯t want to face the music. Not like this. ¡°Uhm¡­ Riven?¡± Athela asked softly with a shaky voice, getting a vengeful glare from the succubus nearby. ¡°I know this is hard¡­ but can you talk to us please? We need to know.¡± Fay cleared her throat, anxiously stepping side to side as he stared at his feet. She took in a deep breath, and folded her arms to hug herself tightly. ¡°I agree. I can¡¯t keep going on like this, the last two weeks have been a living nightmare for me. I keep thinking about¡­ about you choosing her and¡­¡± Fay¡¯s words trailed off, eyes settling on the ground. Riven dismissed Messenger, the armor peeling itself off of his body and floating to the side - only leaving a thin linen vest on as he took in a deep breath of his own. He looked up to meet each of their gazes one at a time, a sad smile on his lips. ¡°I really wish that you two hadn¡¯t done this to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s HER fault!¡± Fay began, pointing to Athela with venom in her words. ¡°She should have taken what she wanted, not waited until I started dating you to decide she would act! This is so utterly-¡± ¡°You knew I was going to tell him.¡± Athela cut in, voice soft but firm and eyes glued to Riven as the succubus glared her way. ¡°You knew, Fay.¡± ¡°AND YET YOU DID NOTHING ABOUT IT!¡± Fay shrieked, tears coming to her eyes as her voice quivered. ¡°And now that he is mine, you¡¯ve chosen to try and steal him from me! Can you not see how miserable you¡¯ve made him!? Can you not see how happy we were!? And you came in to ruin it!¡± Fay choked back a loud sob, and Athela finally met her eyes. Only this time it was Athela¡¯s time to start crying. Her pitch black lips quivered, and tears started forming under her red eyes while her fists clenched and her whole body began to lightly shake. Athela shook her head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t live with myself if I didn¡¯t tell him how I felt. You waited until I was dead, not telling him-¡± ¡°I DID TELL HIM!¡± Fay screamed, motioning to where Riven sat watching the two of them in silence. ¡°I told him that I thought you may like him and-¡± ¡°May?¡± Athela asked, becoming visibly angry when she aggressively got to her feet - only to be sat back down by a hand planted on her shoulder by Azmoth. She glared up at the armored demon, brushed his clawed hand off, and snarled back at the succubus. ¡°I thought you were my friend. You had an absolute knowledge that I planned to tell him how I felt, do not act like you didn¡¯t know. There was no ¡®maybe¡¯, no ¡®may¡¯ about it. You knew. Yet you betrayed my friendship anyway to get him for yourself when I wasn¡¯t around. You stabbed me in the back, Fay.¡± Riven cleared his throat, getting the attention of all of them while three heads swiveled to meet his face. He took in a deep breath, gave a defeated half-hearted laugh, and rubbed his fingers along the sides of his temple. ¡°I believe this is partially my fault.¡± No one said a word, waiting for him to continue. Riven met their eyes again, a lump forming in his throat while thinking about just what was going to happen when and if he was forced to break the news. ¡°It may be entirely my fault. I¡­ I hadn¡¯t known you felt the way you did, Athela. Fay tried to tell me, and though she didn¡¯t outright say she knew - she did hint at it. We can at least give her credit for that.¡± Fay seemed to calm somewhat at his words, while Athela¡¯s face creased in worry. He continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know what was said between the two of you before Daskus when Athela died and Fay was kidnapped, but Fay did tell me it may be possible you felt that way. I just didn¡¯t believe it, because¡­ I don¡¯t know why. I just didn¡¯t realize it was the truth. I¡¯d always looked at you as my best friend, rather than someone as a potential romantic partner.¡± Athela¡¯s face scrunched up with emotion, and she tried to reply - but all that came out was a choked muffled sound while her hands clenched tightly around one another; tears streaming down her face again as she began to shake. Riven paused, gritting his teeth. ¡°Honestly, if it were up to me¡­ we¡¯d all go back in time to the way things were. Before all of this happened and the conflict between the two of you started, before either of you admitted your feelings for me. That way I wouldn¡¯t have to choose. Let me ask you both¡­ What happens if I choose the other?¡± The silence was palpable once again, and this time it lasted for a full minute before Fay spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ve asked my mother to cut my contract forcibly with an artifact if you choose her over me.¡± Fay stated softly, a sad smile playing across her lips. ¡°It isn¡¯t that I want to punish you if you do choose her, it¡¯s that I couldn¡¯t stay if you did. I¡¯m falling for you, just as Athela has. I intimately understand how she feels about you because I feel the same way. I wouldn¡¯t mind if¡­ if you even slept with other girls. But not her. She¡¯s a threat to my bond with you, because I want to be the one that is most important to you. Physically we succubi and incubi are very involved and the drive is high, sex is only sex, but emotionally¡­ I want that emotional connection. If you choose her over me, it means your heart is with her rather than me. I know you love her, I¡¯ve heard you say it, but I believe it isn¡¯t a romantic love. Is it? I¡¯m hoping not, because I want to be the only romantic love you have.¡± ¡°You¡¯d really just leave? Just like that?¡± Riven asked in a whisper. Fay nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes stared up at her for a moment, then turned to Athela. ¡°And what about you? What happens to you if I choose to continue dating Fay?¡± Athela slowly opened her mouth to reply, hesitated, choked back a weak sob and cleared her throat while rapidly blinking. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. She paused, mulling over her tumultuous thoughts. ¡°Riven¡­ do you really love me like you said you did back in Daskus? After I was killed, when you slaughtered all those people to bring me back?¡± Riven¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Of course I do.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t a romantic love, then? As Fay implies?¡± He hesitated, then slowly shook his head. ¡°No, it hadn¡¯t been.¡± Athela¡¯s lips quivered. ¡°And¡­ and do you think there¡¯d be any chance of that changing?¡± Riven did not reply. She took in deep breaths over the course of the next few seconds, trying to calm herself while tightly closing her eyes shut. ¡°Perhaps this was foolish of me after all.¡± She let the words hang in the air, and her shoulders sagged - hands coming up to hide her face while she rested her elbows on her knees in a hunched position. ¡°Honestly I¡­ I don¡¯t think I know. I would try to stay if you choose her, I really would, I just¡­ my feelings towards you have changed since we first met. I can¡¯t help it¡­ I just am so infatuated with you, I get butterflies just being around you, and I''ve worked so, so hard to try and build up the courage to talk to you about it¡­¡± Athela bit her lip to stifle another sob, voice quivering, letting out a feminine whimper as blood trickled down her chin from where her teeth dug into flesh. ¡°I just¡­ I had worked so, so hard¡­ to get the courage. And when I finally have it, I am betrayed by someone I thought a friend. It¡¯s hard¡­ hard to wrap my mind around. That I am losing not only a friend, but the man I love. Losing him to that person I previously thought a friend. It hurts a lot more than I thought it would. It¡­ it feels like my heart is going to rip out of my chest. I don¡¯t know how to handle this¡­¡± ¡°Athela¡­¡± Riven began, but she held up a hand to stop him - sniffling as she straightened her posture and blinked away more tears. ¡°No, I have more to say.¡± She sniffled, wiping her face oof with the backs of her hands and forcing a smile as wide as she could. ¡°No matter what happens, I want you to choose whoever is best for you. But I hope that it¡¯s me, I want to be the one that you marry one day. I know it may seem silly, coming from a demon, but the idea makes me giddy. It also makes me physically sick thinking you¡¯d want to be with someone else other than me. Ever since we first bonded back in Chalgathi¡¯s trials, I knew that I¡¯d likely come into a humanoid form. I have many aunts and uncles with humanoid forms, it is just part of the evolutionary process¡­ and the day you saved me from being eaten in Negrada was the first day that I really considered it. But over time that feeling grew, and it grew fast. I remember the day we went clothes shopping in Brightsville after we trudged through that sewer, covered in gore and sludge after the fight with the worms¡­ I remember how bad we both smelled.¡± She gave a little laugh, thinking back on the past. ¡°I remember how you told me that the dress I¡¯d picked out would look good on me, and how you hugged me¡­ and how it felt to have your arms around me. I remember being so jealous of that elf, Ethel, and thought how I¡¯d never measure up to someone as pretty as that. Humans have a thing for elves after all and I didn¡¯t have blonde hair, I was naturally violent and my demonic side was perhaps too ugly for you - but I wanted to believe you¡¯d one day see me as a woman; rather than as a pet.¡± Athela turned her eyes on Fay, becoming stiff when the succubus¡¯s glare made contact with her own. ¡°And I was so intimidated when we ended up choosing Fay as the third minion, you wouldn¡¯t even believe it. Fay is so pretty, unnaturally so, just like all of her race. It¡¯s what her kind is good at, wooing mortals, but I told you to choose her anyways because she was the right fit for you. It was better than that overgrown eyeball of a demon who tried to trick you into signing a bad contract, and I don¡¯t regret that decision even now. Because Fay and I became friends. Or at least I thought we had. But now¡­¡± Athela¡¯s words trailed off, and a look of guilt overcame Fay when the succubus winced. ¡°I guess I¡¯d probably leave too.¡± Athela eventually said with a mournful expression, downcast gaze hitting the floor. ¡°I¡¯d try to stay, I really would, I want you to be happy. But it might be too painful to watch you continue on this path with her, when I want it to be me instead. The dates you had, the dinner you took her to, the way you held hands and the love you made with her¡­ I wanted that. I still want that. I want to be the one woman you love forever, and if not¡­ then perhaps it is time for me to finally move on. Maybe I¡¯d enter the wars in Hell as an independent mercenary and cut all ties, or maybe I¡¯d just stay in the nether realms until I calm down enough to come back. I just don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t think I will know until the time comes.¡± Athela avoided his gaze after that, sullen and downcast on the bed with her hands clasped in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t abandon me¡­¡± Fay whispered under her breath, eyes wide as she stepped closer to Riven with a hand hesitantly stretching out. ¡°Please¡­ These have been the happiest months of my life. You showed me that I don¡¯t have to be a sex object like my sisters, aunts and mother all were. You treated me like a real person, you are so different from the last summoner I had¡­ and I have found true happiness. Don¡¯t take that away from me.¡± Athela couldn¡¯t even manage to glare at the succubus again, instead just choking up on the bed. Riven took a shaky breath, then slowly stood up. He took Fay¡¯s hand in his own, wrapping his fingers around hers, and gave Athela a sad look as the arachnid demoness returned a teary-eyed glance. ¡°Athela, I really wish you would have told me sooner.¡± Their eyes locked, Athela¡¯s expression pleading as she silently mouthed the words ¡®I love you¡¯ as she began to violently shake. ¡°Please leave the room Athela.¡± Athela¡¯s eyes went wide, and she broke out into a loud sob before she rushed out of the room - slamming the door behind her with a loud bang. Sighing and heart clenching, Riven turned to Fay - who looked up at him with an emotional smile - hand still wrapped around his own as she began to press up against him - arms wrapping around his chest with a shaky sigh of relief. Until he stopped her short. She gave him a confused glance, but was brought down to a sitting position on the bed as he joined her to face her head on - tears of his own coming to his eyes while gathering the courage to do what needed to be done. Deep breaths. ¡°Fay¡­ the time we spent together was special. It still is special. You are special to me.¡± Riven said softly, feeling her touch pull away as her expression began to change. He stayed strong, having prepared himself over the past two weeks for this, and outwardly shuddered. ¡°You mean a lot to me. Honestly, this fucking sucks. This entire situation sucks. I wish it¡¯d never happened.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t abandon me¡­¡± Fay whispered again, beginning to break down with choking sobs as her eyes squinted and she withdrew away from him on the bed. Riven¡¯s gaze hit the floor, a lump forming in his throat. ¡°You two are forcing me to choose. It isn¡¯t fair, and I don¡¯t want to do it. Is there any way that the three of us could work this out? You and I are dating now, but¡­ maybe we could make it work with the three of us. You said you¡¯re ok with me sleeping with other women, why make me choose between you and her? I¡¯ve told you that I always wanted the one, a soul mate to grow old with, but this is cruel. What the two of you are doing to me is cruel. I¡¯d rather not lose either of you, and despite what I want - I¡¯d rather try it with both of you first.¡± Fay stared at him for a time, mixed emotions crossing her features, but she shook her head to reply with a whisper. ¡°No. Neither I nor Athela want that. We both want to be the one your heart is bound to, the physical stuff isn¡¯t much of an issue - but not with her. Not with an emotional threat like that. You could end up loving her more than me. I couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t do it. You don¡¯t even want that either, you said it yourself many times now - and you just said it again; you want a soulmate just like we do. You need to choose.¡± Riven¡¯s expression fell, and he took in a shuddering breath. His shoulders sagged. ¡°Alright then. If that¡¯s how it is, then I have to choose Athela. I¡¯m sorry Fay, I really am.¡± It was as if he¡¯d slapped her across the face. She remained sitting there, stunned, before letting out a final muffled sob. Violently shaking and stumbling to her feet - she nearly fell over. She then began taking off the feathered boots he¡¯d given her - setting them down clumsily on the floor while streams of water poured down her cheeks while her lips trembled. She then let out a whisper. ¡°Please let Tupper stay. I hope Athela makes you happy¡­ Mother, take me home.¡± In a flash of light Fay was gone, leaving Riven speechless on the edge of the bed. When he saw the notification appear before his very eyes, he began to silently sob, his shoulders heaving up and down while clutching his face in his hands to try and keep the tears back. [Fay¡¯s contract has been forcibly broken. A demonic contract slot has opened up. 2 of 4 demonic contract slots are now available.] Chapter 193 Chapter 193 Tupper gulped, nervousness overcoming him while he traversed the halls of his clan¡¯s compounds. He was already getting glares from numerous members of his family, but as long as he found Fay before his father found HIM then he¡¯d be fine. Hopefully. Cringing at the memory of how that last encounter with his father had gone, he mentally brushed it aside with supreme will and headed towards his mother¡¯s chambers. Fay wasn¡¯t in her room, and he needed to make sure she wasn¡¯t making a huge mistake. Passing by another succubus-incubus couple sitting on a couch and turning left down the pristine hall of this shared nether realm pocket dimension, Tupper came up to the large doors that signified the clan mother. Taking in a deep breath and looking around to make sure no one else was there, he knocked. ¡°Come in Tupper, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± Tupper¡¯s face paled. We? Hopefully that wasn¡¯t who he thought she meant. Gathering his courage and entering the room, he let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw his sister Nitidi and Saemi, his mother. His father was nowhere to be seen. But he still noted the look of distaste Saemi gave him before she gestured for him to sit on one of the nearby beds. He took a seat, the usual suit he wore back on Panu gone in favor of a more free flowing robe with a large slit down the middle to reveal his chest - a chosen garment many of their kind wore. His black eyes met his mothers, and he shuddered. ¡°Hello, Saemi. I was hoping you¡¯d know where Fay went.¡± His sister Nitidi frowned, exchanging a look with the older succubus before Saemi leaned forward with hands clasped together. ¡°We know exactly where she went. Why would you want to know?¡± Tupper blinked, then firmed his will. ¡°I believe she is making a mistake by leaving. I am¡­ just confused. Confused as to why it was said she used an artifact to leave, for one. I know there¡¯s no chance any of you would ever use an artifact to cut her contract like that unless she was in mortal peril. Is there an explanation for why she would say that to Riven?¡± Saemi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°No it isn¡¯t, but it is the first of a few questions.¡± ¡°I believe you just want her there because you¡¯d miss her, rather than it being the right choice.¡± Tupper¡¯s mood immediately darkened. ¡°Of course I¡¯d miss her, but-¡± Saemi cut off his words with a raised hand, leaning back against a stack of pillows with a snort. She turned left, picking up some fruit and beginning to chew softly before swallowing - then glanced back at her son. ¡°I did not use an artifact.¡± ¡°Then how did she break the contract, and why would she lie?¡± This time, it was Nitidi to chime in. ¡°It¡¯s because her contract stated that in order for her to stay, Riven could not harm her. Why she lied about it? We don¡¯t know.¡± Tupper¡¯s eyes widened, and a look of shock overcame him. ¡°He was hurting her?¡± ¡°Not physically. But emotionally, yes. It was enough for the system to consider it torture, mental anguish can bring even more pain than physical. So it allowed her to break the contract on the spot.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s utterly ridiculous!¡± Tupper exclaimed, standing up with hands outstretched. ¡°This makes no sense! She¡¯s acting out of emotion only, and not thinking logically! Riven still cared for her, I know he does. There was still a chance for her to make things work if she¡¯d just stay, instead of forcing him into choosing between her and ATHELA who Riven has been with since the beginning of the integration! He had even said he cared for Athela in a non-romantic way, and for all Fay knows it may be like asking him to choose between his love interest and a family member! Fay has known him for half the time she has, and he¡¯s going to be used as a prized stallion for the Blood Moon Requiem to breed with anyways - whether he likes it or not. She does realize this, right? WHY force him to choose!? He told me on his way out of the manor that he even asked her to try and work a relationship with both of them should Athela agree!¡± Nitidi rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement. ¡°We already told her this almost verbatim before she took such rash action. Neither of us are pleased either, Tupper.¡± ¡°Well then let me talk to her so I can speak some sense into her, if you two couldn¡¯t!¡± Again, Nitidi shared a look with her mother. ¡°Unfortunately she isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°What do you mean she isn¡¯t here? Where else would she be, since she¡¯s not on Panu?¡± Tupper asked, brows furrowing in worry. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡± ¡°She impulsively took the first demonic contract that became available to her due to grief, she has a new master now. She¡¯s in the Drig sector on a middling planet.¡± Saemi replied, irritatedly throwing the last piece of fruit across the room with a loud huff. ¡°Fay is now bound to some crime lord, a cruel nobody with a sick obsession for abuse. I''m not sure if she did it out of self hate, as a form of self punishment, or she simply was just stupid enough not to modify the base contract in her grief. And I¡¯d had such high hopes for that daughter too.¡± *** The other leaders, gathered from Dawn, Chicago, Brightsville, the kingdom of Tereen, and very recently even Deepnest - they¡¯d have to wait until tomorrow to have any real talks concerning him. For now they¡¯d been instructed to do what they could without him, and that he¡¯d meet with them tomorrow after he cleared his head. He already missed Fay. It was like he¡¯d lost a family member. How things had spiraled out of control like this was beyond him, but honestly there wasn¡¯t much he could have done without knowledge of the things happening behind the curtains. And now that he¡¯d been forced to be honest with himself, now that he¡¯d been forced to choose - he was certain in his decision that Athela was one of only two people he cared for more than Fay. That still didn¡¯t make it any better. He¡¯d hoped to talk them into something less traditional as a way out of this, particularly when he and Fay had talked in his room before she¡¯d abruptly got up and left, but he understood why neither of them wanted it. He couldn¡¯t blame them for that either, he''d not wanted something like that either until only very recently - and only because of what the consequences were if he chose otherwise. Riven stepped down off the ledge, dropping onto a flat expanse of mountainside. To his right, the ruined gas station they¡¯d teleported to out of Negrada was in even worse shape than it¡¯d been in months ago. The view was also a lot different, due to the landscape being terraformed into an unholy version of its old self. Various kinds of wild undead, as well as other creatures of the night, stalked in the shadows - but even they were very aware of just how dangerous it¡¯d be to approach him on his way there due to his aura. So he¡¯d been left alone, absolutely unhindered. Continuing to walk forward and wiping away the moisture from his eyes, he came to stand behind the woman he¡¯d come to love. She was curled up with her knees tucked into her arms and her head resting on her knees while continuing to silently cry - her pitch black skin only barely reflecting any of the starlight that sometimes penetrated the fog of these haunted woods. ¡°Out of all places, you chose to come here?¡± Riven said softly, sitting down next to her and startling her. She looked up at him, shocked to see him there, and blinked her red eyes rapidly while wiping them away and sniffling. ¡°Riven, I¡¯d like to be alone for a while. Please.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± She shot him a glare that could kill, not even bothering to answer. He stared back with a soft expression, trying to keep down the burning emotions he had before reaching out and putting a hand on one of her knees. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°OF COURSE I¡¯M NOT OK!¡± Athela screamed, tears bursting out again before she slapped him hard across the face, shuddering and getting to her feet in a huff. She opened her mouth to scream at him again, but abruptly calmed herself and took in a deep breath while closing her eyes - retracting the claws that she¡¯d produced instinctively before straightening. ¡°I¡­ accept¡­ your decision. I just need time to think about it before I decide on what I want to do. Please, respect me enough for that and give me some space. Please, Riven.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Riven touched the bruised spots on his face, part of her claws had even come out in the slape and blood trickled down one cheek before his vampiric regeneration quickly sealed the cut. He looked up at her, sighing and standing up before putting both hands on her shoulders while her lips trembled and snot began to leak out of one nostril. He wiped it away with his sleeve and she didn¡¯t bother stopping him. ¡°Your version of ugly crying is something else. Athela, Fay left - she cut the contract and disappeared. I didn¡¯t tell you to leave the room because I¡¯d chosen her.¡± His voice cracked upon his admission, and Athela¡¯s eyes widened yet again - but this time much wider than previously as she took in a shuddering breath. ¡°Athela¡­ I just needed some space to let her know that I chose you.¡± Hurt was obvious in his expression, and he bit his lip to try and keep from crying again. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m angry with both of you for forcing me to do this. I¡¯m not going to lie Athela, I liked her. A lot. Telling her was one of the hardest things I¡¯ve ever done. But if there¡¯s anyone on this planet other than my sister who I care for even more than her, it¡¯s you. I¡¯m not willing to lose you, Athela, and if you want to try this out¡­ If you really want to date and maybe one day marry me, then after everything we¡¯ve been through together - I owe it to you to try.¡± Athela¡¯s body remained stiff in a state of shock. ¡°You chose me over her?¡± He nodded once, trying to maintain a quivering smile but failing. When she noticed with a frown of her own, he gave an apologetic shrug. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ it was hard. Not that it was even a choice, I love you Athela. I¡¯ll just miss her. I hope you can understand and give me a bit to come to terms with it.¡± She slowly nodded, biting her lip with mixed emotions and continuing to stare at him unblinking. Then, suddenly, she threw her arms around him and started wailing with pent up tears exploding from her face while she shook and hiccup-sobbed. ¡°Riven I¡­ I love you so, so much¡­ I won¡¯t forget this for as long as I live. I promise you, you didn¡¯t make the wrong choice¡­ I''ll show you, I promise!¡± Riven held her close, kissing her on the forehead and began rubbing her back to calm her down while a feeling of warmth overcame him. In this moment, seeing his partner in crime like this, it made his soul settle down even despite all the emotional trauma they¡¯d all recently undergone. ¡°I love you too, Athela. I love you too.¡± *** The next morning, Riven woke up to a knock at the door with Athela buried under one arm with her head laying on his rising chest. It was brighter out today, and sunlight managed to shine through an open window while he looked her over. Dr. Brass had been right all those months ago. Athela had always worn an exoskeleton over the top of her body, a very thin and formfitting one - but Riven could certainly tell the difference now that she was naked and pressed up against his chest. Watching her shed the thing like a tight suit had been a very interesting sight to behold, before she¡¯d aggressively pounced on him in an emotional love making he¡¯d never forget. She twitched in her sleep, groaning and pulling him in tighter before mumbling something inaudible. A silly smile was plastered on her face, and she gave off a soft giggle before drifting back off into dreams. The knock repeated itself, and Riven responded with a call for whoever it was to come in - after he¡¯d drawn up the covers to make sure Athela¡¯s backside wasn¡¯t exposed. The door opened with a click, and Genua walked in with two other elf maids and her daughter in tow. They each carried a variety of platters with refreshments for breakfast, along with a goblet of blood. They were all silent and left quickly with the exception of Genua, who curtsied and kept her eyes lowered. ¡°Allie said we needed to wake you. I hope you¡¯re not angry with us for obeying orders, but here¡¯s your breakfast. She says you need to eat and come down stairs, because the other leaders are waiting and it¡¯s nearly noon.¡± Riven chuckled at her words, but nodded - only stopping her when his vampiric senses picked up on the strange but familiar smell coming off of the woman. ¡°Wait. Genua, why do I sense vampirism on your person?¡± Genua stalled, then her eyebrows raised. ¡°Oh. That is your sister¡¯s doing, while you were gone for those many months I told her that I¡¯d take your offer up to become a thrall. I¡¯m not one yet, but I¡¯m mostly finished with the transition. I¡¯ve been drinking the blood of your sister, and sometimes Gurth¡¯Rok in order to complete the transition. I believe it was their plan to let you do the completion at the end though, in order to acquire me as a thrall for yourself. I was told your other thrall, that old man Luke, does not supply enough blood and that I would likely be needed. Does that satisfy you?¡± Riven thought about it, rubbing Athela¡¯s bare back as she groaned again beside him and adjusted her position. ¡°Yeah. It does.¡± Genua nodded with a bland smile. ¡°I must say, the transition is going well. I feel¡­ happier. I¡¯m told it¡¯ll only get better when it completes.¡± ¡°Because you get to see your daughter now?¡± ¡°Yes. But also I believe the vampiric effects of becoming a thrall are shifting my mental state. It was needed, I was in a severe depression after my family¡¯s betrayal - and after you killed Ethel and my husband. Now though, I can honestly say it stings a lot less. If I am to be in this position, I¡¯d rather do it as happily as I can - at the very least for the sake of Len. Is that all, master?¡± Riven¡¯s gaze drifted to the ceiling. The way she phrased it made him feel¡­ evil. Villainous. The previous raw emotions he¡¯d had towards Genua and her family were fading away now that many months had passed them by, and he didn¡¯t really know how to feel about their betrayal in an attempt to murder him anymore. Not after what she¡¯d just said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better about it.¡± Riven finally said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you and Len are back together.¡± Genua nodded and curtsied again. ¡°Very well. If you are ever in need of my blood, or my body again, please feel free to let me know. The last time we had intercourse was quite enjoyable, likely due to the drugs and my mind changing - but nevertheless I¡¯d like to repeat it sometime. Perhaps Athela would like it too, I believe I find her more attractive than I do you actually. As for the cage¡­¡± Genua looked over to the cage that Tupper had been keeping her in along the corner of the room. ¡°I was told to stay out of this room last night by Tupper, but if it is ok with you I¡¯d like to continue rooming with my daughter across the hall.¡± Riven blinked. His heart clenched when he remembered the first night he and Fay had engaged in promiscuous activities, and he had to forcibly push those thoughts away while nodding. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. The cage was a bit overboard anyways in my opinion. You can stay across the hall with your daughter regularly - and if Len ever needs anything let me know. Just be sure she continues attending those re-education classes.¡± Genua gave him a warm smile, brushing her locks of blonde hair behind her pointed ears. ¡°Thank you master, I will do so. I¡¯ll be leaving now unless you need anything else.¡± ¡°Nope. That¡¯s all, tell the others I¡¯ll be down there within the hour.¡± ¡°I shall do so. Have a good breakfast, Riven.¡± *** The eastern wing of the manor was filled with people. Elf servants and slaves rushed around in maid uniforms under the direction of Tupper - who looked rather downtrodden after Riven had given the news to him yesterday. There were various guards posted along the halls and all around the compound outside from the Thane Necropolis - a mix of different species but mostly undead, humans from Dawn, ratkin from Deepnest, and even some of Gaia¡¯s dryads. Inside the eastern wing, the inside pool wasn¡¯t in use - but the kitchen and dining areas up on the elevated platform beyond the pool were a quite busy with people seated around a very large circular redwood table that¡¯d replaced the previous rectangular ones. Kathrine, the vampiric princess sat next to her counterpart Allie. Beside them in turn were Mara, Lahn, Vin and Nin, Shovi and the rest of Lahn¡¯s family who all looked rather pale. King Arthur Brix, his spymaster Kassius, and Lord Nikola Lucio - Lahn¡¯s father were all in deep discussion about something or another. Dr. Brass and Gurth¡¯Rok were there, having become prominent figureheads in the running of the necropolis during Allie¡¯s absence. General Bruner sat beside them along with the new mayor of Chicago that Riven still didn¡¯t know. Snagger and his sister Mesha - the ratkin were there, along with Rashtalia the brood mother of Brood Tarrow in Deepnest City; representing the ratkin queen. Gaia and a couple of her greater dryads were also present, and beside them were two nervous, blonde elves in very fancy but scant clothes that showed off their bodies with blue paint decorating their faces and arms. No doubt these were the king and queen of Tereen, the elvish country that¡¯d just surrendered and had come to negotiate on the behalf of their people. There were two chairs still vacant, no doubt for Athela and Riven, with Azmoth standing beside the open spots to gesture them in. ¡°You two are late.¡± The room went silent when Azmoth¡¯s proclamation was heard, and all eyes turned to Riven - who stared at the group of individuals present before being gently tugged along by Athela. She held his hand, leading him forward and sat down beside him with a gushing smile towards Allie when Riven¡¯s sister gave her a wink. ¡°Now that my lazy brother has finally decided to make an appearance¡­¡± Allie loudly said, getting a laugh from the table - some of them nervous and others genuine. ¡°I believe it¡¯s finally time to get to the heart of the issues we couldn¡¯t discuss last night. First and foremost, let¡¯s bring up the topic of integrating Dawn and Tereen as vassal states into the necropolis. Do you have any objections to this, Riven?¡± Riven blinked, then he shot a look over to King Arthur Brix. ¡°I¡¯d been expecting Tereen to fold, but why Dawn? You want to become our vassal?¡± The rest of the room became silent as the king stroked his short, well cut beard, and he let out an audible sigh before putting his clasped hands on the table. ¡°It became very apparent to me when Rippenvire invaded that we are not up to standards with what can compete, concerning the aggressors from beyond. Our own fleet is decimated after the attack, over half of our forces are dead. It will take decades to regain what we lost, to repair our city and to get our fighting forces back in shape to what they once were. Without the intervention of the necropolis, I know without a single doubt that it would have been an absolute slaughter. Not only do I want our country to become a vassal to yours because of the military protection it would provide, but also out of thanks for what you did for my people. This world is changing, fast, and we wish to be under the umbrella of a greater power for these trying times.¡± Riven considered the man¡¯s words, slowly nodding. ¡°Then it is agreed.¡± Allie beamed victoriously, then stood to gesture to the elves sitting on Riven¡¯s right. ¡°That was fast, I like it. Moving on, this is King Glassleaf of Tereen and his wife, Queen Glassleaf of Tereen. They said they would only negotiate when you were present, and I believe they have a proposal to make concerning the terms of their surrender.¡± Riven¡¯s red eyes shifted over, a simple stare as King Glassleaf pushed a nervous, shaking hand through his long blonde hair. His wife grasped his hand firmly to squeeze before he stood up, a green and blue robe of minimal proportions showing off a lot of his body similar to many elvish garments. His green eyes settled on Riven, then traveled back to Allie, before he cleared his throat. ¡°I am King Glassleaf, leader of Tereen, and I have come to negotiate on behalf of my people. I would like to repeat the same words I spoke yesterday, that if either me or my queen fail to return from negotiations our country will continue to fight under the orders of our generals until the last man - and that we have come in good faith that we will be treated fairly. Our offer, at the core concept, is that we become the vassal of your Thane Necropolis in an exchange for the end of this war and the return of our people that you have enslaved. What particulars you wish in return for this end are on the table, are negotiable, and I am hoping we can come to an agreement before my wife and I leave this meeting.¡± Chapter 194 Chapter 194 Riven tapped his fingers against the wood, acknowledging the elvish king with a nod before gesturing for the man to sit. ¡°Please relax, you look rather stiff.¡± The older man did as Riven asked, and the two men stared at each other in silence until King Glassleaf lowered his eyes to the table. ¡°Let me ask you a question.¡± Riven stated, picking up a piece of cheese that Allie unceremoniously slid across the table with a loud squeak. Chewing on it and swallowing, Riven lifted a finger. ¡°Tell me, what exactly makes you think that we are afraid of your people continuing to fight?¡± There was a long drawn out silence after that, and the elvish king merely blinked Riven¡¯s way while becoming paler by the second. Thus Riven continued. ¡°You make it seem like, should I not allow you and your wife to leave here, that your people ¡®fighting until the last man¡¯ would be something of a problem for us. Let me be very up front by saying that I could, by myself, go and crush the remnants of your country without much fuss. We all know this, don¡¯t pretend to think otherwise. The fact that I have not already done so is twofold. One, conflict itself breeds up and coming warriors that we¡¯ll need in the trials to come. I couldn¡¯t force you to surrender but while you didn¡¯t, some of my own soldiers were gaining levels at the expense of lives. Two, I don¡¯t slaughter people mindlessly - despite what the world seems to think of me after I tore apart Daskus. That was¡­ a special case.¡± Riven glanced over at Athela and touched her hand, and he could have sworn that she blushed while averting her eyes - getting him to grin. Though concerning the color of her pitch black skin¡­ it was hard to tell. ¡°I am not saying this to intimidate you, Mr. Glassleaf. I am merely making it very clear that this war is over whether you like it or not, and meeting you and your wife is merely a formality to make the transition go more smoothly. Allie and I had considered just killing both of you when you arrived, but doing so would likely make the populace of your old kingdom inherently rebellious and would leave us with the choices of either mass enslavement like we¡¯ve already done, or a slaughter to use their bodies to create more undead. The latter is what Allie wants to do, I can tell you now.¡± ¡°It would be a lot easier.¡± Allie nodded in affirmation, getting a choking sound out of the elvish queen, but Riven held up a hand to stop them from replying. ¡°I¡¯ve already told her I¡¯m not going to allow that. Allie may run things here in the Thane Necropolis but there are things I put my foot down for, and as I said earlier I will not just wantonly slaughter your people without good reason. This would mean, however, that your people would need to be introduced into re-education classes - specifically the children who will be set up in camps for a good amount of time separated from the adults, and there would be an almost absolute reduction in any military capabilities your people could have while working as a vassal under our state. This would mean laying down all arms and handing them over to us as we apply newly appointed city guards from the necropolis. Instead your people will be pushed into things like farming and agriculture, construction to rebuild your country - which is now OUR country, and other various crafting trades; at least for the time being, and people will be able to apply for exceptions depending on the situation. I am in agreement with your proposal to let your people that we¡¯ve captured go, and your people would be allowed to pursue fulfilling lives. However, anyone that has proven themselves as an enemy to our cause, or that has already proven themselves that way, will be sentenced to continued slavery as long as their crime is not punishable by death. For now we will set the equivalent of a martial law in your country for the first three months in order to make sure you aren¡¯t trying to attempt anything sneaky, and depending on how that goes we will discuss potentially withdrawing our troops. We will need all the slaves you took from Dawn¡¯s borders to be given back to them as well, as I know that when you started this war there was a lot of that going on concerning taking human slaves from Dawn¡¯s borders. Lastly you will be my direct subordinates should anything of significant concern arise. You will report to myself or Mara, not Allie, as I know there is a lot of bad blood concerning the slaughters she orchestrated on your people and I want this to go as smoothly as possible. I have very little leeway and wiggle room to negotiate on these topics, but if there are any disagreements let me know now so that we can start moving forward.¡± The elf queen hesitated, then cleared her throat to speak. ¡°My only concern is the children being separated from their parents. This is concerning, on many levels, and I¡¯m not sure our people would abide by this. It would result in mass panic.¡± Riven shifted his gaze to Mara in the background. ¡°How is it coming along in the re-education camps we have now? Are you having any problems?¡± Mara shook her head. ¡°No, sire. But that situation was far different than this one. The elves we have already taken were taken by force, integrating the remaining cities and village communities that Tereen still commands would be far harder unless we actually put them all in chains.¡± ¡°Do you feel confident you¡¯d be able to handle it your own way then?¡± Mara nodded. ¡°As long as I have the backing I need.¡± ¡°Then do it.¡± Riven turned to the two leaders of Tereen with a blank expression. ¡°Anything else?¡± Queen and King Glassleaf hesitated yet again, muttered to one another briefly, then King Glassleaf shook his head. ¡°Other than the specifics of each of those topics you mentioned¡­ It seems fair. When can we expect the return of our people?¡± ¡°One month at most. We¡¯ll need to fill the spots that they were keeping as slaves on our farms or in our mines. Those that have committed crimes to be kept as slaves will be branded along the tops of their hands to show their status as kept slaves by the crown.¡± King Glassleaf nodded again, resting back in his chair with an expression of mixed anxiety and relief. ¡°Very well. I would also like to propose that perhaps we could seal this pact by blood, perhaps this would strengthen our relationship over time.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°By blood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± King Glassleaf said with another anxious nod. ¡°I have a daughter, Princess Shay Glassleaf, who is about your age and would make a fine wife or concubine-¡± Riven held up a hand to cut him off. ¡°I refuse. Allie, please move on.¡± Disgruntled, the elvish king sat back in his chair as his wife gave his hand a comforting squeeze, and Allie chuckled while pushing the next topic forward. ¡°Next we have to decide on what to do with the vampiric prisoners of war.¡± Riven frowned. ¡°We have prisoners of war?¡± This time, it was King Arthur Brix that spoke up - and he stood to bow Riven¡¯s way before straightening his posture and putting his hands behind his back. ¡°Hello again Riven. I believe I can answer this in more detail than anyone else at this table can. Most of the prisoners of war were taken during Rippenvire¡¯s invasion of our capital city, Mandon - and were placed in various holding cells across the decimated upper levels. Records show we have a little over seven thousand of them after they started surrendering near the end of the battle.¡± General Bruner raised a hand and grunted his acknowledgement. ¡°Along with another two thousand or so prisoners under our command.¡± Riven met Allie¡¯s gaze. ¡°Can you explain to me why they¡¯re still alive?¡± Allie returned a mischievous grin. ¡°How¡¯d you know it was my doing?¡± He only gave her a flat look back. She snorted, crossing her arms to lean back in her chair. ¡°They¡¯d make good foot soldiers if they were absorbed into our forces. Think about it. Why not?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Riven repeated, shaking his head and letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°Because there are thousands of them and they all require blood to feed on, because they still haven¡¯t left the planet as a faction yet, and because their base - nor their beacon were ever found. Keeping them around is asking for a prison break after they showed they can portal in like that.¡± Allie held up both hands to either side with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted your opinion on the matter. Many of them are offering allegiance to us after figuring out who we are.¡± There was a long pause. Riven glanced back over to King Arthur Brix, who wore a grim expression and remained standing but said nothing. ¡°How many of your citizens died that day? How many of your troops died that day?¡± He looked to General Bruner next. ¡°How many of our own died that day?¡± ¡°An estimated 6,400 of our own troops died taking back Mandon, my king.¡± General Bruner replied flatly. King Arthur Brix kept his gaze fixated on Riven, but he slowly shook his head as his jaw clenched. ¡°I don¡¯t even know the number yet. We haven¡¯t had the opportunity to count or even make estimates, but the number is within the hundreds of thousands.¡± Riven nodded, motioning for him to sit. The king did so, and Riven looked over Allie¡¯s way. ¡°Screen them for anyone really useful. Execute the rest.¡± ¡°My prince¡­¡± Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, eldest daughter to the Duke and Dutchess of House of Crushada, 107th in line for the vampiric throne and outer sect princess of the Blood Moon Requiem stood up. She smoothed out her black dress with red flowers and curtsied respectfully. ¡°Perhaps it would be wise to keep our brethren alive as a sign of good faith to our neighbors. Rippenvire is an underling state, subordinate to one of our friendly competitors concerning vampiric power in the multiverse. Not butchering their promising young ones would be¡­ appreciated.¡± Riven glanced her way with a frown, then pulled up the world quest time concerning the invading forces just to confirm his thoughts. [World Quest 3 Update, Invaders from Beyond: Other factions of the multiverse have greedily been watching your small planet, wanting its resources for themselves. Be it mass slavery, genocide, forced societal integration, or being farmed as literal food - your planet¡¯s people are in danger. Invasion tokens have been distributed, and the invasion portals have finally been opened. Invading forces have 5 years to either conquer Panu entirely, or alternatively survive that long in order to acquire reinforcements from the homeland. Any invading force left at the end of 5 years will have free access through system portals until a victor is decided. To rid this planet of an invading force, you must destroy their beacon - which will be highlighted by a marker in the sky above its location with the symbol of their empire. Invading Forces: Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Prepare yourselves, natives of Panu. The enemy is coming.] He nodded. ¡°Alright. Then have them withdraw from the planet, and I will do so. Destroying their beacon should evict them, yes?¡± Kathrine hesitated, then shook her head. ¡°Not necessarily¡­ The invasion tokens are a one way ticket. The only way to get back home would be to either win the quest early, or wait until the 5 years passes after keeping their beacon intact. Otherwise they stay on the planet even if the beacon is destroyed.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should keep them alive for five years to appease these¡­ pseudo allies of yours?¡± ¡°Of ours.¡± Kathrine corrected with a frown of her own. ¡°And they aren¡¯t necessarily allies¡­ they¡¯re more like acquaintances, but they¡¯re still our kin.¡± ¡°Well letting them keep the beacon intact is out of the question, there will be no portals between this world and their own. And how much blood does a small army of approximately nine thousand vampires need regularly to survive?¡± Kathrine grimaced, but her gaze turned on the elvish queen and king. ¡°We could use their people as cattle.¡± ¡°You did not answer my question. And even if we did, is it sustainable for that many vampires at one time?¡± Riven cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward in his chair. ¡°I know for myself that I drink from either Luke or Genua at a bare minimum of once every three days - and they often alternate when they begin to get sick from lack of blood. That would mean we¡¯d need to bleed about 9000 people once every three days, but would need even more than to make sure they weren¡¯t being drained. Perhaps 14,000 elves, and they¡¯d possibly be out of commission concerning any work in agriculture or labor intensive positions. Am I right?¡± ¡°You are probably correct, yes.¡± Riven¡¯s lips formed a thin line. ¡°And this is hinging on the idea that they killed thousands of my own people, and won¡¯t rebel against us, and will accept our proposal to destroy their beacon.¡± Kathrine hesitantly nodded. ¡°Yes, but¡­ I am not exaggerating about the ramifications it would send across our social circles in the wider multiverse. For a high prince of the Blood Moon Requiem such as yourself to show mercy on them would be¡­ a needed change, in my opinion. I know it is a hard pill to swallow, but even someone like me as a dutchess of my noble house and as an outer sect princess of the requiem would not have such a lasting impact should it be my decision - versus a decision coming from you.¡± Riven glared her down. ¡°Allie, how much money in Elysium coins did we make by killing all those vampires over the course of the battle? And will it be enough to sustain an entire population at current capacity with food for at least three years until our agriculture settles into a rhythm?¡± He looked left to his sister. ¡°If we have enough, then put the vampires in concentration camps. We will then sift through them and systematically execute all those who we deem as threats. We will incorporate those we can find useful and who swear new allegiance. If we don¡¯t have enough money to do that by using the Elysium Altar to sustain us, then kill every last one of them and display their corpses on pikes along the roadways. Which will it be?¡± Allie exchanged glances with Kathrine, and she smiled. ¡°We have more than enough. I will begin putting them into concentration camps and killing those who won¡¯t comply.¡± The king of Dawn deeply frowned at this news, but gave an affirmative nod that he¡¯d accept the decision when meeting Riven¡¯s eyes. Kathrine looked thoroughly relieved and even a little bit happy, and Allie seemed excited. Riven closed his eyes. ¡°What next?¡± ¡°Trade routes and diplomacy concerning new alliances, republics and kingdoms on this side of the portal and on the other as well.¡± Allie replied when flipping another paper on her stack over to take a look. ¡°Not interested. Figure it out yourself, I have faith in you. Next?¡± Allie turned another page. ¡°The war with the dwarves in the underdark is hitting a climax. Deepnest calls for aid, and vampire diplomats from another native underdark sect have come forth to deliver a message concerning news on the vampiric elder god world quest.¡± At this, Snagger stood up with a wave - getting frowns from Katherine and some of the others in the room at the perceived lack of respect. ¡°Snagger sees-feels Riven has grown-stood strong since last seen-met! Am happy to see-observe your growth-gains!¡± Riven smiled lightly, having forgotten how the ratkin of his underground friends talked. ¡°Ah, yes. Good to see you too man. Let¡¯s definitely catch up later over drinks, but for now - what¡¯s the deal with this war you¡¯re requesting aid for?¡± Snagger¡¯s large rat face, brown fur and all, turned to look at his sister Mesha - a smaller white ratkin woman and then to their broodmother Rashtalia. Broodmothers were essentially the equivalents of nobility under the ratkin queen, and she was just as Riven remembered her to be during their brief visit to the underdark. Rashtalia was slightly taller than Riven was, standing at 7 feet akin to Snagger¡¯s height, and wore the same platinum necklace that hung down over her chest that he¡¯d seen her wear when visiting. She was thinner than him, with brown fur and was dressed in a form fitting white robe. Her long bare tail, the clawed hands and feet, and her mouse-like ears and face were a stark contrast to any women Riven had ever known - but he could still tell she was feminine for a rat person. She bowed low, her twitching nose almost touching the table before straightening as Snagger took a seat. ¡°Rashtalia is honored-relieved to be stand-sitting in presence of great batkin such as you-yourself! Alliance-friends with Thane Necropolis has made-created much wealth-loot for Deepnest, and your armies-troops have kept-made our trade routes safe-sound. But now that we-us push dwarves back-dead into their hole-tunnels, they grow-rage fiercer-strong. Defensive holds-castles in the underdark stop-prevent us from moving-getting further. Us-we ask for Riven-Allie friend-kin to help lead swarm-armies to battle, to crush-kill enemies and take their gold-stone for ourselves! Queen is willing-hoping to pay-trade for help, and will attempt-try to make it worth to you-us mutually!¡± Despite only having gone to Deepnest once himself, Riven was very aware of how the conflict between their allies in Deepnest and the dwarves had started and how it¡¯d proceeded up until now. The dwarves had essentially tried to commit a genocide against the ratkin for more resource-rich land to expand into, pushing them back and even attempting to slay Riven once upon his initial trip into the underdark. Even now, Deepnest provided the Thane Necropolis - and primarily the engineers in Chicago - with an absolute abundance of minerals those on the path of the Machine Pillar could utilize to create different weapons and machines of war; like mechs, tanks, jets and helicopters. This alliance of theirs had quite literally become an absolute gold mine, along with other minerals, and he had no reason to say no to their request for help. ¡°I¡¯ll personally attend the war effort myself.¡± Riven eventually said after mulling it over in his mind, getting an overly excited squeak from the broodmother who nearly slammed her head in another low bow upon his words. ¡°It¡¯ll be another week or two, but I¡¯ll be there. Let your queen know I¡¯m coming, and I¡¯ll likely bring some of our more weathered and experienced troops too.¡± Rashtalia eagerly nodded before sitting down. ¡°This one is very happy-merry to hear it and will see-tell queen of Deepnest this happy-good news! You are great-good ally-friends, oh great batkin!¡± Riven smirked, then waved at Allie to get on with the tedious task of being leadership figureheads. ¡°Next. Didn¡¯t you say something about the vampiric elder god world quest?¡± Another squeak from Rashtalia caught his attention, and she stood one more time. ¡°Oh yes! They wait-seek you in Deepnest, wanting to meet-come to their aid-help and address such things-omens there!¡± ¡°So the diplomats aren¡¯t here then?¡± Allie and Rashtalia shook their heads simultaneously. ¡°Very well. On to the next then, I¡¯ll talk to them when I go to help against the dwarvish incursions in the underdark.¡± The course of the meeting delved into a variety of topics after that. Questions on how to set up the governing structure now that the Thane Necropolis was head of this small alliance were at the forefront. Talk about paving roadways with patrols and culling various wildlife in the area to help caravans was another issue. Just like King Glassleaf of Tereen tried to pawn his princess daughter off on Riven, so did King Arthur Brix of Dawn - but Riven quickly made it very clear that he wasn¡¯t interested in either offer. As it was he had Athela, and that was enough. If she wanted to play around with other women then she¡¯d let him know, until then it was a no fly zone and that conversation hadn¡¯t come to pass yet as it had with Fay previously. There were talks about regulating access to the cube, which he intended to access himself this week after going over the details concerning that odd artifact one more time. [Puzzle-Box Cube Labyrinth: This stone cube is a permanent fixture on the world of Panu, granted to Daskus, the City of Canyons by Elysium as a prize to the populace after the king of Daskus completed a difficult system quest with perfect marks. Afterwards it was stolen and taken to the opposite side of Panu after Daskus was destroyed. Rules: The trials are formed by utilizing monsters, mazes, and puzzles with a real possibility of death. Only 10 may enter an instance event at once, instance events that are not full may be entered by outsiders at any time as long as they are within the same tier of trial, any amount of instance events between different groups may be ongoing at any time, you do not require sustenance while inside the cube, you may only complete the Puzzle-Box Cube Labyrinth event up to 3 times with scaling difficulty and scaling prizes via attempt tiers 1 / 2 / 3, and you may leave the Puzzle-Box Cube Labyrinth instance events at any time - but only through the single entrance and single exit points inside. Leaving the instance event will forfeit all remaining attempts at completing this system event or collecting its prizes. To create your own instance event or joint another¡¯s, just stand underneath the cube and focus on it while thinking ¡®Activate¡¯.] Riven declined to monitor it beyond making sure people weren¡¯t being *forced* into attempting the trials for other people¡¯s benefit. Who was he to stop people from pursuing power in a world like this? Taxation was brought up. So was an official written script of laws to be published for everyone to read across the lands the Thane Necropolis now controlled - including Dawn¡¯s borders, Tereen¡¯s borders, Brightsville¡¯s surrounding lands and those on the other side of the world across the Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole where Chicago, Rockford and Milwaukee were located. Most of this was set up for Dr. Brass to handle, and he¡¯d taken a very keen liking to administrative duties. Though he and Riven didn¡¯t talk much anymore. More and more, on and on for over twelve entire hours the talks dragged on until Riven called it and said they¡¯d continue this meeting the next morning. Thankfully Athela had taken to spoiling him with deep-tissue back rubs and back scratches, and food had been delivered multiple times over with a couple of breaks, so it hadn¡¯t all been bad. Standing up at the end of the day when the meeting was dismissed and the sun had long since set, Riven let out a groan and turned into a kiss from Athela - putting one hand on her left cheek and smiling down at her before a mischievous grin crossed her face. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion. ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± She only grinned wider and pushed her body up against his, groping him and causing his eyes to go wide as she whispered in his ear. ¡°Can we go have some fun now? I¡¯m horny!¡± ¡°AHEM!¡± Azmoth interrupted, pushing them apart and turning them both around to look Allie¡¯s way. ¡°Lady Allie want talk. Both go. Sleeze time later.¡± Athela snarled at the bigger demon and started muttering under her breath, but Riven began to laugh and tugged Athela over by the base of her neck to kiss her again before heading forward. ¡°Come on Athela, I think I know what this conversation is about. And it¡¯s been a long time coming, if you ask me.¡± *** Up in the private quarters of her supersized bedroom where Allie had once housed her numerous male concubines, she closed the door behind the other occupants and locked it with a click. Turning heel to face the room, she smiled at Lahn and Shovi before turning her gaze to Riven and Athela. ¡°Thanks for coming. I wanted you to be here in case I got out of control¡­¡± She didn¡¯t even bother looking over at Lahn¡¯s father, siblings, and bully who were all sitting at a table - very pale, to her right. Lord Nikola Lucio wore a typical frilled shirt and vest, well made with fine threads and gold trimmings. His son and daughter in question also wore victorian style outfits of their noble rank, with Parius Lucio - Lahn¡¯s brother staring at the floor. Meanwhile Linela Lucio, Lahn¡¯s sister, had not stopped gaping at Riven ever since recognizing him for the man she¡¯d hit on in the store a while back. Back when Fay and Riven had still been together. The thought obviously troubled Riven and Allie could tell, but she ignored it. This was her time for vengeance and justice, and she was going to draw it out long and hard until she was satisfied that things were officially dealt with. That made her turn to the last person in the room¡­ Gleetus Nefrand, the bully who¡¯d shattered Lahn¡¯s good limbs in an act of spite. He¡¯d somehow survived the vampiric purging, much to Allie¡¯s satisfaction, because if anyone was going to brutally murder this motherfucker¡­ It was going to be her. A wicked smile with protruding fangs illuminated her beautiful features as she stepped forward to where Gleetus remained bound to his chair - the only one who was tied up. She leaned over, smile widening and red eyes flashing to meet his gaze as he pissed himself with trembling lips. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day for a long, long while. I believe it was interrupted last time, but now we get to finish the job. Don¡¯t we? The question of the evening is this¡­ will anyone be joining you? That, my friend has yet to be found out - and I have some curiosities that need to be settled here in front of Lahn and his lovely family in order to make those decisions final. If you¡¯re helpful, you might not experience as much pain before you pass.¡± Chapter 195 Chapter 195 Gleetus broke and admitted to everything immediately after his left kneecap shattered. Everything from picking on Lahn regularly for fun, to sabotaging his efforts to make it to class on time, to eventually beating him nearly to death at the request of Linela - though he had admitted to going a bit beyond what Lahn¡¯s siblings had originally asked. Shovi was absolutely horrified and sat speechless throughout the interrogation, giving her other two children rigid and infuriated glares, while Lahn just looked sad. The begging and screams of horrified pain Gleetus let out only grew louder and louder as his insides were ripped out and plastered against the wall, much to the terror of Lahn¡¯s family - and even Lahn himself to an extent. Allie was an absolute maniac when she got mad, and she didn''t hold back at all while butchering the young man who''d dared hurt her friend. Though Riven could tell that both Lahn and Lady Shovi Lucio, his mother, were far less bothered by the sight than were Lahn''s two siblings. Meanwhile, Lord Nikola Lucio - Lahn¡¯s father, was rather stoic about the whole thing and just continued to watch while occasionally adjusting his frilled shirt and vest like he had an impulsive need to scratch an itch. ¡°Are you quite done?¡± Riven asked after a while as Allie¡¯s bloodied, slim figure stood panting over the ruined remnants of what had once been a young man. She held up the parasitic worm, squirming in her right hands, and tossed it into a small cage she¡¯d prepared before clicking the lock shut and turning around. Funny that they''d gone to all that effort to shove the worm into Gleetus only to rip him apart not long afterwards on a whim. Pushing fingers through her matted hair and sighing in satisfaction, she turned to the pale occupants of the room. Parius and Linela, Lahn¡¯s brother and sister, sat rigidly still with sweat beading down their faces and nostrils flaring as she turned her gaze to them. ¡°Not quite.¡± ¡°Allie.¡± Lahn protested, finally getting up and grimacing at the bloody sight on the floor - putting himself inbetween the vampiric queen and his siblings right when she started towards them. He gave her a stern look, then shook his head slowly. ¡°Please. Let it go.¡± He could barely hold himself up. He was struggling, still weak on his left side due to muscle atrophy over many years, but he managed. Allie¡¯s red eyes flared, and she was about to protest with hands raised when she caught Riven¡¯s raised eyebrow. Shoulders slumping and glancing back to Lahn, she let out a long exhale and nodded. Wiping blood off her shirt and stepping forward to give him a peck on the cheek, she glared over his shoulder at the siblings - and then to Lahn¡¯s father. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later, bitches.¡± Getting Lahn¡¯s wheelchair now that everything was out in the open, she wordlessly pushed Lahn into it and angrily kicked the door open before wheeling him out - with Lady Shovi Lucio in tow after a glance. The three of them left, leaving only Riven, Athela, Parius, Linela, and Lord Nikola Lucio sitting awkwardly in Allie¡¯s room where a bloodied, messy pile of flesh was scattered on the floor between them. ¡°I¡¯d say you guys all got off pretty well!¡± Athela chimed in happily with a clap of her hands. ¡°Be excited, you three get to live after all! Riven and I were taking bets. Riven lost.¡± Riven rolled his eyes, but let himself be yanked out of the chair with a tug of Athela¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯re all dismissed back to your rooms. I wouldn¡¯t remain here to be present when she gets back, Allie gets rather violent when she''s in bad moods nowadays." Parius and Linela immediately got to their feet, avoiding the gaze of their father and powerwalked out of the room shoulder to shoulder. Meanwhile, Lord Nikola Lucio shook his head and slowly stood before shoving his hands into his pockets, taking a backwards glance at the remnants of Gleetus, and gagging once before exiting out the door behind his children. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s still going to be a Royal Ball?¡± Riven asked absentmindedly while watching them leave and take the spiral staircase down to the second floor. Athela¡¯s warm body pressed up against his, hands groping his chest with a content hum. ¡°Don¡¯t know, but if not we need to have our own! Maybe that¡¯d be a good idea considering all those other factions want to meet with us. It¡¯d be a good opportunity to undertake politics, and it¡¯d give me a reason to wear that dress I bought so long ago!¡± ¡°Bought?¡± Riven repeated with a raised eyebrow and a sly smile. ¡°Are you talking about the one we found in Brightsville when we first arrived? We looted it out of a broken down clothes shop.¡± Athela¡¯s lips pooched and she poked him in the forehead. ¡°Same thing! Now, as I was saying earlier, I¡¯ve been very deprived. Come, take me back to bed - I¡¯ve been stuck daydreaming for so long and now that I finally have you, I¡¯m taking full advantage of it!¡± A twinge of sadness overcame him when thoughts of Fay came unbidden, but he brushed them aside with a massive amount of willpower. And thinking about recent events concerning the night prior, he couldn¡¯t help but smile slyly. ¡°You gona do that thing with your tongue again?¡± Athela¡¯s long black tongue flicked out and licked the side of his face before she pulled him down the hallway. Then she winked. ¡°Absolutely. I loved seeing you squirm.¡± *** Daylight streamed through cracks in the otherwise dusky cloudscape of the haunted woods surrounding Brightsville, and leaves cracked underfoot as Riven and Athela walked under the branches hand in hand. It wasn¡¯t too far away from the city¡¯s edge because Kathrine couldn¡¯t leave the 3 mile radius surrounding his guild hall, but it was far enough that they had privacy. Kathrine kept pace beside them with her own hands clutching something akin to a tablet, cycling through videos that she displayed as holograms ahead of their path while they walked. One such hologram she produced was that of a large, sleek tower crumbling and falling over - crashing to the ground as vampires fled and slaves cheered. The slaves were that of the humanoid Sarak, which had pale eyes, purple skin, white hair and two smooth antennae that looked rather soft and fleshy as opposed to those of insects. ¡°Slave rebellions happen from time to time, but this one is no doubt orchestrated by your competitors.¡± Kathrine said, flipping through the images to settle on a burning manor. ¡°It is true that there are only 50 million vampires on Luteski, and there are 6 billion enslaved Sarak, but even a tenth of the vampiric cohort there could overpower these weak slaves within days. Your fleet, and your legions, are no doubt being held back by those in power there.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Riven raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the vampiric princess as a brisk wind brushed her brunette hair behind her. ¡°Why? What¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°It makes you look bad. It makes the decisions you made look bad.¡± ¡°The ones where I granted those slaves more basic freedoms than most would get?¡± ¡°Correct. The vampiric nobility don¡¯t like it, and they¡¯re trying to make you look like a fool. No doubt some of these attacks are orchestrated by the vampires on other sects of vampires in your faction, rather than it being entirely done by slaves. The weapons, coincidences, and lack of a coordinated suppression of the insurgence are all indicators of this.¡± Kathrine looked up from her tablet to frown his way. ¡°It is very much impacting trade efforts there. The registered corporations residing on your planet are having to step in, and they¡¯re calling for complete area lockdowns and possibly even an embargo on your trading hub if things aren¡¯t quelled soon.¡± Riven snorted with irritation. ¡°Well I¡¯m here and not there, and I know very little about vampiric politics. Tell me Kathrine, how would I go about fixing this? You¡¯re far more experienced than myself and I trust your judgement.¡± ¡°As a prince: Openly going against you is going against the crown unless they can prove absolute negligence, or incompetence. The latter is what they''re trying to frame you for. They can only take actions in the shadows or under pretenses, they cannot oppose your will directly unless they hold a similar rank.¡± Kathrine replied promptly, dismissing the holograms with a wave of her hand. ¡°There is good reason to believe the same people who tried to sell your inheritance beforehand are related to the ones now upending the way of life on Luteski. It is your planet, your birthright since your parents went missing, and these branch families of your lineage have gone on far too long assuming they¡¯d be the ones acquiring ownership of the planet. They are ungrateful for what was provided for them, they did a poor job of running the highly lucrative trading hub in your absence, and they sabotage your efforts to make life for the slaves YOU own better. If it were me, I would do two things: make an appearance to speak with the general of House Wraithtide¡¯s forces via hologram transmission to address these problems, and publicly execute the troublemakers. Then go back to quelling the uprising however you deem fit.¡± There was a pause, and Riven stopped in his tracks to think about what she¡¯d just said. ¡°It is odd¡­ thinking that I own an entire planet with over 6 billion slaves there. That I rule over 50 million vampiric citizens there. The numbers are beyond my true comprehension, I can only fathom that it is a lot.¡± Kathrine gave him a sympathetic smile. ¡°Yes, I understand. My parents sometimes throw me to the wolves concerning one or two of the planets my own house rules over, and it¡¯s always a staggering experience.¡± ¡°How would I make an appearance via hologram? And would you accompany me if I did so?¡± Kathrine¡¯s features immediately brightened, and she gave him a quick nod and blinding white smile. ¡°Of course! Back at the trading commune we have a formation that was just built, and it can be used to talk between worlds! Of course the use is incredibly expensive at this distance and we won''t be able to use it often given the difficulty of operating such a mechanism, but it is possible. If you¡¯d like, I can take you there now?¡± Athela got up on her toes to whisper in his ear. ¡°She wants to use you to further her own political agenda, but it isn¡¯t such a bad thing.¡± This was obvious to Riven as well, and he gave a quick nod of acknowledgement when Kathrine was looking the other way. ¡°Yes, that¡¯d be great Kathrine. I¡¯d like that very much.¡± Kathrine¡¯s excitement only grew, and she quickly changed course to head towards the Elysium Altar in the distance - outlined by its green halo of flame surrounding the black spire¡¯s tip. ¡°Fabulous! I¡¯ll certainly join you, but I must ask - would it be too early or are you comfortable with meeting my parents? Perhaps the high queen? They¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you for some time but felt that they should hold off until you and I became more acquainted. Now that we¡¯ve¡­¡± Her eyes flitted to Athela, then back to Riven, and she cleared her throat. ¡°Experienced each other¡¯s company, perhaps now would qualify?¡± ¡°I know the two of you slept together, you don¡¯t have to hide it.¡± Athela stated flatly, unamused. Riven chuckled at the blush overcoming Kathrine and waved a hand to clear the air. ¡°Yes, I am fine with meeting my grandmother. As for your parents, perhaps that can wait. I¡¯m very busy and don¡¯t have much time.¡± Kathrine¡¯s demeanor lost some of her enthusiasm, but she was still overall happy. ¡°Very well. I¡¯m sure the queen will be pleased! After that, we can go back to talk to the general overseeing your planet and-¡± ¡°No.¡± Riven cut her off with a swiping motion. ¡°We go to talk to the general overseeing Lutseki first. I don¡¯t want to waste any time as people die and unrest unfurls on a planet I¡¯m apparently inheriting. We will settle that matter immediately, and then I¡¯ll meet this grandmother of mine that I keep hearing about.¡± Kathrine hesitated, but not for long. ¡°As you say, Riven. As you say.¡± *** The small castle that acted as a trading commune for the Blood Moon Requiem was immediately in an uproar as soon as Riven arrived. They¡¯d gone so long without having actual contact with the lost prince or princess that Riven almost had to swat off the young nobility who¡¯d remained there in an attempt to try and garnish his favor, and the vampiric servants were in a frenzy trying to last-second make things more presentable the moment his foot touched the interior of the entrance hall. Just like last time the displays were over the top extravagant, but it¡¯d been changed up a bit. Gold plating decorated the paintings and hallways, red-crystal chandeliers decorated the rooms, and heavy-plate mail guards were on full attention with dark armor glistening in the dim light - red eyes straight ahead while he walked by. ¡°It is so nice to see you¡¯ve finally arrived back at the commune!¡± Duke Blemrich, the tall, muscular vampiric nobleman with a black ponytail stated in a grin while quickly trailing his advance down the hall behind Kathrine. ¡°Perhaps we could discuss things in private concerning a business opportunity, or the whereabouts of your sister?¡± ¡°You look absolutely handsome today my lord!¡± The vampiric Lady Muren said with a low bow when she turned the corner to see him, long orange hair swept to one side and over her shoulder while wearing a seductive, revealing red dress. ¡°What a surprise to see you here! When the guards informed me of your presence I didn¡¯t believe them at first¡± Lord Carsion, the blonde nobleman in a purple vest and walking with a cane, loudly sighed and glared at the others while continuing to trail behind Riven just like Duke Blemrich. ¡°I apologize for the vultures, my prince. Do you wish me to send them away?¡± Lady Muren and Duke Blemrich both scowled Lord Carsion¡¯s way, but Riven only chuckled and waved it off with his free hand while tugging Athela along in his left. ¡°I wish you¡¯d ALL be sent away.¡± Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada muttered under her breath, and the vampiric princess stopped at a pair of double doors - waiting for the guards to open it for them and step aside. Through the babbling of the excited nobles peppering Riven with questions and compliments, and after the quiet swing of the double doors let in a cold gust of air, Riven saw through into the next chamber where an odd display of differently colored crystals were lined up in circular patterns that overlapped with one another in odd diagrams. Runes etched into stones glowed bright purple in the center of each circle, and mages dressed in robes all stood in a line - bowing when Riven and Kathrine entered the room second slater. ¡°We received your message, princess!¡± One of the mages stated reverently before righting himself again and gesturing to the crystal formation. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared the room as instructed. Do you need us to set up a silencing array for the babbling trio?¡± The old vampire mage pointedly looked past Kathrine to the three nobles, all of which glared back, and this in turn got a loud chuckle from both Riven and Kathrine in unison. ¡°Not needed, but thank you Pladius. You¡¯ve done more than enough, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t be so stupid as to make noise while our prince deals with internal matters regarding his inheritance - and then the high queen.¡± At the mention of the high queen, all three young nobles shut up and took a step back - though they kept inside the room, even if it was at the outer edges, to watch. Kathrine nodded to Riven and then pointed to one of the circular formations, stepping into an adjacent one herself. ¡°Follow my lead, and keep your feet planted. The experience is a bit jarring at first and you¡¯ll see double, one here in this room and the other on your flagship orbiting Luteski. I already had Pladius contact the military brass of House Wraithtide, and they¡¯ll no doubt be waiting for your orders when you arrive. The connection should take a few minutes to establish as long as we don¡¯t have anyone try to jam the signal, so hold still and be patient. The more you move the longer the connection will take.¡± Chapter 196 Chapter 196 A pale, thickly built man stood on the main command deck of an enclosed flagship owned by House Wraithtide of the Blood Moon Requiem. His body was covered in heavy plate armor, decorated with seals and ornaments displaying his rank - with the sigil of his house etched into the center of his breastplate: an orb wreathed in deathly flame. It was smaller than the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s own sigil and was displayed below it, subservient to the empire¡¯s own crest, but nevertheless it distinguished which house he belonged to. Red eyes stared out at the planet beneath him through a huge glass window, large screens were set on displays to his left and right, and military officers in similar red-black armor gathered information about the surface as well as comings and goings of corporation fleets in the area. General Viku was a hardened man with a couple small wars under his belt, all of which had ended in victory. Some of them were against other noble houses when conflicts ended in blood feuds, others were border wars concerning core kingdoms that didn¡¯t know not when to push their luck. Still, others were against pirates or slave uprisings that spiraled out of control. And in all his years, he¡¯d not been so blatantly held back by the elders. He stood there, watching neighborhoods and towns burn while citizens were murdered in the streets. He stood there, watching as lawlessness and anarchy erupted in places across the planet of Luteksi that were what the elders considered ¡®expendable¡¯ to make a point. He stood there, unable to do anything, just so that this new fledgling prince would have a light shone down on his ¡®incompetence¡¯. It made him sick. Not only did this reflect poorly on the young prince, who¡¯d given these slaves new rights that¡¯d been unheard of in the empire before, but it reflected poorly on himself as well. General Viku knew very well that this reflected almost solely on him rather than the elders who were the ones really pulling the strings, but what could he do about it? Mutiny? Insubordination? He shook his head. He¡¯d served long under the banner of House Wraithtide, and he would not throw away his position just to save face or prove a point. He needed this position, for more reasons than one, and despite his pride being stripped from him - he would choose the job over the pride any day. His daughter depended on it. The cube in his hand gave off a steady vibration again, and then began to blink. It drew his red eyes down to stare at it, and from underneath his helmet - a small smile crept over his lips to display his fangs. Finally. ¡°General Viku!¡± One of the house elders, a man by the name of Baron Orimus Wraithtide called out while walking onto the elevated platform of the command deck. His wiry posture moved like a practiced snake in burgundy robes, and his eyes glinted mischievously under slicked-back chestnut hair while glaring at the screens on the general¡¯s sides. ¡°I see the rebellions are going well. The agents we planted are supplying as necessary, not too much but enough to cause trouble. Are the damages being quarantined to the designated areas?¡± General Viku nodded gravely. ¡°Yes. The production facilities and mining operations are all still under our protection, we¡¯re letting the slaves sack the Bezin and Norcof districts where our poorer citizens reside. It¡¯ll be enough vampiric blood to get quite a reaction out of the rest of the empire, they¡¯ll be calling for a culling.¡± His eyes shifted to the other, well groomed vampire as Baron Orimus Wraithtide nodded in approval. ¡°Do you really think it wise to go against a high ranking prince like this? Sheline¡¯s son, of all people?¡± The baron scoffed indifferently, watching as cargo ships from other sectors in the galaxy warp in through a spatial gate before changing course to dock at the space station nearby for check in. ¡°Sheline is dead, and her son made it very clear to the rest of us that he can¡¯t be trusted to lead the family when he gave those sarak cattle rights. Can you believe this list of changes to the laws that we have to abide by? Just listen to this!¡± General Viku rolled his eyes while turning his head so the baron wouldn¡¯t see. He knew very well what the changes were, and to him they weren¡¯t all that big of a deal - but to an old timer like Baron Orimus Wraithtide it appeared to be the end of the gods damned multiverse. The old vampire pulled out a list, then put on a pair of reading glasses while loudly clearing his throat and staring at the hastily scribbled on parchment down the bridge of his nose. ¡°Ahem! Where is it¡­ Ah yes. Just to BEGIN the list, we have protection for the cattle children!¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide raised an eyebrow and scoffed again in disbelief, glancing at the general who continued to stare down at the planet from their perch on the flagship¡¯s deck. ¡°Do you realize what that means, Vikus? It means no child labor which cuts down production by an entire 9 percent worldwide. No delicacies at the Rouge Cafe that I so frequently visit or ANY OTHER high end establishment on the planet. No training them for unique positions such as concubines or slave warriors. No pets for our own vampiric children. It¡¯s absurd! Utterly absurd! And that¡¯s just the CHILDREN of these cattle!¡± The baron smacked the paper again with mouth agape, shaking his head violently and huffing loudly. ¡°No gladiator battles between slaves, no torture without reason, oh - here is one of my favorites - NO BUTCHERING CATTLE IN FAVOR OF REGULAR BLOOD DRAINS!? IS THIS MAN SERIOUS!? I nearly got up and left THAT VERY DAY after reading this ridiculous list! We literally BREED SARAK in some specialty lineages to become fatter so we can EAT THEM! WE HAVE TO SPARE THEIR LIVES AND JUST USE THEM AS RENEWABLE BLOOD BALLOONS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS!¡± General Viku stared straight ahead, trying to give off apathy, but inside he was struggling very hard not to smirk. He¡¯d never liked Baron Orimus Wraithtide very much, but since the ruling lady of the house left many years ago never to return - the baron was one of three of the house nobility that was in contention for Patriarch of Matriarch due to Lady Sheline¡¯s absence. It was Viku¡¯s great misfortune that he had to listen to this idiot babble, otherwise he would have hung him from a tree many months ago due to political games ramping up when Riven and Allie had first appeared. The baron continued to rant, jabbing an old wiry finger into the paper with each thing he listed off. ¡°We have improved slave housing which has cost us trillions, compensation built into our tax system for slaves who donate more blood over the course of a year than others, ability to attend NEWLY BUILT CRAFTING SCHOOLS that also cost us a fortune, FREE HEALTH CARE, and a clause that allows slaves to own basic property? HE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE THEM HONORARY CITIZENS! And that doesn¡¯t even BEGIN to touch upon the fact that he and his sister are being auctioned off to the highest bidder AS WE SPEAK, with the conclusion of the bids in coming months allowing a FOREIGN vampiric noble house the rights to be WED to them?! We might as well just hand away the keys and pack up all our belongings now! I hear that House Crushada is especially invested in obtaining Riven and has even managed to get their daughter to seduce him on that integrating planet! This is the end for our lineage if we don¡¯t do something about it now, Viku! And I¡¯ll be damned if it happens while I¡¯m still alive! It may take a couple underhanded schemes and maybe a couple years but eventually if we¡¯re able to prove incompetence we can petition the crown and have him removed. If it were anyone else without the bloodline, I¡¯d just have him assassinated, but the queen would have my head faster than you could say sarak cattle shit if I even tried. So though I do not want to go up against a prince of our own house, I do not believe I have a choice in order to maintain our way of life. Sometimes, dark deeds must be done to correct for the greater good of the family.¡± The baron reached out and put a hand on General Viku¡¯s shoulder pauldron, patting him twice. ¡°I know I can count on you to do the right thing, Viku. Just remember what we¡¯re fighting for, and why we¡¯re letting this happen. I expect your full cooperation in this matter, and in future ones. We cannot let outside forces like House Crushada interfere in our internal affairs, unless we want to be absorbed by them. I know they¡¯ve been in contact with you, and I hope you see past their lies. Do you understand?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. General Viku spared the old man a glance, keeping eye contact and clicking his tongue before turning heel and beginning to head down the bridge. The cube in his hand was vibrating again, and he had an appointment to keep. ¡°General Viku!¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide called out, a little more harshly than usual, and he rushed to catch up to the larger man while deeply scowling. ¡°I expect an answer! Let me hear you say it!¡± ¡°Say what, exactly?¡± Viku said with an exasperated sigh, turning to face the smaller, thinner man as officers from along the command bridge curiously shot glances their way. Viku brushed the hand Baron Orimus Wraithtide put on his shoulder again, and he gave an irritated grunt. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for me to turn my back on the head of this house, you have me mistaken for a blood traitor - Baron.¡± The baron¡¯s eyes went wide, and his pale face deeply reddened while he took a step forward. ¡°I would watch your words, general. You are essentially calling me a blood traitor by association, and I do not take such offense lightly.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± General Viku¡¯s figure met the shorter man, towering over him as his hand drifted to the broadsword at his hip. The weapon hissed when his skin touched the metal, and a neon red flared along the scabbard with an aura that drenched the room in death. He stood there glaring down at the Baron, and the older man¡¯s eye twitched - looking to the general¡¯s hand on his weapon. Other soldiers in the room were now dead silent, watching to see whether or not the baron would keep his head on his shoulders. Viku was an A-grade warrior, having taken millenia to cultivate himself to that level. It was nothing to be scoffed at by anyone, an impossible feat by most, so if Viku wanted the baron dead - the baron would no doubt be dead very soon. ¡°Let me make something very clear to you.¡± General Viku said with a visible sneer between the gap down the middle of his helm. ¡°It was not you who elevated me to this position. Nor was it any of the still living elders of this house. This house is a shadow of what it once was, thanks to you and people like you. Now that the main bloodline has finally returned, I no longer have to answer to you. My position is due to Riven¡¯s mother, a true leader, and I owe her everything that I am. Everything that I have is due to her, and here you come years after she disappears to threaten what is rightfully her children¡¯s inheritance? In what world did you think I would agree to such schemes? Ask yourself one more time, Baron Orimus Wraithtide, is what you are doing wise?¡± *** Riven blinked, finding himself seeing two versions of reality just like Kathrine had warned him about. He had his normal body back on Panu in the crystal formation, and then he had this ghost-like hologram that he was now using to stand in a barren metal room. It was an odd sensation, splitting his senses between the two places, and it gave him a bit of a headache - but it wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t manage. Flexing his ghostly fingers back and forth in front of his face and only barely ¡®feeling¡¯ the ground underneath his feet, his attention was brought upwards by Kathrine¡¯s own ghostly apparition when she cleared her throat. ¡°Riven, my prince, this General Viku - leader of the legions and fleets of House Wraithtide.¡± She gestured over to a tall man in a heavily decorated black and red plate mail armor set similar to the soldiers at the Blood Moon Requiem''s trade commune, helmet off to reveal a bald glistening head that was bowed while he kept a fist over his chest in a salute. ¡°General Viku, it is a pleasure.¡± Riven stated while straightening, reaching out to shake - but realizing that probably wouldn¡¯t work very well and withdrawing it a split second later. ¡°My name is Riven Thane - or Riven Wraithtide, I suppose. I hear you knew my mother and father.¡± It was both a statement and a question, and the bald middle-aged vampire smiled. ¡°Of course. Lady Sheline Wraithtide and Lord Timvar Wraithtide were always kind to me. They raised me to what I am today, and I owe them my life. Because they are now gone, that debt is passed on to you.¡± The bald warrior bowed low in respect, and he held the bow for a solid few seconds before straightening again to look Riven in the eye. Timvar. It¡¯d been a long, long time since Riven had heard that name uttered. Timvar was his dad, also known as just ¡®Tim¡¯ back on Earth, and he¡¯d disappeared many years before his mother jumped ship. Hearing that name caused Riven''s chest to tighten. ¡°I see.¡± Riven said with a quick nod, regretting having brought his parents up. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you to inform me of what is going on, and why. Kathrine here has been kind enough to help me to the best of her ability, but does not have the necessary insights or power regarding House Wraithtide to give me much more than theories. Perhaps you could enlighten me as to why I am told a slave uprising is being let loose on my parent¡¯s home planet, while our fleet remains in orbit and our legions within their military bases?¡± The general¡¯s lips twitched upwards. ¡°My lord, it would be my absolute pleasure to tell you exactly why in very vivid detail. Unfortunately my hands have been tied this entire time due to house politics, but after I personally supplied House Crushada with the required materials for that array you¡¯re using - I am happy to say that I can take orders directly from you.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised, and he shot Kathrine a look. ¡°You never said it was him that gave you the crystal formation. Based on context clues, I¡¯m assuming this particular long-distance communication is rare?¡± Kathrine gave a half-hearted laugh and nodded, side-eyeing the now scowling general who glared her way. ¡°Yes, yes, it is quite rare. In fact, it¡¯s incredibly expensive to get and even more expensive to operate. My house doesn¡¯t actually have the materials needed to create one of these formations, it was entirely General Viku¡¯s hand that guided this into operation.¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯d thought it was you or the queen that set this up.¡± There was a dramatic pause, and Kathrine sheepishly stepped back to give General Viku the floor. The bald man snorted. ¡°No, my prince. Outside of the system''s own methods, it is very hard to create passage between different universes in the larger multiverse. This was actually acquired using my own personal money, and money taken out of House Wraithtide¡¯s coffers. I had to blame it on a profit error when the elders found out so they didn¡¯t reroute the funds or confiscate the equipment, as I''m sure by now you know some of your house is rather averse to the idea of your return. At least, Kathrine said she''d pass that along. This flagship, inside this sequestered room with the crystals surrounding you, is one of two pieces of a limited formation that allows us to talk between universes. It will allow you to travel around the ship within a a few miles in any direction Doing that, speaking between entire universes, is a very hard feat indeed. You can¡¯t just get on a ship and fly to another universe, after all the multiverse is filled with numerous universes, and the cost is astronomical while the resources are extremely rare. But I do believe it was needed in order for you to retain your hold on your inheritance, otherwise the vultures would take what is rightfully yours. It is a long story, filled with boring details of petty squabbles between cheats. Before anything else though, perhaps you would want to take your first look at the planet your parents left you? We are in orbit now, and the view is quite beautiful.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes lit up at the suggestion, and a wide grin spread across his ghostly face. ¡°That actually sounds very neat. I¡¯d love to, please - show me the way.¡± Viku bowed again, then opened the thick metal door to whisper to four guards standing right outside. He motioned for Riven to follow, then started a grand tour of the ship while making their way to the main deck. The flagship was absolutely enormous. Many thousands of vampires called this ship home, with the central docking bay holding many hundreds of small, sleek dog-fighting craft that could be launched out large bay doors leading into space. From the first angle Riven got, he nearly fell over because he thought he¡¯d get sucked into space. It caused Kathrine to laugh and General Viku to grin, because not only was there a force field inbetween himself and the vast canopy of stars and celestial bodies outside, but he wasn¡¯t even really there to begin with. It¡¯d just startled him to see it like that. The hangar doors put on full display the absolute might of House Wraithtide¡¯s fleet outside. Tens of thousands of ships, some small and some large, hovered in space and peppered the starry sky behind them with a vast nebula in the near backdrop. Some of the ships were absolutely enormous, being larger than the biggest skyscrapers back on Earth, while others were as small as the dog-fighting craft docked here in the hangers on different levels - each big enough to fit one or two pilots inside. They all shared the same basic design though with only a couple of variations, most of them being made of dark gray steel and obsidian - with occasional red metals or paint thrown in for decorative purposes. Most of the ships were very sharp, angulated, and sleek - almost looking like daggers; with only a handful of very, very big vessels having the other ships coming and going from ports like the one he now stood on. ¡°This vessel is a super carrier, the pride of the Wraithtide armada.¡± General Viku stated proudly while he followed Riven¡¯s hologram to the edge of the bay where the forcefield stopped them from falling out into the void. ¡°Those other carriers you see out there? They are only half the size of the one you stand in now. The other large vessels guarding the carrier are cruisers and battle ships, the bulkier ones are transports and cargo, and the flat circular ones are utility ships outfitted with high end scanners and barrier fields. The smaller ships are fighters and scout craft. They¡¯re all yours.¡± Riven let out a low whistle, amazed at the sight, and took a long time to comprehend that he really was seeing this. ¡°This is incredible.¡± His words seemed to please the general, and Viku puffed his chest out with pride while officers and fighter pilots behind him were slowly gathering in a perimeter while speaking in hushed and excited tones - pointing or gesturing Riven¡¯s way. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like what you see.¡± Viku said with a large grin. ¡°But you have yet to actually see the planet, the warp gate, the space station, or the corporation trade fleets. None of that is viewable from this location, all that you see before you is the actual Wraithtide armada, but I think you¡¯ll be just as impressed with everything else on the other side of the flagship.¡± Chapter 197 Chapter 197 General Viku had been right. Riven¡¯s mirage body stood on the bridge, with a large glass half-dome in front of him. It gave a large view of the planet, the warp gate, numerous fleets of merchant vessels from different parts of the multiverse, and the space station. That cube-shaped space station was the most eye-catching sight. It was the size of a small moon, about a 50th the size of the planet below - which in turn was absolutely enormous. It was layered with dozens of enormous many-mile wide docking stations which each had enough room for a small fleet on its own. Even now there were thousands of ships coming and going at any moment, looking akin to a beehive in some respects. Screens along the glass dome identified the different fleets or individual ships in turn, which showed Riven there were at least thirty two different factions present in front of him - with many private corporations from within the Blood Moon Requiem itself. The makes and models ranged from large energy bubbles with solid cores, to insectoid carapaces and living vessels, to hulking steel creations remnant of what he remembered viewing on Battlestar Galactica as a kid. ¡°Azag Hive Cluster?¡± Riven asked, pointing to the screen that identified one of the insectoid fleets incoming from the warp gate. ¡°I killed a bunch of those fuckers back on Panu.¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Viku chuckled with a shake of his head. "Some of your feats are displayed on your equivalent of television here. That was one of them. You''re quite powerful for an F-grade mage, a prodigy even." ¡°Is the requiem allied to the hive clusters?¡± ¡°There are numerous hive clusters, so yes and no. Some of them yes, others no. Politics with that race are always complicated, it¡¯s a long story. This particular hive cluster is called The Blue Venom Azag Hive Cluster, while the one invading your integrating planet isn¡¯t even in this sector of space and is called The Black Sky Azag Hive Cluster.¡± The planet below was dark in nature, slightly larger than Earth had been, orbiting a white dwarf star with swirling clouds of black and green in the atmosphere. The clouds only allowed brief glimpses of the continents below, which was probably a good thing considering vampires ruled the planet now. Even the sarak seemed more or less acquainted with the dark, given they were natives of this place. Then lastly, with the backdrop of the nebula present to the left of where he now floated on House Wraithtide¡¯s flagship, was the warp gate. The entire thing was likely created from either some kind of magic, or was just using some very magic-dense materials along the outer perimeter where it glowed with blue light. It was shaped into a ring, being many miles across in diameter, with a swirling orb of condensed energy in the center. The ring activated every ten or fifteen minutes to either bring a merchant fleet here, or let a merchant fleet leave back to wherever it was they came from. When the warp gate activated, the central ball of energy would expand and then connect to the outer perimeter of the ring before twisting in the center like a whirlpool and blowing a hole in the side of space to create a wormhole. It was truly fascinating to watch. After a time, General Viku cleared his throat and looked left to where Riven was still gazing out the side of the carrier. ¡°I had hoped we could do more to help you back on Panu, but unfortunately the system is rather stingy about what we can send. Even this takes an enormous tax for every attempt at communication, and Elysium only barely allows this method. I just wanted to apologize that we haven¡¯t done more.¡± ¡°No need to apologize.¡± Riven said with a smile. He glanced over to Kathrine, and then back to the general - turning his body around with hand clasped behind his back. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business shall we? Tell me about these rebellions, and what we can do to fix them.¡± ¡°Fixing them will take a matter of days. Rest assured. I am just concerned about recurring problems due to the source.¡± Viku replied with a frown. ¡°This in large part is happening due to certain slaves being given weapons and magical items that can cause a lot of mayhem, mostly being sourced from your own family¡¯s vaults. As I am sure you¡¯re already aware, this in large part is due to disgruntled family members. Firstly because you¡¯re taking what they see as ¡®rightfully theirs¡¯, which in itself is ridiculous. Secondly because they don¡¯t like the changes you¡¯ve made by giving them certain luxuries that most vampires would deep over the top.¡± ¡°Do you think my ideas are over the top, general?¡± Viku shrugged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me one way or the other.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Riven turned back to watch another incoming fleet flash through the portal. ¡°I would have thought the sarak would appreciate my efforts, rather than try to kill and destroy civilians shortly afterwards.¡± ¡°It is likely they don¡¯t even know it was you who did that. Nor do most of them know the very nobles who wish to keep them down are plotting against you. They have a very limited scope of knowledge because they don¡¯t have much access to news networks, information hubs, or the cortex.¡± ¡°Would opening those channels of information up be a problem? Would I be able to send a message to the entire planet in an address?¡± The general hesitated. ¡°Not at all, but gathering the news networks and transporting the proper communication arrays that are specific to this planet would take some time. Perhaps a week.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Riven nodded. ¡°Then the first step is to do that. I¡¯d also like my entire extended family to be here, please. I¡¯ll be addressing them separately.¡± ¡°All of them?¡± Viku asked curiously. ¡°All of them. And make sure you have your strongest soldiers on board as an escort. In the meantime, I want you to quell the uprising with as little bloodshed as possible.¡± General Viku¡¯s grin widened. ¡°That can and will be arranged, my prince.¡± ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s talk specifics on what I intend to do, and what I need to know. Then I¡¯ll see you in a week¡¯s time when all the necessary items are gathered, and we can figure out just how to go about fixing this whole mess to stop it from ever happening again.¡± *** The trip to Luteski was an enlightening one, and it lit a fire under his ass to get a move on all the things he¡¯d been neglecting. To get his life together. Even now there were still talks at his manor going on between Allie and some of the independent factions surrounding the Thane Necropolis on either side of the portal - but he didn¡¯t intend to interfere with those talks unless necessary. He simply had too much on his plate to do otherwise, and Allie enjoyed politics more than he did. Instead, Riven first visited a couple places around the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s trading compound with Kathrine. First stop was to meet Instructor Pladius - a well known scholar and one of Kathrine¡¯s teacher. He¡¯d been the same mage to set up the communication array General Viku had sent them, and was thrilled to finally be told his services would be needed. ¡°I hear you tutored Kathrine growing up.¡± Riven said while shaking the older man¡¯s hand. ¡°I look forward to taking your lessons too, and I apologize for any offense I gave by not attending sooner. I¡¯ve just had a lot on my plate, and it¡¯s been rough trying to fit it all in - but after the trip back to my parent¡¯s planet, I realized there¡¯s a lot that needs to be learned.¡± The old man bowed enthusiastically with a wide smile, displaying his fangs. ¡°Of course young prince! I do not take offense at all, an am very excited to begin our lessons in earnest! When can I expect you to be here?¡± Kathrine looked on from the sidelines with both amusement and eager approval, before interrupting her instructor with a quick raise of her hand. ¡°Do not push the issue Platius, I know you¡¯re excited but we can hardly expect him to keep a thorough schedule. He¡¯ll be here as much as he can be - though he did say he¡¯d try attending his first lesson this week.¡± That appeared to be more than enough for the old man, who started talking about various topics concerning politics, magical theory, economics and history lessons that they could talk about when Riven got back. Next stop were the other nobles who¡¯d come to try and get acquainted with the heirs to the Wraithtide Household. Duke Blemrich, the taller man who always had his hair in a black ponytail, was quite surprised and relieved to see Riven intentionally go out of his way to talk and was just happy to hear Riven would be making an attempt to get to know them better over the course of coming weeks. Lord Carsion, the shorter blonde man with a sharp nose, was eager to talk trade agreements concerning Luteski - which he explained was a very exclusive arena to trade in and one his family would pay handsomely for to achieve access. Lady Muren, the rather pretty vampiric lady of the court whose family had sent her here to try and woo him - did very little other than attempt to get Kathrine to leave so they could talk privately. Of the three nobles, Lady Muren was the one Riven liked least. But he would not make hasty judgements just yet, and told them all he¡¯d be back to talk more in detail soon. Afterwards came the final stop at the compound: an instructor. Kathrine told him the name of this instructor was Captain Rusof, a very capable young man a little older than they were who had excelled at the academies and on the battlefield back home. He was level 90 and still in F-grade just like Riven was, which was the level cap for this tier of trading hub. Regardless of Riven having surpassed him in combat level, Kathrine assured him that Captain Rusof was skilled in both martial combat and magical combat - and that she suggested he give a shot at sparring with the man. To this end Riven was led into a large magically reinforced padoga on the compound grounds where numerous soldiers were engaged in training exercises. Many of them bowed and moved out of the way respectfully when seeing Riven, but many didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d even appeared and continued to clash in brilliant displays of battle that left Riven in awe. Despite his own power levels to be much higher than any of theirs simply in terms of brute force, each of these soldiers was leagues beyond him in terms of skill - and it was very apparent very fast. He continued to observe them for a few minutes, not interrupting the ongoing fights in the large center stages and very much envying the way they moved their bodies to adjust to attacks. Still, Riven was not by any means unable to stand out and drew quite a bit of attention to the point that even these fights for the most part calmed down with the soldiers looking his way. It was then that this ¡®Captain Rusof¡¯ made himself known. ¡°Prince Riven Wraithtide, 37th in line for the Vampiric Throne, I welcome you to our training hall.¡± The man who said this pushed through the crowd of gathered soldiers to stand before the prince and princess duo, bowing low to each of them - then correcting himself and even bowing low to Athela before standing up straight. This gained him a lot of brownie points in Riven¡¯s book, because Athela seemed absolutely pleased that she¡¯d not been ignored like the nobles had been apt to do. The vampire captain was shirtless, well built, handsome, and wore his hair in the style of a short mohawk. He was slightly taller than Riven was and had a very confident posture to him, while looking expectantly forward. ¡°I must admit, I was unsure of whether or not you¡¯d actually come. I am pleased to see that you have. What is it that I can do for you today?¡± Riven let on a slow smile, then with a thought - his armor, Messenger, removed itself. Riven summoned Jackal from his spatial sack and gestured for the captain to follow, heading towards the ring. ¡°I¡¯ve been told by Kathrine that you¡¯re pretty good. I wanted to see that for myself. Would you mind sparring with me? I know that I have a level advantage and that you¡¯re held back by the cap requirements on being here, but I won¡¯t use any offensive magical attacks. What do you say?¡± The captain¡¯s eyebrows rose, but he followed through the crowd of soldiers regardless. ¡°You want to spar in front of everyone here?¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Riven asked curiously, pausing to look back over his shoulder. ¡°No¡­ Not necessarily.¡± Captain Rusof shrugged with a grin, summoning a well decorated spear to match Riven¡¯s own spear-staff. ¡°But you¡¯re going to get your ass kicked. I don¡¯t want to hurt your fragile royal ego too much by doing that in front of a crowd.¡± Riven sputtered a laugh, now widely grinning as the soldiers around him gasped, shook their heads, or backed away. It was very apparent they hadn¡¯t expected this kind of disrespect, or what they considered disrespect, though Riven very much enjoyed the change of tone. ¡°Is that so? I look forward to finding out just how much your words hold true my friend. Come on, let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got and just what you have to teach me with.¡± Chapter 198 Chapter 198 Riven lifted Jackal up to bear, noting vampiric healers on the side specializing in blood magic waiting hesitantly for the fight to start. The room was dead quiet after the captain¡¯s announcement that he was going to trounce the prince, and uncomfortable shifty gazes were exchanged between many of the soldiers despite Riven taking it in stride. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, come at me with everything you¡¯ve got.¡± Riven said with a serious nod, taking off his shirt to match the captain and getting a whistle of approval from Athela - along with a loud chuckle from Kathrine. ¡°I want you to prove to me that you have things you can teach me-¡± *WHAM* Riven¡¯s nose crunched and blood sprayed as Captain Rusof retracted the butt of his spear with a smug smirk, running his hand across his mohawk. ¡°First lesson! Never let your guard down!¡± Riven righted himself, blinked, and snapped his nose back into place as the captain began to laugh. Grinning and cracking his neck, he wordlessly entered the fray. *** Riven was level 130. Despite being a pureblooded vampire and receiving additional points across the board, he¡¯d put the vast majority of his +7 free stat points per level into Intelligence and Willpower, with a little on the side going into Sturdiness. Captain Rusof¡­ had not. He¡¯d put all his points into a purely physical build. And it was very apparent in the way they moved that Captain Rusof was actually faster than Riven was when Riven didn¡¯t have his Blessing of the Crow Activated. Captain Rusof was also just simply much more skilled. The only thing Riven had going for him in this purely close combat exchange was his passive ability. The two men blurred across the room, spear clashing against spear-staff with sparks of Riven¡¯s passive ability sending ripples of energy through his attacks and into his enemy that sent massive amounts of force through the weapon with flashes of unholy power - acting to counter the large Strength stat discrepancy. ¡°Shit!¡± Riven cursed, taking another strike across the flank and stumbling before being kicked straight in the chest - sending him smashing into the force field enclosing the combat area with a crunch of ribs. Groaning and getting up to shaking it off, Riven spit blood and adjusted the arm that¡¯d been pushed out of socket at impact with a thunk. ¡°This is not going well for me, is it?¡± Captain Rusof put his hands on his hips and laughed hardily. The slightly bigger man held up both hands to the side in a shrug as soldiers on the perimeter intently watched, called out encouragement or loudly shouted out pointers for Riven to use and counter with, and the atmosphere had become a lot less tense now that the men realized Riven wouldn¡¯t be angry if the Captain made him look inferior. Which is exactly what had happened, given Riven wasn¡¯t using any mana outside his class passive. The passive he had technically was expelled in the form of Mana, with flashes of black and green unholy power clashing against Captain Rusof¡¯s strikes at each major block or connecting swing. However, Riven didn¡¯t actually SPEND any of that mana, so the captain had insisted that he keep the passive even if Riven could switch it off. He¡¯d have agreed to let Riven keep Blessing of the Crow as well, but that particular skill could only be used once a day as a body modification for 1 hour¡¯s time - with the captain arguing that if he attacked while the skill was on cooldown then Riven would be shit out of luck. ¡°I¡¯m honestly surprised you¡¯re doing even this well considering you¡¯re mostly a mage! It¡¯s a compliment, I assure you!¡± Captain Rusof blurred forward and swiped Riven¡¯s legs out from under him before executing a combo with a knee to the gut and a flip into an axe kick that shook the room. Riven expelled the air from his lungs but quickly recovered and lashed out, connecting with Captain Rusof¡¯s spear and shoving the man back across the floor as he braced the impact. But even so, the soldier grimaced and flung his right hand around like it was burned after some of the discharged mana from Riven¡¯s passive clashed with Rusof¡¯s skin. *CLANG* *WHAM* *BOOM* The two weapons danced and sparked, the two vampires moving far faster than any human could while Riven was constantly put on the defensive. ¡°WRONG STANCE¡±! Rusof yelled, smacking Riven along the back of his head with an open palm and twirling away while deflecting a blow. ¡°TOO SLOW!¡± Rusof¡¯s foot came down on the shaft to pin Jackal and his elbow crashed into Riven¡¯s jawline, sending the young prince head over heels while simultaneously disarming him. The captain jumped up and landed near Riven¡¯s position while blocking an incoming side kick from Riven on the ground. Rusof countered by yanking that same leg and slinging Riven across the containment zone so fast that the barrier around their dueling area shook and flickered. ¡°OOOOOOoooooohhhhh¡­.¡± Athela and numerous others simultaneously winced, watching while Riven picked himself up and spat out one of his fangs. The young prince chuckled good naturedly, flinging the fang off to the side and holding up his hand - summoning his weapon as the spear staff flew across the room to land in his outstretched palm. ¡°That one hurt!¡± The captain raised his left eyebrow - aura rising in a shimmering red haze around the man that caused the air to twist and turn. ¡°We are vampires after all, our bodies can take quite a beating.¡± Riven¡¯s smile widened and his eyes flared. The shifting sleeve tattoo on his right arm sparked black lightning momentarily, and he set into a stance. His own aura picked up, and a cold frost began to accumulate around his feet. ¡°Indeed.¡± With a burst of speed, Riven launched Jackal like a javelin - breaking the sound barrier with a sonic boom as his weapon tore through Captain Rusof¡¯s right thigh and smashed through force field behind. Simultaneously he tore forward across the sparring arena, accumulating a thick layer of red frost along his arms, forearms, and hands to create claws while grinning maliciously. The captain had managed to turn left to avoid some of the impact from Riven¡¯s weapon, but even at his speed and skill he¡¯d been unable to miss the majority of it. He grimaced and snarled at the large hole in his thigh and began to fall over while Riven closed in - only to give a mischievous smirk right when the prince was within a few feet of his position. *CRACK* Captain Rusof¡¯s spear used Riven¡¯s own momentum to impale him through the chest, and with a momentous turn he redirected Riven¡¯s body and slung him around like a slingshot - throwing Riven through the barrier and out the arena into the far wall with a crash. Riven slumped to the floor, and his world began turning black. *** ¡°Yeah I got my ass kicked.¡± Riven said, sipping hot tea on a tower balcony couch overlooking the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound and the rest of the Elysium Altar¡¯s trading district while he and the captain chuckled with one another. They were both being scolded, especially Rusof, by the healers who¡¯d tended their wounds. These same healers continued to rub ointments into areas that still resonated in Riven¡¯s body with offensive stamina discharged by Rusof - but neither man seemed to care. Riven was just happy that he had a suitable sparring partner that knew what the fuck he was doing. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to sparring again. Hopefully this next time we can actually go over what I¡¯m doing wrong and what I can improve rather than just getting an ass wooping.¡± ¡°That can be arranged! And to be fair, you were at a disadvantage. If you¡¯d used magic you¡¯d no doubt have won.¡± The captain said with a grin, hesitantly faltering in his smile when he noted the scowl on Princess Kathrine Crushada¡¯s face. ¡°Eh¡­ I said I¡¯m sorry Princess, I know I went a little overboard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an understatement.¡± Kathrine said while continuing to glare, holding a cup of her own team across from them and shaking her head. ¡°If you¡¯d accidentally killed him¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a pureblood!¡± Captain Rusof exclaimed with a wave of his hand. ¡°He¡¯s more than capable of taking a beating like that! And you¡¯ve got to admit-¡± The captain turned to look Riven in the eye. ¡°That kind of training is far more useful, AND far more entertaining than me just holding your hand along the way while coddling you.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Riven said flatly, putting the tea down and scooting over to make way for Athela when the demoness sat down on the couch next to him. His arm crossed her shoulders and he smiled as she let herself sink in - but a brief pang of grief overcame him as his thoughts turned to Fay. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts. He couldn¡¯t dwell on it, but he wondered where she¡¯d gone. The frown was noticed by Athela and she frowned in turn, sitting up straighter and putting a hand on his own. ¡°You ok?¡± He quickly nodded, shaking himself out of it with an apologetic smile. ¡°Yes! Yes¡­ I¡¯m fine. Sorry.¡± She frowned deeper, but didn¡¯t push the subject and just gripped his hand more tightly. ¡°Alright. If you want to talk, I¡¯m here for you.¡± There was a silence after that as the three vampires and one demoness continued to stare out at the mixed races mulling around the trade district. It was absolutely booming, especially now that the capital of Dawn had been half ransacked. Crafters, laborers, and various supplies from the Elysium Altar were in extreme demand in order to get repairs going for a rebuild of Mandon - and elvish slaves were being rounded up not far outside the trade district to be freed and for a mass send off into the now vassalized Kingdom of Tereen. Riven took another sip of his tea, belched, and stood up while pulling Athela up with him. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been fun, but now I have other things to attend to.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d stay longer.¡± Kathrine said with a frown, but nodded her acknowledgement and smiled to stand herself. ¡°Perhaps you and Athela could both visit me in my quarters some time, I think I¡¯d like that very much.¡± Athela raised an eyebrow, as did Captain Rusof. ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Riven replied with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to Athela.¡± His demonic familiar turned to him curiously. ¡°Where are we headed?¡± Riven opened his mouth to reply, then closed it and mentally went over his checklist. He needed to use the dao treasure related to Blood that Athela and he would share, as it required a bonded partner. The cube from Daskus could wait but that eventually needed to be done. One week from now he¡¯d need to go back to see his extended family on Luteski. He still needed to acquire a new minion¡­ That last thought made him inwardly recoil. No, it wasn¡¯t just one anymore. It was two. Fay had left¡­ He bit the inside of his cheek to stop that train of thought. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The king of Dawn had originally wanted to meet with him in private concerning political matters, but he¡¯d managed to pawn that off on Allie - so that was taken care of. Allie wanted to go over lessons concerning the Death Pillar before Chalgathi¡¯s next trial¡­ And then there was the matter of the dwarves. He did some mental rearranging of his priorities and slowly nodded. ¡°I believe it¡¯s time to get another minion. Then we go see the dwarves.¡± ¡°Just one?¡± Athela asked hesitantly, searching his face as it underwent mixed emotions. ¡°Yes.¡± He eventually said with a nod. ¡°Just one.¡± ¡°But Fay¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Riven said, cutting her off. He met Athela¡¯s eyes. ¡°It still hurts. Give me time, ok?¡± Athela looked like she wanted to say more, but slowly nodded and slumped her shoulders. ¡°Ok.¡± ¡°Thank you. After that, we go to the dwarves - and to see the vampires who have sent diplomats to await me in Deepnest. Let¡¯s collect Azmoth form the compound and leave before we¡¯re roped into anymore political shenanigans.¡± With that, Riven waved to the vampiric lesser princess and riftwalked away - with Athela quickly following suit. Kathrine and and the captain merely exchanged a look, smiled victoriously to one another, and went back to sipping their tea while quietly contemplating the change of heart Riven had recently undergone. It was nice to finally see him embracing the empire, as all of their lives on the expedition would no doubt benefit from their success in the future. *** It was nightfall, and Riven along with his two remaining minions sat upon the same exact spot where they¡¯d been spit out of Negrada into this world all those months ago. The broken down gas station was nearby and the mountainside was quiet tonight with an abnormally clear sky considering most of the time these haunted woods were overtaken with dark clouds or mist, but it was a nice change. Azmoth continued to meditate on the Infernal Daos, which was a pretty common hobby for the demon at this point, and Riven sipped on some blood he¡¯d bottled for traveling purposes while watching his demonic girlfriend stretch in front of him. Girlfriend? Is that was Athela was now? He glanced her way, a little bit afraid to ask, but smirked to himself and shook his head. He didn¡¯t need a title on it, not yet, and was sure he¡¯d get there eventually. Pulling up his screens and coming to the part where it had the number of contracts available to choose from, he frowned. [6,402,441 Demonic Contracts Available] ¡°Jesus.¡± Riven scratched the back of his head, then gave Athela a sheepish smile. ¡°Mind sorting through these for me?¡± He pushed the notification over, and she snorted a laugh to sit down next to him. Scooching over to where he sat against a dead tree, sighing, and laying her head in his lap while crossing her long athletic legs into a more comfortable position - she nodded. ¡°Sure thing twirp!¡± ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t call me a twirp anymore. That¡¯s hurtful, I¡¯m your lover now.¡± He scratched his head, thinking about it for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s really weird to say- OW!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not weird. Shut up about it.¡± She jabbed him in the stomach with a glare, then giggled and took the screen away from him to start minimizing the number. ¡°Alright we can sort them by level first, that¡¯ll cut out the majority, and¡­ We¡¯re down to 605,932 Demons who are at your max level of 130.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t contract anyone over my level, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± She nodded, checking off boxes available to her as she scrolled through the list. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Maybe one of my clan mates is in here. That¡¯d be neat. And¡­ no, there isn¡¯t. Let¡¯s check this tab, and that tab to narrow it down... Alright, this may take a bit. Give me an hour or two and we¡¯ll see what can be done.¡± Those two hours quickly passed in silence while she went over the options, which in his opinion was a very short amount of time. Athela eventually chose what she considered to be the top 5 best. She unselected the others, at least for now, and displayed them to Riven with a smile. ¡°These are the ones I¡¯d choose, but keep in mind their personalities and how they get along with us are going to be a big deal. If none of these work out, we¡¯ll start over with the next 5 best. That ok?¡± ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± Riven smiled, ignoring an undead warg that snarled their way from the treeline, and took the screen from her - shifting it in the air to hover in front of his face as he began to read the descriptions. With Fay gone he had two slots to fill, 454 total willpower and 188 free Willpower points to use for those two contracts. But he still held out hope that She¡¯d come back. He was hesitant to fill up that last slot just yet, and would settle for just one at the moment. He tried not to frown at the thought of Fay, but failed yet again, and had to take in a deep breath as he moved on. ¡°Athela? Why do these demons have names in front of their species?¡± Athela glanced up to him with a smirk, then reached out her hand to hold his own - interlocking her slender fingers in his. ¡°That¡¯s because the demons I chose were all categorized as Elite monsters by the system, with the golden flame lettering when identified? Like Negrada''s miniboss that we killed. And they¡¯re often unique variations of more basic demonic breeds. Have you tried identifying me lately?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, shook his head, then did so. Immediately her name appeared, but to his surprise her letters were outlined in flames just like the satyr warlord¡¯s had been back in Negrada¡¯s hellscape. The only difference was that the satyr warlord had been listed as ELITE, and the flames were gold. Here though¡­ Here, Athela¡¯s name was outlined in red flames. The title of LEGENDARY, and PANU WORLD BOSS were also plastered onto the end of her title. [Athela, Level 127 Archdemon: Unique, 3 forms. Cute Wittle Blood Weaver / Gluttonous Arshakai / Gluttonous Fae Drider. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] He raised an eyebrow and he failed to speak for a time. ¡°Question. Why does it say ¡®wittle¡¯ in the name? Very lame. Was that your doing somehow?¡± Athela snickered and shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to ask me? Come on! Act impressed! No, I had nothing to do with it. That¡¯s Elysium being ridiculous. Don¡¯t ask me why. Ask me about the red flames and titles!¡± ¡°Alright. Why is your name outlined in red flames with the legendary and world boss titles?¡± She cackled and flipped over to stare at him with a devious grin. ¡°After the battle in Mandon, the system officially designated me¡­ and you¡­ as world boss creatures for the invaders to kill.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Identify yourself!¡± Riven¡¯s puzzled expression turned into a small grin, as he did as she asked. [Riven Thane, Level 130 Warlock Devastator, Harbinger of Gluttony, Pureblooded Vampire, Lost Prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] Just like Athela¡¯s name, his own identification information was also outlined in red flames. He was a bit surprised that the system had outwardly labeled him as a harbinger of Gluttony and as a lost prince of the requiem, but that was less surprising than the system considering him a ¡®legendary¡¯ creature and a ¡®Panu world boss¡¯. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I notified of this earlier?¡± Riven asked, glancing over at Azmoth to get a look at his other minion¡¯s identification information. Unlike Athela and himself, Azmoth didn¡¯t have the titles they did. But his name did now glow in gold flame lettering, and he was labeled as ELITE just like the satyr warlord dungeon miniboss had back in the hellscapes. That was also new. [Azmoth. Level 95 Infernal Crusader Initiate, Hellscape Brutalisk. ELITE.] He looked up again, bewildered. ¡°Athela, why wasn¡¯t I notified of this?¡± She grinned. ¡°You were notified of it. I¡¯m sure of it. But with all the drama going on with the attack on the city, the leveling notifications, the battle notifications, the harbingers of gluttony coming to take my shard, the dispute between Fay and myself¡­ I can see why you didn¡¯t see it. You probably just dismissed the notification by accident and never looked. I figured that was the case, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say something.¡± Riven stared, then slowly clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ kinda neat actually. Not sure how to feel about this. What makes us ¡®Legendary¡¯ or ¡®World Boss¡¯ quality by system standards exactly?¡± ¡°Titles are gained by the feats you accomplish for the level and grade you¡¯re at. I may have discussed this once a long time ago with you, but it also incorporates things like your species too.¡± Athela said simply with a smile. ¡°You can be very strong and not gain such titles, but proving yourself in battle on the scale that you have multiple times now¡­ and it doesn¡¯t surprise me too much. The Legendary and Elite titles will give whoever kills you a massive XP boost as well as a system reward, similar to how we got all that gold and a prize from Negrada in his dungeon. Legendary titles will give far more though. As for the Panu World Boss titles, that¡¯s more for the invaders and other creatures who are part of the world quests - ones pitted against the natives. The system sees both of us as major obstacles to world domination and devastation, so it will give any invader or any of the opposition in other world quests a very large boon if they slay one of us.¡± ¡°But does it do anything for us otherwise?¡± ¡°Other than bragging rights when people try to identify us? Nope.¡± Riven snorted in amusement and shook his head. ¡°Of course not. Whatever, I¡¯m gona take a look at this list. Should be interesting.¡± ¡°That, I agree with.¡± Kissing her on the forehead, he turned his attention back to the screen in front of him. [6,402,441 Demonic Contracts Available. You have manually minimized your list to 5. These 5 demons have been following your progress and are interested in obtaining you as a partner. Click on each for further details concerning the potential minion and their contracts. His brows furrowed. Riven glanced down to his status page again, and realized there was a problem concerning any future acquisitions of the 4th demonic minion slot. It wasn¡¯t a problem now, but it might be later if Fay never came back. He should have guessed this would be the case because Athela now required 190 Willpower to hold her contract, and if these demons were comparable to her¡­ He only had 454 total willpower, and 188 free Willpower points to use. Riven would only have enough points to choose one of these creatures to bond with, despite having two open slots. ¡°Damn.¡± He rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°These descriptions are a lot more intense than they were previously¡­ It''s like they¡¯re telling me their life stories. Very weird, but I like the change.¡± ¡°That¡¯s going to be more and more common the more you grow.¡± Athela stated with a yawn. ¡°Previously the demons you could pick from were all so low level, including myself back then, that we hadn¡¯t had any accomplishments. But as we get older and have more experiences, the system docks those into the descriptions you now see here.¡± He nodded, skimming through the text one by one in deep thought - when his soul began to shudder. Looking down at his chest, he began to see a dark orb forming in front of his body. He¡­ would have been concerned, but Riven could tell that it was actually an extension of his soul aperture taking physical form just by looking at it. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± Riven said, nudging Athela who looked up and began to frown. ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s a piece of me, I can tell it¡¯s not dangerous, but¡­ do you have any idea what¡¯s happening?¡± Slowly she began to shake her head, and even Azmoth grunted in curiosity while beginning to ready himself just in case. ¡°That you?¡± Azmoth asked just for one more confirmation as the dark orb continued to expand. Riven hesitantly nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ don¡¯t attack it. That¡¯s a piece of my soul, I think. If you were to damage it, I may¡­¡± His words cut off, and yet another notification appeared as his hand tightened around Athela¡¯s - adding onto the ridiculousness he¡¯d already experienced over the past day. [Harbinger of gluttony, Sin Class, Secondary Class, has finally finished its construction. Harbinger Soul Clone is now finished. +2 Sturdiness, +9 Free Points per level will now be distributed with each level up.] His body flickered with dark light, and it felt like a cold blanket had swept over his skin. Lifting one hand, he saw a dark afterimage of his arm trailing behind his movement before it superimposed itself over his current position. His legs were the same, almost flickering somewhat, before it all settled down and went away. He didn¡¯t feel much different otherwise, and he shot Athela and Azmoth both a look. ¡°Uh¡­ Any input as to what this ¡®Soul Clone¡¯ is, exactly?¡± Chapter 199 Chapter 199 A child of the Scythe, and a botched creation cursed by madmen. That is who and what Frimrindle truly was. The stick-thin scarecrow made of metal hung on a cross of his own making. It remained absolutely still, just as it had done for the past many millenia - not moving a single millimeter while contemplating the mysteries of life. In his left hand, an unlit steel lantern hung loosely at his side. In his right hand, a simple scythe was held - showing now markings or any semblance of just how powerful the weapon was. A creepy smile with a hinged metal jaw hung slightly open, exposing an abyssal hole into the back of the scarecrow¡¯s throat - and two X¡¯s carved into the otherwise featureless face of the scarecrow signified its eyes. Fimrindle watched in silence, peering through the void and into other nether realms where his potential contractor was speaking to a winged devil much bigger than he was. The soul clone, which Riven still did not know the true nature of, was fascinating to him beyond anything Fimrindle had seen in quite some time. He only hoped he got the opportunity to examine it in more thorough detail, and now that Riven had begun interviewing candidates for his demonic contract slot - Fimrindle¡¯s interest had hit a peak. Meanwhile the devil, named Chavi, was boasting of his conquests with wings spread and aflame. It caused the skies around it to crash with false power, as in your own nether realm anyone could be akin to a god. Fimrindle wondered why the boastful creature was so infatuated with war. What was so great about killing things? Fimrindle had learned the hard way that it wasn¡¯t fun and games like he¡¯d been led to believe in the beginning, and it came rather easy. Why did Chavi think it a glorious pursuit? Fimrindle didn¡¯t understand. The way the titanic red ape with wings wielded that silly axe around was more for show than anything else, but then again - Fimrindle couldn¡¯t necessarily judge the demon. He knew very little about social norms and cues, and this in turn was perhaps the largest reason why he¡¯d been banished to this soul stone. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d been playing a game when he¡¯d murdered all those people. Fimrindle was akin to a small child in that aspect, a soul being ripped apart and formed anew so many times that he had a hard time grasping any of his previous memories over past lives. The one thing he did remember in vivid detail was the aura of the great spirit that haunted his dreams. The spirit of the Scythe was¡­ observant, as was Fimrindle in turn. They watched each other in an endless cycle of silence, while the worlds around them passed Fimrindle by. The iron scarecrow continued to wait patiently. Ever patiently. He did not move, locked away in a cube of energy. He did not rust, he did not rot, he merely waited - having been here an eternity already for the day that someone would meet the qualifications he desired. For Fimrindle was not driven to act for his freedom by anything in particular unless certain qualifications were met, but he was very patient, and unless he found what he was looking for - why bother leaving this place? It would otherwise only mean a repeat of what¡¯d happened the first few times in the world above that¡¯d so long ago forgotten about his existence outside of legend. He did not blame his world of origin though. He just didn¡¯t understand. He wished he did, and perhaps Riven would be the one to teach him just what he¡¯d done wrong. Perhaps Riven could be the one to provide Fimrindle insight into the thing he desired most. But his thoughts were interrupted by the presence of another, and to Fimrindle¡¯s mounting curiosity - Zrogmanthon, the Abyss-Lord and fellow demon of Riven¡¯s final round, had somehow entered his soulstone prison from across the cosmos. The creature was akin to an enormous black mist, but shifting claws and a grinning mouth full of teeth could be seen like static through a fog when the abyss-lord entered Fimrindle¡¯s tiny home. It circled the scarecrow made of metal, letting out a low chuckle while Riven continued to speak to Chavi the devil in another nether realm. ¡°Ah¡­ little scarecrow¡­ You aren¡¯t in a true nether realm. You remain here instead¡­ a fatal mistake when combined with the fact that you are competing with someone as great as me!.¡± Zrogmanthon the abyss-lord hissed, causing the soulstone to shudder and crack as its black eyes greedily gazed upon Fimrindle¡¯s stone-still body. ¡°Trapped in a weak prison such as this? How have you not left yet? A demon like myself would have broken out of such a place eons ago¡­ but you, you¡¯re still here. How¡­ exciting! To think that I¡¯d be able to travel through ripples in the void to take care of the competition!¡± The prideful Zrogmanthon cackled and threateningly ripped a hole in space, exiting from a black hole to squeeze into Fimrindle¡¯s home. Enormous black claws, six arms, a body made of shadow and a shrouded, almost featureless face came forward - smiling at the much smaller Fimrindle and rearing to its full height. ¡°How is it, knowing that someone so lowly as you will be devoured by one as great as me? Have you ever experienced pain before, little scarecrow? Because pain you will have¡­ and your dying screams will be the foundation of my growth! I will display your body before my new master and show him that I am the greatest of the five he has chosen to consider!¡± Zrogmanthon let the words echo through the cube, his very presence causing the soulstone to break apart rapidly around them - shadow mana radiating across his body and passing over the much smaller, human-sized scarecrow beneath him. ¡°Do you have any words for me, abomination?¡± Fimrindle had remained motionless this entire time. He remained hung to a cross, scythe in one hand and unlit lantern in the other, staring into nothingness as his mechanical jaw hung part way open. Zrogmanthon frowned, tisking in irritation after five or so minutes of hovering over the other demon with an intimidating aura billowing out. Fimrindle seemed to be unaffected by the display entirely despite the soulstone cage quickly deteriorating. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been driven into speechlessness by my prowess¡­ Understandable. If you cannot escape a place such as this and cannot form your own netherrealm despite what you are, you deserve to be shocked into silence.¡± The abyss-lord raised one clawed hand, and space itself tore open as his hand shimmered in the darkness. ¡°You are by far the weakest of us five, and I am doing you a favor by not allowing you to embarrass yourself. Be grateful, fledgling, for your path will act as fertilizer to my own.¡± Still the scarecrow didn¡¯t move, but a ping of power caused Zrogmanthon¡¯s head to abruptly shift right when the image of some ill-defined entity tore through reality beside him. Zrogmanthon, being an abyss-lord and a creature who could control spatial powers, was shocked. He didn¡¯t know what that was, but something immensely powerful had just- Zrogmanthon turned his head right when another blip of power was sensed near the scarecrow, and to his shock - the scarecrow was gone. So was the cross he¡¯d been hung to. How had Zrogmanthon, as great as he was, not sense something like the disappearance of his- Zrogmanthon died. The abyss-lord didn¡¯t even have time to scream,and his body shimmered and faded away while the soul stone prison began to reconstruct itself. Fimrindle was back in his motionless spot in the middle of the cube room, hanging on a cross with his scythe in his right hand - his jaw slightly unhinged - and his lantern in his left. Though this time, a small light in his lantern was seen repeatedly blinking until it finally winked out - leaving the room in the same state it¡¯d been in only moments ago before Zrogmanthon¡¯s interruption. Going back to contemplating and meditating on the meaning of life while simultaneously observing Riven¡¯s proceedings; Fimrindle waited for the fated moment that he would meet this ¡®Riven Thane¡¯ character for better, or for worse. *** Yattazi stirred, becoming restless as she felt a new entity enter her nether realm. It¡¯d been a long time since something had been allowed in, and the disturbance was¡­ pleasing. Lonely and hopeful, the gigantic serpent began to worm its way out of the volcano it¡¯d constructed its nether realm around - a very similar one to the real version she was hibernating in every one in a while when out of the nether. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Gills along the serpent¡¯s head flared, and molten eyes opened. Rising up towards the heavens, Yattazi broke out of the lava pit to display her majestic figure to the one who would potentially claim her as a friend. Spines protruded from her back, dark gray scales even harder than most dragons covered her large body like armor. Frilled ears flared out to either side of her head, and lava poured down off her body as her head began to lower to get a better look at the summoner. The man was small, many dozens of times smaller than she was, but she did not mind. She was just happy to have someone to converse with, and she gave an excited hiss while boulders and islands in the lava pool were washed away amidst the rising of her glorious figure. Large fangs on the snake were put on full display in an effort to show her potential master just how amazing she was, the teeth crackling with chaos energy in flickers of deep gray - and a molten inner core flared to life with orange and red hues inside the back of her throat. ¡°Welcome, vampire, to my lair¡­¡± Yattazi hissed rather happily, her body trailing out to rise and fall amidst roiling waves of magma behind her as she hovered over the tiny figure below. ¡°I have been expecting you, fellow follower of the unholy path. We have much in common, you and I¡­ and I am hoping that you may join me in my quest to feed.¡± The vampire stared up at her with his other two minions, curiously shifting his head to one side. ¡°Yattazi right?¡± ¡°That is one the great system calls me¡­¡± Yattazi hissed excitedly. ¡°No need to tell me yours¡­ I already know it, Riven Thane of the Blood Moon Requiem. I have many questions, and many answers, to share with you on your road to power; and I hope it is me that you choose for your new minion so that we may one day become friends.¡± *** Riven stood at the edge of the volcano¡¯s basin, looking up at a creature that towered over him with an absolutely majestic yet simultaneously intimidating figure. Dark gray scales, enormous spines over the top of its head, magma-infused eyes and a maw that could swallow a small car in a single gulp. Splashing in the magma pools behind the creature, its long body splashed around and writhed like a sea serpent for over forty yards - and the flaring, fin-like ears coming out either side of its skull only added to that impression. Yet even despite all this, he could feel only a fraction of the heat that he¡¯d have expected. Nether realms, especially individual ones that weren¡¯t shared between demons, were rather tricky in nature and didn¡¯t have all the properties that a normal realm would have. But even so, it was quite something. ¡°Nice to make your acquaintance, Yattazi.¡± Riven said with a smile and a small bow. ¡°I would very much like that. Becoming friends with my contracted demons is far preferable to having servants, as both Athela and Azmoth can attest to.¡± Azmoth grunted his acknowledgement, and Athela slyly smiled while shifting forms into her blood-weaver body - then hopping up into his arms to let the vampire cradle her. Yattazi hissed, a serpentine tongue flicking out between her lips as her mouth closed and her head came forward to more closely evaluate the spider in Riven¡¯s arms. ¡°Yattazi knowssssss¡­ Yattazi sssssees. It is why I have attempted to contract with you, as I am very impressed with not only your power, but your relationships concerning your chargesssss. However that is not all I desire, as I also wish to explore the multiverse and find new foodsssss to consume. I am ever hungry.¡± Riven paused, frowned, and continued to stroke Athela¡¯s little spider head as she gave the snake a curious look. ¡°For someone as big as you, and if what you say is true, how do you keep yourself fed? If you really kill that often, would you not be a far higher level?¡± The great serpent seemed to frown. ¡°There are many pathways to growth aside from devouring otherssssss. I have devoured many other creaturesssss, it is true, but many of them were far weaker than I - and I have alsssso grown in size through means of meditation over millenia while I wait for my world to repopulate from the last great feeding. Insight into the dao is one of many pathways to growth.¡± ¡°Oh. Got it. Just curious.¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°I likely do have a lot of people for you to eat if you contract with me. Thousands probably.¡± Yattazi¡¯s molten eyes gleamed brightly and the frills along her head immediately flared wide. ¡°Really!? What manner of creaturessss are we ssspeaking of!?¡± ¡°All kinds.¡± ¡°Indulge me!¡± Riven thought about it a moment. ¡°Well there are numerous invaders headed out way on the integration of our world. We have to hunt down a bunch of other vampires, there are no doubt human invaders, some azag insectoids if you know what they are. There are a bunch of cultists I need to kill too, concerning a certain world quest.¡± ¡°Anything large?¡± ¡°How large we talkin here? There¡¯s a quest for snow giants, and as long as they¡¯re not actually made of snow they might be up to par with what you¡¯re looking for. They might even be larger than you.¡± The snake nodded eagerly with a loud hiss that cracked the air, hungrily, dripping venom from exposed fangs at the thought. It was obvious this monster was rather gluttonous in its own right, perhaps it¡¯d gel nicely with his sin shards. Athela held up a leg. ¡°But wait! Are you really always that big? It¡¯s going to be a nightmare walking around with you that size! Can¡¯t you reduce your power output and-¡± Athela¡¯s words were cut off after the large serpent blinked, and in a flash the enormous creature¡¯s bulk warped. Floods of magma roiled and tore into the sky while the deep gray scales of the creatures condensed and morphed. The large body began to shrink, condensing further and further while simultaneously removing some of its inborn power that it began storing in a growing black-orange orb swirling amidst the bubbling waves of lava. Seconds later the titanic snake had gone from half the length of a football field and able to swallow a small vehicle - to something more manageable. Athela curiously peaked out over the edge of Riven¡¯s arm while she and the others all stared down at the now tiny creature, and her spider leg scratched at the top of her head in confusion and amusement. ¡°Well I didn¡¯t mean become a slug.¡± ¡°I am no mere slug! I am Yattazi, devourer of all that movessss!!! My body and energy are merely contained!¡± The tiny creature called back, hissing in annoyance and slapping the ground impatiently. ¡°Redact your insssult tiny spider!¡± Athela flatly looked down at the other demon. ¡°You a slug.¡± ¡°It issss not so!!!¡± ¡°An uggggggly lil slug. You look like one of those really nasty dumps I took the other day-¡± ¡°YOU ARE MERELY JEALOUSSSSS OF MY GLORIOUS FIGURE!!¡± The spines on the small, pudgy snake protruded out further in an attempt of intimidation that just¡­ didn¡¯t work, concerning this form. Riven began to grin in amusement as Athela teased the once enormous, and now quite small monster beneath him. Yattazi had transformed into a rather majestic, but much smaller version of itself from earlier. Instead of spanning a couple hundred yards and being a mean killing machine that screamed death to those opposing it, the monster was now a three foot snake instead. It still looked damn vicious though, Riven didn''t know where Athela was getting this ''slug'' thing from. If he didn''t know better, he''d guess she was just antagonizing Yattazi for the sake of antagonizing her. The other demon was certainly becoming rather enraged by Athela¡¯s taunting though. ¡°I AM MAGNIFICENT!¡± Yattazi hissed with another smack of its tail. Athela shook her head in mock disgust. ¡°Slug girl. That¡¯s what I¡¯m gona call you if my glorious master agrees to your contract. Fear not - even despite your slimy complexion he has been known to be a charitable man, so perhaps he¡¯d take pity on you and agree to terms.¡± Yattazi glared molten daggers Athela¡¯s way, then she spit a glob of what Riven could only call gunk at the spider - smacking her in the face. ¡°BEGONE!¡± ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± Athela wailed and writhed in Riven¡¯s arms, dramatically wriggling her legs around to produce a sigh from Riven. ¡°Athela we can barely feel anything physical here. Stop being such a drama queen.¡± Azmoth agreed with a sagely nod. ¡°Yes yes. Agreed.¡± The spider in his arms immediately stopped wailing and glared up at him, wiping away the snake glob and flinging it to the nether realm¡¯s floor. ¡°Fine! Next time you get smacked in the face with goop, I¡¯m just going to roll my eyes at you too! HMPH!¡± With that, Athela hopped out of his arms and began to strut over to Azmoth before climbing up her leg and depositing herself on the larger demon¡¯s shoulder - giving both men a sideways glare before turning her nose up and clicking her mandibles. Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why¡¯d you hop perches? You do realize that Azmoth agreed with-¡±: ¡°QUIET PLEBEIAN!¡± Athela pointed a quivering leg his way. ¡°DO NOT DARE ENCUR MY WRATH!¡± Riven opened his mouth to reply, but snorted and kept his smile hidden from his minion-turned-lover while folding his arms and facing the snake again. He¡¯d not expected to see a shrinking ability, and if he had known Yattazi would have a shrinking ability he¡¯d not have expected something like this. ¡°You don¡¯t look like a slug Yattazi, you just look¡­ small. Still intimidating though." ¡°THAT¡¯S CHEATING RIVEN!¡± Atheal squeeled from Azmoth¡¯s shoulder with a glare. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to tell other girls they¡¯re intimidating!" ¡°She¡¯s a vicious demon snake.¡± ¡°AND I STARTED OFF AS A CUTE LITTLE SPIDER, LOOK HOW I TURNED OUT!¡± ¡°Oh for crying out loud¡­¡± Riven rolled his eyes - flashbacks of how he and Athela used to be in Negrada coming swiftly to his mind with a fond warmth. He had to fully turn his back on the glaring arachnid - interposing himself between her and the still angrily hissing snake to get Yattazi¡¯s attention again. ¡°But let¡¯s talk more about you. What do you like to do for fun?¡± The snake stopped hissing, blinked, and smiled. ¡°For fun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You want a friend, yeah?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Aside from eating things.¡± This truly seemed to stump the demonic creature, and it thought for a good while before eventually answering with another hiss. ¡°All I have ever known is the need to feed and consume, the urge to grow. But¡­ if I must choose something else, I would sssay I enjoy cooking.¡± ¡°Cooking!?¡± Athela butt in, hopping off of Azmoth¡¯s shoudler and scurrying over to the slightly larger creature. She crossed her front legs and stared suspiciously. ¡°How would a snake like you even cook!?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I am very good at cooking, and have even acquired a ssssssspecialized crafting category for it. Cooking level is at 86.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Athela barked out in shock. ¡°YOU DON¡¯T EVEN HAVE HANDS!?¡± Riven turned to Azmoth. ¡°Specialized crafting category?¡± Azmoth grunted again, four armored arms still folded over his chest. ¡°They level independently of combat level. If stuck with totems, you might acquired one yourself. It take long time, hard work, but rewarding. That all know.¡± Chapter 200 Chapter 200 The rest of the time spent with Yattazi was very refreshing - though she did end up reverting back to her normal size after Athela kept pestering her about how her smaller form looked. Despite what and who she was, Yattazi had a very warm personality. She was easy to get along with and eager to please, but When discussing combat power, it appeared that she was heavily focused on close combat and body enhancements. Most of her abilities and insights were focused on making her physical body more powerful both in offense and defense. There were exceptions to this, including a ¡®Chaos Cannon¡¯ martial art that created a blast of raw chaos energy, a petrifying flash-glare ability that often silenced enemies if they didn¡¯t turn to stone, a constricting martial art that utilized her long body, a martial art that used her fangs to inject a potent venom, and a ¡®Magma Chamber¡¯ martial art that was essentially a zoning ability that trapped enemies in place within a large designated space which began to fill with magma. She had a variant of Hell¡¯s Armor that Azmoth used, a spell similar to but better than Riven¡¯s own Blessing of the Crow, and a handful of different passive buffs that increased resistances against all types of damage. After parting ways and telling her that at the very least she was under heavy consideration, Riven left and moved on to the iron scarecrow - Fimrindle. Selecting it next, he found himself being pulled out of Yattazi¡¯s realm, only to receive a notification. [Fimrindle has failed to create his own nether realm. Do you wish to use your already acquired demons for use of their nether realms instead?] He glanced at Athela, then Azmoth. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Either of you want to give up your home for a bit?¡± ¡°OOOH! OOOH PICK ME!¡± Athela exclaimed excitedly, shifting back into her small spider form and waggling her arms in the air. ¡°PLEASE please please! I¡¯ve been wanting to show you my nether realm for a while now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± Azmoth said simply. Riven gave an amused chuckle, but nodded to Athela and motioned for her to get on with it - selecting ¡®Yes¡¯ and then mentally checking into Athela¡¯s realm when a strange tug yanked at the borders of his mind. Abruptly the world around him spun, and Riven felt himself in a¡­ In a temple? Towering statues of black spiders were on either side, a long hallway to a throne where a woman who looked very similar to Athela - yet older, sat on that throne, and pillars of stone held the ceiling up high above them with only trace amounts of barely visible light leaking in through window slits at the very top adjacent to the ceiling. Athela was nowhere to be found, until she suddenly popped into existence and squealed in excitement. Jumping up into Riven¡¯s arms and simultaneously morphing into her more humanoid form, she tugged at his hands and motioned towards the throne. ¡°Riven! You HAVE to meet my mom! She¡¯s been waiting all this time and I¡¯m SO EXCITED to show you to her!¡± In a flash of light, another figure soon joined them. It was a scarecrow for all intents and purposes, wielding a rather simple scythe in his right hand and a metal unlit lantern in his left hand. The scarecrow was posted upon a metal cross, was stick thin, with a metal jaw that lay slack and almost unhinged with sharp teeth smiling his way. The eyes were only X¡¯s carved into the otherwise almost featureless metal of the face, and the way it stared at him was¡­ rather creepy. ¡°We¡¯ll get to you soon Fimrindle, just wait a moment!¡± Athela piped up, still yanking Riven forward step by step while giddily motioning over to her ¡®mother.¡¯ ¡°MOM I¡¯M HOME! AND I¡¯VE BROUGHT THE HUNK!¡± The old woman on the throne stared with a small smile creeping at the corners of her mouth, but remained sitting as Athela pulled Riven her way. She glanced at the scarecrow, frowned, and motioned towards the newly arrived demon. ¡°Honey¡­ perhaps you should talk to the scarecrow first? Riven and I can meet afterwards. I don¡¯t think it is wise to have such a creature enter your nether realm like this only to be made to wait¡­ because without me also being here, it would be rather dangerous for you to let him into your safe space. That creature is deserving of respect, and you should show him as much.¡± *** Riven¡¯s eyes shifted around the rather dark and unholy temple display, taking in the statues of spiders, driders, and other various creatures of arachnid origin. Numerous sets of red eyes peaked out from the dark corners that even Riven¡¯s sight could not penetrate, and shifting figures in the shadows adjusted their positions on the outskirts. ¡°You¡¯ve brought a lot of the family!¡± Athela said enthusiastically, letting go of Riven¡¯s arm and running across the room - past Fimrindle - to throw her arms around her mother. ¡°I thought it was only going to be you!¡± Riven glanced between this new woman, the figures in the dark, and the demon scarecrow who continued to remain on its cross unmoving. Apologetically holding up one hand Fimrindle¡¯s way, Riven began to walk over to where Athela and her mom were standing side by side - Athela having a giddy wide grin on her face while bobbing up and down on her toes. Athela¡¯s mother was strangely beautiful in a very sinister way, very close to how Athela looked - only slightly more menacing in her humanoid form. She had three pairs of mandibles coming out of the sides of her throat along a slit that likely opened up into an additional mouth, had smaller red markings across her otherwise pitch black and patchy white skin, and had four red eyes instead of two. Otherwise the athletic outline and the six blade-like arachnoid legs sticking out of her back were the same. Sensing Riven¡¯s nervousness, Athela¡¯s mother grinned - and she stepped forward with an extended hand. ¡°No need to be wary. After seeing the lengths to which you¡¯d go in order to save my daughter, I am most pleased to make your acquaintance. It meant a lot to me, and the entire clan, that you seem to continually put her above everything else - and fully support the relationship you two have cultivated together. My name is Ytrikel¡¯Vorindi, although you can just call me Vorindi.¡± Riven reached out and took her hand, and to his surprise he was actually able to feel it. The tangible nature of this nether realm was somewhat different than others had been, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°It¡¯s incredibly nice to meet you, Vorindi. I just was somewhat blindsided! Athela would occasionally talk about you before, and I guess I wanted to make a good impression in case I ever met you.¡± Athela giggled and her mother Vorindi smiled widely. ¡°No need to worry about that. As I said, you have done more than enough to make a good impression with the clan.¡± Vorindi let go and put her hands behind her back, inspecting Riven and then turning her gaze to Azmoth. ¡°Fascinating. Your path has truly been fascinating. I must ask, Riven, when it is you intend to marry my daughter? I assume her first time performance was adequate?¡± ¡°MOTHER!¡± Athela barked, clapping a hand over her face and blushing furiously that turned her skin a different shade of black. ¡°You CANNOT ask such questions! Riven DON¡¯T YOU DARE answer that question!¡± Meanwhile Riven¡¯s own face had gushed a bright red, but he promptly nodded with an embarrassed grin. ¡°More than adequate. Just how much did you see?¡± ¡°Most of it.¡± Vorindi replied, unperturbed by the loud groan escaping Athela¡¯s lips. ¡°It isn¡¯t as if we can just look wherever we want to, but I can see Athela¡¯s experiences through her bond and I pay an information broker who utilizes scrying abilities to monitor you.¡± He sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I see. I probably need to get anti-scrying formations in place around my manor¡­ Don¡¯t I? As for the marriage question¡­¡± He trailed off, settling his gaze on Athela who continued to hide her face behind her hands. But she did peak out at him a moment later to watch. ¡°Telling that kind of information would ruin the surprise, wouldn¡¯t it? As long as she wants to, that is. Not any time soon, but perhaps after everything on Panu settles.¡± Stolen story; please report. He let on a gentle smile and Athela¡¯s body went rigid - eyes wide. The response was more than enough for Vorindi, and she slowly clapped while nodding in approval. ¡°I¡¯m incredibly happy to hear it and look forward to such a surprise. I will refrain from asking more questions on the matter before my child dies of embarrassment, but I approve. Hopefully when things have settled down as you say, you and I will have more opportunities to become acquainted. I am sorry for interrupting your contractual obligations, but I and the rest of the family now here couldn¡¯t help but set eyes on you in a more personal fashion. Regardless it would likely be wise to go ahead with the contract, I apologize for needing to stroke my own curiosity - if only briefly..¡± From out of the shadows, a spider leg waved his way - and Riven chuckled with his hands being shoved into pockets. Athela slowly walked over to him and pushed her head into his chest, wrapping her arms around him and avoiding eye contact while he stroked her hair. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s likely wise. Otherwise mother will keep embarrassing me.¡± She shot her mother Vorindi a glare. Vorindi smiled innocently in turn, gave Athela¡¯s shoulder a kind squeeze, and then gestured towards the scarecrow. ¡°I believe you have an demon to speak to.¡± He nodded. ¡°That was very brief, but it¡¯s been a pleasure. Let¡¯s talk sometime soon after the contract is set. Maybe later this week?¡± ¡°Stop hitting on my mom.¡± Athela replied with a teasing laugh, head still buried in Riven¡¯s chest. She looked up, red eyes wide, lips quivering, and she planted a firm kiss mouth to mouth while getting up on her toes before letting go. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk to the scarecrow.¡± During this entire exchange, Fimrindle hadn¡¯t moved even a single millimeter. The large, carved X¡¯s for eyes in its metal face did not blink, did not twitch, did not shift. The metal jaw and teeth remained slightly unhinged, and a black void remained at the back of its throat. The lantern and scythe on either side of the creature were utterly still too, and the rail thin body of the metal creature was completely undecorated. It kind of looked like a child¡¯s stick drawing taken real form with a twist of evil to it. Riven came to stand beside the creature, taking in the entire rail-thin body. It didn¡¯t necessarily look all that impressive just at a first glance, but the description of the demon was promising. ¡°Tell me, Fimrindle, why choose me as a prospective master?¡± Riven eventually asked with a frown. ¡°You don¡¯t even have your own nether realm, which begs the question as to why that is. Don¡¯t most demons choose a summoner because they want to explore the mortal realms without danger to themselves? Yet, you¡¯re already there. It doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡± An odd tugging sensation caused Riven to look away for a moment. When Riven¡¯s eyes came back to where the scarecrow had been a moment before, he nearly jumped out of his boots and took an involuntary step back - seeing Fimrindle¡¯s metal face only an inch away from his own with a wide smile. ¡°JESUS!¡± Riven muttered under his breath, heartbeat pounding in his chest while glaring back at the demon. ¡°Don¡¯t do that!¡± The scarecrow remained stock-still, continuing not to move a single inch while the X¡¯s for eyes stared blankly at the spot Riven had stood seconds beforehand. Catching his breath and straightening, Riven blankly stared and then sputtered a laugh. ¡°Are you just going to stand there? Or can you not talk? Riven blinked, and during that blink the scarecrow shifted its position - inspecting Athela with crossed arms and the scythe-lantern combo settled on its back. Riven¡¯s brows furrowed. How the hell was this creature moving so¡­ jerkily? It was like watching a horror film where the ghost or monster made such abrupt movements that it couldn¡¯t be tracked between movements. Eventually Riven blinked again, and found Fimrindle looking his way again. And when the creature finally spoke, the mouth didn¡¯t move. Only a raspy, whispering voice was heard - as if someone from far away was yelling through a tunnel to talk to him. ¡°I am looking for one to teach me¡­ one that understands what it is like to be shunned.¡± Riven waited for the scarecrow to continue, but Fimrindle didn¡¯t utter another word. Riven clicked his tongue in thought, shot the others a glance - only getting shrugs, and sighed. ¡°That isn¡¯t much of an explanation.¡± Again the scarecrow did not reply. ¡°Mind expanding on that a bit?¡± Riven asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You are interesting. As is your sister.¡± Fimrindle replied with that whispery voice. The jaw of the creature didn¡¯t move, but the words came out anyways. ¡°I do not fear death like so many others. I do not need contracts to live on, nor do I need a nether realm to hide behind like so many other weaklings choose to do. Should I ever die, my soul will enter nirvana and be reborn. I am already dead, but I somehow remain alive. I am here standing before, and I am not. I am an abomination in the eyes of the system, a machine by body and a demon by nature. I try to find my path where there is none. I want you to help me find that path, and in return I can offer you help along the one you choose for yourself. That is all.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he contemplated the words the demon spoke. Dead but still alive probably meant he was also undead. He didn¡¯t know anything about this ¡®nirvana¡¯ the creature talked about. Finding a path could mean a large number of things, but in the end it didn¡¯t matter too much as long as Fimrindle obeyed commands and got along with everyone else. ¡°I see. While that¡¯s a rather cryptic answer, I¡¯ll take it for now. What¡¯s your fighting style?¡± ¡°Assassin. I am a child of the Scythe, the great spirit that brings home the souls of the dead. Every movement I make must have meaning.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°You being serious? I haven¡¯t heard of this ¡®Scythe¡¯ spirit before.¡± Fimrindle took a while, but eventually acknowledged his words. ¡°By nature, the Scythe is the embodiment of death. It is in many ways an equivalent to the sins, but was a being spawned by the pillar of Death as a manifestation of the end. Speaking of which - I do suggest that you begin to follow your own path more fervently, vampire; should you lose favor with Gluttony due to your lack of proper choice.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes widened, and he crossed his arms. ¡°Well this got a lot more interesting. What do you mean by my lack of proper choice? What have I done to lose favor with Gluttony?¡± The scarecrow paused, then its whispering voice proceeded to echo back at him after a low and ominous chuckle. ¡°You have pleased it thus far. But you hold on to your humanity. I see your soul, Riven Thane, and I find it lacking. I see potential being squandered. I wish to correct you, for both our sakes. Do not confuse violence and gluttonous wants with evil. You may still cultivate sin and the evil inside you without bowing to the notion of evil itself, though this is a harder path than that of embracing the essence of evil. I tell you now that the more you kill, the more Gluttony is appeased. The more you devour, the more you crave power, the more you grow, and the farther you will tread. Gluttony¡¯s aspect is similar to and almost a combination of Wrath and Greed. You must eat, you must kill, you must grow, in a never ending cycle of self indulgence. You must learn to love these aspects of yourself, give in to your wants, for these are the fundamentals of Gluttony. Bathe in the blood of your enemies and drink them dry. When you do this enough, you will one day find your hunger insatiable - but only then will you find the true power your soul now wields. The true power your soul now buries under flawed personal beliefs on the nature of good versus evil.¡± A shudder ran down Riven¡¯s soul aperture, and he felt his soul vibrate and resonate with the demon¡¯s words. The five shards of Gluttony surfaced in that moment, acknowledging the scarecrow¡¯s words as true with a tidal wave of overwhelming hunger, before fading again into the background once more. He even gained a very fleeting flash of inspiration, which caused him to almost stumble forward - but the images left as soon as they came. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Athela asked worriedly, wiping sweat from across Riven¡¯s brow as he involuntarily shuddered. She glared back at the scarecrow, not sure what was going on, but calmed down when Riven nodded his head. ¡°It seems you know a lot more about my sin than I do.¡± Riven stated after some time, the maw along his chestplate rumbling in agreement. Jackal came up to his leg in canine form and rubbed against him, and he bent down to pet the weapon-turned-pet before straightening again to stare long and hard Fimrindle¡¯s way. ¡°Tell me more about this¡­ ¡®Scythe¡¯ spirit.¡± The scarecrow remained silent. Clicking his tongue, Riven continued with another question. ¡°Why should I choose you over the others?¡± The scarecrow yet again did not reply. Riven¡¯s eyelids dropped slightly, then he called the demon¡¯s bluff and turned around while putting his helmet on. ¡°I guess he doesn¡¯t want it as bad as I thought he did. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°The devil is a fool.¡± Riven paused at the scarecrow¡¯s words, smiling slightly underneath the metal of Messenger¡¯s protective shell. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°He is impulsive and violent without forethought to any action. He will get you killed the moment he antagonizes an opponent greater than himself, and it will not be him that dies the true death because of it. The devil Chazi will not care if you die, as he will find another master so he can pursue the glory of battle at little risk to himself.¡± Riven turned around to stare at the scarecrow, folding his arms and nodding along. ¡°Ok. What about the others?¡± ¡°Rheufa Chak Tal is a deceiver. You have not met him yet, but when you do - ask him about what he did to his last master. And if you do choose him, be sure to triple check his contract. It will no doubt be very long, and carefully worded in his favor in ways that you may not see. The snake, Yattazi, may be a monster but she is also pure in soul. She above all else follows her path with true fervor, and I have nothing negative to say about her aside from the fact that I would beat her in one on one combat.¡± A small chuckle escaped Riven¡¯s lips. ¡°Is that so? I would be interested in seeing such a battle. What about the Abyss-Lord?¡± Fimrindle paused. ¡°What Abyss-Lord?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow again and pulled up his list of potential demonic contracts, the list of 5 that Athela had narrowed it down to, only to see that list had dropped down to 4. Chapter 201 Chapter 201 The conversation lasted a little longer, but not too long. Fimrindle had an obvious aversion to speaking, and it almost seemed like it pained him to do it. However Riven did get a lot of valuable information out of the scarecrow concerning his cultivation path revolving around the sin of Gluttony - which was a bit odd considering the demon didn¡¯t have a sin shard himself. The next and last demon he approached was Rheufa Chak Tal, the Thousand-Eyes Beholder, and the demon¡¯s realm was far more vast than any of the others had been. Standing on the edge of a cliff, Riven looked into the distance where the cliff dropped thousands of feet below. A desolate, burning hellscape roared and erupted with volcanic plumes of magma, and overhead the sky thundered with black clouds crashing into one another in spurts of lightning. The sight reminded him very much of Negrada, though it lacked the giant flaming eyeball in the sky or any kind of ruins. Otherwise the environment was the same though, and Riven casually waved to the right where a large beholder demon, very unlike the other two they¡¯d seen thus far, remained hovering over the cliff. The previous two beholders were slightly smaller than him - one being in his demonic assortment before he¡¯d chosen Fay as a succubus, and the other being the one who¡¯d ambushed and helped kill Athela. They¡¯d each had dozens of eyeballs on stalks with a singular central eyeball far larger than the others, and rows of teeth in mouths underneath. This beholder was far larger, somewhat similar to the size of Athela in her Drider form, and its features were slightly different. The largest feature change was that this monster¡¯s body was made of shadows very similar to how the Abyss-Lord had been. The same central eyeball in the center of its mass was present, the pupil was cat-like and glowing neon green, and it had a large mouth full of sharp teeth just like the others had. It also had numerous flickering stalks of similar but smaller eyeballs just like its weaker beholder counterparts, but extending beyond these and off its back were dozens more of these stalks that split, and split, and split again until they began to lose substance - black fading into ghostly white before disappearing entirely into the air. They almost looked like snakes, or thick branches of vines that attached the demon to the air about its body, and then those same stalks would reappear only to have eyeballs attached at the end of them in different places all around the area they now stood. More and more eyeballs began tearing out of space to glare down on Riven¡¯s group, until hundreds and then multiples of hundreds of eyes stared down at him as one. ¡°Quite impressive.¡± Riven stated aloud, turning around and around - up and down until settling back on the beholder¡¯s main body while the stalks moved and shifted in non-existent winds. ¡°Makes me wonder what else you can do.¡± ¡°Rheufa Chak Tal, at your service. You may call me Rheufa.¡± A gentlemanly voice replied with an amused hum to his voice. His green eyes landed on Athela, and he began to laugh. ¡°Never did I think to see the day where a summoner of your caliber would consider marrying one of his demons. The prospect is hilarious to me.¡± Athela hissed threateningly, while the others in the party watched on in silence. ¡°It is rude to spy on other people¡¯s realms.¡± ¡°It is in my nature to spy. To collect information. To evaluate my prospects of success when undertaking such a task as this.¡± Rheufa replied with a silky voice - hovering closer and pushing his enormous eyeball up to the other demon. ¡°It would be stupid of me not to do so, but do not think that I am making fun of your situation. I am actually quite impressed that he¡¯d value you so highly, most summoners just look at us as tools - similarly to how most of us look at them. It is a symbiotic relationship, they acquire our power and in turn we are able to level with diminished amounts of danger. Eventually the summoners usually die, and we are left in an ascended state when compared to our prior selves. Or at least that¡¯s what generally happens.¡± The large eyeball shifted around Riven at high speed, examining each party member in full with the vibrant green eye until settling back on him again. It smiled, sharp white teeth glistening under the body made of void-black, shifting shadows. ¡°Now let¡¯s play at a question. Why would I, as a rather selfish individual by admission, submit myself to you? A summoner? When I am able to grow easily enough by myself?¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°No idea. You tell me, that¡¯s what we¡¯re here for right?¡± Rheufa sighed, and its eyeballs all rolled simultaneously. ¡°That was somewhat of a rhetorical question.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t seem like it.¡± ¡°Just stay quiet for a moment.¡± Rheufa cleared his throat in his gentlemanly voice, far too sophisticated for the demonic body it possessed, and narrowed its sight one more time on the vampire. ¡°What would you say, if perhaps I was able to show you a way to acquire not only myself as a contract - but up to 10 in total? What would you say if I could guarantee that you become not only stronger and survive the trials of integration, but that I could guarantee you become the first E-grade creature on your planet before even arriving in Chalgathi¡¯s next quest? What would you say if this meant your power ranking on Panu¡¯s power ladder would shoot you up to the number 1 spot, that I could guarantee your ability to conquer your world by the end of integration? That all you had to do to achieve this was pick me and accept my terms?¡± Riven remembered the words Fimrindle had spoken concerning Rheufa Chak Tal¡¯s previous master, and he folded his arms while considering the beholder¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of promises, and you¡¯re giving off used-cars-salesman vibes. No matter how good your promises are I can in turn promise you that I won¡¯t be picking you if the contract is shit. But if it is good¡­ then yes, I¡¯d be very interested in hearing your proposal. Just how would you follow through on all these promises? I¡¯m quite curious.¡± The beholder once again laughed, and the green eye in the center of its body lit up. ¡°Your answer is a simple one, but achieving it will not be. You may die trying to acquire it, and the risk is extreme, but should you succeed - I and any other demon you are contracted to will benefit immensely. I am greedy by nature, and wish for power, and in you - I see the potential to finally enact my plan. Riven Thane, I wish for you to acquire the class of demon lord." *** ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for my minions¡­ and more is always a good thing.¡± Riven began hesitantly, glancing over at Athela and putting an arm around her shoulders while smiling at Azmoth. ¡°But I¡¯m not entirely sure my way leads down the path of focusing on Willpower. It is growing exponentially harder to keep my contracts as they are, and holding more than a handful of demons will cost me a massive amount of stats in the Willpower category. Those are stats I¡¯d rather put towards building up my own body and mind.¡± ¡°The power you¡¯d gain by gaining our contracts would far outweigh the power you own yourself.¡± Rheufa said with a blink. ¡°Just think of the power you¡¯d gain with ten demons on par with Athela. You would be unstoppable.¡± Riven stared, then nuzzled Athela with his nose. ¡°Know anything about this?¡± Athela was frowning, but she nodded. ¡°I have heard of the class, it is real, but I am not sure how to obtain it. The one downside is you¡¯ll have to pull a lot of points into your Willpower, as you said. A LOT of Willpower.¡± ¡°Yeah that¡¯s a no from me then. At least for now.¡± Riven replied with a sideways glance at Azmoth. ¡°That ok with you bud?¡± ¡°Do what best for you, not worry about me.¡± Azmoth stated promptly. ¡°I will get strong and catch you in time.¡± ¡°I never doubted you would.¡± The large floating eyeball tried to convince Riven a couple of times about the prospects of the class, and Riven was honestly tempted a bit. But he¡¯d been growing at high speed by himself despite what the demon said, and considering Fimrindle¡¯s warning - along with this demon having bound itself to the sin of Greed - Riven didn¡¯t necessarily trust Rheufa. ¡°So what happened to your last master?¡± Riven eventually asked in a pause during their conversation. ¡°Fimrindle told me something happened to him, and to ask you what that was.¡± Rheufa¡¯s large green eye pulsed, almost angrily, and he stared the vampire down. He then grumbled something under his breath, and huffed to turn around. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s nothing more to be said. If you do not wish to pursue the path of the demon lord, then there is nothing more for us to speak on. I will find another.¡± Riven blinked, and immediately found himself back in Yattazi¡¯s realm with Rheufa gone. The transition was a bit jarring because it came without warning, but it wasn¡¯t unwelcome. The large coiling snake was still mostly submerged in magma, but the huge frame of the beast that was out of the volcanic slide still dwarfed him a hundred times over. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Curiously enough, Fimrindle was also there - perched on his iron cross near the magma pool and next to the gigantic serpent who¡¯d resumed her normally sized form. Furrowing his eyebrows, Riven looked around. ¡°Have you declined the sssssslippery beholder?¡± Yattazi asked, its huge dark gray scales shifting with its swaying head side to side in anticipation. ¡°We await your decissssion.¡± His red eyes shifted to those of the gargantuan beast overhead, and then to the scarecrow. ¡°The beholder will not be joining my team, no. I wasn¡¯t all that interested in the devil. As for who I am going to choose between the two of you¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m torn.¡± There was a lapse of silence as Riven pondered his decision. Fimrindle¡¯s head cocked to one side during one of Riven¡¯s blinks, and a raspy voice echoed from its dark throat. ¡°Perhaps there is another way¡­ Your sister, she is a necromancer, yes?¡± Riven slowly nodded, eyebrows raised. ¡°Yes. Why? And how do you know about my sister?¡± ¡°I have ways. What level is she?¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°70 or 80 something. Why?¡± ¡°Because minions cannot outlevel their masters.¡± Fimrindle replied with a thick inhale. ¡°I believe it would be best that you take Yattazi as your own, and that I match with your sister. You see, I can artificially lower my own combat level for months at a time, and truthfully I feel that she is a better fit for me than you are. I do not mean to use you, but my being is both a demon and an undead twisted into one. Perhaps you can talk to her for me, and though I would be weaker until she reaches my true level - I could give her guidance to reach the peak so that she may stand beside you in these turbulent times.¡± *** She stood atop the hill with her large undead drake on one side, and her new metallic, scythe-wielding scarecrow on the other. It was certainly a good addition, and extremely good addition to her forces, with it easily being the most powerful of any servant she had. Why it had asked for her specifically she did not know, the answers he gave her were fickle even when she commanded him to tell her, but she was grateful for the opportunity to acquire him. Allie watched Riven leave down the mountainside on a huge demonic serpent, heading towards the old hospital entrance that¡¯d turned into a gateway into the underdark. Patrolled by numerous caravans coming and going from Deepnest where the war with the dwarves still raged, and having been hollowed out to create larger pathways into the deeper parts of the world, Allie still didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to fit that enormous slithering creature down there with him. The creature was carving entire paths through the haunted forest, simply bulldozing everything in its way as other creatures of the night frantically ran for their lives. He very well may have to reduce the size or unsummon it altogether until they hit the larger caverns. Tyranus, the dungeon boss turned undead minion she¡¯d flown here after getting Riven¡¯s message, tilted its head to look at the stick-still figure of the scarecrow silently crouching on the ground next to Allie. ¡°This creature is a strange one.¡± Fimrindle did not reply, nor did he even move. Allie turned her red eyes to look upon him, smiling slightly, before blinking and seeing her odd minion now having completely vanished altogether. She could feel him though, and turning around she saw the thin monster perched on the decimated rooftop of the broken down gas station. ¡°We¡¯re all odd in our own ways. It is unfair to judge one so.¡± ¡°Apologies, mistress.¡± Tyranus bowed low, the huge skeletal maw of the flickering monstrosity nearly hitting the ground in submission. ¡°I forget myself. May I ask, what are your plans now that you¡¯ve sent scouts to weed out the Rippenvire vampires? Do you truly intend to let Riven fight the dwarves on his own?¡± Allie nodded, glancing over at a dozen of her elite skeleton minions on the perimeter of the clearing that¡¯d accompanied her here. They were all hooded mages, still somewhat lacking their own will but still able to learn forms of her own magic - which made them rather intimidating when compared to most of the populace on Panu. She sighed, then began walking over to the side of the drake to clamber up onto its back. Sitting herself on a saddle specially made for the huge undead creature, she held to the reins and mentally turned him around - pointing towards the northwest. ¡°Yes. Riven is more than able to handle those rock loving halflings all by himself. They will take the knee, or they will die. As for me, I have my own meetings to attend and a cultivation path to acquire. Mara will finish off talks with Dawn concerning the rebuilding of their city, and the king and queen of Tereen will be escorted home tomorrow. Fimrindle, this is your chance to prove yourself valuable.¡± She waited for her skeletons to clamber on behind her, then spurred Tyranus to take flight, and his enormous ethereal wings created from death mana and hollowed flesh tore into the air - launching them skywards as Fimrindle disappeared entirely without a word. ¡°Head northwest, over the mountains, until we see a large river. Then follow that river straight north for two days, and we should reach our destination.¡± Into the dark clouds gathering in the east and through a light drizzle, the vampiric queen soared towards her destination. *** Death pulsed with every step she took, the dying light of the sunset beckoning the night to come forward. The weaker creatures and lesser beings of this world involuntarily cringed and took a step back at her passing, bowing their heads in displays of reverence and whispering to one another as she took up the invitation from the alliance who¡¯d sent emissaries only days before. News of what the Thane Necropolis had become was far reaching. The feats of her empire, herself, and her brother were plastered across the world¡¯s forums. These people, neighbors of her fledgling kingdom, were afraid. And rightfully so, but for her - it was not enough. Her power was not enough. She needed to catch up to Riven, to stand alongside him. She would not be left in the dust. The amphitheater was very large, and the hall she now walked down led towards it where hundreds more of nervous people whispered to one another. The alliance before her was created from different human factions that¡¯d banded together. Some of them were of Old Earth, but they were in the minority - with most of these people having originated from one of the other two worlds of Zazir and Elhisterii. She wasn¡¯t sure which, but they certainly were more acquainted with magic and medieval-style weapons - albeit enchanted ones - than the people hailing from what had once been a city in China. The dozen hooded skeleton mages all silently walked behind her, their eye sockets glowing a neon teal light, and wants out at the ready in case of any ambush attempt while Fimrindle remained out of sight. That creature truly was stealthy. If she didn¡¯t have a connection with him, she¡¯d not even have known he was there. He hadn¡¯t talked much since their introduction either, and she was still trying to get a handle on what he was like or what his motivations were. The stone amphitheater eventually opened up in front of her, with baubles of light held aloft overhead in racks along the tall walls, and stained glass windows painted the room in oranges, greens, blues and reds. The room quickly hushed on her arrival, and her crimson eyes searched the stands - identifying three individuals who stood at the bottom and ahead of the others as a greeting party. No doubt they were the leaders of the three faction alliance that¡¯d invited her to come. One was an Asian man from Earth who wore a pistol at his waist and an exquisite suit. Another was a very pretty young woman with silky black hair that hung down far past her waist in a braided ponytail - wearing a blue robe decorated with golden sigils around a bird in flight. The last was another human man who was completely shaven to the point that he didn¡¯t even have eyebrows - though the wrinkles in his face showed he was growing older. He looked very much like a monk with plain brown robes that were frayed at the ends of the sleeves, but he above all looked the most calm. She stopped only ten yards from them, putting herself into a confident stance and silently staring through the holes in her skull mask while the soul-stitched wand at her side hissed. Six hooded skeletal mages took positions on her left, while six took positions on her right, and people in the hallway behind her continued to whisper and stare from the shadows at the upcoming negotiations. ¡°This one greets the esteemed Queen of the Thane Necropolis. My name is Astrand, Great Shepherd of my flock - The Golden Bull Sect.¡± The monk said with a small smile, stepping forward and bowing low in a sign of respect - with everyone else in the room doing the same as he did just a moment later. He raised himself and clasped his hands in front of him at chest level with the sleeves of his brown robe nearly causing his hands to disappear entirely. ¡°The ones beside me are Ryu Chen of Beijing, and Authin Verume of the Bluesilk Nest. We have heard and seen of your exploits, Queen Allie Thane, and we wish to extend our most sincere congratulations at your accomplishment of defeating the Rippenvire fleets. To think that one of the invaders sent here by the system was already put to heel and routed so early is a great boon indeed, and our world owes you and yours a great debt for it.¡± Again he bowed at the waist, and again the entire room followed suit before he stood up. Allie sorted through them one by one. She was able to identify most of them, many of them having levels inbetween 15 and 40. There were a couple over level 60 though, and even one other S-grade on the power ladder who stood at the very back of the room wielding a claymore, but overall they were quite weak. Not that it mattered too much. These people were mostly politicians and leaders, rather than warriors, and they could have more S-grades waiting just outside. She simply didn¡¯t know enough about them. But she doubted any of them would be stupid enough to make a move. Call it arrogance or confidence, she was certain that she¡¯d be able to escape if push came to shove. She held up her right hand, and out of it flew a myriad of bones. They began stacking atop one another, building into one another as a vortex of magic much like the bone garden atop her tower in Brightsville came to life. Many of the people in the room tensed or reached for weapons and talismans as she summoned the low tier magic, but when they realized what she was doing - they either sagged their shoulders in relief or outright gawked in outrage at the blatant insult. The bones stopped swirling as the last of them came into its intended destination. There, in the middle of their own amphitheater in the center of their heartlands, Allie sat upon a tall throne she¡¯d created from the skeletons of her enemies. Spines created the armrests. Skulls decorated the back of the support board, which itself was created from numerous ribs. Skeletal hands held up the large chair, and sitting in it caused her to look down upon the three insignificant specs of humans ahead of her just like the rest of the theater looked down on them as a whole. It was a statement, a statement telling them where she stood in relation to them. But even despite this, despite the anger she saw on many of their faces, Allie didn¡¯t budge - nor did she see any of them brave enough to say anything about what she¡¯d done. Those scowls turned to slight gasps when she removed her mask to reveal her utterly stunning, pale features - with many of the men even looking on with a lustful envy intermixed into their fear. ¡°Your emissaries told me you wished to speak, so I came. It was good you called, there aren¡¯t many high density population centers like this one near my empire outside of the Tereen elves we just conquered - even if it is split between three groups controlling the area.¡± Allie said slowly, pulling out a goblet made from the skull of her old arch enemy ¡®Prophet¡¯, and filling it with blood from a jug in her spatial sack before beginning to sip while. ¡°Tell me, what makes you want to speak with me? I wish to hear it in your own words.¡± Astrand, the older hairless man, nodded sagely while ignoring the fact that he was looking up at her now - as opposed to being on equal footing. ¡°I had hoped, young Queen of the Thane Necropolis, that our alliance could exist with your own - peacefully so. We had hoped to establish good relations with a player on the world stage such as yourself, and that of your brother, so that no unnecessary conflicts and death arise in the future. We had hoped to establish trade and perhaps an exchange of knowledge, so that we may all thrive in this new world we find ourselves in. That is why we have summoned you, your majesty, and it is my hope that we may someday even become friends in our quest to combat the darkness that plagues this world.¡± Allie¡¯s beautiful smile widened, and her fangs were on full display without her intentionally trying to do so. She glanced left to where she felt Vin and Nin ready and waiting somewhere outside the building, having gotten there even before she did. ¡°Oh, but my dear friend¡­ perhaps I am that darkness." Chapter 202 Chapter 202 Trees cast shadows on their cabin. The sounds of the campfire crackling under the night sky grew louder as Julie added a handful of dry twigs. The young redheaded woman gave Hakim a wide smile, sitting down next to him as he roasted marshmallows over an open fire and kissing him on the cheek. ¡°You look unusually happy tonight.¡± Julie said while wrapping her arms around his waist in the warm forest breeze. She glanced over to her mother Tanya, and her brother Tim who¡¯d managed to regrow his lost limb after they¡¯d spent all their hard earnings from the dungeon experience with Riven on a series of high quality potions. Tanya, who was putting another marshmallow on a stick and handing it to her teenage son, smiled back at her daughter who looked absolutely stunning in the formfitting white healer¡¯s robes she had multiple copies of. ¡°You make us all happy to be around, Julie. Your energy is infectious.¡± Hakim chuckled and pulled out a flaming ball of what had once been edible, sighing when the others laughed at him before pulling it off and tossing it into the fire pit. His shirtless chest was heavily tattooed now, given the abilities and body enhancements he¡¯d acquired, which only kept Julie¡¯s eyes on him longer. ¡°Yes, your mother is right. How lucky I was to have met you!¡± Julie flushed in embarrassment, but not before Tim gave a loud snort. ¡°My sister still snores and farts far to often for my liking.¡± Julie gasped as her mother and lover began to loudly laugh around the campfire. Glaring at her little brother, she crossed her arms and harumphed. ¡°I do NOT SNORE! And it isn¡¯t my fault I¡¯m lactose intolerant!¡± ¡°You could stop eating cheese.¡± ¡°BLASPHEMY! Mom¡¯s pizza is too good! I¡¯D RATHER DIE!¡± The sound of laughter rose, but the sound of heavy boots trudging through the forest towards them caused the small group to pause. Hakim glanced down the forested hill towards the outskirts of town where tiny lights littered the dark landscape, and coming out of the darkness a familiar figure stepped forward. It was Caleb, the same man who¡¯d entered the dungeon with them when Riven had shown up. He still carried his semi-automatic rifle, though he¡¯d upgraded some of the runes along the weapon¡¯s side to empower its shots, and had the typical camo outfit he liked with a pair of night vision goggles on top of his head. He pulled the goggles off when he came around the bend in the forest path and strode forward with a smile to the cheers and waves of the others. ¡°Hey guys! Sorry I¡¯m late.¡± Hakim¡¯s large muscles flexed as he gripped his battle axe and waved it around in mock threat. ¡°Yes, how dare you not be faster! You court death!¡± Julie rolled her eyes and handed Caleb a long stick with a marshmallow attached to it, smiling gently when the man took it in turn and sat beside her mother on the other side of the firepit. ¡°Glad to see you came safely.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a scout class! I can usually see danger a mile away. Literally.¡± Caleb winked, setting down his rifle and pulling out a small sack of goods from a backpack. He tossed over some twinkies, a couple chocolate bars, some pre-cooked hotdogs with buns, and some paper plates before pulling out the big kicker: the vodka. ¡°OOOOOoooooh! Caleb!¡± Tanya said in a teasing flirty voice while waggling her eyebrows. ¡°You never told me you were bringing alcohol!¡± Caleb¡¯s face grew bright red when his friends¡¯ mother nudged up against him, and both Julie and Hakim began to cackle loudly while Tim rolled his eyes. Julie grabbed one of the hot dogs from Tim and then shook her head. ¡°Mom you need to stop doing that or he¡¯s going to think you¡¯re serious one of these days.¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m NOT serious!? I¡¯m totally into younger, handsome men!¡± Tanya retorted with a frown, briefly glancing at Caleb sitting on the log next to her while his face went from red nearly to purple in embarrassment. Her grin only grew wider, but she spared him further stress by giving him a little bit of space and giggling. ¡°So Caleb, how did you like the new clothes I made you?¡± Taking the olive branch immediately, Caleb cleared his throat and shuffled nervously with the food in his lap - arranging it and rearranging it on the paper plate while avoiding death glares from Tim. ¡°They¡¯re great! The stat boosts they give me are definitely appreciated, your skills are getting better¡± Tanya beamed and started pouring herself a tiny cup of vodka. ¡°Glad you think so. However, I do believe¡­¡± Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened when, under the starry sky and with the backdrop of the small town in the distance, five men silently appeared on the forested edge of their clearing. All were utterly silent, all dressed in black with white masks that hid most of their face. The familiar symbol of two crossed daggers hung as tiny metal amulets around each of their necks. It didn¡¯t take long after that for the others to take notice, and Hakim slowly turned to stand while hesitantly reaching for his axe and silently activating some physical buffs. His brows furrowed, and the five masked men turned their attention to him next. One of them, the central figure, raised a finger and wagged it back and forth. ¡°Do not be so hasty to start such violence, Hakim. We are not here to do you harm, we are merely sent as messengers. How you respond to that message dictates what happens next.¡± Hakim¡¯s nose wrinkled, and he put his body in front of Julie¡¯s while the rest of his tiny guild behind him. ¡°I already told Matt that I spent everything I had. Tim¡¯s leg took a lot of money to regenerate, I am not hiding anything and even if I were - it wasn¡¯t Matt¡¯s to take.¡± The central figure snorted, brushing Hakim¡¯s reply aside with a wave of his hand. ¡°That isn¡¯t my concern. What is my concern, is that we were paid to bring the lot of you in for a discussion.¡± ¡°How much did he pay you?¡± The figure shrugged indifferently. ¡°The Red Hand paid in items rather than Elysium Coins. Not many people have direct access to the altars anyways in this remote section of the world, so items are better suited for our needs unless we wish to travel. But that doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is whether or not you¡¯re going to come quietly, or whether or not you¡¯re going to come missing a member or two.¡± Shadows in the forest began to move, and Hakim¡¯s eyes narrowed when more hooded figures on their right and left made themselves visible - if only barely. Tanya shuffled nervously, and her son Tim got to his feet with a gritting scowl. ¡°This is robbery, a shakedown. Plain and simple.¡± Tim snarled, clutching at a small pistol at his side. Immediately hidden weapons were revealed from the people on the perimeter, with a variation of knives, wands, crossbows, and guns. The central figurehead of the group slowly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. But in this world, where the apocalypse has descended and all around us monsters try to chew away what little we have left, you cannot blame me for attempting to make a living. I am an honest mercenary, and if that occasionally includes escorting particular groups of people to their enemies then so be it. I will say though, The Red Hand doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re entirely convinced of your hidden treasures either - so as a gift to old friends, I tell you now that there¡¯s a decent chance you could talk your way out of this when you get there. Matt may be a thug, but he¡¯s not stupid. What is not negotiable, is the fact that you¡¯re coming either way.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. *** Riven stayed in the shadows, a small demonic snake wrapped around his right arm while a spider clung to his left shoulder, and a shadowy jackal with red eyes sitting at his feet; dismissing the status page notification and having been impressed with Luke¡¯s progression. The old man, elf turned thrall, was almost completely healed. Riven didn¡¯t know how much power he¡¯d retained or if any or all of the old man¡¯s abilities had finally come back after their link had slowly put Luke¡¯s soul back together piece by piece - but he could visibly see the change in the old man¡¯s body. Riven was happy that he¡¯d briefly stopped by before going into the underdark, because though he had less savory responsibilities as the most powerful person in the Thane Necropolis - he always enjoyed watching the small, important, and often overlooked things in life play out. Luke was playing with the children of the large orphanage Riven had set up in central Brightsville, and was laughing loudly as they climbed over his robes or threw buckets of water at one another. A couple of them were even practicing small forms of magic and miracles, with Luke specifically having taught many of them tiny amounts of wind and water magic from the Storm Subpillar - forgoing the lightning based abilities just yet. Three stories high and guarded at all times by soldiers of the army, this place was not only a vibrant and thriving school for the children who¡¯d lost their families - but was also an experiment of sorts in real time. Different children were progressing down different roads of cultivation, learning, and even crafting paths. Crafting paths. He snorted with a shake of his head. He¡¯d been wanting to pursue Totem Making for quite a while now, it fascinated him, and it¡¯d be a nice stress reliever. But he¡¯d simply not had time with everything going on the way it was. The thought made him wonder just how Hakim and the others were doing. Hopefully they were alright. It¡¯d been a while, but they did have that artifact to call him if need arose - so he was sure everything was as it should be. ¡°What thinking?¡± Azmoth asked in a gruff, demonic voice - leaning into the large magma-infused warhammer in front of him to support his enormous weight. ¡°Look deep in thought.¡± Riven glanced left and smiled, his Gluttony-attuned helmet peeling back to reveal his pale features. ¡°Yeah. I was just thinking back to my friends from the tutorial, the ones I knew before I ever even met you. It¡¯s been a while, I was just mentally wishing them well.¡± Azmoth nodded sagely. ¡°Is good to have friends. You need more.¡± ¡°Oh? Do I?¡± Riven grinned, slapping the large metallic shoulder of the obsidian plates fused into Azmoth¡¯s flesh. ¡°I¡¯ve got you guys! I¡¯ve got¡­¡± His smile faltered as he remembered Fay. His world quickly turned from that of an upbeat, warm feeling - to that of a cold and sad place. It showed on his face, and Athela reached up one of her spider legs to lightly touch his cheek. ¡°You miss her.¡± Athela said sadly. ¡°I can tell.¡± Riven abruptly cleared his throat, then looked down to the spider with a nod. ¡°Yeah. I do. But I wouldn¡¯t ever give you up, she forced my hand.¡± ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± Riven considered the question, then sighed. ¡°Slightly. But I love you Athela, and I don¡¯t hold it against you. Let¡¯s just drop it for now, ok?¡± Athela hesitantly nodded her arachnid head, clicked her mandibles twice, and then snuggled into his neck where the red blood silk underlayer of his armor met with the ivory plates mail. ¡°Ok.¡± Yattazi seemed interested in the exchange - molten eyes glancing between the other three as a tongue flicked out underneath dark gray scales. ¡°Who issss this persssson you talk about? And can we find food sssssoon? I wasss wanting to cook! Dwarf, preferably!¡± Azmoth snickered at the last comment, but quickly contained himself when he realized laughing right now probably wasn¡¯t appropriate. ¡°¡±We eat many dwarves together in underdark. Patience tiny snake.¡± ¡°I am MASSIVE dear brutalisk!¡± ¡°Not right now you aint!¡± Athela quipped back with a tiny tongue sticking out. ¡°Right now you¡¯re a slug! A teeny tiny ugly slug!¡± The rather sleek, dangerous looking snake wrapped around Riven¡¯s arm rolled her eyes - getting a chittering laugh from the spider. ¡°I am going to eat that ssspider, masssster.¡± Athela dramatically gasped. ¡°Bring it bitch!¡± Riven sighed with a shake of his head, though he was now smiling again. Yes, he supposed it was good to have friends such as these. Pushing off the wall in the alley he was viewing the three-story tall orphanage from, he made his presence known while stepping into the light. Immediately the guards around the perimeter of the orphanage tensed and bowed their heads, clapping hands to their chests in a salute. There were orcs, humans, cyborgs, ghouls, skresh, and even a few goblins in the mix of the guards stationed here for the time being - making it a rather diverse outfit of over 50 people protecting nearly three thousand kids that lived here. The caretakers, mostly ghoul and human women but also having a good number of elves who had chosen to stay behind, all stiffened on the playgrounds in turn when seeing him approach. Some of them even prostrated themselves, while others, tried to round the children up to hush them or push them inside. The only one who did did not freak out was Luke. The old man¡¯s skin had a leathery appearance to it when he smiled, and his smile only grew wider upon seeing Riven approach. He waved, putting down a little boy he¡¯d been playing mock-wrestling with, and walked forward to meet his master with a hand outstretched. ¡°Good to see you!¡± Luke called out, surprising Riven by pulling him into a brief hug and stepping back. ¡°How have you been!? It¡¯s been a while since we sparred, have you come to bring me in for more lessons?¡± Riven¡¯s eyes softened while taking in the little children who stared up at him in from a nearby picnic table and a jungle gym on his left. ¡°No. I think your place is here, more than teaching me how to be a pathetic excuse for a warrior.¡± The elf thrall¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, then he began to laugh while putting his hands on his hips. ¡°I suppose you weren¡¯t the greatest in up close combat, but you sure look the part with all that heavy armor you¡¯re lugging around. And hello to the rest of you! Azmoth, Athela, Jackal, Messenger, and¡­¡± He gave each of them a head nod - even the maw along the armor set that gurgled back at him, before staring at the snake wrapped around Riven¡¯s arm. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°New minion?¡± ¡°You got it. Her name is Yattazi, and she¡¯s usually a lot bigger than this - but I can¡¯t go around the city with a massive snake now can I? She¡¯d rip everything up.¡± The snake, who¡¯d been curiously examining the children nearby, turned her spined head to the older man and flicked her tongue out to display fangs crackling with chaos energy. ¡°Hello, fellow servant of the massster! I am Yattazi, devourer of the living and great sssserpant of the volcano! You may kowtow before me one thousand times and ssshower me with giftsss for being allowed to basssk in my presssence!!! For I have gracioussssly chosssen not to eat you!¡± Athela chittered in amusement when Luke¡¯s face fell. ¡°I see she¡¯s a keeper.¡± Luke replied flatly, ignoring the snake and turning to Athela. ¡°You told her to say that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Athela took in a deep inhale, aghast. ¡°HOW DID YOU KNOW!?¡± ¡°That is exactly something that you would say. If Riven ended up getting two demons with your personality, I think this necropolis would be in for a real shit show.¡± He shook his head. ¡°So what is it that brings you here then, Riven? Anything I can help you with, if not training?¡± Riven¡¯s smile returned. ¡°I just wanted to check in and see how you were doing. Don¡¯t get me wrong, we¡¯ll train later, but I have things to do and it¡¯d simply been a while. You¡¯re looking good, healthy even. I also saw your soul degredation was only at 3% now, you¡¯ve come a long ways. Have your abilities returned?¡± The old man grinned mischeviously, pulling his hands out of his simple robes and producing a baseball sized orb of water that began to crackle with lightning. ¡°Yes. Though not all of them. The most prominent miracles I have are still being set into place, but I can feel them. They¡¯re almost here.¡± Riven¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Awesome. You¡¯ll have to teach me more about the difference between miracles and spells later on. I know the basics, but not many people use miracles here.¡± ¡°That will change very fast if I have any say about it.¡± Luke hiked a thumb over his shoulder to the children in the background. ¡°They¡¯re all really fast learners, and I¡¯ve even captured a couple weak monsters for them to battle against in practice rounds! It¡¯ll all be controlled obviously, but cultivating the younger generations is something every great faction starts very early. At least that¡¯s how it was on Zazir before the merging of worlds. Now with the system here and the levels we can gain though¡­ it may be even more important.¡± Riven clapped the old man on the shoulder. ¡°Glad to hear it. Do you work with Mara a lot? She is supposed to be overseeing these kinds of things.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Luke replied with a nod. ¡°That hottie is really something else¡­¡± ¡°Mara? The ghoul necromancer?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯s pretty?¡± Riven replied with a teasing grin. Luke only blinked. ¡°Well I¡¯m straight and I¡¯m not blind, so obviously so. She¡¯s gorgeous! Just because you surround yourself with beautiful women like Athela, Kathrine and¡­ Others, doesn¡¯t mean the rest of us get so lucky all the time. Contain yourself and save some of the women for the rest of us, damn you!¡± Athela let on another dramatic gasp, hopped off Riven¡¯s shoulder and morphed into her humanoid form. She put both handed on the old man¡¯s face to pinch his cheeks with affection. ¡°YOU¡¯RE SO NICE! Riven, wrinkles here just got a lot of brownie points. Treat him well, and tha plan you had to eat him - scratch that. We¡¯ll just eat Genua instead.¡± Riven could only facepalm and roll his eyes. ¡°Stop harassing my teacher. Anyways, it was good seeing you Luke. I¡¯ve got some ratkin and dwarves to visit in the underdark, along with some native vampires too if what Snagger told me was accurate. Take care, keep safe, and I¡¯ll be sure to drag you out for a practice match whenever I get back.¡± Luke gave him a thumbs up after swatting away Athela¡¯s fingers with a scowl. ¡°This is how you do it, yes?¡± Riven chuckled. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the thumbs up motion. You have it right. Adios my friend.¡± ¡°Yes, adios to you too Riven. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Chapter 203 Chapter 203 The hospital entrance that¡¯d once been a small hole into the basement was now dug out and fully cleaned. The corpses that¡¯d long since rotted away there from swarming nightmare creatures were long gone, and in place of them were stalls of ratkin and citizens of Brightsville alike while they traded with one another at the mouth into the underdark. Guard patrols from Deepnest and the Thane Necropolis were both present, taking turns escorting people to and from the two cities in caravans where the trips would last nearly three days in most cases due to the goods they traveled with. Unless they took a spatial sack of course, but those were rare. Even in those cases, the threat of monsters and dwarvish ambushes were ever present - and one did not just simply walk into the underdark alone because of it. Unless you were Riven Thane. Riven casually strolled down the marked tunnels and pathways leading into the depths of the planet, humming to himself with his three demonic servants and Jackal¡¯s canine form in tow. The mood was upbeat, in large part due to the hot cinnamon buns and meat-stuffed rolls he¡¯d purchased at one of the vendors before heading down here, as the food was very good. ¡°I rate it adequate. This is acceptable.¡± Yattazi stated between snarfing some of the pastries down, wrapped around Athela¡¯s humanoid form and waiting with open mouth as the other demoness fed her pieces one by one. ¡°I need to start using this¡­ sugar substance, you speak of. It is quite good.¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t get diabetes.¡± Riven called out rather sagely with finger upheld. ¡°What¡¯s diabetes?¡± ¡°A disease you get from having way too much sugar. Kinda. It¡¯d take a bit to explain.¡± The twists and turns stretched into enormous underground biodomes, chasms of space that were connected by numerous shafts, and various creatures that were far different from the norm above ground. Neon-teal grasses, enormous fungi, and molds were all seen in abundance with some mushrooms being taller than he was many times over. Numerous species of large insects, bats, scaled reptiles, rodents with various types of dark-vision, and occasionally signs of old battles between ratkin and dwarf were present along the path leading down. He passed one patrol of ratkin from Deepnest, who briefly stopped to question him before they realized who he was, and made quick time traveling through the underdark with only a few small exterminations to be had when he took a quick detour for curiosity¡¯s sake and stumbled upon a small swarm of huge carnivorous centipedes. They made good time. At the end of the day, Riven found himself standing at the entrance to the nesting cavern where a backup of caravans were smushed together and waiting in a slow-going line where ratkin soldiers were inspecting goods. ¡°Come-walk faster!¡± One of the ratkin soldiers, a four foot tall specimen with brown fur wearing chitin armor and a spear, called out while waving a clawed hand. He bade three humans with lanterns attached to their carts to continue down the path towards the city in the background, when he spotted Riven at the end of the line wearing his full plate armor set. The guard¡¯s eyes went wide, and with a high pitched squeak he quickly prostrated himself. ¡°K-King Riven Thane! Batkin warrior-mage of necropolis-friends! I-we make way for you to come-walk!¡± The guard quickly got up and immediately started yelling at his fellow guards and the caravans to get out of the way, with many of the disgruntled merchants muttering to themselves until they saw who it was that the ratkin soldier was making way for. Many people upon seeing Riven were very familiar with the getup, and his demons Azmoth and Athela were pretty famous too. They¡¯d been displayed numerous times on both local and world forums across the cortex of Panu, and the most recent battle in Dawn¡¯s capital city of Mandon had left a very vivid image of Athela in particular when she¡¯d taken her archdemon form to wipe out not only the vampiric leadership - but also the harbingers of gluttony alongside Riven. The area immediately went silent, before whispers started exchanging across the lines of people waiting, and many of them quickly bowed or knelt. Many avoided eye contact, while others looked up at him with awe and curiosity. He gave them a polite wave, shrugged, and walked ahead of the line to where a couple dozen soldiers at the tunnel¡¯s mouth leading into the massive cavern containing Deepnest were waiting. ¡°Thanks. I was hoping I could be escorted to Rashtalia, Brood-Mother of Brood-Tarrow in Deepnest. She recently visited me in Brightsville and is waiting for me at her compound now for an audience with the queen concerning the war effort.¡± ¡°You here-come to fight dwarf-killers?¡± The ratkin soldier who¡¯d originally addressed him went wide eyed with delight, and smiles spread across many of the faces of the other ratkin around him. ¡°I lead-show you to Brood-Tarrow! Come-follow, King-warrior of Thane Necropolis! Much respect-approval for helping us-we in our fight against killer-dwarves!¡± And with that, the ratkin excitedly began running into the larger cavern beyond - with Riven following at a more leisurely pace. It was just like he¡¯d remembered it, but was busier if that was even possible - give the amount of trade that¡¯d erupted between his own city and this underground dwelling. The nesting cavern was enormous, spanning for a couple dozen miles or more into the earth directly in front of him - but due to the twists and turns in the distance it was hard to tell just where it ended. He certainly hadn¡¯t explored all of it the first time he¡¯d been here either, given the size. Tens of thousands of bioluminescent vines hung from the cavern¡¯s ceiling. Rivers snaked their way into the cavern through an absolute madhouse of activity, with hardly any organization to the mix-and-mash of city sprawled out before him. Most of the structures were created from dark brown wood, hardened clay, or stone. The structures were most often hills, for lack of better words, from the size of a house to many hundreds of times larger than that, each of them having small burrows or tunnels dug into them where ratkin scurried in and out. Overhead and connecting the mounds were large interconnecting scaffolding roadways created out of the dark brown wood, while the lower ground levels also had paths that zigzagged between the large mounds or followed the rivers flowing through the cavern. It was good to be back. Perhaps this time around he¡¯d have a little bit of time to explore before being burdened with meeting the vampires and the queen of Deepnest. He also wasn¡¯t looking forward to slaughtering a bunch of dwarves, and hoped they¡¯d back down quietly if he arrived. But at this point based on reports he¡¯d received - he doubted they¡¯d stop their asinine attacks without a severe ass kicking. They essentially thought the ratkin were lesser than they were as a species, and that kind of mentality was often drilled into people from birth. Regardless, he¡¯d be finding out quite soon. Of that he was sure. *** Fay put the plate down on her new master¡¯s table, having cooked him a meal and being bade to sit to eat while they looked over the dark, damp industrial city of smokestacks she now called home. Her stunningly beautiful sky-blue features were scrunched up with a sadness that hadn¡¯t left her ever since arriving, and her master - whose name was Ikarius - had taken notice that it¡¯d become worse. The old man gave her a friendly smile, pushed his fingers back through his graying hair, and picked up his fork before chewing on it slowly. ¡°This is good, Fay. Thank you for the meal.¡± She gave him a fond smile. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± Ikarius¡­ was an odd man. He was an F-grade warlock and small-time crime lord, low tier one at best, and most of his time was spent trying to carve a better living for himself out of the slums of a vast city in a poorer part of the Nerius Empire. Wrinkles were appearing on his face as time went on, and he¡¯d recently lost his daughter - who had been his sole companion for quite some time after his wife had passed. He wasn¡¯t a bad guy, Fay thought, and surprisingly enough he hadn¡¯t made a single move to touch her in any kind of sexual way ever since arriving. He¡¯d merely wanted company, and after their interview had passed the initial phase - he¡¯d chosen her when hearing her sob story in the nether realms. He¡¯d even become something of a therapist for her. ¡°How are you holding up?¡± Ikarius asked casually, taking a sip of an alcoholic beverage one of his lackeys had delivered earlier that day. ¡°I hope my men aren¡¯t making you too uncomfortable with the way they look at you. I can send them off if they are.¡± Fay glanced hesitantly at one of the younger thugs under Ikarius¡¯s employment standing guard a few feet away, and the muscular man stiffened before turning his head to stare at the wall. She frowned. ¡°They¡¯re fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, but that¡¯s still not ok if it makes you uneasy.¡± Ikarius graced her with a kind smile, then put his hands together when he realized she was just staring down at her plate without making an attempt to eat. He let out a sigh, and closed his eyes. ¡°Have you thought about what I said?¡± Her frown deepened, and her lip began to quiver before she cupped a hand over her mouth. Taking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And?¡± He asked curiously. ¡°What do you think? Would you like to meet him? My nephew is a very kind man, he¡¯d make you happy.¡± Fay¡¯s black eyes turned upwards, and she shook her head no. ¡°Thank you, master. But I¡¯m not interested in pursuing any kind of relationship outside of my contractual obligations.¡± He nodded just once. ¡°Very well. Have you talked to your brother recently about how things are going over on¡­ What was the planet called again?¡± ¡°Panu.¡± She stated simply. ¡°He¡¯s tried talking to me, as have my mother and sister, but I think I just need some time. I¡¯ve exchanged pleasantries with them in short bouts, but nothing serious. I think it¡¯ll be a while before I¡¯ve truly moved on from this. Riven was¡­ he certainly wasn¡¯t perfect. But he was kind, and he was mine¡­ Or at least I thought he was.¡± She picked up the fork in front of her, and then slowly pierced some of the food before bringing it to her mouth to chew solemnly. She swallowed, then slumped her shoulders and leaned onto her elbows while her fingers dug into her head - trying to hold back tears. Hiccuping once, and wiping away some of the water welling up under her eyes, she sniffed. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t mean to be like this.¡± The old man smiled sadly. ¡°You remind me very much of my daughter, you know that?¡± She gave a lighthearted laugh despite the accumulation of tears. ¡°Yes, you tell me all the time.¡± ¡°Well I mean it.¡± He leaned back in his chair and looked over the balcony on the city streets far below them. ¡°I remember a very similar situation with her. She¡¯d fallen for this boy named Havuski. He ended up choosing another woman over my little girl, and she ended up finding someone much better for her before the end of her life came to an abrupt stop in that accident. Despite that, I believe she always regretted that she couldn¡¯t be with her first choice. It haunted her until her dying day, even while loving the man who was better for her in her own way - and it pained me to see her like that.¡± Ikarius turned his head and tilted it to the side. ¡°You say you loved this man? This, Riven?¡± Fay nodded but then hesitated with a shrug. ¡°I¡­ I think I did. I think I do. I was happiest when I was with him, especially near the end. But it doesn¡¯t matter because he chose her over me when I gave him that ultimatum. He is my person, but I am not his. It is that simple, and I need to accept that fact before I drag myself into a deeper pit of despair. And I¡­ Ugh. I just wish it¡¯d been someone else. If it¡¯d been anyone else other than Athela, I would have been ok with it. But she just¡­ she intimidated me. She was one who already held his heart, and I knew it. Maybe I made the wrong choice in leaving.¡± Ikarius tapped his fingers on the wooden desk thoughtfully. ¡°I think you should talk to your brother. It sounded to me that you two ended on a very sudden, abrupt note and in my opinion - it¡¯d be wise to have more closure before moving forward. At the very least, you could pass a message to this Riven through Tupper and let him know how you feel. Get your feelings off your chest, and have an outlet for the emotional pain you¡¯re keeping bottled up inside. It is unhealthy to remain in this mental state, Fay, and you shouldn¡¯t allow yourself to wallow in such self pity.¡± She didn¡¯t look up, but absentmindedly played with her food using her forks - ignoring the stare from the hired thug in the background that continued to undress her with his eyes. ¡°I think that might actually be a good idea. It all happened so fast¡­ and there are still things I want to say. Thank you for your advice, Ikarius. I¡¯ll take some time to think about what it is I wish to convey, and then I¡¯ll let you know what happens afterwards.¡± The old warlock smiled in approval, taking another sip from his cup. ¡°Very good. I look forward to hearing the news.¡± *** High Queen Nephridi stood overlooking her great capital on the usual balcony she used in meditation. It was in the highest tower of her sprawling, gothic palace, and her slender hands were clasped behind her back when she heard the faint footfalls of her invited guests. The rays of sunset cast orange-red hues on her otherwise white dress that hugged her skin, and she turned her crimson eyes on the three newcomers while they bowed in submission. One was a young man, the one to be wed to Allie Wraithtide after his parents had won the bidding war on her hand in marriage, and the other two were those same parents. They were all pureblooded vampires, pale with eyes like her own, all of them wearing red and orange robes with the symbol of a green flame decorating the front of their clothes as a symbol of their house. All had pitch black hair, and their gazes were excited and expectant when she bid them rise. She nodded in approval. ¡°Duke and Dutchess Barimont, and your youngest son - Lord Justo Barimont. It is a pleasure to meet all of you in person outside of formal affairs. I do believe this is the first time?¡± She tilted her head to the side, trying to remember if she¡¯d ever talked to any of them outside political gatherings. She hadn¡¯t. ¡°High Queen Nephridi!¡± Dutchess Barimont stated fondly, stepping forward to bow low. ¡°I thank you so much for allowing our child the hand of the princess in marriage! I promise that we will not disappoint you, and will bear many offspring with the gift in your name!¡± The Duke looked absolutely thrilled to be here but let his wife take the lead, having heard rumors that Queen Nephridi got along better with females - which wasn¡¯t entirely true, but even the queen had heard them. Meanwhile, the young buck they¡¯d dragged along out of their backwater solar systems was jittery with excitement. To land the hand of Allie Wraithtide in marriage meant a massive increase in standing for their family, who¡¯d only recently risen to nobility after conquering some neighboring factions in a coalition effort, and they¡¯d originally started off as merchants dealing in weapons of war. They were essentially arms dealers. High Queen Nephridi put on a smile that didn¡¯t touch her lips. ¡°Yes, well you were the ones who paid for it after all. To the highest bidder gets the spoils. So long as your son does just that, and produces sufficient heirs, I have no qualms.¡± There was a pause, and when his parents didn¡¯t seem to know what to say next - the younger man stepped forward with a bow of his own. His suave locks of black hair were gelled back to the right side of his head, and he looked a little too smug for his own good. ¡°My queen¡­¡± Lord Justo Barimon said with a wide grin. ¡°I appreciate your consideration. I truly do! And in the light of wanting to pursue your goals early, perhaps it would be in all of our best interest that we start trying sooner rather than later.¡± There was yet another pause in the conversation as the queen considered the young man¡¯s words. Nephridi raised an eyebrow and a small smirk. ¡°Oh? You do realize that the integration of their planet still has another four and a half years left. That amount of time is but a blip on the horizon of our life spans, young man. Do not let your hormones get ahead of you.¡± Seeing the queen¡¯s demeanor change for the better, the parents of the young lord both gave nervous laughs of their own. ¡°I do realize this.¡± Lord Justo Barimont replied eagerly, smoothing out his red and orange robes with a quick motion. ¡°But you see, I am in the F-grade as well. Only level 78. Please correct me if I am wrong, High Queen, as I do not mean to offend. My information may be outdated or just flat out incorrect, but if it is possible - I could potentially travel to Panu on my own. If I were older and stronger, I know this wouldn¡¯t be doable - but system restrictions concerning the trade communes would probably allow me passage. I wish to introduce myself to my new fiance, to let her know in person what has transpired here. It would be a true shame if she were to find out through someone else, and I believe Kathrine - the lesser princess of House Crushada whose family has claimed Riven - would be able to set up a meeting now that we are on better talking terms with the two lost Wraithtide heirs.¡± High Queen Nephridi rubbed a finger along the edge of her lips in thought, eyes narrowed. ¡°You do realize what Allie Wraithtide¡¯s demeanor is like, I hope?¡± ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯ve kept track of the broadcasts that the system allows out! It is a very popular thing to watch amongst both the commoners and nobility.¡± Lord Justo Barimont replied with a beaming grin - displaying his fangs. ¡°She will make a fine wife!¡± Nephridi snorted. ¡°I see. Very well. Just be sure to have guards there when you break the news to her.¡± The young lord furrowed his brows in concern, glancing to his parents before looking back at the queen. ¡°... Your majesty?¡± ¡°You must remember.¡± The queen continued, turning back around to stare out over her great city once more. ¡°That Allie and Riven Wraithtide were not brought up as children in the Blood Moon Requiem. They do not have the same obligations, experiences, thought processes that we here in our homeland do. She might take the news well, you are a good mating prospect for her, but part of me believes that she may need to be slowly prodded into the mindset of knowing her place here in the empire. She may be a high princess, but just like everyone else of the royal bloodline - she has a duty to fulfill. Even I do. So until you are sure that she has accepted her place, be sure to have the guards with you at all times. She can be rather bloodthirsty and violent¡­ a positive trait to be certain, but not when it is directed at you.¡± ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t wish it, surely she should acknowledge her duty and the right that we paid for.¡± The younger man¡¯s father, Duke Barimont, stated with a frown. High Queen Nephridi nodded without looking back, hand still clasped behind her. ¡°Yes, she should. One way or the other, she¡¯ll come around - even if I have to send a fleet across the cosmos to take that tiny insignificant planet after the five years are up if a worst case scenario occurs. I am not saying no to your son, Duke Barimont. He can visit Panu whenever he wants and has my blessing to do so. I am merely saying that he should be careful when offworld on a planet where she might not take kindly to the news - where not even a single E-grade or above from our empire is there to protect the little lord. You may supply your son with protective treasures to subdue her if she chooses to get violent, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re well aware of the incredibly steep taxes to Elysium that come with anything above F-grade during planetary integrations. Some items are even banned.¡± The young lord¡¯s mother, Dutchess Barimont, grinned. ¡°Oh yes, we¡¯ve already looked into that. Our son will be outfitted with the best if you give your approval of his leave to visit our future daughter in law, though I hope that he doesn¡¯t need to use it. We hope above all else that she falls in line and realizes the amazing opportunity she is being presented by joining with our esteemed house. Do not worry my queen, we will raise her to the expectations you have set for her - and we will create a proper lady of the court out of her just yet.¡± Chapter 204 Chapter 204 Approximately 1 day ago¡­ Kathrine nervously fumbled with the locket of her family¡¯s crest around her neck. Glancing nervously over to the high prince next to her as the array began to buffer, she caught his gaze and received a wide smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Riven asked curiously, tilting his head to one side. ¡°You look nervous. Surely the queen isn¡¯t that bad.¡± Kathrine would have paled if she wasn¡¯t already so given her vampiric heritage, and her crimson eyes shifted away. She brought a handful of pristine, silky brown hair out to her side and started stroking it absentmindedly. ¡°Oh it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. Everything is fine.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrow raised in the lantern light of the array room, ignoring the ritualists as they finished tweaking the last bits for their transition to meet the queen - his great grandmother. Surely it couldn¡¯t be that bad, his meeting with the general of House Wraithtide¡¯s forces had been quite good. Kathrine had also told him the queen was heavily invested in his success. So why was she acting like this all of a sudden? He shrugged. No doubt he¡¯d find out soon if something was amiss, but he trusted Kathrine. She¡¯d been pretty solid so far and she had given him little reason to distrust her. ¡°If you say so.¡± The high prince and lesser princess of the Blood Moon Requiem stood side by side after that, awaiting in silence, until they were urged to step into the center of the arrays once more. The transition was abrupt. Finding himself seeing two versions of reality again just like the last time he and Kathrine had visited General Viku of House Wraithtide¡¯s military forces, Riven now stood not on a flagship supercarrier with a scene set in outer space; but rather he was standing in a small circular room. The room was closed off from the outside, only a single brilliantly red lantern overhead shedding light onto the interior. An abnormally beautiful, scantily clad woman in white lingerie with chestnut colored hair was meditating, floating cross legged over a pool of blood that danced and writhed underneath her in intricate patterns drawn in the air using the liquid of the pool underneath. The patterns would shift, reorient themselves, and then disperse to coagulate back into the blood pool below, and when this woman opened up her eyes - the very room shuddered with power. ¡°Your excellency! I have brought your grandson as requested!¡± Kathrine said in a small voice, bowing deep before outright prostrating herself along the ground in an act of absolute submission. Red light leaked from the high queen¡¯s pupils, and her gaze caused Riven to gasp and fall to one knee when her aura very lightly brushed against his soul. It was as if an ocean of power hid underneath that gaze, and for a brief moment - he could sense something akin to only what he could describe as divinity. A divinity related to the origin of the Unholy Foundation and the Subpillar of Blood. It was so vast and so powerful that Riven without a doubt knew this woman could blow away his entire world with a quick stroke of her hand, and it made him wonder just how the cosmos had survived ancient monsters like this one roaming around the multiverse. ¡°You felt it¡­ The touch of the blood god. Not many do.¡± The woman said with a pleased hum in her words and a smile on her perfect lips, staring Riven down even while Kathrine gave him a confused look from the position she¡¯d prostrated herself in. ¡°That is¡­ promising. Welcome, Prince Riven Wraithtide of my lineage. It is nice to finally meet the son of my favorite granddaughter. My name is Nephridi, High Queen of the Blood Moon Requiem, Bringer of the Red Tide. I welcome you home.¡± Her aura let off, and Riven¡¯s wheezing breaths immediately ceased. He took a while to reorient himself after having his very insides blasted with unnatural amounts of insights he could not possibly hope to grasp, a brush against an absolute titan¡¯s might, and he stood on wavering legs to get a better look at the woman who was his grandmother. He took in a shallow breath, evaluating the pale but stunningly pretty older woman in his wraith-like hologram body. ¡°Nephridi. It is finally good to meet you¡­ Mom always used to speak of you when I was a kid. Especially after dad left.¡± To this, the high queen¡¯s demeanor immediately changed. Her intimidating and imposing aura that¡¯d been lingering in the background immediately vanished in its entirety, and a bright smile illuminated her features to show genuine affection. ¡°Did she!? Ah¡­ how I miss your mother. Sheline truly was a masterful student, a masterful granddaughter, and the one I loved most out of all my family. As a child: she used to steal pastries from the chefs and bring them to me when I was feeling sad, you know. She and I used to snuggle in bed and read each other stories out of books her tiny hands could barely hold up. I have faith she¡¯ll return to us yet, though when that will be or why she¡¯s been gone still evades me and troubles me greatly. But enough of that, we have so much to talk about! I only wish you were actually here so that we may eat and drink together!¡± He nodded - conflicted between feeling happy to hear of his mother¡¯s childhood, and sad because of her disappearance. ¡°Yeah. Her absence bothers me too¡­ but if you have faith she¡¯ll come back, it gives me hope. I miss her. A lot.¡± The high queen flicked her wrist, and a form fitting white dress encompassed her body while bare feet touched down onto the floor just beyond the blood pool. The patterns in the air drawn in blood quickly disappeared, and she stepped forward, reaching out to the hologram and barely touching it with two of her fingers to bop him on the nose with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m curious, tell me what stories she had of me! I¡¯d love to know!¡± Surprisingly enough Riven felt it and even flinched back slightly. How she was able to reach through a spatial array like that was¡­ interesting, and unexpected. Though he felt a little off by the exchange, he was genuinely curious about his long lost great grandmother. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully while Kathrine remained reverently kneeling beside him in silence. ¡°Is it true that you once dumped an entire cart of rotten fruit on a romantic rival of yours and blamed it on mom?¡± The high queen blinked, then began loudly cackling. From the reaction, Riven could safely assume that it¡¯d indeed been true. *** ¡°And that my little grandson is why I don¡¯t ever walk backwards in swimming pools anymore!¡± Nephridi grinned and popped a candied fruit into her mouth, humming to herself while sitting on a balcony chair right outside the meditation room she¡¯d originally been in. Riven chuckled, a warm smile on his lips while curiously gazing out across the horizon. Spires and towers riddled the landscape, portal gates sent people to and from different parts of the city in numerous places, and millions of people could be seen riding airships, crossing walkways between spires, or walking the gilded streets far below. It had the feel of a medieval, magical fantasy city, and would have been perfect if not for the massive amount of slaves following the vampires around. Though he knew that in some ways, thinking this was hypocritical. Even if what he¡¯d done to the elves, albeit temporarily, was in retribution for what they initiated - he¡¯d still enslaved them. And the planet he owned as an inheritance had billions of slaves, while freeing them would probably cause massive amounts of problems for not only him - but the trading hub the place had become. Kathrine had even warned him he¡¯d have riots on his hands and outright warfare between vampire and cattle if he took that route. Riven turned to his great grandmother, ignoring Kathrine who stood rigid and still beside them like a pretty light pole in her own semi-translucent form, and he head-bobbed towards the sprawling city of exquisite gothic architecture. ¡°You have quite the view here. Is it really true that you adjusted the atmosphere so our kind could walk around in the sun?¡± Nephridi nodded, humming to herself and popping in another candied fruit. ¡°Yes I did! Many centuries ago I perfected the art. Quite something, isn¡¯t it? And thank you, this is the view I most often visit here in the palace. I spent a lot of time just watching while in meditation, it helps calm my mind.¡± The queen cleared her throat, then glanced back at the minor vampiric princess who hadn¡¯t spoken a word since arriving. ¡°My dear, have you discussed with Riven the auction your family won?¡± Immediately Kathrine tensed, and she bowed her head to slowly shake it no. ¡°I am afraid not, my queen.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Why¡¯s that? Are you ashamed?¡± Nephridi frowned, then looked to Riven with amusement. ¡°I believe she may be embarrassed.¡± Riven was still viewing the sights, looking down off the balcony to the palace grounds far below where gardens were attended to by cattle, replied anyway despite his mind being on other things. ¡°Why¡¯s that? What¡¯s she have to be embarrassed about?¡± There was a pause in the conversation where the queen simply waited for Kathrine to speak, and Kathrine failed to do so - fidgeting with her pale fingers and hands while staring wide-eyed at the floor. Nephridi eventually sighed when Riven curiously turned around, and the older woman stood to join his image at the balcony¡¯s stone edge. Leaning against the barrier at waist height, she tisked and let out an exhale. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s about time we have this conversation, though you may not like it.¡± That certainly got Riven¡¯s attention, and he stopped gawking at the sights around him to turn squarely on the queen. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nephridi didn¡¯t skip a beat. ¡°Do you know why our empire managed to rise to the ranks of what many in the multiverse would call one of the peak factions? We are easily in the top thousand when comparing military might, and in a multiverse with hundreds of universes - each having trillions of planets, that¡¯s nothing to scoff at. It is hard to tell just what rank we hold, beyond that, as in the top tiers of power many secrets are kept from one another - but there are not many who are willing or able to stand against us when our entire might is mobilized.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t know how it managed to do that. Enlighten me.¡± The queen looked up, then sadly smiled. ¡°It¡¯s because of our bloodline, Malignant Prophecy, inherited from one of the three great dragons of time. That particular backstory is a long one and not for today, but it can be said that I and the other elders of our empire have cultivated our prophetic gifts to rise nearly to the very top. Our royal bloodline is our most valuable resource, and thus each of our family have a duty to replicate it as much as possible for the good of the empire. That requires a partner, one who is also a pureblooded vampire - like you.¡± She let the words hang there in the air, and Riven digested it before eventually shrugging. ¡°I suppose this is the part where you tell me I need to make an effort for offspring with the gift, to serve the empire by creating more like us.¡± Riven stated indifferently, much to the surprise of the queen and Kathrine alike. He sighed when he saw their reactions, then turned his attention back to the cityscape sprawling before him. ¡°Athela already told me that was likely to happen.¡± ¡°Oh. Athela is your demonic servant, correct?¡± Nephridi asked curiously, relief obvious in her features due to the lack of a hostile reaction. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d be angry about it.¡± Riven clicked his tongue in irritation, glancing sideways at his grandmother with a nod. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s a bit irritating, I won¡¯t lie. I don¡¯t like the idea of being used as a broodmare - or whatever the technical opposite of a broodmare is, as I suppose a broodmare is a female horse. Regardless - I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°But you accept it.¡± Nephridi replied after a brief evaluation of his stance. ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Riven replied flatly with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll outright refuse if Athela doesn¡¯t feel comfortable with it.¡± Nephridi raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re basing your cooperation on a demonic slave?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a slave.¡± Riven snapped in irritation, surprising the queen once again with the venom in his words. ¡°She¡¯s my best friend¡­ more than that. I love her.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°But you¡¯d be willing to do so without causing trouble if Athela felt comfortable with the idea?¡± Kathrine eventually interjected, causing both of the others to turn and look at her. She immediately shrank back, bowing her head again when the gazes landed. Riven snorted, then sighed and closed his eyes. ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°It is a duty we all must bear, Riven.¡± Nephridi stated simply. There was no hostility in her voice, but there was a firmness there that emphasized she¡¯d not back down from the decision. ¡°Kathrine¡¯s family is a good one, and she is a suitable match. They¡¯ve already paid for the opportunity to acquire your hand in marriage, and-¡± ¡°Paid?!¡± Riven interrupted with a laugh. ¡°Marriage!? You¡¯re kidding.¡± Nephridi looked a little put off being cut off, and her demeanor shifted to irritation. Kathrine looked utterly terrified for a few moments, but visibly relaxed when the queen just pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. ¡°I am not kidding. What¡¯s wrong with Kathrine, if I may ask?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Kathrine. She¡¯s very pretty, has been very helpful, and we get along. However the fact that I was not informed of being auctioned off in itself is a very big red flag, and again - I won¡¯t be doing anything unless Athela agrees to this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°No, you do not.¡± Riven folded his arms and glared Nephridi¡¯s way. ¡°You might be the queen of a cosmic superpower, but unless you want to make an enemy of me forever - you will not force this on me. If you really did love my mother as much as you say you did, you¡¯ll back off.¡± ¡°I cannot do that.¡± Nephridi said with a firm shake of her head. ¡°Even I partake in the effort to create such offspring. Every one of us that is born is a boon to the empire beyond what you can even imagine. Wars have been waged and genocides committed to retrieve even a single one of our number from enemy hands. I will not and cannot back down now. Even if I did, the other elders would rebel against me and declare me unfit to rule. You will do as you are told, Riven.¡± His features immediately grew angry, and his fists clenched. He did not immediately reply, but when he did - his words were ice cold. ¡°Let me be very clear, grandmother. If push comes to shove, you will be making an enemy out of me forever - and I will simply disappear. Is that what you want?¡± ¡°It obviously is not.¡± ¡°Then you will make damn sure that Athela is ok with this before it is done.¡± The queen sighed, rubbing her forehead with two fingers. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯ve already somewhat discussed this with your demonic friend. You won¡¯t complain if we make accommodations for your¡­ lover?¡± Riven lost the tension in his shoulders. ¡°Well I am a very straight young man in his prime. I honestly would rather have been with ''the one'', but ever since Fay left I''ve had time to rethink things... Your proposition isn¡¯t as bad as I would have once thought. Kathrine and I have already slept with one another and I feel like we¡¯re compatible. I won¡¯t sacrifice Athela¡¯s feelings for your gains, but I¡¯m not necessarily opposed to your evil plot either. If you can find a way to make Athela feel comfortable, and I mean EXTREMELY comfortable with the idea - I wouldn¡¯t be against it. It''s a dream of many young men, that can¡¯t be argued against.¡± He turned to Kathrine next. ¡°And you¡¯d have to be ok with Athela coming first even if she did agree. Athela and my¡­ Athela and Fay, the succubus I had contracted with, were at odds with one another because they couldn¡¯t trust one another. They were¡­ jealous of one another, is what I gather from talks with my minions. As long as Athela feels secure in our relationship, and knows she is loved and won¡¯t have me stolen away, that¡¯s all that matters. It¡¯s your job to make sure that¡¯s how it is if you want this to work.¡± Kathrine visibly relaxed, and then even seemed eager with the first real smile since she¡¯d arrived. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll speak to Athela about it when we get back¡­¡± Nephridi¡¯s happy smile showed her fangs. ¡°Very good! That was far easier than I thought it would be! A weight off my shoulders. Now, we have a couple dozen other young women of the court that¡¯d be more than-¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Riven held up an irritated hand to cut his grandmother off again. ¡°Please, for the love of god. Just stop.¡± Nephridi sighed in mock defeat. ¡°Fine. But we will have this conversation again later!¡± Riven grimaced, but didn¡¯t miss the giggle and the bounce to Nephridi¡¯s step when she whirled on a relieved Kathrine to congratulate the minor princess. ¡°Now we just have to convince his sister! The auction for her hand just ended, and it¡¯s a rather good match if I must say!¡± Nephridi laughed, only to turn and find an absolutely rigid Riven on her left. She frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± He adamantly shook his head. ¡°Alright, all jokes aside - that¡¯s not going to happen. You can have me, but Allie isn¡¯t going to be forced into a marriage like that. Zero chance.¡± ¡°We just had this discussion, Riven.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m telling you, Nephridi, that so help me god I will make it my life¡¯s goal to get revenge on you and any motherfucker that touches my sister if she doesn¡¯t want to enter an arranged marriage.¡± There was a pause. ¡°Riven, let me be blunt.¡± Nephridi said with a frown. ¡°My hands are tied here. Though I am the high queen, I am only one of seven elders that runs the empire. If I am showing favoritism towards my great grandchildren, the other elders will evict me from my position - and I am not strong enough to fight them all. Even if it means that at the end of five years I have to send an armada to collect you two from your planet, I will do so. It is non-negotiable.¡± ¡°And let me be blunt.¡± Riven snarled back while jabbing a finger at Nephridi in close proximity in a way that made Kathrine gasp. ¡°You either find a way out of this, or Allie and I will disappear off this face of this rock to be lost to you forever. If my mother and father did it, so can we. I am more than sure you are not as infallible as you claim to be, otherwise you¡¯d have long ago found your favorite granddaughter and brought her back. Wars were started for the gift, were they not? You can¡¯t just have her running around like that either - can you?¡± The queen and her great grandson glared at each other in silence, until Nephridi¡¯s shoulders slumped. ¡°There is perhaps one way to give Allie a small amount of freedom concerning her choice, to back out of the contractual agreement already signed for her hand in marriage, but it will be difficult. And there will be some very major setbacks concerning your political standing in the empire when your integration is over. You¡¯ll collect many enemies, some of which are as strong as I am, and your subjects under Wraithtide¡¯s banner may suffer for it. And if you fail, things will only be worse for both of you. Far, far worse. You may even both be enslaved and there wouldn¡¯t be anything I could do about it if the other elders stand united against me.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°Being blunt: I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re not forcing Allie into a marriage she didn¡¯t agree to. Tell me what this is about.¡± The queen grimaced almost violently, then folded her arms - deep in thought. ¡°Will you at least convince Allie to meet the suitor that won the rights to wed her?¡± ¡°Just meet him?¡± ¡°Yes. Have her give the man a chance. If she doesn¡¯t want him, we can proceed with the more aggressive approach. The one that may get you both evicted as royalty to be used as nothing more than breeding slaves.¡± Kathrine stiffened again. ¡°Riven, you don¡¯t-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but shut the fuck up Kathrine.¡± Riven glared at the minor princess, then turned back to look at the queen. ¡°I¡¯ll let Allie speak for herself, she¡¯ll come to talk to you in private and she¡¯ll likely agree to meet with this man - but I can almost guarantee you she¡¯ll tell him to fuck off.¡± Nephridi continued to frown, but nodded in turn. ¡°Alright then. If that happens and she chooses she doesn¡¯t want to take the arranged marriage, this is what you¡¯re both going to need to do.¡± Chapter 205 Chapter 205 The room was that of an old but very large and neatly kept cabin. The banner of a red hand hung down on poorly knitted fabric overhead, and various people wearing that same symbol on their clothes lined the room on armchairs, sofas, or just stood. Hakim was in the middle of it, handcuffed and on his knees. He grunted with the impact of a fist on his face, spitting blood and a tooth out while Juile loudly sobbed behind him. ¡°WE DON¡¯T HAVE THE DAMN TREASURE!¡± Julie screamed through tears as Hakim was hit again. ¡°WE SPENT IT ALL!¡± Caleb lay face down on the floor, gasping for breath while his lungs filled with blood from a bullet hole. Tim and his mother were pale with tears in their eyes, and Tanya was visibly shaking. Matt, a brawny man with a thick accent none of them could truly place and a crew cut a little uneven along the edges, just shrugged and hit Hakim again; knocking him to the ground with the last punch. His large frame was adorned with studded, enchanted leather, and he had a revolver on his left while a hatchet hung at his side. ¡°Then I guess he dies, along with the rest of you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t buy it for a second, boss!¡± One of the ruffians nearby called out while fiddling with a knife - carving chunks out of an apple and loudly chewing while people next to him sat at a table playing poker. ¡°They had way too much money just to spend it all. We saw the records those merchants we robbed kept. This little bunch of nobodies is holding out.¡± Matt nodded sagely, taking out his weathered hatchet and tossing it in the air to catch it again while muttering to himself in thought. ¡°Yes¡­ I agree. You live on my land, and so you pay my taxes. It¡¯s that simple. I wonder how many will die before one breaks?¡± ¡°You already ransacked our cabin and killed our dog.¡± Tanya said with quivering lips, chest puffed out in an effort to look defiant. ¡°We have nothing left. Your people saw it for themselves when they accompanied the mercenaries you hired.¡± Matt tilted his head to the side, then to the other, and set a foot on Hakim¡¯s hand to push his weight down. He leaned over, getting a grunt of pain from Hakim and flatly glaring back at Tanya and her two children. He then gestured to Caleb, who was beginning to gasp and sputter. ¡°You¡¯re really just going to let him die like that? He can¡¯t talk for himself, but we¡¯ve got potions and a healer that can fix him up before he chokes on his own blood. You sure you don¡¯t want to redact your statement?¡± ¡°WE DON¡¯T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT OTHER THAN THAT STATUE!¡± Julie screamed again, tugging at the handcuffs she¡¯d been shackled with before being hit in the back of the head by another woman in the Red Hand¡¯s signature leather uniform. Julie hit the floor, spluttering and getting a cry of defeat from Hakim as the large, brave man began to break down at seeing his lover beaten. Matt took the tiny statue of a knight from his back pocket, examining it with a frown. ¡°It says here the item has already been activated and cannot be used by anyone but Hakim, so that makes it worthless to me. What is this even supposed to do? It doesn¡¯t say what the damn thing¡¯s name is and says it¡¯ll destroy itself if Hakim dies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotta be worth something boss.¡± The same man from earlier called out from the poker table, puffing on a pipe and watching with curiosity as the scene unfolded. ¡°It¡¯s definitely magical, maybe have him use it?¡± ¡°That could be dangerous.¡± Another of The Red Hand members argued with a frown and folded arms. ¡°We don¡¯t know what it does and as you said - it¡¯s magical.¡± ¡°But what if it contains a secret compartment? Maybe it¡¯s a spatial object?¡± ¡°Not worth the risk.¡± ¡°If it was dangerous he¡¯d have already used it against us!¡± ¡°Probably, but we don¡¯t know that. It was found in his cabin, not on his person.¡± The two henchmen bickered with one another for quite some time, going back and forth as Matt¡¯s eyes drooped further and further in irritation. Grunting and walking over to violently backhand Tim for glaring, he lowered his hatchet at Julie¡¯s neck and pulled the young woman up by her hair. ¡°Hakim, look at me.¡± ¡°LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER!¡± Tanya screamed, only to be savagely kicked by the same person who¡¯d originally hit Julie. Hakim¡¯s face was tear-streaked and wide eyed. His gaze drifted helplessly from Julie to the man holding his lover, pleading in his features while he shook his head in a silent ¡®no.¡¯ ¡°Want her to live?¡± Matt asked curiously, tossing Hakim the knight figurine haphazardly. ¡°What does this item do? Tell me.¡± There was a brief pause while Hakim considered the man¡¯s words, staring at the figurine next to him with building hope now that it was so close. He rapidly shut down that train of thought in order not to give away his true feelings via facial expressions, and concentrated on just surviving this encounter - by lying. Matt was ruthless, cruel, and a basic thug. He was dumb, your equivalent of a highschool bully having hit his prime in this small town in the middle of the wildlands, so there was a good chance he¡¯d take the bait. He would tell Matt what he wanted to hear. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a temporary and hidden storage device.¡± ¡°KNEW IT! IT¡¯S A HIDDEN TYPE!¡± Screamed the first henchmen, and some of the men laughed or clapped while the skepticism of others grew even more. ¡°TOLD YA BOSS, MAKE HIM ACTIVATE IT! If he¡¯s lying, just cut off the pretty little head of his girlfriend and show him why it¡¯s not nice to deceive us!¡± Matt considered the underling, and smiled. Turning back to Hakim - he hiked a thumb back at the man sitting at the poker table. ¡°Got to agree with Bobby there. If you just lied to us, you just sentenced every one of you to death. If you don¡¯t activate it, you all die in that scenario too. If you activate it and something else other than items popping out of thin air happens, you all die there as well. So go on and show us if you¡¯re telling the truth. No pressure.¡± Hakim locked eyes with the others, and shut out more tears when Caleb¡¯s final breaths left his mouth - and his friend of many months stopped breathing entirely. Forever. Pursing his lips, Hakim got to his knees and tried not to cry. ¡°Give me the tiny statue, put it in my hands. I¡¯ll activate it, and you can see for yourself that I¡¯m no liar. A portal will open, and our treasure will be accessible.¡± Matt¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve all decided to come around. Too bad about your friend, but maybe the rest of you will get out of this alive just yet.¡± *** Riven¡¯s footsteps echoed through the elegant meeting hall, with Athela and Azmoth walking on either side of him. Yattazi was curled around Azmoth¡¯s body like a tight hug, and to either side - dozens of ratkin stood with bowed heads as a sign of respect to his passing. Surprisingly enough there were even a small number of vampires already there. He stopped in front of the trio, all of them showing red eyes and pale skin as they fidgeted nervously under his gaze - though he could tell that there was a stark difference between them and him. He was a pureblood, so was Kathrine, so was Allie, and even a number of the elite soldiers sent to Panu were too. If they weren¡¯t pureblooded, they were greater vampires with eyes that still lit up a bright red - though not as brightly as his own. These vampires in front of him, dressed in elegant purple and black silks with hoods over neatly trimmed blonde hair, were all lesser vampires. Their eyes didn¡¯t glow at all, and their touch of the blood pillar was¡­ lacking. At least compared to what he¡¯d seen from vampires of the Blood Moon Requiem. [Lesser Vampire Assassin, Level 40] [Lesser Vampire Scout, Level 35] [Lesser Vampire Warlock, Level 42] Oh? A warlock? Good choice. He ignored them for the moment, turning his gaze back to where the Queen of Deepnest and her royal guards, all the larger, more muscular variants of ratkin were. The guards were heavily armored, covered in thick, spiked brown metal that was far different from the chitin or leathers he¡¯d seen most of the ratkin warriors put on. They each wielded huge maces along their backs, and they looked like walking, tailed tanks given all the layers around their large forms. They reminded him of Azmoth, but less intimidating. The inside of the great hall was similar to the one he¡¯d seen when meeting Rashtalia, Brood-Mother of Brood-Tarrow, the brood Snagger and his cousin Mesha belonged to. Vibrantly colored crystals adorned the walls and ceiling, and a throne was set up on a raised level to look down on where Riven was walking. Stands on either side were where the nobility and important figures of Deepnest now stood, various kinds of garments on display like a rag-tag bunch of mismatching styles, but that kind of chaos was expected of these people given the way Deepnest was set up. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. He briefly stopped again to take his helmet off, waving to the tall brood-mother Rashtalia and his two friends - Snagger and Mesha, before continuing. He made it a point to single them out in a good way, and continued forward - letting Jackal take its canine form when he was twenty yards away from the throne. On that very large stone throne was a mouse-like figure adorned in finely made blue cloth, a figure that was far fatter than any creature he¡¯d yet seen; aside from the ambushing cyclops he¡¯d once killed shortly after trying to take the elves back to Greenstalk all that time ago. The queen was rotund, almost a sphere with rolls, and he was surprised she could even move her black-furred head. But it did manage to swivel his way when he got up closer. ¡°Bat-kin Riven-friend! King-ruler of Thane Necropolis!¡± The queen exclaimed, waving a stumpy nub of a hand out from the rolls of fat overlying most of her arm. ¡°I am excited-pleased that you come-visit us in our time of need-strife!¡± Riven tried not to stare at the huge creature¡¯s body. There was nothing wrong with some extra weight, but by god this thing was on another level. ¡°Hello Queen Bez. I¡¯ve heard about you from Rashtalia, but it¡¯s nice to finally make your acquaintance.¡± ¡°Yes-Yesh!!! Do you enjoy-like the grand-great city-nest of this humble one¡¯s making?¡± ¡°Certainly, your majesty. It is truly an interesting place to behold.¡± He gestured to his three minions, introducing them one by one. ¡°This is Athela, the woman I love. This is Azmoth, one of my best of friends. And this is Yattazi, a newly contracted demonic familiar. I hope you can show them the same courtesy you¡¯ve showed me, and we all look forward to helping your people in the battle to come.¡± The huge black-furred ratkin smiled wide. ¡°Is it true-agreed that you-you seek to fight in battle-war yourself? That you will-can fight the dwarf-dwellers in their burrow-holes and bring us-we a victory-win to end this war?¡± The nobles of Deepnest were utterly quiet when she uttered the question, and he gave a single nod - getting an uproar of approval with shouts, cheers, and excited ratkin screams. It was quite unexpected when they started chanting his name, and even more unexpectedly were the huge barrels of wine and mead that were rolled out of a side tunnel. His eyebrows lifted when corks were bust open, and flowing streams of alcohol started rampaging down the steps to the chants of ¡®Riven-Thane! Batkin-Friend! Riven-Thane! Batkin-Friend!¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even been in the greeting hall three minutes before insanity broke loose, and servants started flinging pastries, cooked meats and deserts across the room from hidden alcoves. The queen sat up with much effort, ignoring the shocked expression on his pale face, and raised a pudgy hand. ¡°WE CELEBRATE THE DEATH-KILLS OF THE SHORT-STRONG BEARDED ONES!!!¡± ¡°RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!¡± The host of Ratkin screamed their approval, doing weird jigs and dances in the sloshing alcohol while picking up various foods or outright taking them from the servants who continued to fling food across the room. ¡°RIVEN-THANE! BATKIN-FRIEND! RIVEN-THANE! BATKIN-FRIEND!¡± ¡°DEATH-KILLS TO THE BEARDED WAR-BATTLE BRINGERS!¡± ¡°RRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!¡± Riven¡¯s wide crimson eyes stared about him, an incredulous smirk playing at his lips while he used a single finger to wipe off a pastry that¡¯d landed on his chestplate. He tasted the icing, glancing at a dancing ratkin in orange linens who was obviously already drunk and had probably pre-gamed this event, and thought it tasted rather good. Food flew threw the air. His gluttonous chestplate was already licking up food and using tendrils of sin energy to slurp at the alcohol, and looking at Azmoth who was now wearing a cake on his face, his grin turned into outright laughter. Athela held up a finger, and stared down at the flowing river of alcohol that continued to pour out of numerous barrels near the throne. ¡°Definitely not what I expected, but not unwanted. I dare say these guys throw a better welcoming party than anyone else I¡¯ve ever met.¡± ¡°RIVEN-THANE! BATKIN-FRIEND! RIVEN-THANE! BATKIN-FRIEND!¡± ¡°RRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!¡± Azmoth shared a look with Yattazi after wiping the cake off, shrugged, and started grabbing at the pieces of cooked meat that were being flung across the room. ¡°I like. Get more.¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± Yattazi nodded, going ham at the food nearby with Azmoth while Riven and Athela were left to stand alone. Looking to his left and seeing Athela standing there, ankle deep in wine and licking icing off her arm, his eyes softened. She was giggling and laughing, pushing small drunken ratkin away and then exclaiming to Azmoth that he¡¯d better save some of the ¡®orange stuff¡¯ for her. She quickly got into the spirit of things and joined in on a wrestling match when the queen threw a particularly large cooked lizard into the crowd. She went in on it more for the sake of the fun rather than actually wanting to eat it, and started squabbling with the locals over what parts she could tear off before her perfect, laughing features turned that bright smile his way. She saw him staring at her, just staring with kind eyes, and her laughing smile fell slightly. Realization overcame her then, and she let go of the lizard - evading a couple drunkards and dodging a cake Azmoth had flung at her. Slowly coming up to stand in front of Riven, her eyes fell to the floor only momentarily - before she firmed her jaw and looked back up at him while wrapping her hands around his waist. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Athela said, ignoring the splashes of the insanity around them. He put a hand up to her cheek, gently touching her pitch black skin intermixed with patches of white. ¡°I¡¯m just really glad I met you. Sometimes I take you for granted, you know. Athela¡­ we should get away sometime. Spend some time together with just the two of us, maybe take a trip into the mountains before the Chalgathi trials start up again.¡± She blinked, tears coming to her eyes and biting her lip before eagerly nodding. ¡°Could we have a picnic?¡± He slowly nodded, pulling her in and kissing her softly before letting go seconds later. Their red eyes met again, and he swat away another morsel of flying food amidst the chanting of his name with a shred of his aura. ¡°I would love to go on a picnic with you. Let¡¯s make it our first official date. It¡¯s been a long time coming, and I¡¯m head over heels just thinking about it.¡± [Hakim Bluebush has activated a two-time use system artifact: Heroic Intervention. 2 of 2 charges has been used. Heroic Intervention has selected the 5 most powerful people Hakim has interacted with since acquiring this artifact, and you - Riven Thane - are one of them. Hakim Bluebush is currently in need of your help, and has placed a live stream feature in the orb before you that will connect momentarily. You will be able to speak to him briefly as he explains his current situation before deciding on whether or not to aid him. You can choose to go, or you can choose to refuse his request. All or none of the selected participants may go or stay without penalty. If you choose to aid him and risk yourself at his behest, you will be teleported to his location until his plight is over. Then you will be teleported back to your current location after a short rest period. Please hold for connection.] Riven¡¯s shoulders immediately sagged, and he pulled Athela into a tight hug after recognizing the notification. ¡°I supposed it¡¯s time to tell Queen Bez that we¡¯ll be back within the day. It appears we have another job on our hands.¡± ¡°Your majesty!¡± an unfamiliar voice shouted out to him over the hubub, and Riven turned to see it was one of the three blonde vampires - who was doing his best not to act disgusted by all that was going on about him. The man was obviously trying to look presentable, but that was hard to do with yellow jelly smeared all across the front of his clothes. ¡°Would it be alright if I took but a moment of your time!? I am but a mere-¡± Riven held up a hand while Athela bounded across the room to the ratkin queen, and he shook his head while a flashing bauble of light began to form nearby. ¡°Not now. I know why you¡¯re here, but the specifics come later. It appears I am being summoned, and not to be rude, but this is a call that I cannot miss.¡± *** Hakim¡¯s heart beat like a drum while his gaze stared daggers at Matt, who was holding the blade of his hatched up against Julie¡¯s throat. Blood leaked from a wound atop her head where she¡¯d been struck earlier, and the gang lining the large cabin were in large part focused on the five flashing orbs that began to condense above Hakim in the air. ¡°So it is true! This is where the treasure lies!¡± Matt crowed with a wide smile, but he kept his hold on Julie regardless. ¡°I cannot wait to see just what it was your friend died for!¡± The tiny figurine of the artifact - Heroic Intervention - began to fizzle away and turned to dust, while images in the five orbs quickly began to take shape - displaying the faces of men and women he recognized. Each one represented one of the five people that the system deemed as the most powerful characters Hakim had encountered in Elysium¡¯s multiverse thus far - and one in particular above all others that Hakim had hoped would be there. Hakim¡¯s heart lifted with hope growing while shouts of confusion echoed through the cabin as members of The Red Hand adjusted to this new occurrence. His lips parted, and tears began streaming down his face again. ¡°Riven¡­ Please!¡± A portal of multicolored light formed only a half-second later, one that was far larger than the similarly constructed bauble, and out stepped a man clad in ivory plate armor with red blood-silk armor underlying the cracks and crevices his ivory did not cover. A large gluttonous maw rippled along the center vertically, horned skull pauldrons adorned his shoulders, and an aura of supreme powered followed him as he set foot onto the cabin floor. A long, black spear-staff with a curved blade and flowing with rivers of living blood lifted up - then the butt of the weapon came down and gently settled against the wood beneath. *BOOM* A shockwave of aura lit the room red. Blood frost rapidly accumulated along the surfaces of the furniture, ceiling, walls and floor - even freezing some of the clothes people wore as they screamed and backpedaled in shock. Bright crimson eyes glared daggers through the slits in the full metal plate helm, and out of the portal came three more figures. One was Athela - her long, slender legs dripping wine and arachnid blades spearing out of her back with a malevolent sneer as she caught Julie¡¯s predicament. Another was Azmoth, who was carrying four enormous slabs of boar meat in each of his hands - beginning to pulse with flame. Last was a three-foot snake, though given its own aura and the pulsing, crackling chaos energy around it - it was in no uncertain terms able to kill many if not everyone present. All of them were partially covered in cake and pastry. Matt stood there, holding the blade up to Julie¡¯s throat with a slack jaw. In front of him were four identification messages, the same ones that¡¯d appeared in front of many of the others in his gang. Some only showed question marks, but the ones who did manage to identify him displayed very familiar markings if one were to keep up with the world forums. Bright red flames engulfed the status notifications concerning Riven and Athela, while gold flames encompassed the words comprising that of Azmoth and Yattazi. [Riven Thane, Level 130 Warlock Devastator, Harbinger of Gluttony, Pureblooded Vampire, Lost Prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] [Athela, Level 127 Archdemon: Unique, 3 forms. Cute Wittle Blood Weaver / Gluttonous Arshakai / Gluttonous Fae Drider. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] [Azmoth. Level 95 Infernal Crusader Initiate, Hellscape Brutalisk. ELITE.] [Yattazi. Level 130 Devouring Serpent, Demonic Basilisk. ELITE.] ¡°Well, well, well¡­ What do we have here.¡± Riven asked softly, his voice traveling across the room and infused with power that shook the people there to their very bones. The figures in the four other orbs that Hakim¡¯s relic had conjured were all gawking too - all of them except one blonde woman who¡¯d already briefly met Riven the last time that item had been used. Riven¡¯s gaze turned to Hakim, then Tim, Tanya, Julie, and finally Caleb - dead at their feet. He tisked in irritation, before bringing his glowing crimson eyes back up to stare at Matt. ¡°You dun fucked up my guy. You really, really did.¡± Chapter 206 Chapter 206 Matt shifted his gaze from the portal, to Hakim, to Riven, and then the three demons partially covered in pastry. His grip tightened around the axe he still held against Julie¡¯s throat amidst the dead silence of the room and he immediately pulled out his revolver to lower it at Julie¡¯s skull with a click. ¡°Hakim!!! Hakim you backstabbing little bitch! I told you that I¡¯d blow your girlfriend¡¯s head off if you betrayed me!¡± Hakim didn¡¯t reply, too distracted with the potential death of his lover staring him in the face. ¡°I believe¡­¡± Athela said with a snarl, red eyes flashing and six long arachnid blades slamming into the ground around her in a rage. ¡°That you¡¯re holding an axe to my friend¡¯s neck. I wonder just how good your insides will taste when I¡¯m done with you.¡± She looked like she was about to lunge, but Matt pressed hard against Julie¡¯s skin - drawing blood and getting a scream from the young woman as well as from Hakim, Tim, and Julie¡¯s mother Tanya. ¡°I know who the fuck you are! I¡¯ve seen the forum videos!¡± Matt growled, half in rage and half in absolute fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell you monsters got here or why you give a shit about these people, but I know damn well you don¡¯t have a healer. Why get one when you can regenerate almost any wound, you sick fucking abomination!¡± Matt shakily spat in Riven¡¯s direction, leaving a glob of the stuff at Riven¡¯s feet, while pulling Julie back a step as Athela hissed. He nodded to the three demons next. ¡°And your demon friends can¡¯t even be permanently killed! So why have a healer right? So god damned cheap, unfair and overpowered! I¡¯ll tell you right now this girl is going to have her throat slit and her god damn HEAD is gonna be blown off if you come any closer!¡± Riven internally grumbled in irritation, but he actually was worried about Julie¡¯s current predicament. He didn¡¯t know how or why their group had come into this situation, but this asshole was partially right. He didn¡¯t have any healers because he¡¯d never really needed one. He could only provide stitching with Athela¡¯s webbing like she¡¯d done in the past though, and he had a Voodoo Doll spell that he¡¯d rarely utilized - but it could also keep blood streams of his target flowing even outside a body to maintain oxygen to the brain. The problem was that if sufficient damage was done, Riven would have to continue channeling the spell until an actual healer got to them or he could use a healing potion. Voodoo Doll only maintained the blood flow but it didn¡¯t actually heal a person, and he couldn¡¯t use other spells while using it due to the channeling effect. But if a bullet went through Julie¡¯s head? He doubted he¡¯d be able to save her even with Voodoo Doll, even with all the system modifications one could have on their bodies. A slit throat was bad enough but probably manageable, though he¡¯d not want to take that risk - but a bullet in the brain was probably a deadset deal given his team composition. [Julie, Level 22 Healer Priestess Initiate] Yeah there was no way she¡¯d survive a bullet to the head. ¡°I suppose we¡¯re at an impasse then.¡± Riven said with a tilt to his head, outwardly unconcerned. The rest of the room, both Matt¡¯s startled ruffians and Hakim¡¯s small group, remained wide eyed and very still - looking from Matt to Riven and then the three demons. Matt seemed to regain some of his composure at Riven¡¯s response, and realizing he wasn¡¯t about to immediately die and had been right on the money - he smiled wickedly. He nodded to one of the men who¡¯d been playing poker earlier. ¡°George, get Julie¡¯s team rounded up and make sure you have guns pointed at their-¡± Riven¡¯s hand abruptly lifted, flared with blood magic and then discharged, tearing a hole in George¡¯s chest the size of a bowling ball and shattering the wall in a spray of debris to the screams of nearby people. He held up a finger and waggled it back and forth. ¡°Tisk, tisk - None of that. The only thing keeping you alive is Julie, but the rest of your people?¡± Riven gave an ominous laugh, betting this act on the self preservation instincts of this man in front of him. He wasn¡¯t about to let the others become hostages too. ¡°Yattazi, Azmoth, Athela - kill the others.¡± Matt¡¯s eyes went wide and he cursed under his breath as people started screaming and trying to run - dragging Julie back another step. Men and women wearing The Red Hand¡¯s logo slipped on red ice and piled over one another while lunging for doorways, windows, and even the hole in the wall leading out into a dark forest that Riven had created mere moments ago. But the demons were upon them. Or at least two of them were. Azmoth echoed with a resounding demonic roar and burst into flames, tearing across the hall and smashing two of the men nearby into paste. He discarded his boar meat and started using his claws, having given Riven his maul earlier that day for safekeeping, and began ripping off limbs and breathing fire - or clamping down on fleeing enemies with the two eel-like maws coming out of his back. He turned his attention to the people inside, and seeing more people coming up from a basement entrance - he breathed flames into the depths that resulted in horrified wails and then continued on. Yattazi immediately began growing in size from the current 3 foot snake she was now, expanding her body at an extreme pace while her muscles, tail, and bones all bulged simultaneously. It was like watching a fire hydrant burst out of a water balloon, and soon her huge tail crashed out the back of the cabin stronghold and took out another wall - causing the building to shudder and partially collapse on more of the enemy group when her head tore through the ceiling. Magma eyes flared, spines on her neck stood up, and as her gaze settle on each of the running morsels - marks began appearing on their bodies so that she may better track them as they scattered. With a hissing lunge, her body turned into a chaotic stream of black and gray chaos energy as she snapped down on one of the fleeing rogues - the woman¡¯s scream only coming off as a squeak before her neck was crushed and her body swallowed. The demonic basilisk, half the length of a football field, began to hunt them down like a cat hunting mice. Athela remained in her position though, unwilling to leave and more concerned about Julie than she was with killing the idiots who were running away in droves. There were a lot more of them than Riven had originally thought, but what had once been dozens turned into well over a hundred people. Maybe even two hundred, though in the end they were all insignificant. They were weak. Athela¡¯s lithe figure slowly circled Matt and his prisoner amidst the dying screams of his people, and she took out her black, ruby-studded tiara to put it on her head while continuing to walk in absolute silence. Riven glared at the man while Matt violently yanked Julie towards a wall - putting his back to the wood so Athela couldn¡¯t continue to circle him. However, Athela maintained eye contact with Matt, stepping over two freshly charred bodies and then exiting out a cabin door. ¡°I suppose now the question becomes, how do we proceed from here.¡± Riven mused, walking forward and sitting at a table that was somehow still intact, and laying Jackal on the wood. The maw along his chest hissed, and black tendrils began pulling in a nearby corpse - devouring it slowly while Matt looked on in horror. The Red Hand leader only pressed that blade even more tightly against Julie¡¯s neck - shivering from the cold while crimson frost collected on his clothes. ¡°You¡¯re going to let me go. You¡¯re going to give me money to start over, and I¡¯m taking Julie with me so I have an insurance policy on my life.¡± Riven sighed, tapping his armored finger against the table as a charred leg was flung to splatter against the remaining nearby wall. Another part of the roof collapsed as flames licked at the wood, but he smacked the debris away with his aura and set Hakim, Tim and Tanya in a protective dome of crimson ice. ¡°Not going to happen.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice unless you want her brains splattered on the ground!¡± Matt hissed with venom in his words. Julie whimpered, and tears continued to trickle down her cheeks. ¡°She¡¯s as good as dead anyways if she leaves with you.¡± Riven said absentmindedly. ¡°There¡¯s zero chance she¡¯s going. However, I am willing to make you a deal. I¡¯m willing to pay for her release.¡± ¡°Not good enough! You¡¯ll just kill me when I leave and take the goods back!¡± Matt protested, ignoring the begging pleas for help and the horrified wails - both outside in the forest and inside the cabin - while people were eaten alive or torn apart. ¡°I¡¯ll need more than that or I swear to god I¡¯ll pull this trigger!¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Riven gave Athela a very small mental nudge, tugging at the bond between them to let her know he was ready. He then chuckled malevolently. ¡°I see. And how are you going to pull that trigger when the gun simply won¡¯t fire?¡± Matt¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion at Riven¡¯s words, and he blinked rapidly before glancing down at the weapon in his hand. His eyes went wide in horror when he realized the revolver was covered in red frost, and when he saw Riven¡¯s hand move his direction - Matt roared in snarling defiance. He pulled the trigger, or attempted to, but the frozen gun wouldn¡¯t budge - and he immediately began drawing the axe blade across Julie¡¯s neck when two things happened simultaneously. The first was the lightning fast hand gesture Riven made, flaring his finger and then quickly grasping at Matt¡¯s chest - and immediately Matt went rigid as his heart stopped. [Voodoo Doll (Blood)(Tier 2): Scan your target to map out their vessels and infuse your mana into their bloodstream. You then gain the ability to replicate their bloodstream regardless of whether or not they have extensive wounds - enabling you to keep them alive as long as their brain remains intact. You may also use this ability on hostiles to form painful blood clots. Heart attacks caused by this ability do critical strike damage. Dependent on both Intelligence(90%) and Willpower (10%) stats. Medium cooldown. This is a channeling ability and will not work if interrupted by using other spells.] The second thing that happened at the exact same time Riven made that hand gesture - was the wall at Matt¡¯s back exploding in six small but different spots. Long black blades, Athela¡¯s arachnid limbs, tore through the cabin to take advantage of Riven¡¯s stun and tore into Matt¡¯s head, heart, and neck. The move was so fast that the man who was undergoing a heart attack at that very moment didn¡¯t have time to react while the blades found their marks, and with a lurch the blades retracted - tearing pieces of his upper body and his head off his body in a spray of wooden chips and bloody flesh. Julie dropped to the ground as Matt¡¯s body was torn apart, beginning to sob, and the crimson ice dome covering the rest of them was removed as Hakim frantically rushed over with the rest of the emotional family to hug Julie in a tight group embrace. Riven smiled at the scene, though he did feel bad about not being there fast enough to help that Caleb guy. He glanced over at Caleb¡¯s corpse with a bitter look, and shook his head. There was only so much he could do. ¡°Jackal?¡± The weapon transformed into its canine image, staring back at him from a shadowy figure on the table and red eyes staring expectantly. Riven gestured over to the portal Hakim¡¯s treasure had created, then removed his helmet and scratched his chin. ¡°Is it possible for you to stabilize that portal with your Portal Master technique? I was hoping to return here after dealing with the dwarves.¡± *** [Guild Functions for Panu are nearing completion. Pre-Form a guild of up to 20 people in order to participate, system lock on Guild Roster has been destroyed. Sole features of Guild Functions are now as follows in preparation for the worldwide Guild Introduction Event: Guild Name, Guild Roster, Link to Guild Hall. Factions options of the Guild & Factions tab will still remain locked until a later date.] Allie swiped the notification away, uninterested in such things given her current situation, and she gently swirled the blood in her crystal goblet before sipping on it and staring out across the Lucio estate. Lahn¡¯s family home had actually been left intact for the most part. This was unlike most of the uppermost level of Mandon, Capital of Dawn, which had been decimated after the Rippenvire attack. Scouts both as spies on the ground and planes in the air were searching rigorously for the remnants of the Rippenvire vampires who¡¯d gone into hiding, and diplomatic envoys to neighboring upstart nations - often spearheaded by none other than herself - made it very clear that any information regarding the invaders needed to be sent to the Thane Necropolis immediately. The prisoners, vampires captured from the battle, were still being interrogated and most of them wouldn¡¯t talk other than to curse their captors. ¡°How are you liking the tea?¡± Lady Shovi Lucio asked Mara hesitantly, being outwardly nervous in the presence of so many of Allie¡¯s friends. Mara¡¯s pretty ghoul features smiled warmly with pale, stitched together skin - pale eyes burrowing into Lahn¡¯s mother with a warmth unusual upon her features. ¡°It is very good, Lady Lucio. Thank you so much for your hospitality.¡± Lady Shovi Lucio, Allie, Mara, and Linela Lucio - Lahn¡¯s sister, were having girl time today at the suggestion of Lahn. All of them sat on the uppermost balcony of Lahn¡¯s family mansion while eating pastries and sipping on drinks. Though Allie held only ill will towards Linela and would have usually ripped her apart and fed on her like she¡¯d done with that Gleetus prick, Allie had given in to Lahn¡¯s suggestion when he¡¯d given her that ridiculously adorable puppy-dog look. The bastard didn¡¯t even do it intentionally, he just looked sad when Allie had initially said no, but she¡¯d quickly given in and agreed after that gods damned look he wore. It¡¯d almost like she¡¯d slapped him across the face when she¡¯d said no, but when she changed the tune and agreed - it¡¯d made it all worthwhile to see his face light up the way it had. She chuckled to herself, sipping on the blood in her goblet again and enjoying the awkward silence that was almost entirely centered on the fact that Linela was there. Mara had been giving the young woman death glares, and even her mother - Lady Shovi Lucio - had been hesitant to talk to her daughter after learning of the plots against her youngest son. It was Mara who eventually broke that silence. ¡°My queen¡­ We had a message from the Blood Moon requiem come in, something about an envoy from a high ranking family wanting to meet you for an important matter. They didn¡¯t give details.¡± Allie only shrugged, still somewhat unwilling to make this meeting any less awkward. She still hadn¡¯t looked at Lahn¡¯s sister even once, and she could tell that Linela was incredibly uncomfortable by the way she fidgeted in her chair and constantly shifted her blonde hair from one side to the other. Even from here on the uppermost balcony of the mansion, Allie could see efforts to rebuild what had been lost. Roads had been smashed apart and the nearby town below the hill that the Lucio estate sat on was in utter ruin. Civilians and military personnel alike worked tirelessly to put their shattered lives back together, and with the entire military having been withdrawn from the front lines against Tereen now that the war with the elves was over - there was a significant force here to help with that rebuilding. She pulled down her hood over her features when brighter rays of sunlight hit her pale face, and her red eyes squinted in discomfort. ¡°Is my aura putting you off, Lady Lucio? I know my negative charisma is certainly a thing. I can place the amulet back on if you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°No! No, of course not my queen! You are quite alright!¡± Allie smirked. Good¡­ she knew her aura was certainly bothering that blonde bitch to her right, so she¡¯d intentionally kept that amulet off. Now with Lady Shovi Lucio¡¯s permission, she¡¯d continue to keep it off. There was another long pause, and Lady Shovi Lucio put down her cup of tea to smooth out her green silk dress. ¡°Ahem. Do you still plan on attending the ball with my son?¡± Allie¡¯s eyebrows immediately raised, and she finally turned to look at Lahn¡¯s mother with scrutinizing interest. ¡°The Royal Ball is still happening?¡± Shovi gave a small chuckle, and nodded. ¡°Yes, my queen. Though it feels odd calling it the ¡®Royal¡¯ ball now that our king has submitted to your will. Perhaps you should start calling yourself an empress, rather than just a queen? Since you have two vassal states underneath you - Dawn, and Tereen.¡± ¡°I like the sound of that.¡± Mara smiled with a nod of approval. ¡°I certainly do.¡± But Allie was still confused. ¡°When is it happening? I had no idea. I guess I just assumed that it¡¯d be called off.¡± Shovi shook her head, diamond earrings swooshing back and forth. ¡°King Arthur Brix has decided to not only keep the ball, but increase the festivities surrounding it to include many of the upper class merchants that¡¯ll likely be given titles of nobility now that power gaps in the aristocracy have opened up. Political stuff. With so many dead after the battle for Mandon, he believes it will rejuvenate the people he most needs to keep connections with. What better way to do that than an extravagant party, to have some fun and keep the feel of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal world?¡± Shovi gave Allie a warm smile. ¡°And my son is very excited about the prospect of still going with you, if you¡¯d still have him.¡± ¡°Of COURSE I¡¯d still want to go with him!¡± Allie exclaimed, beaming and nearly standing out of her seat before containing her excitement. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to that ball for quite a while! Where is it going to be held?¡± ¡°The palace was destroyed, so the academy is our next best option. Last I talked to my husband, he said it will likely be held there. Probably within the next few weeks.¡± ¡°The academy is intact too?¡± ¡°Some of it. Not all, but much of the grounds are still intact with only a few buildings having been demolished in the fighting. Repairs are underway now and it should be complete by the time the ball rolls around. Are you going to come as Allie, Princess of the Blood Moon Requiem and Queen of the Thane Necropolis? Or are you going to come as Allie of a minor noble house nobody has heard of from out in the country? Not many people know of who you are outside my own family and the king. Even Gleetus¡­ his family has no idea what happened - and by threat of treason King Brix has told us not to reveal your secret.¡± Allie considered those words, suddenly deep in thought. She¡¯d worn her skull mask during the battle too and there was no footage that she was aware of on the forums that actually showed her face. Interesting. She¡¯d certainly enjoyed the school scene and very much wanted to return to a more relaxing life from time to time, even if need demanded otherwise on occasion. Smiling she shrugged and began stirring the liquid in her glass with a pale, slender finger. ¡°I actually may stay my hand and return as a country bumpkin. Today¡¯s meeting has been very enlightening, Lady Shovi Lucio. I¡¯m quite glad I came to spend time with you.¡± Shovi absolutely beamed at the compliment, seeing the olive branch for what it was, and her smile almost touched her ears. ¡°I¡¯m incredibly happy to hear it! I¡¯ve actually been wanting to get your opinion on a couple of dresses for the ball as well? Perhaps we could even go shopping together! Is Mara coming too!? Ah, I¡¯m rather excited!!!¡± Chapter 207 Chapter 207 The portal stabilized, and a notification appeared signaling that it was slightly different than the prior portals he¡¯d already linked to. [Heroic Intervention¡¯s portal is now accessible through your Portal Master key concerning your spear-staff Jackal. Due to the nature of this portal¡¯s origins, you will need to infuse extra mana to create this portal again and the portal will disappear after a short time of no use, but the origin points have been permanently set.] So it¡¯d go away and other people couldn¡¯t use it if he wasn¡¯t around? That was a shame. Riven had been hoping he could send people to and from Deepnest here, but it appeared his weapon only had so much power concerning the ability to link to such wormholes. Still, it was better than the alternative of not working at all. An hour later Riven stood silently on a hill next to Hakim¡¯s cabin, a few miles away from where Riven had initially teleported in. The slaughter had been quick and the dead numbered somewhere between two and three hundred after he¡¯d mopped the floor with the lowlife bastards, and despite his quick intervention - he¡¯d still failed to save Caleb, Hakim¡¯s guildmate and friend. He watched silently, holding Athela by the hand and frowning while giving the others space to bury the man who¡¯d helped them survive all these months since Riven and they had split after the integration tutorial. Yattazi was still hunting down the few stragglers that¡¯d managed to get away, and Azmoth was leaning against a tree with his arms folded - still cindering across his obsidian plate and fleshy, muscular body. Hakim, Julie, Tim and Tanya laid the man to rest under a very large pine tree, a species of plant common to these lands as was very apparent by the sprawling temperate forest around them. They laughed, cried, and hugged each other as they told stories about Caleb¡¯s life in the time that they¡¯d known him since the world had fallen apart, and Riven found himself gazing off the large hill into a valley where a town a few miles off had lights flickering in the night. His thoughts were interrupted with a system notification. [Guild Functions for Panu are nearing completion. Pre-Form a guild of up to 20 people in order to participate, system lock on Guild Roster has been destroyed. Sole features of Guild Functions are now as follows in preparation for the worldwide Guild Introduction Event: Guild Name, Guild Roster, Link to Guild Hall. Factions options of the Guild & Factions tab will still remain locked until a later date.] ¡°Been a while since the system talked about Guilds and Factions.¡± Riven mused under his breath, still keeping his distance from the ceremony by a couple dozen yards on the outskirts of the clearing surrounding Hakim¡¯s cabin home. ¡°I wonder what this ¡®worldwide event¡¯ is about. The other ones concerning world quests have been very vague until coming into contact with relative pieces of the puzzle, I still have no idea what the elder lich and snow giant quests are about.¡± ¡°You should read more of the world forums.¡± Athela stated with a teasing smile, tightening her grip around Riven¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯d understand a lot more about what¡¯s going on in your world. Specifically about those two.¡± ¡°She right.¡± Azmoth nodded sagely, four arms folded and obsidian plates still cindering over exposed, fleshy, skinless muscle. ¡°You on the forums much.¡± Riven grimaced under the starlight, red eyes once again focusing on the small burial procession. ¡°I have enough to deal with already, but I suppose you¡¯re both right. I probably should catch up on world events.¡± ¡°Want me to give you a rundown on the highlights until you do?¡± Athela asked curiously, pressing her body up against his by leaning into him. He chuckled. ¡°That¡¯d be great.¡± Smiling, Athela let out a content hum and began ticking off fingers one by one. ¡°Essentially there are a couple very big players other than yourself, most of them are on the rankers list. Remember Judith Marcina? Oh, and you¡¯ve moved up in the rankings to number 4 since you checked last.¡± Athela pulled up the rankings list of the top 10 and pointed to the number 1 spot where Judith Marcina was listed. Cherish Lightcrown, the Everlight Witch, had fallen off the list from the rank 10 spot and had been replaced by someone else. Otherwise the other top spots had just rearranged slightly. [27 billion current participants have been analyzed. The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] [Current Top 10 Native Participants:
  1. Judith Marcina, Level 169 Human, Apex Rank, Angelic Fallcaller
  2. Aren Hrall, Level 150 Snow Giant, Apex Rank, Frostmange Berserker
  3. Retesh Vorath, Level 187 Corpse Lord, Apex Rank, Elder Lich
  4. Riven Thane, Level 130 Pureblooded Vampire, Apex Rank, Warlock Devastator, Harbinger of Gluttony
  5. Nithkik Brutishvase, Level 140 Dark Elf, Apex Rank, Depthdweller
  6. Thorman Bame, Level 154 Human, Apex Rank, Hammer of the Mountain
  7. Sinthil Tuk¡¯tuk, Level 166 Lizardian, Apex Rank, Wind Storm
  8. Chitter Teh-Sneaker, Level 136 Ratman, Apex Rank, Dark-Blade Assassin, Poison Master, Sneaky Sneak Sneaker
  9. Brock Longbeard, Level 125 Sundering Dwarf, Apex Rank, Battlemaster
  10. Netithi Bluskish, Level 121 Naga, Apex Rank, Champion of the Kraken
Guild Rankings Currently Not Available. Guild functions are currently being set up, create a guild of up to 100 people in preparation for the guild introduction world event.] Athela pointed to the number 1 spot on the list, Judith Marcina. ¡°She¡¯s probably the best known of the top rankers and for good reason, aside from yourself and the dwarf Brock Longbeard. The rest of the top 10 don¡¯t have nearly as many videos about them available, with Aren Hrall the snow giant in particular being very elusive because he¡¯s actually the antagonist for a world quest and a lot of his videos are being temporarily withheld while he gathers power.¡± Athela pulled up the old world quest notification describing said event. ¡°Because Aren Hrall is having his uploaded videos temporarily hidden by the system due to this world quest, it¡¯s safe to assume that he is the snow giant king World Quest 5 talks about. No absolute confirmations but it¡¯s a solid guess. Why else would the system hide his uploads?¡± Athela said with a frown. ¡°Not a good sign that he¡¯s rank 2 on the power ladder. Anyways back to Judith Marcina - the human with a class called ¡®Angelic Fallcaller¡¯. Simply put, she¡¯s incredibly powerful. She uses summoned angels to battle for her similar to how you use demons but in reverse, along with a lot of holy, sun and moon magics. She¡¯s currently a self-crowned empress ruling over the newly created Starfallen Empire, ruling over a dozen or so cities, and her videos show her wiping out entire armies by herself. She¡¯s often compared to you as your opposite in that regard and is very aggressive in her pursuits to claim territory. I highly suggest you watch her footage, it¡¯s pretty intimidating. There¡¯s a reason why she¡¯s rank #1.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Riven said with a nod. ¡°Nothing on Retesh Vorath? The #3 elder litch?¡± ¡°Some, but minimal. The only videos I¡¯ve seen are of him at the back of a horde of undead during a battle with other undead, apparently he¡¯s on the front lines concerning World Quest 1. Rumors on the world forums talk about how he¡¯s the only reason a certain human city hasn¡¯t been overrun by the designated Lich King, other people say he IS the lich king, and other rumors talk about how he¡¯s not even involved in the quest. We just don¡¯t know - but it doesn¡¯t appear the system is hiding his uploads, at least not entirely.¡± Riven glazed over the very brief description of World Quest 1 and his frown grew deeper. ¡°If World Quest 5 and World Quest 1 have two of the top 3 positions on the power ladder, and this power ladder actually has made natives turn on one another and given these people different sets of world quests to make them the scenario villain¡­ that¡¯s really bad. I hope those rumors are wrong. And if they are correct, does that mean these people are on the same side - or are they only out for themselves?¡± He scratched his head, only turning around when interrupted by Tanya¡¯s sore, wavering voice and the crackle of twigs underfoot. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Riven, I cannot thank you enough for saving my daughter. I was so scared, I didn¡¯t think¡­ I just¡­¡± The middle aged redheaded woman sniffled and wiped another tear off her face, walking up to Riven and giving him a firm hug. ¡°Julie, and likely the rest of us, would have died without you. Thank you again, there isn¡¯t anything that I could ever do or say that could repay your kindness - but if there¡¯s any favor I could ever fulfill for you, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Riven smiled and hugged her back, letting go after a solid thirty seconds while the trembling woman continued to silently shake. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t mention it. You¡¯re all my friends, that¡¯s what friends do. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t here sooner to save Caleb.¡± Tanya nodded, not saying a word to prevent herself from crying, and soon the others were walking over from their burial site where the body of Caleb had been placed. Julie gave Riven a quivering, shaky, tear-filled nod of her own while tightly holding Hakim¡¯s hand - and Hakim looked almost ashamed. Downtrodden even, avoiding Riven¡¯s gaze after his initial muttered thanks. It was Tim, Tanya¡¯s teenage son, who spoke next with a more firm grin than the others could manage. ¡°Man, you just keep saving our asses huh?¡± Tim held out a hand and clasped Riven on the forearm. ¡°Thanks again. At this rate we¡¯re going to owe you many life debts over. And you Athela! You look as stunning as ever!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Athela said with a chipper smile. Riven rolled his eyes with a chuckle and let go of Tim¡¯s hand. ¡°Hey, stop hitting on my girlfriend.¡± That immediately got the attention of all four of them, eyes wide. ¡°You and Athela are dating?¡± Julie asked, brightening up somewhat at the admission. ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so happy for you two! I¡¯d thought you might be into that succubus of yours¡­ where is she anyway?¡± Riven tried not to let his face fall at the mention of Fay, but it was certainly hard. She¡¯d only left a little over a week ago and the damage was fresh. A sinking feeling began welling up in his gut, but thankfully Athela covered for him - and she managed to pull him out of his depression quite quickly. ¡°Yes, Riven and I have been dating for just a week now! We¡¯re going on a picnic soon, my first ever!¡± Athela got up on her tiptoes and kissed Riven on the cheek, both of them sharing a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s going to be so fun!¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t say I saw that coming, but I¡¯m happy for you two.¡± Hakim managed to say halfheartedly, obviously still very bothered about the night¡¯s events. His eyes fell again, and he let go of Julie¡¯s hand. ¡°Riven, do you mind if we talk in private for a bit?¡± Riven rolled one pauldron-adorned shoulder, then nodded. ¡°Sounds good. You lead.¡± He left Azmoth and Athela to continue chatting with the others, telling them of all the things that¡¯d happened recently since the last time they¡¯d met in the drake¡¯s dungeon. Riven and Hakim walked side by side into the dark, starlit forest with leaves and pine needles crunching underfoot, and once Riven even saw a wolf on the outskirts that quickly darted away when his crimson eyes narrowed on its position with a blip of his aura released. ¡°Riven, I just wanted to say thanks¡­ alone, away from the others. I can¡¯t let them see me like this.¡± Hakim eventually said when they came to a stop at the edge of a long slope leading down towards the town. Tears began welling up in the big man¡¯s eyes, and he folded his arms and leaned against a tall pine tree while beginning to cry. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think I would have s-saved them Riven. They¡¯d be d-dead, and so would I. That fucking Matt bastard would have k-killed Julie! I¡¯m so ashamed! I¡¯m so weak! If I¡¯d b-been stronger¡­¡± He covered his face with one hand, avoiding Riven¡¯s gaze and violently shaking with his shoulders jolting every time he tried to suppress a sob. ¡°You¡¯re not weak.¡± Riven said calmly, shaking his head. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just a freak. Most people on this planet would have been in the same position you were up against those numbers. I realize you¡¯re upset, but don¡¯t take it out on yourself. You¡¯re a good man and you did what you could. That¡¯s all we can ever ask of ourselves. One day, I¡¯m sure that there¡¯ll be a situation where I come across someone stronger. That day, I may lose, I may be robbed, I may be forced to do something I don¡¯t want to do or I may even outright die. But as long as I do what I can, I can¡¯t ever blame myself for the failures I have. You can only move up and move on.¡± A distant scream and a blaring hiss echoed through the forest, and Riven saw an explosion of chaos energy where Yattazi had no doubt found another of the rats. He grinned to himself, chuckling at the unknown target¡¯s misfortune, and turned to face Hakim head on while the bigger man just continued staring at the forest floor while covering half his face. ¡°You gonna be ok?¡± Riven asked, leaning against a tree opposite Hakim and folding his own arms across his breastplate. Hakim shuddered, then nodded. He cleared his throat to regain his composure and straightened, taking in a deep breath of the fresh, forest air. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry you had to see that, I just¡­ I cannot fathom what kind of life I¡¯d have lived, if I¡¯d let Julie die in that cabin. That¡¯s only assuming I even got away after she was killed¡­ which was unlikely in itself.¡± They both stood in silence after that, staring out across the forest together in the moonlight. ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to go back. We could really use you here.¡± Hakim eventually said with a wry smile. ¡°How much longer until Heroic Intervention sends you away?¡± Riven raised one eyebrow. ¡°I used an ability to stabilize the portal with an ability concerning my staff. I don¡¯t have to go back at all if I don¡¯t want to.¡± Hakim seemed surprised. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re staying then? What about the kingdom you run, or your sister?¡± ¡°Oh, I can come and go through the portal as needed. The staff created an anchor point for the wormhole and I can open it up whenever I want as long as I put in the mana.¡± ¡°Is it normal for your staff to create portals like that?¡± Riven shook his head. ¡°No, at least not in the way you¡¯re thinking. I can¡¯t just create most portals, but I can stabilize ones that were already created and recall to them - almost like a save point in a videogame.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty nifty.¡± ¡°It is. Which brings me to a question of my own.¡± Riven turned his head back towards the people they¡¯d left behind. ¡°Would you guys like some help power leveling? I could escort y¡¯all around through a couple of the local dungeons if they¡¯re still around, maybe work on my crafting while I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve really been wanting to pursue totem making in my off time, might as well start it up where I left off back in the tutorial with you guys. It¡¯d be a good time.¡± Hakim stared at him, somewhat surprised and looking mildly confused. ¡°Why would you do that for us?¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°Honestly man, people are scared of me. Like, really scared. I walk around my own city and the people living there scurry out of the way like I¡¯m about to stomp them into oblivion and murder them in the streets. I know some of it has to do with my negative charisma, and some of it is likely because I destroyed a city - yes I get it.¡± Hakim chuckled slightly at that last part. ¡°That¡¯d probably be considered a valid reason to be worried about you. But I understand why you did it. If Julie had been threatened and I had to choose between her and a city full of strangers, I¡¯d have destroyed the city too given your choice.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Riven said with arms widespread. ¡°People don¡¯t understand most of the time. They just see me as a monster, as a ticking time bomb. I¡¯m tired of it. I want to start over, go somewhere that people don¡¯t know me as much on days that I don¡¯t have to do shit that is just for me and my own pursuit of happiness. I want to find time to relax. On top of that I¡¯m going to need a team, and who better to ask than you guys? It wouldn¡¯t take much effort on my part to see it done, and if I can get all of you to a point where you¡¯re a help to me then all the better.¡± Riven pushed the notification over. [Guild Functions for Panu are nearing completion. Pre-Form a guild of up to 20 people in order to participate, system lock on Guild Roster has been destroyed. Sole features of Guild Functions are now as follows in preparation for the worldwide Guild Introduction Event: Guild Name, Guild Roster, Link to Guild Hall. Factions options of the Guild & Factions tab will still remain locked until a later date.] Hakim blinked, then lifted his eyes to meet Riven¡¯s again. ¡°You want us to join your guild?¡± ¡°Only if you want it. I¡¯d understand if you don¡¯t, considering what just happened with another one of your friends. But if this kind of adventuring lifestyle is something you all really want, then let me help out a bit. It¡¯d be nice to come along.¡± ¡°Would it just be us?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sure Allie and her necromancer friends would be in the guild too, and there are a couple others on my mind that I might invite. But whatever this world event is, we can try to get you prepared for it hopefully before whatever this event is actually happens. I¡¯m sure Athela would like that a lot, she regularly wonders about you guys. What do you say?¡± Hakim was silent for a time, then slowly nodded. ¡°I think we¡¯d all like that, as long as we¡¯re not too much of a burden for you.¡± Riven smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°Not a burden at all my friend. Not a burden at all. Now, I do have somewhere to be and some dwarves to talk to. Try not to get into any scuffles in the meantime, yeah? I may be able to come back through the portal anchor Jackal made, but that doesn¡¯t meant I¡¯ll be able to intervene like I have been.¡± Hakim snorted, finally cracking a small but still sad smile. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll try not to get into any scuffles while you¡¯re gone. Are you going to come back soon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. I have a world event to go to, something concerning the Apocolypse Beasts world quest. But that¡¯s still a ways off from now.¡± ¡°Of course you do. I look forward to having you around. You want a beer before you leave? Do you drink? We have a few stashed away in the cabin for a rainy day.¡± Hakim gestured back over his shoulder with a hiked thumb, then wiped his eyes. ¡°How about it?¡± Riven gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Of course I drink. Yeah, hit me. I can have just one before I leave. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± *** Drums beat in the deep, booming out in echoing waves amidst tens of thousands of ratkin chanting his name. Riven walked along a wooden board down the center of a massive army, an army almost cemented into the surrounding expanse of caverns that¡¯d once held a ratkin village. Now it was passing through a warzone, past trenches full of ratkin soldiers in chitin and leather armors wielding spears, pykes, crossbows and more. It was the front line of a stalemate between his allies and the dwarves who¡¯d slaughtered their people and made this place theirs. The caverns here were smaller than Deepnest itself. It did span a mile up and down at various points, along with being miles across- which far more massive than any cavern on Earth would have been, but it still paled in comparison the ratkin capital. Nevertheless he found himself gazing at ruined mounds, craters in the cave walls where homes used to be, and the scattered remnants of mushroom farms that were commonly used for food. On the opposite side of that cavern, staring out from trenches of their own and holes or dugouts built into the cavern wall itself many hundreds of feet up, were the dwarves. They were outfitted in stone slab and steel plate armor, wielding various axes, spears, and crossbows of their own. They¡¯d also built a large fortress into the tunnel on their controlled exit, with various kinds of cannons, magically infused grenade-launcher equivalents, and different types of golems in more prominent view than the soldiers hiding behind nooks in the walls or trenches. They equaled the ratkin army man for man, and the side that rushed the other - giving up their defensive advantage - was the one that¡¯d likely lose. Situations like these were why the war had slowed into a stalemate. But Riven was going to use himself as a siege breaker. This could not go on any longer, not when war was coming to Panu on a scale far larger than this relative scuffle between kingdoms in the underdark. Not when he was set to leave for Chalgathi''s event where he''d be absent from this area for quite a long time. And if he had anything to say about it, the dwarves would be dealt with over the next few days. Be that a surrender, or something far worse, it was going to get done. Chapter 208 Chapter 208 Bridgar Mush was an officer of his majesty¡¯s legions, a veteran of many battles and a dwarf with a truly splendid red beard. Brown eyes and a firm, square jawline stared out underneath a thick stone helmet carved out of the very caves they lived in and molded by forgeries and mages accustomed to the Volcanic Subpillar. Most of the dwarves of his majesty¡¯s legions were imbued with that particular subpillar, and thus the army Bridgar now stood over in his stone fortress tower all displayed various weapons, spells, and enchantments primarily from that specialty. As the man in ivory armor Bridgar knew to be Riven Thane walked across a desolate battlefield between the two opposing armies, alongside the deafening chant of the ratkin horde just drooling to get their claws into dwarf flesh, Bridgar¡¯s frown was a worried one. It was him, without a doubt, due to the two demons on either side of the man and the unique Gluttony-infused items he wore - though the enormous demon basilisk slithering behind them was definitely new. Their kingdom had assumed that Riven wasn¡¯t invested in Deepnest¡¯s problems beyond a passing trading partner, that Riven would never actually come down into the underdark himself to fight on the ratkin people¡¯s behalf. It appeared that Bridgar¡¯s kingdom had assumed wrong. [Riven Thane, Level 130 Warlock Devastator, Harbinger of Gluttony, Pureblooded Vampire, Lost Prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] ¡°By the beard of Ragnut. Load the cannons and push the rune barriers to full!¡± Bridgar said shakily, knuckles turning white on the battlements overlooking the cavern ahead of him. ¡°Get ready to drop the ceiling on his head. We¡¯re going to wipe this stain clean from the world once and for all.¡± One of his five nearby underlings, an officer with long braided black hair hanging from his chin, shifted uneasily. ¡°Bridgar¡­ Are you sure you want to do that? We dug those tunnels over the ceiling for a worst case scenario. Blowing them will lose us this entire area, miles of suitable farmland for the mushrooms and crystals that grow here. We have been fighting for control of this-¡± Bridgar backhanded the officer, red in the face almost enough to match his beard. ¡°DO YOU REALIZE WHO THAT IS WALKING TOWARDS US!?¡± The officer who was smacked stumbled, angrily put his hand on his glaive, then saw the absolute venom in Bridgar¡¯s face and thought better of it. Straightening an glaring at Bridgar, the officer pushed past his fellows to nod just once. ¡°Yes. As I was saying, perhaps there are better avenues than to just drop the cavern on his head. Not only will we lose these resources, but it will likely infuriate him. You¡¯d better hope that the resulting collapse would kill him, or else we¡¯re all dead. I say we negotiate.¡± The idea of negotiation got a round of jeering laughter from the other dwarves present. ¡°He¡¯s a vampire! They do NOT negotiate!¡± Bridgar hissed, spitting on the ground and turning his back on the officers to watch the slow progression of Riven¡¯s advance across the large expanse of underground farmland. ¡°Those bloodsuckers want nothing more than to enslave and feed on all the races they consider inferior. And they consider ALL other races inferior. Do as I say, or-¡± The air was split with the roar of cannons. Bridgar¡¯s eyes went wide when a volley of siege weapons erupted from the front lines - targeting the slowly advancing vampire. Explosions of volcanic ash and slabs of magma rocketed towards Riven¡¯s position without warning, colliding with the vampire and sending clouds of debris into the air. Bridgar looked down at his political rival, a lordling from another dwarvish noble house named Vire who¡¯d no doubt tried to steal the glory of killing Riven Thane for himself. Bridgar¡¯s head nearly popped off and he almost spit blood. ¡°That little gnome-humping WORM! HE SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE CEILING DAMN HIM! WE NEEDED TIME TO PREP IT! CANNONS - FIRE ON THE VAMPIRE NOW! SEND THEM ALL! EVEN THE SMALL ARMS! IF HE DOESN¡¯T DIE HERE WE¡¯RE DONE FOR!¡± Not willing to be outdone by his political rival, Bridgar screamed at the rest of the cannons under his command while officers started shouting for the barriers to be reinforced. Cylindrical tubes of rock and molten steel glowed hot red before spinning up and sending torpedoes of their own, crashing into the cloud of debris where the vampire had been. Thousands of dwarves immediately lowered their crossbows and began to fire at will after shouted commands from captains overseeing them, and soon volleys of enchanted bolts were being fired like clouds of spines that condensed onto the area the cannon fire had targeted. Volcanic, earthen spells were launched - crossbows and cannons reloaded, before the volleys continued as the chants of the ratkin across the cavern complex were drowned out. Bridgar¡¯s eyes narrowed on the spot that the barrage was targeting, and only after an entire minute of constant fire from the dwarvish side did he call for a cease. The chanting of the ratkin had stopped. Smoke, dust and fire billowed out in enormous waves out of the cavern floor where a crater had been created. There was only silence as the two armies stared at the no-man¡¯s-ground between them. Bridgar continued to watch, eyes wide and knuckles white. He took in a deep breath of air, then slowly released it as the seconds ticked by. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Not one of the officers beside him replied. They all just waited, expectantly, to see the result of their army¡¯s barrage. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a corpse if he¡¯s dead. His body would have been blown apart.¡± Bridgar said under his breath, feeling the saliva sticking to the back of his throat while he nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. ¡°We have those barriers prepped for incoming attacks right?¡± The officer beside him nodded stoically, staring at the still flowing plumes of ash, fire and dust. ¡°They¡¯re fully charged and ready to intercept.¡± Bridgar gave a shuddering nod, feeling his nerves reach a tipping point until suddenly - a flash of infernal light tore away the flaming wreckage of the crater the dwarves had created. His eyes went wide, and he silently cursed Riven¡¯s family 9 generations back. There, in the center of the crater on a piece of cave floor that was largely unscathed, was the warlock. He was surrounded by a dome of fire, while the armored brutalisk demon maintained the defensive ward with help from the basilisk - who was pouring mana into the brutalisk¡¯s skill to reinforce it. Athela, known prominently on the world forums as the demon who¡¯d been resurrected from permanent death with one of Gluttony¡¯s profane miracles after the sacrifice of an entire city, now stood in her house-sized archdemon form - blinking four narrowed red eyes on the top of a beautiful woman. Meanwhile she maintained the lower body of an enormous, rose-covered white and crystal spider. Beyond them, hundreds of sleek, crimson lances were crackling with black lightning and being pulled back by wretched snares in sling-shot mechanisms; and more were being made by the second. Electrified snow began to gather around them as Athela¡¯s crystal roses spewed frosted mists, and the basilisks'' huge body erupted alongside the brutalisks¡¯ - both encompassed with infernal flames. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The dome fell. ¡°You engaged me in long range combat? Really? Before I¡¯d even had a chance to speak with you?¡± Riven¡¯s voice echoed out across the chamber. Red frost began to rapidly spread out towards the hunkered dwarvish formations along the stone, covering tens and then hundred of yards in seconds. A flare of his aura produced a swirling whirlwind of crimson snow crackling with black lightning, intermixing with Athela¡¯s own elementally charged white snowflakes in a flurry of cold that quickly began turning into a far reaching cyclone. Through the building storm that raged, thundered and boomed - shaking the cavern as more and more crackling blood lances were created and pulled back in the air overhead and behind the warlock - Bridgar the dwarf watched in horror while taking an involuntary step back. Riven¡¯s voice echoed throughout the chamber one final time, through the haze of whirling snow that was now obscuring him from view, a precursor of violence to come. ¡°I¡¯d hoped that we could settle this like gentlemen. I suppose that was my mistake.¡± The air ripped apart and the thundering cloud of red and white snow parted as many thousands of piercing blood lances imbued with the path of black and red roared forward - causing space itself to rip and tear at the seams. The semi-invisible barriers flared and shattered almost instantly as a cacophony of explosions tore into dwarvish formations, eliciting screams of horror and pain as body parts, trenches and battlements were ripped apart like they were made of paper. The volley was followed by the building storm, a storm of chaotic energies and blinding snow that rolled across the dwarven fortress and defensive positions as an impenetrable wave that chilled Bridgar to the bone. The dwarf dropped back onto his rear, heart beating like a drum, having been spared the initial volley but finding his hand catching himself on the exploded corpse of a nearby officer. He screamed through the deafening storm of snow that whipped his beard around, only to cry out again in pain when an arc of elemental lightning tore through an exposed part of his armor into his forearm - splitting it open with a singed wound. All around him, the roars and screams of his comrades could be heard as the booming approach of the oncoming ratkin army¡¯s battlecries began to rise above the cyclone. All was chaos, and Bridgar only barely had enough clarity to get back to the battlements to begin screaming orders. Despite his dismay, despite the building dread he felt, he managed to make it to the wall as he tried his best to yell over the howling winds. He tried to yell over the ice that slapped against his skin and cut him in numerous places while jolts of lightning - black and yellow - both randomly hammered into his body and stone armor. But his voice was lost to the winds, and even to his own ears it began to die in his throat as - through the thick haze of crackling red and white - dozens upon dozens of ice-made arachnids began sweeping over the dwarvish formations to eat his still recoiling men alive while they tried to fight back. The huge flaming figure of a basilisk crashed into the fortress wall on his right and below him, sending splintered spears and torn apart cannons down hundreds of feet while the men stationed there began to scream even louder. A booming thud and the shake of the wall he now stood on caused Bridgar to trip just as he¡¯d regained his footing, and he raised a hand to block out the whirling storm. But when he uncovered his eyes to try to get a better view of the chaos unleashed on the area around him while debating whether or not he should just run to abandon his men, his gaze fell upon the looming, flaming figure of an obsidian knight torn from the depths of hell. The towering brutalisk was covered in thick ebony plates, spikes running down its back, and the magma-infused maul in two of its hands flared to life as the fiery demon chuckled. Bridgar abruptly tried to find the axe strapped to his side, but it had been lost somehow after being knocked around by the cyclone, and going pale - he realized that he was defenseless. The last thing Bridgar saw was the downward swing of the large stone maul, glowing with lines of magma digging into the outer surface of the weapon, and his life was ended with a loud squelching sound as his body was splattered along the inner defensive layers of the dwarven fortress. *** Allie panted, pressed her lips against Lahn¡¯s and violently dominated him on her bed while she pinched his cheeks. Gasping and pulling back to let the man breathe, her red eyes glistened with amusement when he finished. ¡°That was good! Longer than I expected given your situation.¡± She said, humming to herself in satisfaction and leaving the baffled young man behind after she got up and strode over to the bookshelf. Taking a bottle of blood wine from the top and draining half of it in one go, she gasped again and let out a long burp. She turned around in the dim light of her room, finding him staring at her longingly with those puppy dog eyes of his. He really was adorable, though a lot of that had to play into his personality. She¡¯d had thralls far more attractive than him in the realm of physical looks, especially due to how Lahn was still regaining muscle mass on his withered left side, but she¡¯d found those fuckboy toys to be lacking in all other aspects. Thralls were something she¡¯d quickly become bored of, and after having found Lahn - she¡¯d executed hers so she didn¡¯t have to deal with them any longer. Why HAD she so quickly fallen for this man? Pausing to think about it, she really didn¡¯t know. Riven had told her that, in his opinion, her transition and infatuation with Lahn had been incredibly abrupt. Too abrupt. Perhaps Riven was right, but her older brother was not one to go about giving dating advice given his absolute failures in that realm. Allie still didn¡¯t know what to think about the Fay situation, but at the very least Riven had said he did like and approve of Lahn. So there was that, and Allie wasn¡¯t about to fight off feelings like this when she¡¯d been looking for this exact kind of connection for so long. She just.. Felt right, being around Lahn. ¡°So¡­ how was your first time?¡± Allie asked, a sly smile playing on her lips as her bare, pale legs took her forward in a gliding motion to the edge of the bed. She bent over, booping him on the nose while he propped himself up on his good elbow, and gave him a pecking kiss on the cheek. ¡°Hopefully not too disappointing?¡± Lahn just continued to stare, as if dumbstruck, and he eventually blinked while slowly letting his body drop back into the pillows. ¡°I only lasted two minutes.¡± Allie snorted a laugh. ¡°I expected as much, don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll get better.¡± Lahn eyed her up and down while she stood at the edge of the bed, and he reached out a hand to touch her own. He smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Every time I look at you, I just¡­ I get butterflies. I see only perfection, and I ask myself just how did I become this lucky. How am I supposed to last longer in the face of this?¡± Allie squeezed his hand back, sitting and caressing his face with one hand. Then a look of doubt briefly overcame her. ¡°Do you think it was better than it would have been with Marsia?¡± Lahn blinked. ¡°Marsia?¡± ¡°Marsia Bortrost. The young lady your parents tried to set you up with. Lord and Lady Bortrost¡¯s daughter, before you started school.¡± Lahn blinked again, then began loudly laughing while pulling Allie into a hug on the bed. Their bare bodies rolled onto one another, and the rolling stopped when they settled into a position with their eyes locked nose to nose. ¡°Allie, she doesn¡¯t hold a candle to you. You seriously can¡¯t say that YOU¡¯RE jealous. Right?¡± Allie grinned. ¡°Of course not!¡± There was a pause, and Lahn¡¯s face grew bright with smug satisfaction. ¡°You WERE jealous! Oh my gosh! WOW! Allie Thane, Queen of the Thane Necropolis and Princess of the Blood Moon Requiem, is JEALOUS of MARSIA BORTORST! This is great! I¡¯m definitely telling mother.¡± Allie¡¯s eyes narrowed and she abruptly jabbed him in the side, getting him to squeal. ¡°You¡¯d better not you little turd, or I¡¯ll suck your body dry and leave it for the roaches.¡± Lahn¡¯s eyebrow raised teasingly. ¡°I may like that.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± They both laughed, and eventually Allie stopped the cuddle fest by getting up and stretching with a yawn. Donning a robe and heading for the door, she turned to look over her shoulder just once. ¡°I¡¯ve got to go change and see Kathrine now. The Blood Moon Requiem apparently has an important guest that I need to talk to, and she¡¯s been hounding me about it for a while. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours, but you should get some sleep. Your body needs all the recovery it can get.¡± Lahn sighed in disappointment. ¡°Could we try again when you get back? I want to make up for my failures here.¡± Allie rolled her eyes and snorted again, but the smile she had on was wide and displayed her fangs. ¡°Of course. I look forward to it. And we can watch a movie afterwards!¡± ¡°What¡¯s a movie?¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot you¡¯re not from Earth again. I¡¯ll explain when I get back!¡± With that she blew him a kiss and left the room, shutting the door behind her with a click - before her footsteps faded away. After that, only the faint rustle of leaves of the garden tree outside Allie¡¯s window were there to keep Lahn company. Chapter 209 Chapter 209 Lord Justo Barimont was a handsome man, even for a vampire, and he let that fact be known as he swaggered around the compound giving orders to the various soldiers or maids while two personal thralls from the heartlands waved large white fans to cool him off. His eyes were bright crimson as all purebloods were, and his platinum-trimmed robes had the symbol of a green flame embroidered on his chest to symbolize the house he hailed from. ¡°This place truly is a drag, isn¡¯t it Puncie?¡± Lord Barimont muttered under his breath to one of the two thrall women nearby, sipping on some wine in a crystal goblet while gazing over all of the cattle that were just so flippantly let loose to run about this dreadful market place. He glanced Kathrine¡¯s direction across from him on the balcony where she sat rigid and stiff in her chair, as beautiful as ever, and frowned at her. ¡°Have you not taught these lost royals about proper etiquette concerning slaves? These cattle should be locked up at all times when not accompanied by one of our kin. It is disgraceful, I must say. Truly disgusting. Like having cockroaches in your home, only this isn¡¯t one or two - but it is a swarm of cockroaches. Diseased, ugly, smelly cockroaches.¡± He gestured with a grimace at the roiling crowds of bartering orcs, humans, undead and more below him, his nose tilted up in a look of absolute disdain. ¡°You have been failing your duties, obviously, princess. I¡¯ll have to speak to my fiance about changing things. Immediately.¡± Kathrine¡¯s face flushed red with anger, and it was all she could do to not reach across the small glass table between them to strike the man. Instead, she took in a deep breath when her instructor - Pladius - put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. ¡°Truly. I wonder what your wife-to-be will think of it when you start telling her what to do, as you say you will.¡± Lord Barimont snorted a laugh, then grabbed one of the thralls fanning him and yanked her down to face level. Waiting for the young woman to expose her neck and brushing away a hanging diamond earring, the young lord sank his fangs into her neck and began to suck. After having had his fill after a few grimaces and winces from the woman, he pushed her off and shoved her back. ¡°You speak as if Allie has a choice in the matter. Let me assure you Kathrine, she does not. I even came prepared.¡± Kathrine snorted right back, glancing at the personal guards he¡¯d brought with him. They were soldiers bearing the green flame of House Barimont on their plate armor in a similar fashion that the elites of the Blood Moon Requiem already stationed here did so with the blood moon emblem, only the elites already here were sworn to the imperial throne while Barimont¡¯s men were personally contracted. Then she looked to the three warding rings on his fingers and the large amulet on his chest. ¡°If you speak of your soldiers and your little trinkets that you managed to pay ungodly amounts of tax to bring to this F-grade world, that¡¯s quite amusing.¡± Kathrine said with a raised eyebrow, crossing her legs and taking a smoking pipe to puff on it. ¡°If you¡¯re already worried about an attack from your fianc¨¦ even before having met her, it does not bode well for your future interactions. You¡¯ll need to do more than just survive if you wish to win her heart.¡± ¡°I do not need to win her heart.¡± Lord Barimont snapped back with a glare. ¡°I bought her hand in marriage, she is mine.¡± ¡°She is a high princess.¡± Kathrine retorted. ¡°Unlike me as lesser nobility, you cannot just talk to her however you wish. The queen will have your head. Allie is her favorite granddaughter''s daughter.¡± ¡°The queen is not the only one with power in our empire, need I remind you. There are seven elders and seven great houses - the Queen is just one of them.¡± Lord Barimont replied with a wave of his hand, looking up to the sky when gathering thunderclouds clapped with lightning over the mountains a few miles off. ¡°I have the backing of one of the other elders.¡± Kathrine raised her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°Truly? I find that a newly raised house like yours having such support is unlikely at best. Even if that were the case, what¡¯s your plan? You¡¯re just going to tell her of your wedding and leave? What is your purpose here?¡± The young lord slowly turned his head to look at her, evaluating her for some time. ¡°What else would I be here for? The High Queen and council want children. I intend to give them one. We will consecrate our marriage today.¡± Kathrine¡¯s fists tightened in anger. ¡°You could not have given her some time to digest the news before just throwing yourself on her?¡± ¡°No. Unlike you, princess, I have a house to maintain.¡± Lord Barimont said with a shake of his head and a grin. ¡°I am not of noble birth, but I am a pureblood. My family made our fortunes off the dealings of war, not taxation. If I wish to remain in the highest realms of the political field I must make sure that my blood is intertwined with the royals, so my parents have deemed it necessary that I start now. Soon I will be the father of a new princess, one linked directly to the throne just like you - but with a higher place in the pecking order. That, in turn, will make me even better than you. I will be of higher rank.¡± Kathrine blinked, then immediately began to laugh - in turn causing Barimont to frown. ¡°Lord Barimont! You are quite delusional, aren¡¯t you?¡± Kathrine brought up a dainty hand to her mouth and giggled to antagonize the man across from her. ¡°I will be married to Allie''s brother, who is the technical heir of House Wraithtide. Not only that, but I am already a princess and my standing will only go higher after the betrothal is made public. In what possible way would you be better than me?¡± Lord Barimont, for all his blustering, had completely forgotten about Riven. His face turned a shade of purple-red, and his grip cracked the wood on the chair he sat in. ¡°We will see whether or not your young prince even survives this integration, princess. We will certainly see.¡± The mood immediately grew cold. ¡°Careful how you say that, lordling.¡± The princess stated with an immediately venomous hiss to her words. ¡°Should that be interpreted as a threat, I will have you and your entire house beheaded before the day is over in the name of the queen. Do I make myself clear?¡± Captain Rusof, head of the military and the man who trained the elites here at the commune, immediately put his hand on his blade. His black and red armor shimmered with a flash of distant lightning, and his red eyes bore holes into the lordling and his personal house escort on the other side of the balcony. He¡¯d been standing idly by until then, but upon the announcement that Kathrine saw this off handed comment as a possible threat - he and the three soldiers beside him made it abundantly clear just where he stood on the matter of decapitating people who¡¯d become out of line. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The guards Lord Barimont had brought also shifted to their own weapons, gazes narrowed as Barimont tried to keep his composure under control - though there was certainly a mixed bag of emotions underneath that forced stoic gaze he evaluated Kathrine with. ¡°It appears you have read my words incorrectly, princess. I would never dream of intentionally harming a prince of the main bloodline in any way, ever. Please call off your dogs.¡± There was a pause, and Kathrine held up her hand - causing Captain Rusof and the three other elites of the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s lower-leveled soldiers to stand down. The tension in Lord Barimont¡¯s face eased, as did the postures of the guards and thralls who accompanied him. The silence lasted for another five minutes, no words spoken between anyone there while both Princess Kathrine and Lord Justo Barimont, while they continued to watch out over the commune grounds. ¡°When can I expect her? I am growing bored of this dreadful place.¡± Lord Barimont eventually said, smoothing back his already perfect dark hair. ¡°Please send word to Princess Allie Wraithtide once more. I do not like to be kept waiting and these system rules regarding how far I can travel outside a commune are downright infuriating.¡± ¡°I have already sent the message three times.¡± Kathrine growled under her breath. ¡°I believe she¡¯s with someone at the moment and cannot be bothered, according to the workers at her manor.¡± ¡°With someone?¡± Barimont said, eyebrows furrowing.¡± Kathrine¡¯s expression became smug. ¡°Yes. With that crippled cattle boy she likes. I believe she planned on taking his virginity today. But don¡¯t tell anyone, it¡¯s supposed to be a talk between just us girls.¡± Lord Justo Barimont¡¯s jaw went rigid, and a second later the wooden arm on his chair shattered underneath his clenching grip. ¡°Disgusting. I will have words with her about this. My future wife will not be allowed to sleep with cattle, cripples, or anyone for that matter - except me. And I will show her what a real man is like after I deal with that insolent boy who dared to lay his hands on her. Puncie, get the collar.¡± Kathrine took another puff of her pipe, confused when the thrall woman handed over a thin, leather-made collar with runes inscribed into the surface. She could immediately tell that these runes were the real deal, a powerful set of threaded suppression bindings. ¡°And what exactly is that?¡± Barimont slammed it onto the glass table between them. ¡°You¡¯ll see for yourself when Allie Wraithtide arrives in person. After all, it was made for her by Elder Thune himself.¡± *** Allie stopped her approach in the shadow of a two-story pub on the outskirts of the trade district near the Elysium Altar. High above her the halo of green flames encircled a dark spire, at the base of which were thousands of people buying and selling things directly with the system store. They''d place their hands on the spire''s base, select what they wanted to take or sell, and exchange Elysium coins - before more often than not leaving with goods to carry away. The two trading communes, a fortress of the Blood Moon Requiem - which was closed off to the public, and another being Negrada¡¯s commune in the form of a huge red tent which actively supported trade from anyone that walked in - were seen at their respective stations. Outside of the altar¡¯s perimeter were the buildings she now found herself hiding between, where dozens of restaurants, trading halls, auction houses and crafting workshops were bounding with business. ¡°Master¡­¡± The hiss of her newest minion Fimrindle called to her from the shadows. ¡°I bring news.¡± Allie stoically stared towards the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound. ¡°Does Riven¡¯s story check out?¡± She blinked, and the iron scarecrow was suddenly right beside her with a motion that she hadn¡¯t even seen - staring at her with X¡¯s carved into its face for eyes. In one hand it held a lantern, and in the other - a scythe. Even despite it being her minion now, Fimrindle was certainly off putting due to how and when it so abruptly moved. ¡°It does. Your designated fianc¨¦ is waiting for you inside, and from the queen¡¯s perspective this is just a formality to try and win you over for the courtship - but it appears your future husband is more eager to begin than expected.¡± Firmindle said with a voice that sounded like wind being blown through a pipe. ¡°They do not know you know. However, there are more findings that are not within Riven¡¯s account of his talk with the High Queen.¡± Allie¡¯s eyebrows furrowed and she turned to look at the creature next to her. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It appears the queen also warned this young lord about the potential for a volatile reaction on your end. There are also more players on the board. An elder of the clan, likely from the council of elders the queen spoke of. His name is Elder Thune, and Lord Justo Barimont speaks of him as a backer for reasons that I cannot understand due to a lack of background information. They created an item of some kind for you, a collar. I can sense sedation and suppression magic coming off of it.¡± Allie¡¯s features immediately grew malicious, and a spark of teal death energy erupted involuntarily from the ground under her feat. ¡°Why would she warn him? Is she playing both sides? Do you know what my supposed fianc¨¦ intended to do with the collar?¡± ¡°The assumption I have is that he was going to use it to keep you sedated should you become angry. He needs to give you a child. I¡¯m sure you can draw the connections.¡± Her jaw became unhinged. Her soul flared as the souls of the dead called for blood. A barrel nearby exploded when her eye twitched, and she began to see red. ¡°Is Riven back yet?¡± Fimrindle only barley moved his head back and forth. ¡°No. He is still on the expedition with Deepnest to conquer the dwarves and will be gone for at least a few days by Mara¡¯s estimations.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°And what if I do not go meet this man? Did you get a sense of what would happen?¡± Fimrindle tilted his head slightly, shifting left when a pair of squabbling merchants passed the alleyway by. ¡°If you do not comply within a reasonable time, and if the conversations I overheard are accurate, it is likely you will be taken into the heartlands against your will at the end of this integration to be ¡®trained properly¡¯ in accordance to behaviors suiting a princess of the Requiem. Then they would enslave the locals of this world and take them to sell on the galactic slave markets as labor and cattle. The world would be torched when they leave. This is also assuming that Riven would attempt to help you, disregarding the laws of the Requiem, and thus making him unable to claim sanctuary for this planet should he go against the will of the council.¡± ¡°And what of Lahn if I cooperate?¡± ¡°I do not know. My assumption is that he will likely be killed should you resist, but there¡¯s a possibility he¡¯ll be killed either way.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I see. I suppose it is time to meet this fianc¨¦ of mine then.¡± ¡°Do you wish to wait for Riven in case he does not want to negotiate?¡± Allie shook her head. ¡°No. This is something I need to do on my own.¡± *** Allie wore her usual outfit while approaching the large front gate of the Requiem¡¯s trading commune fortress. Her form fitting soul-woven bone armor, along with the skull mask she usually wore, were all on and her wand was hooked to her belt. Her heart pounded nervously in her chest, and the doors started to creak open. She didn¡¯t have to knock as they¡¯d already been expecting her, and mere moments later she found herself face to face with the man she could assume was her betrothed only a couple yards off. He was disgustingly handsome, well muscled and having a strong jawline, with an obviously fake smile on his face. He had bright red eyes and dark swooped-back hair, and wore an emblem of green flames on platinum-trimmed robes. Standing beside him was Kathrine who had taken on an unfamiliar look of discomfort, wearing her usual black dress that emphasized her curves, and behind the two nobles were armored vampire guards and thrall or vampire servants standing in rows. Kathrine stepped forward with a slight nod. ¡°Princess Allie Wraithtide, I am glad to see you again. We have much to discuss. Please, follow me.¡± Chapter 210 (>>Book 2 [Through chapter 111] being taken down from RR for upcoming Amazon Release<<) Chapter 210 The dining hall had been redecorated according to the description Riven had given Allie prior to this, though she couldn¡¯t be certain because it was her first time here after all. She¡¯d never had reason to visit the compound before now, but the looming threat of planetary annihilation by an intergalactic vampire empire that her mother had been part of was nothing to take lightly - should she spurn the rules of the Queen and council. Despite not knowing much about the greater multiverse, she was relatively certain the Blood Moon Requiem could follow through on that promise after Riven had described the visit to their inherited planet and the fleets surrounding it. If her mother¡¯s house alone had such a force, what kind of force did the main army of the Blood Moon Requiem have? The room contained only a singular rectangular table, carved from a strange deep gray wood that¡¯d been polished to a shine. Dozens of dishes formed through works of art were on display, with numerous bottles of fine wines. Two very attractive thrall men and two equally attractive thrall women on a table of their own were decorated in sauces and flowers for live feeding out to the side of the main dining table - similar in fashion to how Genua had been displayed by Kathrine to Riven. Ruby chandeliers cast warm auras, and hundreds of candles all around the room gave off a gentle glow. Black banisters with the red crescent moon, outlined with gold trimmings hung overhead, and servants were standing next to the kitchen door and around the room to heed the call of the nobles at a moment¡¯s notice. Aside from those servants of both vampire and thrall origin were the soldiers standing on the perimeter of the room - either those that¡¯d first arrived with the commune, or the ones that sported green flames on their breastplates that¡¯d come with the young lord. The people sitting at the elongated table numbered only four however. Lord Justo Barimont sat at one end with his head held high and a cocky smirk on his face as he blatantly eyed Allie from across the table while slowly stroking the green flame emblem on his chest. Allie sat at the other end, having placed her skull mask on the wood beside her plate - glaring defiantly back at him. Kathrine sat inbetween the two, uncomfortably crossing her pale legs and clearing her throat while servants poured her a drink, and finally there was Lady Muren - another vampire noble who had her hair up in a vibrant orange ponytail and wore a form fitting red robe. The small orchestra of string instruments on a raised platform started as the final deserts were placed on the table, and the scent of perfume wafted through the air. ¡°Do you like it?¡± Lord Justo Barimont asked with a fanged smile, head-nodding to the small orchestra of violins and cellos nearby. ¡°I¡¯d heard they were the best in your city, and that this was what many high class citizens of your home world listened to. I hope I was not misinformed.¡± Allie raised an eyebrow, slouched in her chair, and spared the human musicians dressed in fine attire a momentary glance. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s quite nice.¡± She turned her head to Lady Muren with a frown. ¡°Weren¡¯t there supposed to be more of you? Riven told me there were also two other lords present. Duke Blemrich, and Lord Carsion. Are they not attending the luncheon today?¡± Lady Muren spared Lord Barimont a quick glance, then smiled Allie¡¯s way. ¡°They decided to leave the planet after Lord Barimont¡­¡± ¡°After I secured your hand in marriage, my dear.¡± Lord Barimont said with a wide, greedy smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already at least partially aware of these things, but my family wanted me to meet you after the fact so we could become more intimately acquainted with one another.¡± Allie snorted in derision, then took a fork and - very un-lady like - tore off a piece of finely cooked meat and began chewing while continuing to glare across the table. ¡°Humorous.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Lord Barimont asked pleasantly, folding his fingers together between both hands. ¡°That you seem so entitled to me.¡± Allie then turned back to Lady Muren. ¡°And why haven¡¯t you left? Didn¡¯t Kathrine already take Riven from you?¡± The orange-haired vampire¡¯s eye twitched, but she kept a pleasant smile. ¡°Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada has indeed secured Riven¡¯s hand in marriage, but unlike us who can only incubate one pregnancy at a time - Males obviously have the opportunity to sire many children at once. Malignant Prophecy is a highly valued gift that the queen wants more of. I know marriage is now out of the question, but I was hoping I could perhaps become a concubine. A shame really, my family outbid Kathrine¡¯s but it was deemed by the elder council that her relationship with Riven had already taken fruition after she whored herself off a while ago.¡± Kathrine adamantly rolled her eyes, huffed, and started digging into her own food with rather exaggerated stabs. ¡°That¡¯s rather a funny thing to say, coming from someone with aspirations to become a concubine. He hasn¡¯t even met you more than twice.¡± Allie continued chewing on a roll and wiped her hands on a napkin after swallowing. ¡°Mmm. So I can assume, Kathrine, that the person you wanted me to meet so much is this pleasant gentleman ogling me at the other end of this fine dining table? Let¡¯s just cut to the chase about things shall we?¡± Kathrine frowned, then gave her an uncomfortable nod. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And he really is my betrothed, according to the queen? THIS guy?¡± Allie shoved a finger in Barimont¡¯s direction, getting a scowl from the overly handsome man as Kathrine nodded once again. ¡°Is it normal for the royalty of The Blood Moon Requiem to be pawned off as breeding partners like this? Without any say about who they get to marry? Or is it just Riven and me?¡± ¡°That is a complicated question¡­¡± Kathrine began while pulling at a brown lock of hair hanging down her shoulder. ¡°The short answer is sometimes. In your case, your parents weren¡¯t there to help navigate the political agenda concerning who it would be. So your great grandmother the high queen, as your closest of kin holding a royal title, was the one who decided an auction should occur after being pressured by the rest of the elder council to choose.¡± A heavy silence ensued afterwards, the sound of Allie¡¯s nails digging into the wooden table mixing with the sound of Lady Muren¡¯s chewing while Lord Barimont continued to stare with a forced smile. Was the queen really on her side, or was she not? It was hard to tell. ¡°You should be honored to marry one such as me, Allie Wraithtide.¡± Lord Barimont said, putting his elbows on the table to rest his chiseled, pale chin on his hands. ¡°My house is incredibly wealthy. We have conquered newly settled territories on the outskirts of the empire, owning large shares of two planets and a smaller portion of a third. Millions of slaves, entire cities erected in our names, and a military force that rivals many of the best in the empire. You would not be lacking in resources once you joined my family name.¡± Allie glared at the man again, eyes narrowed. ¡°And yet here you are, basically trying to buy me as little more than a sex object. And for what? To raise yourself in the political hierarchy? That¡¯s what Riven told me.¡± Lord Barimont¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°And just what does your brother know about political hierarchies? You and yours have never been to the empire.¡± ¡°Not in person, but Riven did recently visit to discuss running Luteski. General Viku filled him in on some of the details.¡± Allie leaned back, lying through her teeth. Viku hadn¡¯t been the one to tell them about the political landscapes and how to navigate them, it¡¯d been their great grandmother the high queen - but Allie still didn¡¯t know what High Queen Nephridi¡¯s game was. Was her grandmother playing both sides of the field? Or was she truly on Allie¡¯s side? If Nephridi really was her ally, it¡¯d be stupid to claim she¡¯d been sent information from her grandmother if other elders of the empire council were at play. Lord Barimont sighed, then shook his head. ¡°General Viku is known to me, and is a military man. He does not concern himself with politics, but I¡¯d really like to convince you that I am a worthy Lord to marry without needing to do things the hard way. Is there no chance I could win your favor? At least let me make the attempt. Reasons for why we bid for your hand in marriage are reasons of our own, and you will be treated fairly as my wife. When you raise our children, I will shower them with the finest of gifts and our house name will only grow stronger between your inherent gift of prophecy and the might of the Barimont legions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°It is your duty. I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t decline.¡± Allie sneered back at the blankly staring man in front of her, then she leaned forward with a hiss. ¡°I¡¯m already courting someone. Someone a lot better than you.¡± Lord Just Barimont blinked twice, then pushed back on the table and began to uproariously laugh. His cackles boomed across the large dining hall as Kathrine blankly stared at the table, Lady Muren smirked, and Allie glared. Eventually he calmed himself down, then used a handkerchief to wipe the literal tears streaming out of his eyes from the sheer amusement he obviously felt about her statement. ¡°Are you talking about that crippled cattle welp? The one with the shriveled limbs!?¡± ¡°His name is Lahn!¡± Allie said, slamming a fist onto the table as she got to her feet with a roar of death mana. The chair and her side of the table exploded into fragments of wood and food, and both Kathrine and Lady Muren yelled out in shock while scrambling away. Lord Justo Barimont continued chuckling to himself rather loudly as the rest of the room, servants and guards included, came to a standstill. He seemed undisturbed by the building mana roiling around Allie and stood up off his still-intact chair to brush out his robes - clasping his hands behind his back with a smug grin. ¡°Lahn then. Let me ask you this, Princess Allie Wraithtide: What is it that this Lahn could provide you that I couldn¡¯t? And calm down my dear, there is no reason to get angry. Laughing is a valid reaction, watching someone as esteemed and as beautiful as yourself trying to court a filthy, crippled PIG that has less worth than the dirt upon which he stands. When this integration is over, and after I have impregnated you with my child, I will be sure to crush your mutant human pet in the most painful way imaginable while making you watch. Better yet, I even invited him here today so that he could meet the man who would take away his woman. I sent a messenger right as you arrived, so he should be here any time now. Perhaps his death will come a little earlier than expected, and of course - I won¡¯t be letting you leave.¡± He was goading her on, they both knew she knew it. And she would have his head for it. The flowing river of death mana surrounding Allie surged, and her mind clouded over with rage. She¡¯d never been talked to like this before, especially not after having acquired the power of the system and her heritage - and she would not suffer this fool to speak as he pleased. She took in a long breath, calmed herself, and closed her eyes as the river of mana slowly converged and disappeared back into her body. Then she let out a long exhale, shoulders slumping. Riven had told the high queen that he¡¯d try to convince Allie to at least meet the man to talk to him, in order to appease this ¡®elder council¡¯, but Nephridi knew things likely wouldn¡¯t go well. ¡°At least I¡¯ve kept my promise.¡± Allie muttered under her breath, slowly opening her red eyes to witness Lord Justo Barimont¡¯s smug grin grow wider. He slowly began to clap now that Allie¡¯s surging aura had dwindled, but he was the only one in the room making any noise. ¡°Very good, my bride to be. Very, very good. Perhaps I¡¯ll spare his life after all since you appear to be submitting, after I humiliate him upon his arrival of course. I am glad you¡¯ve come to your senses and have stopped that silly little tantrum of yours. Now that you¡¯ve destroyed most of the room in your flippant, childish display of power - perhaps we can enjoy ourselves in private while we await your previous pet¡¯s arrival. The high council demands that we give them a child with the gift sometime within the next century, so there¡¯s no time to waste.¡± Stolen novel; please report. Allie¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Yes, of course my dearest betrothed. Let us not waste any more time.¡± Her bone wand whipped forward, and the room erupted as an unholy obelisk crashed through the ceiling with a tidal wave of energy and a shower of debris. Teal runes along the black creation flickered to life and rapidly drew power from the surroundings, feeding mana into her body when the obelisk shattered with an influx of power. A vacuum formed around her within half a second, before the wand exploded with a shockwave of death as the sound barrier broke. *CRASH* Lord Justo Barimont¡¯s eyes widened only for a split second before the ceiling was torn asunder by the obelisk and he was sent rocketing out of the dining hall. Servants and warriors around her screamed or scrambled to safety, but frankly Allie was surprised she hadn¡¯t just decimated the entire fortress with that attack. Instead, she¡¯d only blown the smug bastard through three different rooms - landing him in a crater of rubble along one of the far walls of the armory. Allie clicked her tongue, annoyed that The Blood Moon Requiem had invested so much money into building the compound - and acknowledging that although they¡¯d still only used F-grade materials for this particular world, the enchantments engraved into each block of the fortress were far sturdier than normal material. She bent over and picked up her bone mask, placing it back on her face and turning to Kathrine who was paler than usual with her back up against the far wall. ¡°I believe I¡¯m done here. Tell grandmother that they¡¯ll need to find a replacement for the prick I just killed.¡± *WHAM* Allie¡¯s body shuddered and she screamed as infernal chains tore out of the ground, latching onto her wrists and ankles and neck to pull her into a kneeling position. The laughter of Lord Barimont echoed through the compound, and his figure emerged from the wreckage beyond the dining hall with his rings all rusted and his amulet cracked. He looked down at his protective jewelry with a bewildered expression, then hummed in amusement as more of the infernal bindings continued to clamp down onto Allie¡¯s writhing body. ¡°By the blood god! I knew you had a temper, but this is just uncalled for! And to think you have so much power at only level 84! These amulets should have held up far better in the F-grade. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Allie struggled and screamed, her death mana be suppressed by the infernal chains that seemed to eat away her own energy stores while simultaneously keeping her tied to the ground. Her soul-woven armor and want both began to wail, and then to her surprise - the items began to shudder as they started eating away the fiery chains born of hellscape magic at a rapid pace. Even Lord Barimont looked surprised, and he raised a hand to reinforce his spells with a strained look to his face as sweat started beading down his face. ¡°I will say that your genetics spell great things for our children, even outside the realm of prophecy. It makes me wonder what your death affinity is. Surely 90% or better.¡± ¡°Lord Barimont!¡± Kathrine shrieked over the flames that¡¯d started spreading onto the carpet and tapestries above, where remnants of the ceiling still shadowed most of the dining room outside a large hole where the obelisk had blasted through. ¡°Unhand the high princess right now! You may be her fiance, but harming her like this is treason!¡± The vampiric soldiers wearing the sigil of the blood moon all tensed at Kathrine¡¯s words, and in return their counterparts bearing the sigil of the green flame - the sigil of House Barimont - all tensed as well. Hands gripped swords or halberds tightly, and they started eyeing each other with appraising looks as Captain Rusof held up a hand to stay the violence. ¡°I was obviously attacked first, I am merely restraining my beloved fiance in turn to make sure she does not harm me or anyone else.¡± Lord Justo Barimont replied slyly, coming over and tucking a finger under Allie¡¯s skull mask before ripping it off to expose her sneer. He bent down next to her, smile gleaming dangerously in the infernal light. ¡°I believe I¡¯ll take her back to my room now. Servants, you are all dismissed.¡± The remaining servants who¡¯d stayed behind, wide eyed and watching events unfurl, all quickly left as Barimont picked Allie up off the ground by the roots of her hair - then he produced a collar. ¡°This is for you my dear, to calm you down. Don¡¯t worry, the rest of the night will be far more enjoyable for the both of us - there¡¯s no reason to fret.¡± Captain Rusof took a step forward, chin lowered and red eyes flashing. ¡°Lord Barimont, I¡¯d thought you were merely jesting when you said you were going to use a suppression collar. Those are prohibited by-¡± ¡°High Elder Thune made this collar specifically for her, do not preach to me about what can and cannot be done here - Captain!¡± Lord Barimont sneered to his right, pointing a finger at the military man. ¡°I am well within my rights, especially after being attacked! Princess Allie Wraithtide has committed what is akin to treason herself after attacking me and thereby defying the orders of the council. She has no choice but to obey!¡± The two men glared at one another amidst Allie¡¯s screams, but eventually Captain Rusof gave a curt nod and retracted his step. Barimont snorted in derision, then turned his attention back to Allie. Leaning forward and smiling victoriously, he forced a kiss onto Allie¡¯s lips while she still flailed and was being burned along various points of restraint along her limbs. Lord Barimont savored the feel of her soft body against his, and he hummed in satisfaction at the act. Allie¡¯s eyes went wide in sheer rage, but whatever items he¡¯d brought with him were just too powerful to overcome. She could feel much of his energy being leached out of that cracked amulet he wore, a reservoir of power that tripled her own reserves even if the man himself didn¡¯t pose a threat without it. Her body flailed, her mind roared, and then - something blurred in her peripheral vision as shouts from Barimont¡¯s men screamed out at him in warning. *BOOM* The remaining amulet around Lord Barimont¡¯s chest exploded as a protective barrier erupted from the innermost jewel, sending Allie and Barimont blasting out in different directions right when Fimrindle¡¯s scythe sank into the vampire lord¡¯s upper back. The attack would have been a killing blow directly to the heart with how much power had been imbued into the attack, but the amulet was destroyed now - and Allie could feel the reservoir of power on Barimont¡¯s chest dwindle before completely fading away as she picked herself up from a smoldering pile of rubble in the wall near Kathrine. She spit blood as she stood up, cracking her neck and holding out her hand to summon her mask that flashed to her. Putting it on and sizing up the vampiric soldiers who¡¯d drawn swords and conjured unholy fireballs in front of their lord who was cursing loudly across the room in a pile of his own rubble - she pointed her wand one more time. She visibly shook with anger, wiping off the saliva he¡¯d left on her lips. ¡°Now that your toys are broken, let¡¯s see how strong you really are.¡± The iron scarecrow cocked his head to one side. ¡°On your order, master.¡± Allie screamed, and the room around her exploded as her formerly suppressed death mana howled in a storm above her head with flaming skulls materializing out of the air above her to come hurling down onto her enemies. Fimrindle¡¯s odd body blipped inbetween positions in unbelievably elegant sweeps and scythe attacks - dancing inbetween elite vampire soldiers and her flaming skulls while killing three of House Barimont¡¯s men within seconds; before vanishing and reappearing once again. Lord Barimont¡¯s soldiers rushed the metal scarecrow and a few of them tried to lunge directly for Allie - a few of them activating movement abilities only to be set upon by dozens of cloaked skeleton assassins that seemingly phased out of thin air to clash with the vampires head on. Her bone creations flashed forward, each of them the best of her minions as they twirled enchanted shortswords and daggers. They ripped into vampiric flesh with precisional strikes or were crushed and demolished in ivory explosions as their bodies were ripped open by vampiric blades, but none of them felt a thread of fear as their necromancer master urged them onwards. ¡°ALLIE WRAITHTIDE!¡± Lord Barimont roared over the din of battle that¡¯d erupted between Allie¡¯s own minions and Lord Barimont¡¯s soldiers. ¡°THIS IS TREASON! YOU WILL BE WED TO ME WHETHER OR YOU LIKE IT OR NOT, AND THE MORE YOU RESIST - THE MORE THINGS WILL END BADLY FOR YOU!¡± Allie grinned underneath her mask. ¡°You should be more concerned about yourself.¡± She held up a hand to the sky, and from the hole in the ceiling and up in the clouds far above them - cracks in space began to tear themselves into reality. Screams erupted from the beyond, and a gigantic neon teal eye wreathed in deathly flames glared downwards upon the vampiric compound like the eye of the death god itself. Stone shattered, and those she viewed as enemies all began to scream as its judgement radiated down hatred and crashed into their bodies like a tidal wave of pain. Lord Barimont was one of them, screaming in agony as his bones cracked and shattered - the sheer weight of the eye¡¯s presence causing him to slam into the floor and create a crater there before his broken fingers managed to pry out yet another item from a pocket on his right side. He crushed a pill of some sort, and a blinding flash of radiant white light blew open the doors to the room and raced towards the heavens - quickly blasting the ¡®eye of the Scythe¡¯ spell Allie had conjured apart with a flare of golden-white energies. The backlash was not insignificant, and Allie stumbled - blood dripping from her nose while she caught herself on a wall. Princess Kathrine, Lady Muren, Captain Rusof, and the other elite warriors of the Blood Moon Requiem all stood silently and helplessly by - not willing to impose themselves on this fight lest they be caught up in a power struggle involving people far above their paygrade. Be it the High Queen Nephridi and Elder Thune, or Princess Allie Wraithtide and House Barimont - the bystanders didn¡¯t seem willing to put themselves in a line of fire regarding this dispute. ¡°KNOW YOUR PLACE!¡± Lord Barimont Shrieked, blasting Fimrindle when the demon-undead hybrid managed to bypass two guards to take a swipe at the lord himself. The iron scarecrow was sent skidding across the ground, head over heels only to recover with inhuman agility and blurr back to engage. He was quickly intercepted by House Barimont elites though, who doubled down on their efforts to kill the creature and keep their charge safe in a whirlwind of clashing, sparking metal between blows exchanged. Lord Barimont then charged with collar in hand, flames erupting along one arm as he torpedoed through the air with a boost of power from flames at his feet. He crashed into Allie¡¯s position as the bystanders backpedaled towards safety, only to be repelled by Allie¡¯s bone armor and a whiplash of death-mana strings that cut deep into his chest and spiked the vampire into the ceiling. Allie blurred left, dodging a thrown fireball from one of Barimont¡¯s men and retaliating with another roar of death mana from her wand before her free hand rose into the air. While Lord Barimont crashed into the ground and stood up, snapping his neck back into a corrected position and then an arm - she closed her eyes and began to focus on the scattered bones and corpses around her. The air hummed as she activated ¡®Speaker of the Dead¡¯ and ¡®A Path of Bones¡¯, combining the spirit-summoning spell with the ability to bend and sculpt bones to her cause. The afterlife responded with a howl of shrieking voices that filled the sky, and the remnants of the ceiling shattered as a roar of ghosts rushed at Lord Barimont in an attempt to possess him like a tidal wave. Lord Barimont screamed in horror, and the room flared with an explosion of infernal energy that rocked the very building they stood in - killing numerous guards, skeletons and thrall servants in the attempt to ward off possession. He huffed, his flaming body reducing to cinders only to go wide-eyed when he saw an avalanche of bone erupting from Allie''s spatial sack on her hip. She grinned mischievously, waggling a finger at him as the ocean of ivory soared high - ghosts still circling him like birds of prey would a rabbit. ¡°I don¡¯t marry maggots.¡± She shoved her hand forward, and the ocean of ivory descended like a maelstrom of violence - crashing into Lord Barimont and cutting into him in hundreds of places while simultaneously trying to flatten him into a pancake. The ivory ocean began to compress, compress, and compress even more as it turned into a sphere with the vampire lord inside. He roared in pain and cursed her, spurts of flame trickling out of the dense ball of ivory hovering in the ruins of the dining hall. Ghosts began to shriek and dive into the mess of magic, using Allie¡¯s own death mana to keep them safe from the infernal fires as their spirit bodies dug into Lord Barimont¡¯s own - causing his pained cursing to turn into that of a frantic and horrified wail. Allie¡¯s fanged sneer grew wider, her crimson eyes burning with malice while her hand continued to tighten on the strings that connected her will to the swirling orb or compacting ivory. ¡°DIE!¡± ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± His screams were growing fainter, and the struggles were growing less obvious as less and less flame escaped the holes in her bone prison, but a neon red blast of light from one of the soldiers tore across the room and shattered the hold Allie had on the young lord. The bones disintegrate, and the ghosts trying to tear into the man¡¯s soul were evaporated instantly. ¡°NOOOO!!¡± Allie screamed in rage and summoned more flaming skulls, launching them at the vampiric soldier and turning him into paste before she was slammed back into the wall with a sickening crunch. The flaming chains from earlier tore out of the wall, and from one of Barimont¡¯s hands, binding her to the stone and wrapping around her neck, legs, and arms to hold her still. Meanwhile Lord Barimont picked himself up - a bloodied, haggard mess with one eye missing as he glared hatefully towards her. Standing in a pile of ash, he slowly began to regenerate as his vampiric body healed the wounds inflicted upon him. ¡°You raggedy BITCH!¡± Lord Barimont howled, only to turn at the sound of a door being flung open - and his hate filled sneer turned into a look of absolute glee. There, in the entrance to the hall, was Lahn. He was in his wheelchair, frantically looking around and taking in the sight with growing emotion. He saw Allie¡¯s figure bound and burning as she screamed against the wall - her mana battling the suppressive effect of the chains that were extending out of Lord Barimont¡¯s hands. He saw her minions battling the vampiric knights in fierce combat with Firmindle at the head of them all. He saw the one-eyed mage smiling sinisterly his way, and Lahn drew out the gift Allie had given him all those weeks ago. A brilliant white light illuminated the darkness of the vampiric compound, and Prophet¡¯s artifact tome blazed with holy energy that radiated across Lahn¡¯s skin while his shriveled hand frantically tried to flip the pages. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he glared daggers at the man who was hurting Allie while he screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°I¡¯M HERE TO HELP, ALLIE!¡± Allie¡¯s body twitched, and her death mana roared in an explosion that sent ripples up the chains binding her - causing Lord Barimont to stumble and giving her a moment of respite. She turned her head, a look of absolute horror in her eyes when she saw who it was. She screamed, her voice shrill. ¡°LAHN! LAHN GOD DAMN YOU, RUN! FUCKING RUN!¡± Then Lord Barimont lunged. Chapter 211 Chapter 211 Allie was in trouble. She was being attacked and her life was in danger. And his reaction was instinctual. Without any thought of his own safety, he would persevere for the woman who¡¯d taken his heart with the kindness she¡¯d shown him over these past few months - a kindness he¡¯d only ever known from his mother prior to meeting her. Lahn¡¯s shriveled fingers on his left hand, still devoid of any real musculature despite the slow-going recovery process, flipped through the pages of the shimmering white book that oozed holy power on his lap. He watched the vampire lord before him, the asshole who¡¯d attacked Allie, lunge towards him at a speed Lahn couldn¡¯t quite comprehend. He knew his death was likely impending, and tears were already trickling down his face as he pushed through the mental blockade of fear to do what must be done. But he was too slow, and even despite knowing what he was looking for - the vampire lord was just too fast. ¡°Hello, PIG!¡± The one eyed vampire hissed venomously, still holding Allie to the wall as the battle between her undead and vampire soldiers bearing the sigil of the green flame raged behind him. The vampire¡¯s shadow loomed over Lahn in his wheelchair, and he backhand slapped Lahn¡¯s face so hard that spit and teeth flew out of his mouth. Lahn spun around, flung from the chair but barely managing to keep hold of the holy book. He landed in a crumpled heap, grunting a scream as his weaker arm snapped and his jaw unhinged. The vampire lord began to laugh despite the wounds he had, which were slowly beginning to regenerate - though more slowly than they had earlier. He turned and sneered Allie¡¯s way. ¡°This?! THIS creature, of all the people you could choose, is the one you prefer as your mate? OVER ME!? How ludicrous!¡± Lahn¡¯s fingers, despite the pain radiating across his broken body, continued to dig at the glowing pages of the book with frantic abandon. In truth there was no way he could defeat this monster, there was no way to save Allie the way he was. That¡¯s why he needed to change, and though the sacrifice it would take to get there was steep - the words of power written into the pages of this text were as clear as day to him. There was a path to save her. A path that even the previous owner of this book hadn¡¯t taken due to the detrimental cost. The vampire lord shook his head, sending a bolt of flames tearing through two of the skeletal assassins that charged him - only to uncaringly glance at one of his soldiers who died at the hand of Fimrindle. Pausing just a moment to make sure the iron scarecrow was preoccupied while more soldiers tried to hold him down with blurring movement abilities and exchanging lightning-quick attacks, the irregularly handsome man began walking towards Lahn with a malevolent grin. An ebony dagger of intricate, jagged, evil design appeared in one of his hands, and he loomed over Lahn like the spirit of death when he raised it up high for a killing strike. ¡° I will purge you of this world for tainting our royal bloodline with your filth, you disgusting pig!¡± ¡°YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HIM!!!!¡± A flash of teal and black roared to life and Allie¡¯s scream echoed throughout the compound, causing the earth to quake amongst a sea of ghosts that tore from the air around her - launching themselves at the flaming chains binding her to the walls in a mad rage. The dagger descended towards the vulnerable human man, Allie not having freed herself in time despite her herculean effort to interrupt the attack, but the blade was stopped short by none other than Kathrine in her stead. Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, eldest daughter to the Duke and Dutchess of House of Crushada, 107th in line for the vampiric throne - had stopped his attack with a thin rapier. The silver blade¡¯s tip was held just inches over Lahn¡¯s face, flaring with ribbons of blood that lifted off the weapon like calm waves before the storm as it sparked against the black dagger that¡¯d almost taken Lahn¡¯s life. *** Lord Justo Barimont was stunned, glaring in incomprehensible rage at Kathrine as the vampire royal held his blade at bay. ¡°What are you DOING, princess!?¡± His eyes grew wide and he nearly tripped over his own legs when Kathrine¡¯s arm shot out, collar in hand, to try and put it around his neck. The runic enchantments Elder Thune had placed on it were more than recognizable to his eyes, he must have dropped it without realizing, but Kathrine¡¯s moment of surprise went as quickly as it¡¯d come. He would not just sit there and let her don that damned, profane object around his neck if he could help it - and violently slapping it away and out of her hand was more than enough to keep himself out of harm¡¯s way. ¡°You just expect me to sit there and let you nullify me like that? Did you really think that would work? You¡¯d need to knock me out completely for that kind of plan.¡± The words hissed out of him like a snake, and he bloomed with fire - exploding backwards to barely avoid a death ball by mere centimeters with Allie¡¯s wand pointed his way after she¡¯d finally broken free to shatter his chains. He literally shook in rage, eyes open wide and becoming bloodshot while glaring at the two princesses - Allie coming to stand beside Kathrine who was obviously rather shaken despite her quick intervention to save Lahn¡¯s life. ¡°You do know what this means, don¡¯t you? The slight you have just committed is akin to a blood feud by interfering.¡± The man¡¯s words were deep, malevolent, and his red eyes narrowed while staring directly at Kathrine¡¯s nervous figure twenty yards away. Kathrine hesitantly nodded, keeping his gaze and still pointing her rapier towards him in a stance that was meant more to ward him off rather than a threat. ¡°Yes. I know what this means.¡± Barimont¡¯s face turned into that of a sinister smile. ¡°Your house is not a match for mine without the crown protecting you, even if yours is of a higher status. I hope what you just did by interfering is worth it.¡± Kathrine shuddered, but stood her ground as Allie helped Lahn sit up against the near wall. ¡°You forget yourself. I will have house Wraithtide¡¯s forces to aid my family. Your house, though known for its conquests, will not be able to stand up to the might of our combined forces if a blood feud is put forth.¡± Allie stood up from where she¡¯d been helping Lahn, then walked over and put a shaking hand on Kathrine¡¯s shoulder before giving the other woman a firm squeeze and a nod. Barimont spit, then flung the dagger off to the side and summoned a long whip with flaming blades protruding from the long body of the object. ¡°We will see. But truthfully, it won¡¯t even matter if I¡¯m able to capture both of you. Your house will not dare to attack mine if I have you as a hostage.¡± ¡°To what end?¡± Kathrine quipped back, anger in her words now as an aura of red spread around her - flaring to life with a whirlwind of blood. ¡°Even if you did manage it, you¡¯d still have to deal with Riven after this is over! What are you even thinking!? He¡¯ll just kill you when he gets back! Nobody you can bring is over level 90, you¡¯ll be slaughtered for this!¡± Lord Barimont rolled his eyes, but then smirked victoriously when the sparking clashes of the battle nearby was joined by the sound of marching feet. From the interior catacombs of the fortress came two dozen more vampires in two columns, each bearing the sigil of a blazing red phoenix. They were dressed very similarly to the other soldiers originally stationed here with Kathrine, wearing black and red plate armor and using either halberds or longswords, but at the front of their ranks was a man with a very distinct look to him. His hair was a shiny silver, his features were thin but toned under an exquisitely made battle robe of satin. His jaw was locked and clenched, and he looked around the ripped apart room before his eyes landed on Lord Barimont. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Not here.¡± Lord Barimont said with a sideways glance at Allie and Kathrine. ¡°This battle is just for us now present.¡± Kathrine in the meantime was blinking rapidly, and she maintained the flickering sword in her right hand while her left came to rub her temple in disbelief. ¡°Jalel? Jalel is that you? What are you doing here?? You¡¯re too high level to even be here! How did you get through the portal?¡± Jalel remained stone-faced, while Barimont began to laugh. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I would have been too high level if High Queen Nephridi hadn¡¯t punished my scheme to claim the shard, and now shards-plural, of Gluttony for myself.¡± Jalel said flatly, his men spreading out in the room to halfway encircle the two princesses. He came to stand next to Lord Barimont, not even looking at the other vampire lord even once. ¡°I was given the choice of death, or allowed to eat demotion pills to reduce my level hundreds of times over. Now that my cultivation and level gains have been completely demolished, I am barely level 87. The amount of money that spiteful queen spends just to make a point is truly absurd. The level cap for invaders is 80, but the cap here for trading communes is 90. I am here on behalf of Elder Thune to make sure that Riven behaves himself when he gets back, as though Riven is currently higher level than I am after such a steep loss of power - I am more than capable of subduing him even in my currently reduced state, due to my skills and knowledge of countless battles of centuries of life. It will be me, Kathrine, that keeps your fiance in check. I have been given permission to put you down if need be, because unlike the two lost royals here - you¡¯re expendable.¡± Allie snarled. ¡°ENOUGH TALK!¡± *CRACK* Her hand whipped forward and smashed tendrils of death into Lord Borimont with rapid speed, propelling the distracted man through two walls and causing him to scream as the mana ate away at his flesh and regeneration. It was an absolutely thunderous strike, and Jalel¡¯s eyes widened before he sprinted forward to intercept the channeling power. *BOOM* Kathrine¡¯s rapier sliced down, sending a solid wave of rippling red blood mana tearing through the air - making impact with Jalel¡¯s summoned barriers that sprang to life immediately before they hit. Power boomed in an echo resounding for miles. The fortress compound shook. Kathrine screamed in horrified pain as a dagger sank deep into the back of her left lung, and she fell to the ground wide-eyed when looking over her shoulder only to see her romantic rival - Lady Muren. Lady Muren¡¯s orange hair whipped about in the wind with a venomous smile on her rosy lips, and she twisted the blade while pouring unholy poisons into Kathrine¡¯s body. ¡°Riven¡¯s name is mine to claim!¡± Lady Muren hissed, only to have Allie¡¯s foot crash into her face - sending the other vampire careening into a far wall. Jalel¡¯s men leapt into action, flashing forward as two dozen blades sought to kill Kathrine or Maim Allie - but the sound of more unsheathing weapons rang through the air when even more vampires joined the fray. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you really add up to all that bluster!¡± Captain Rusof¡¯s longsword flashed forward decapitating one of Jalel¡¯s men before he met Jalel himself in battle with a flaring smile on his lips - soon vanishing in movements so fast that normal mortals wouldn¡¯t be able to follow the blows. Metal struck metal and screams echoed through the compound as vampire fought vampire when Captain Rusof¡¯s men immediately followed his lead - having made their choice to take a side in the political feud when the man they respected most had set his example. The battle was on. *** Lahn¡¯s jaw was broken, his arm was broken, and he¡¯d probably snapped a few ribs. His face was beginning to swell and the fingers of his hand trembled while flipping through the pages. Why couldn¡¯t he find that damn page? Why of all times was he having an issue finding the single page that could help him here? A fire-laden, bladed whip lashed out and struck at Allie as she blasted it away, sending Lord Barimont¡¯s attack to the side before retaliating with numerous skulls blazing with neon teal mana. She dodged and vanished out of sight while more of the dead began to rise, fighting alongside her as new corpses that screamed and roared towards her enemies with wild abandon. Blades clashed and magics flew, and all Lahn could do was helplessly turn the book - page by page - trying to find the passage he¡¯d read all those weeks ago when he¡¯d first been given the item as a gift. His eyes sped down the walls of text, complex runes rearranging themselves to create words of gold across glistening white pages. He winced as he saw Allie¡¯s body skip across the ground; only for her to rebound, spit blood and send waves of death mana spiraling in a tornado of screeching skulls, ghosts and black-teal flames into a trio of enemy vampires. The battlefield was quickly being widened as more walls and ceilings fell, and combatants pressed one another into the surrounding fortress. Why was he so useless!? Why could he not do this one thing to help her!? He tried not to cry, praying silently to the gods that she would win - that she and her allies would prevail and that they¡¯d not even need him. But even now, he could see that they were losing. Kathrine was being pushed back, severely injured by Lady Muren¡¯s initial attack and had spreading lines of poison seeping through her veins across pale skin - while the two vampire women flashed back and forth with blood magics in elegant attack patterns. Captain Rusof was exchanging blow for blow with Jalel, but it was apparent that Jalel was slightly more skilled than he - scoring hits when Captain Rusof left openings time and time again. Fimrindle was in a stalemate with five elite vampiric knights from House Barimont that¡¯d locked him down, and the skeletons were mostly gone by now - though they¡¯d certainly taken a number of the vampires with them. That left Allie and Lord Barimont, who were locked in a back and forth duel of flame and death. Allie¡¯s strikes were more powerful and packed more punch, but Lord Barimont was obviously well trained and the skill gap was obvious by the way he manipulated his magics to push aside and divert Allie¡¯s own while opening up opportunities for counters. Then, after two entire minutes of flipping pages and feeling absolutely useless, having bene completely forgotten by the rest of the combatants in the room as vampiric soldiers on both sides continued to die, his eyes finally rested on the passage of the book he¡¯d been looking for. Lahn¡¯s shriveled, trembling fingers touched the page, and slowly trailed the golden words that began to sing to him in his mind¡¯s eye. His soul resonated with the book he held in his hands, and taking the plunge - he began to initiate the price while reading out from the tome in frenzied whispers that hurt like hell to speak due to his dislocated jaw. Simultaneously, his good hand started undergoing the motions required of this act in bizarre and intricate patterns in front of him. ¡°A shield of light in the darkest night, standing before a shade of woe that never has seen the dawn, I mark my soul as a vessel of the heavens and beseech you - oh heavenly warriors - to aid me in my time of need so that you may smite the evil before me! Banish the blight from these tainted lands, and hold my heart in your hands, so that I may find the path to heaven and tread lightly upon its sands! Glory to the pantheons of light!¡± He held up his hands, emitting a small spark of golden energy from his outstretched palm, but nothing happened. He waited through the chaos of battle, hoping beyond hope that they would hear him. Hoping that he¡¯d undertaken the ritual correctly. Hoping that his voice would be heard. Lahn¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement and relief when he felt something tug at the edge of his consciousness, the feeling of angelic beings on the other side of the veil, but they quickly left just as fast as they¡¯d come. Hope turned into worry, and worry turned into despair when he heard a faint feminine whisper that echoed directly into his brain: ¡°Your soul is pure, young one, but we do not help the children of the dark. Your wish is selfish and misguided. The taint of the Blood God is upon the one you seek to protect. She is a creature of evil, in both deed and origin. We will not intervene.¡± Lahn¡¯s face paled, and despair turned to rage as he screamed and tried to rip the page of the book out so that he may crumple it in his hands and tear it apart. He slammed the book against the ground, not caring about the pain radiating up from his broken arm as he began to violently cry in frustration and anger. ¡°YOU¡¯RE SUPPOSED TO HELP! THIS IS NOT HOW THINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO GO!¡± Allie¡¯s scream brought Lahn about, and he stared wide-eyed when he saw the flaming whip tear off one of her legs. The vampire lord who was fighting her merely laughed and mocked her, telling her that if need be he¡¯d take all her limbs before locking her away. The idea of this unknown man putting his hands on Allie again made Lahn¡¯s stomach churn and his mind roil like a hot metal poker. He looked at the book again, then slammed a small, wiry fist into it. ¡°HELP ME DAMN YOU!¡± The angelic creatures were receding. Their energies, once drawn to him by the book, were quickly fading away. All except for one, however, who made its presence known to him with a faint touch of mana. Golden energy gently crept out of the pages of the book, tethering itself to Lahn¡¯s wet face while tears dripped down his puffy cheeks. An exchange of feelings and thoughts flashed through Lahn¡¯s mind, and slowly he began to calm. He nodded, acknowledging what the being on the other end of the mana tether was telling him. ¡°Yes. I know what will happen to me if I choose to do this, and I am willing to pay that price. Please, help her. If you do not, I fear that terrible things will happen to her - and that I may die as well.¡± Another pulse and exchange of thoughts flashed between them, and then Lahn shuddered involuntarily. He took in a deep breath, steadied himself, and lifted up the book into the sky. Smiling with quivering lips, he nodded one last time as the book began to disintegrate - using its energies in lieu of his own lifeforce to extend the duration of what they were about to do. ¡°Thank you, Denaskus. I will never forget this.¡± The angelic being on the other side of the veil sent him a warm pulse of acknowledgement, and then the transformation began to take place. Lahn¡¯s skin began to burn with a blinding white light, and his clothes lit aflame - burning away as golden, feathered wings ripped out of his back. A halo formed over his head, and his eyes completely burned away - only golden flames being present where his eyeballs used to be. His shriveled arm completely withered and fell off, but his shriveled left leg became just as strong and sturdy as his other side was. A spear of light formed in his one remaining hand, and sculpted musculature began to build along his abdomen, chest, arm and legs - making him look like he¡¯d been carved out of marble in the image of a Greek god. The resonating boom of the Holy Foundational Pillar and the Judgement Subpillar roared around him, tearing apart two of the enemy vampires that¡¯d been close enough to the transformation to take an immediate hit. Lahn¡¯s body flexed, and he felt the angelic spirit possessing him take control as it turned his head to stare down at Lord Barimont¡¯s gaping gaze from where Lahn floated majestically in the air dozens of meters above the hole in the compound¡¯s torn roof. The resulting voice was a deep and resounding boom. ¡°I, Denaskus, Arbiter of the Celestial Prax, have been summoned onto this pitiful world to smite the unworthy into damnation.¡± Lahn¡¯s body shifted his spear of white light; golden wings, eyes and halo flaring with the fires of judgement as the radiant aura around him intensified. The ground shook with power, and the entire battle temporarily stopped while all combatants stared upwards at the new display of prowess. Lahn¡¯s body shifted his spear of solidified holy light, pointing it directly at Lord Barimont. Lahn¡¯s eyes were gone, but the flaming eyes of Denaskus - the angel possessing his body - narrowed into slits. ¡°Prepare yourself, vampire, for I will be the last thing you ever see.¡± Chapter 212 Chapter 212 Allie was missing a leg that for some reason wouldn¡¯t regrow, Kathrine was severely poisoned and beginning to slow. Jalel was overpowering Captain Rusof, and Fimrindle was finally breaking out of the stalemate - slicing off limbs and heads before pushing Allie¡¯s way with incredibly fast and jerky movements. A protective dome now encased The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s trading hub - preventing anyone from going in or out, and the battle within and around the compound had become an absolute madhouse of vampire on vampire battles. Very obviously, there was a rift in the power dynamics between factions of the empire. Turning his head, Lahn focused on the enemies before him and felt his soul roar to life with power channeled by the heavens themselves. His body burned hot with magic, and a potent sense of justice to be carried out lingered on the borders of his mind. Possessed by the angelic being Denaskus, he hovered overhead for only a few moments before launching himself back down towards Lord Barimont with a speed that far surpassed anything he¡¯d deemed imaginable. The sky burned with white light, enveloping him in his dive as angelic wrath encompassed his winged form. His combat level was only level 2, but here with this possession he¡¯d surpassed even Allie¡¯s might - rising to the challenge to save the girl he¡¯d fallen for. As he dove downwards with a scream of vengeance on his lips, golden feathered wings flared out to either side with a spear of holy light pointed at Lord Barimont¡¯s heart - Lahn felt himself begin to break. His body couldn¡¯t hold such a powerful being inside of him for long, he¡¯d simply die before even a few minutes ran out. He¡¯d already sacrificed one arm and his eyes just to initiate the transformation, and thus he was in a race against time to kill the vampire before his body gave out. *** Allie watched wide-eyed as Lahn¡¯s body crashed into Lord Barimont¡¯s protective barrier of flames at immense speed, sending a shockwave of white gold light out in all directions that tore through stone and sent warriors sprawling or causing them to stumble. The floor shattered, and a crater dozens of feet deep erupted in the middle of the dining hall. Magically reinforced stone walls cracked and Lord Barimont screamed as the spear of light pinned him to the floor, pulling out enchanted items one after the other as each of them shattered under the immense holy aura of the angelic creature now standing over him like a judge of fate. She saw Jalel disengage Captain Rusof with a kick to Rusof¡¯s chest to rush to help Lord Barimont a second later, and Allie saw red. Activating her spell ¡® Path of Bones¡¯, the scattered remnants of her supplies and the dead bodies around her tore ahead in a swarm of ivory - blasting Jalel back. Or at least that¡¯s what she¡¯d originally intended, but Jalel activated some sort of movement ability and almost teleported forward - spiking his longsword into Lahn¡¯s back- *CRASH* Lahn¡¯s one-armed, angelic figure spun and blocked the sword strike with his remaining right hand, slamming one of his golden wings down onto the vampire prince with a shattering crack of thunderous power. But it wasn¡¯t enough. Jalel blocked Lahn¡¯s golden wing just like his own blade had been blocked by Lahn¡¯s hand, and the narrowed golden eyes glared back at bright crimson as Lahn¡¯s halo began to flare with brighter light. ¡°Insolence.¡± The deep voice of the angel possessing Lahn¡¯s body said, only to soar upwards and out of reach when two of Lord Barimont¡¯s elite soldiers rushed him with long spears of their own with the intent of impaling him. Having released Lord Barimont from where Lahn had impaled the vampire, the angelic being crashed back down onto the reinforcements - cutting through limbs and burning them alive with holy flame as Jalel was pressed from behind from the captain once more. ¡°Master, you are cursed.¡± Fimrindle suddenly appeared before Allie, his thin metal body covered in gore and blood. His scythe hummed and his lantern vibrated with souls of the dead he¡¯d ripped from the men he¡¯d recently killed, using the souls as fuel to boost himself in battle - but he set the lantern down to lightly touch at the open wound where Allie¡¯s right thigh had been completely cut through. A metal finger picked up the writhing black mass along Allie¡¯s flesh that continued to dig into her body, fighting her regeneration as she winced. The scarecrow looked up again and blurred - a spray of blood behind her telling her that he¡¯d killed another of the soldiers before he knelt beside her once more with his scythe planted onto the stone floor. ¡°This curse will take a long time to get rid of, and it is draining both your regeneration and your mana. In a short time you will be useless in this fight. Do you wish to flee?¡± ¡°Fuck that!¡± Allie spat, summoning her bones to create a makeshift ivory leg for herself. The bone dug into her flesh, impaling her vampiric body in numerous places to anchor itself - but it worked. Testing the poorly made limb out and grimacing at the thin tendrils of death mana that ran along the surface of the newly formed leg - she glared up at Lord Barimont who¡¯d taken to the sky with a newly colored green flame forming balls of fire all around him. She pointed to where he was battling Lahn overhead. ¡°Help kill Lord Barimont, you¡¯re in a better state than I am. I¡¯ll move to help Kathrine.¡± Fimrindle nodded, and then vanished once again as thunderous booms echoed in the sky between the protective dome surrounding the compound and the ground far below. Allie cast a worried look skywards one more time, then firmed her resolve amidst the clash of steel and spells around her - propelling herself forward and rushing headlong towards Kathrine¡¯s position in what had once been the kitchen not far off. She could already tell that the poison was wreaking havoc on her body, with oozing green wounds dripping acid and numerous slashes refusing to heal and battling the vampiric regeneration she had while Lady Muren¡¯s bright orange hair flared about her while blood magics clashed along sleek silver blades. Allie would not let Kathrine die here, not after what she¡¯d done for Lahn, and so she re-entered the fray with the intent to tear off Lady Muren¡¯s head. *** Riven walked next to Azmoth¡¯s hulking form through underground city streets littered with dead dwarves. A city of square and rectangular architecture burned around him, and a storm of red and black swirled overhead - crackling with thunderous applause at the destruction he¡¯d wreaked upon his enemies. Blood mana from all the dead, infused with the power of his path. A combination of the aspects of blood and shadow. The cavern above echoed his ominous approach and ratkin swarms pursued his advance at the vanguard - overtaking remnant holdouts while nearing the main gate of the dwarvish palace. He¡¯d absolutely steamrolled the defenses here, he¡¯d killed tens of thousands of them by himself and obliterated the outer walls, and yet he still didn¡¯t even know the name of the civilization he was conquering. Nor did he care. Despite having killed so many, Riven hadn¡¯t grown many levels. It made him realize that the XP he was getting for each kill was diminishing with these weaker enemies the farther he grew himself, and that he¡¯d have to find stronger enemies to handle if he wanted to progress fast. He couldn¡¯t just farm a bunch of weak dwarves and expect to get growth spurts for it. His vampiric senses picked up heartbeats in numerous houses he passed by, his red eyes sifting through the dark crevices - bearing witness to cowering civilians. The young, the old, the women - all huddled together and barricading themselves whatever ways they could. He ignored them. He didn¡¯t want to hurt them, he honestly didn¡¯t even want to fucking be here at all, and had even given the ratkin explicit orders as impromptu leader of this military operation to not hurt anyone who didn¡¯t put up a fight. However he knew there would be casualties regardless, and though it bothered him - it certainly didn¡¯t bother him like it would have when he¡¯d first arrived on Panu. Sacrifices needed to be made for the greater good, and he¡¯d given them two chances to speak to him with only a barrage of cannonfire for a response. These dwarves had started this war in an attempt to commit genocide against the ratkin he now called friends, having killed hundreds of thousands of ratkin in the process - so the dwarves had this coming. ¡°It almost feels too easy¡­¡± Riven muttered to Azmoth, casually holding up one hand and creating a network of wretched snares in front of him. The unholy, needle-like nets layered on top of one another by the dozens in a split second when thunderous booms echoed from the palace in the center of the city. Dozens of magma-infused cannonballs roared towards him after the explosions bloomed on the palace wall, and they slammed into Riven¡¯s nets a moment later - only to fizzle out and drop as smoking chunks of metal one by one. He turned but continued walking, watching Athela¡¯s house-sized figure battling three earthen elementals twice her weight a couple blocks away with ease as she weaved about them - spearing them with her icy limbs. Her swarms of ice-made arachnids toppled guard towers and the screams of dwarvish sentinels being overrun echoed out through the city before the tower fell with a resounding crash. ¡°Azmoth does not like this. Feels like we are bullying. Azmoth wishes for a true fight.¡± Azmoth replied a moment later, walking in stride with on Riven¡¯s right - magma infused maul hoisted up over one shoulder. On the other side of his body, he carried the shield Riven had gotten for him so long ago at a staggering price of 140,000 Elysium Coins from Negrada¡¯s trading compound - but had failed to use up until now. Up until today, the shield had refused to bind to Azmoth and was unwieldy - but now the shield had seemed to undertake a change of heart. [Immortal¡¯s Grasp (Tier 1 Awakened Shield)(Heavy Armor): 640 average defense, 83 average damage on strike. +209 Sturdiness, +42 Strength. It was a very large and round shield, big enough for Azmoth to hide behind with over half of his body. It was made of a darker shade of gray steel, was many inches thick, and looked like it could have been the door to some kind of bank vault - only to be ripped off and used as a barrier instead. Bolts and screws had been drilled into the external perimeter, and the sigil of a black hand was displayed on the front. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. But that hand wasn¡¯t painted. The fingers of the hand twitched, and even pushed out against the iron on the front of the shield - causing the metal creak and groan as it bent, only to be reformed moments later. Riven had already seen the shield in action twice while using ¡®Grasping Fingers¡¯ - launching the black metallic hand out of the shield to grasp and yank back enemies or crush them outright. It was certainly an odd piece, but Riven was happy Azmoth was finally getting some use out of the shield after having had it for so long. Riven nodded while he considered Azmoth¡¯s words, forming a storm ball in his free hand to stare at it while he walked. Cannonfire continued to crash into his nets while they moved, but nothing the dwarves could throw at him managed to break through. ¡°Yes¡­ I agree. This kinda sucks. But we¡¯ve gotta do it, otherwise the senseless deaths and this stupid ass war the dwarves started will never end. We¡¯ll kill the king and put someone else in charge as a subordinate to myself. Hopefully that¡¯ll be the end to this nonsense.¡± Concentrating on the storm ball and passing by burning houses, he frowned underneath his helm and concentrated on the shape. These upgraded storm balls from what had once been bloody razors were certainly more powerful, there was no doubt about it. The storm balls also had homing abilities on par with his bloody razors, but they lacked something that the bloody razors had. That was piercing power. These storm balls would launch and either eradicate his enemy, which is what usually happened, or they¡¯d blow up and fizzle out. This latter option had happened a couple times now against higher leveled enemies who¡¯d managed to deflect the attacks with various abilities, and based on his amount of power put into them - he could tell that if the shape had been different, more concentrated, sharper even - that they¡¯d have pierced through before exploding. He remembered back in Negrada when he¡¯d first been able to infuse his bloody razors with excess mana, causing them to explode. He¡¯d been overjoyed at the idea that he could cause them to erupt and it was a big step up from the original sharp shards of mana he¡¯d first been able to control. However, he was now having the opposite problem. These storm balls were simply too unstable and blew up too quickly. He needed them to pierce first, allowing them to bypass barriers more effectively by condensing the mana in these projectiles onto a single razor¡¯s edge of contact. He wanted the shape of his old razors back. Grimacing at the attempt and getting a headache, he began to mold the storm ball hovering over his hand into a razor just like his old ones used to be. The chaotic, lacerating buzz of energy over his palm swirled with shadow and blood magic - rippling and sparking in an attempt to resist his will. But in the end the magic obeyed. The magic condensed into a spinning circular multi-pronged razor similar to the ones he used to have. Only this time, instead of being solely blood magic, this was a solid crimson intermixed with black shadow mana - sparking with black lightning and having a much more solid, compact texture to it. He smiled, having no doubt this version of his storm ball would be far superior to either previous versions of the spell he¡¯d had. It had slightly less explosive potential because of it, but that was fine in his eyes. Being able to rip through defensive formations more easily was well worth it in his opinion, even despite a decrease in area of effect damage. [Storm Ball has been modified. You may now either summon Storm Razors or Storm Balls based on which you prefer. These are two sides to the same coin and feed off the same spell. Storm Razors gain a 20% piercing bonus when compared to Storm Balls, and Storm Balls gain a 35% wider explosion radius when detonating when compared to Storm Razors. Your status page has been updated.] He cocked an eyebrow. Two versions of the same spell, eh? And his thought process on the matter had been spot on. Scratching at his chin, he supposed he could see uses for both versions of the spell depending on the scenario - but he was also rather amused that it took so little effort to create such a modification. Then again, how long had it been since he¡¯d truly broken through? He needed to focus more on the study of magic and take lessons from the tutors back at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound. He had a lot of questions regarding magic that he was certain could be answered by that Instructor Pladius guy, and frankly - Riven loved magic. Despite being up close and personal a lot of the time given his hybrid Warlock Devastator class that infused all physical attacks with percentage unholy damage passively based on his mana pool, he was still a mage at heart. And if he seriously put his mind to it, just what could he accomplish? So far he¡¯d only undergone brief epiphanies due to battles or small attempts at experimentation over the course of his integrated life, so just what could he achieve if he really gave it his all? The thought excited him. Maybe when he went back to spend time with Hakim¡¯s group and dabbled in totem-making again, he¡¯d truly give the exploration of magic a real try. A smile tugged at his lips, and he almost forgot he was in the middle of a siege when Azmoth¡¯s large body tore through the street and smashed into a dwarven mage who¡¯d tried to ambush the group. The dwarf¡¯s 4-foot tall body smashed into paste underneath the huge maul, and another dwarvish man - an assassin - lunged five feet towards Riven with daggers in hand before a black, metal hand whipped out of Azmoth¡¯s shield. The assassin screamed, then was yanked back and pulled into the grip of the shield - latched onto the heavy metal front plate before Azmoth picked the shield up and smashed it down onto the ground. The dwarf immediately died, and Azmoth wiped off the man¡¯s guts before burning the remnant blood and walking casually back over to where Riven stood. ¡°You look like a real demonic paladin with your getup. The black armored plates you naturally wear, the shield and the maul.¡± Riven mused, tapping Azmoth¡¯s left shoulder with Jackal¡¯s blunt end. ¡°I like the look. It inspires me.¡± Azmoth merely snorted in amusement, and the two continued their walk to the palace gates. That¡¯s when a single, extremely loud warhorn - deep and foreboding - blew out from the boxy stone palace ahead of them. Riven stopped in his tracks and dismissed the dozens of nets ahead of him, revealing in more detail the large palace gates that were slowly creaking open. The horn echoed again, and then again, and a thunderous voice roared out from the inner palace grounds as a short but heavily armored man wielding a jeweled stone claymore twice the man¡¯s size walked out. ¡°RIVEN THANE! I, KING OF BRYA, CHALLENGE YOU TO A ONE ON ONE DUEL! WINNER TAKES ALL!¡± The deep voice echoed through the city unnaturally, causing many to slow their fighting down in anticipation of what was happening. Riven lifted an eyebrow. Brya, was it? Well, now he knew. Riven patiently waited for the approaching man, alone and armed only with his claymore and the thick sheets of stone armor encasing his body. Eventually the king stopped a hundred yards away, though Riven was still able to make him out rather easily due to his vampiric senses. The dwarvish king had a crown of emeralds laid into his stone helmet, and a long black beard hung braided across his chest. The thickly built warrior slammed his sword into the ground, and with one hand he pointed Riven¡¯s way. ¡°CALL OFF YOUR ARMY AND LEAVE MY PEOPLE BE! WE WILL SETTLE THIS LIKE MEN, JUST YOU AND I! OR ARE YOU A COWARD!?¡± Riven blinked. He looked around at the partially burning city about them, and knew full well that the city would fall. This was a desperate man¡¯s last attempt to salvage the situation, or at least he¡¯d die trying. Or even more probably, the king was trying to save the lives of his people and was sacrificing himself to do it. Riven glanced up to the walls where fearful dwarvish warriors stood ill at ease, glanced to the surrounding buildings where civilians still hid from the rumbling of ratkin feet or the battles his demons were involved in. If it spared these people, even if there was a chance at him losing, Riven would take it. He might be jaded after all the things he¡¯d gone through, but he still wasn¡¯t a heartless murderer. Not entirely, anyways. Raising a hand and using his aura to project his voice, the storm of black and red radiated with the words he spoke. ¡°This is Riven Thane. All units from Deepnest, and the guilds or mercenary groups participating in this battle from the Thane Necropolis, stand down immediately and withdraw. Anyone seen disobeying this order will be gutted. Anyone seen killing civilians unprovoked will be gutted. The king has challenged me to a duel, and I will take his word at face value that the winner takes the victory here. But let it be known to the people of this city that, should your king die and you not comply and lay down your arms to accept your conqueror - I will be forced to continue this senseless killing.¡± Riven¡¯s red eyes stared unblinkingly at the dwarf down the road from where he stood. Just with the power he¡¯d infused into his voice alone, using the thundering storm of power overhead, he was sure the king knew what was about to happen. There was simply no way this man could win against him, and either the king was delusional about his chances or he was making this final stand as a symbolic gesture, one that would stop Riven from killing any more dwarves other than himself. [Dwarvish King, Level 90 Earthen Swordmaster] Riven looked to Azmoth standing at his side, the hulking demon having grown far more levels than Riven had since the battles through the underdark had commenced. ¡°You¡¯ll be the one dueling for me. He¡¯s slightly less leveled than you but it¡¯d be a good fight, and you¡¯ll get more experience for it.¡± Azmoth grunted his acknowledgement and started walking forward. Two hands held the large stone maul, one hand held the thick shield, another clawed hand was free for grappling - and the two eel-like, armored maws coming out of his back rippled with infernal flames as fire built inside. The huge demon¡¯s spiked tail swayed back and forth, and the dwarvish king nodded to Riven in what he could only assume was respect. ¡°Give me an honorable death, as a warrior king. Spare my people, I beg of you.¡± The king said in a lower tone so that it didn¡¯t echo across the city, and he held up the large stone claymore to point it at Azmoth. ¡°LET US BEGIN THEN!¡± The ground underneath the dwarf¡¯s feet surged up at an angle, launching him like a catapult towards Azmoth¡¯s larger form. Orange and brown light illuminated the dark and the dwarven king screamed a battle cry with determination in his eyes. Azmoth didn¡¯t break his stride, activating Hell¡¯s Armor and flaring to life with infernal energy. Simultaneously activating ¡®The Burning Crusade¡¯ - his physical attacks and weapons got additional fire damage boosts. Flames rippled across his entire body, shield, and weapon in an instant, and he brought the round metal shield up to take the charge head on. The resulting crash caused the ground underneath Azmoth¡¯s feet to shatter, but the dwarvish king was thrown via the shield into a nearby house - crashing through the far wall. Azmoth turned, leaned down, and activated ¡®propulsion.¡¯ Flames roared even higher behind him as they launched him like a rocket into the place the king had crashed, and using ¡®Crushing Meteor Strike¡¯ - his titanic swing blurred with a resonating thunderclap of power that was followed up by another martial art - ¡®Shockwave¡¯. The buildings around them and the street Riven stood on was vaporized, turning into clouds of dust that were quickly burned away with swaths of flame radiating out of Azmoth¡¯s body. When the dust did clear, Riven saw the large demon holding up the smoldering, broken corpse of the dwarvish king high in the air for those on the palace walls to see. The houses for blocks around them were starting to burn, and Riven¡¯s crimson ice quickly went to work putting out those flames as civilians started to scream in horror. ¡°Good job bud.¡± Riven gave Azmoth a smile and a grin, then walked over to give the demon a pat on the shoulder while three other well-dressed dwarves nervously stood at the entrance to the palace - waiting for his arrival. No more cannons fired, and soon the dwarves along the walls were throwing their weapons and even their siege machines off the edge in a sign of absolute surrender. Riven¡¯s voice boomed over the city one more time for all to hear, and the resulting roar of cheers and screams of excitement from the ratkin army behind him could be heard as a deafening cacophony. ¡°We have won.¡± Drums started beating in the deep, the sound of a victory march, and he approached the palace at a steady stroll while his demons quickly joined him. He had a lot to do concerning ironing things out, and he¡­ Riven shuddered, and the world froze about him. Everything just stopped, and colors faded into gray. [Malignant Prophecy has activated. Desired Action: Medium tier manipulation. Current Willpower stat: 460. Sufficient willpower to perform desired action. Performing this act will put your malignant prophecy on cooldown for significant amounts of time. Desired Action: Save Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada¡¯s life. Malignant Prophecy¡¯s only available option will be demonstrated to you upon acceptance. However, you are currently at 4 total Malignancy Points. When you achieve 5 Malignancy Points your first tribulation for repeatedly dabbling in taboo arts will begin shortly after the prophecy has been fulfilled. Elysium¡¯s wrath will be unchained. Do you wish to proceed to save Kathrine¡¯s life, while incurring the wrath of the system?] ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [Your manipulation of fate has gained you 1 Malignancy Point. Current total Malignancy Points: 5. Should you succeed in following the outline of the prophecy, your first tribulation will commence and your soul will be judged. Malignant prophecy has entered an extended cooldown stage and cannot be activated for the next two years, should you survive your tribulation. Good luck.] Chapter 213 (Second to last chapter of Book 4) Chapter 213 (Second to last chapter of Book 4) Allie¡¯s world was a stark gray. Blood dripped from her eyes, ears, nose and mouth while she locked gazes with Jalel only a few feet away. He was the only other one moving in this out of body experience, but even he could only move his eyes - so he was limited in the same way she was. [Malignant Prophecy has activated. Desired Action: High tier manipulation. Current Willpower stat: 800. Desired action: Processing¡­. Processing¡­ Processing¡­ Insufficient willpower to perform desired action due to interfering and opposing Malignant Prophecy nearby. Entanglement of bilateral Malignant Prophecy users and their opposing wills has canceled out both thread weaving attempts to secure fate.] The entanglement broke for the third time, and for the third time she and Jalel both began to scream in agony - each dropping to the ground and writhing around as time after time their opposing Malignant Prophecies clashed violently. ¡°KILL HER!¡± Jalel screeched at his subordinates, picking himself up and kicking the barely moving body of Captain Rusof - who was choking on his own blood and failing to regenerate. ¡°KILL HER NOW!¡± ¡°But sire, she is-¡± One of his soldiers protested warily with a glance over his pauldron. Jalel cut him off with a sneer of rage. ¡°OUR WILLS ARE BECOMING ENTANGLED, WE WILL BOTH DIE IF SHE ISN¡¯T DEALT WITH! Do you want ONE user to die, or TWO!? IT IS ME OR HER - CUT OFF HER HEAD!¡± Wait, did she hear that right? Was he lying? Allie blinked away bloody tears and shakily got to her feet, still having one of her legs molded from bone due to the curse burying into her amputated thigh. If The Blood Moon Requiem knew an entanglement like this could happen, why would they send Jalel here? If HE had known this, why had he come? If there was even a chance at one of them perishing and their gift really was all that valuable, what was the thought process behind it? Was she being set up by Elder Thune? Or was it Jalel acting on his own accord? Or was someone else at play here? If what Jalel had said was just true, and especially if Jalel had come for Riven specifically, were she and her brother being specifically targeted? Did the queen know about Jalel¡¯s coming? None of this made sense. Not after so much effort had been put into securing Riven and Allie for the empire, so there was certainly a larger political game going on here that she didn¡¯t have a full picture of just yet. Nevertheless, Jalel¡¯s soldiers seemed to agree and braced themselves before rushing her yet again - this time with bloodlust in their eyes. ¡°You will NOT TOUCH HER! She is MINE!¡± Lord Justo Barimont screamed in rage, flinging fireballs at Jalel and turning his back to do so - opening himself up for a staggering strike of Lahn¡¯s spear as the angelic figure blurred forward. The spear of light pierced Barimont¡¯s chest and sent him rocketing into the protective barrier surrounding the compound with a sonic boom - only for the light of Lahn¡¯s angelic possession to flicker. Lahn was quickly losing power, that much was obvious to Allie, but she grimaced and faced Jalel¡¯s oncoming soldiers just before another racing surge of pain electrified her spine. [Malignant Prophecy has activated. Desired Action: High tier manipulation. Current Willpower stat: 800. Desired action: Processing¡­. Processing¡­ Processing¡­ Insufficient willpower to perform desired action due to interfering and opposing Malignant Prophecy nearby. Entanglement of bilateral Malignant Prophecy users and their opposing wills has canceled out both thread weaving attempts to secure fate.] She screamed, dropping to the floor in unison with Jalel yet again. Fimrindle was already intercepting two more of Jalel¡¯s soldiers, and they¡¯d even begun to fight one another after Jalel had been attacked by Barimont. It was now a three way battle, with Jalel¡¯s force, Barimont¡¯s men, and Allie alongside the originally stationed garrison all duking it out. Then there was still Princess Kathrine and Lady Muren, who¡¯d disappeared to fight elsewhere. It was a fucking madhouse, with even more soldiers from House Barimont having poured into the compound through the portal as reinforcements for the young lord. Funnily enough, within minutes four more groups were also entering rapidly into Panu via the portal: Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada¡¯s parents had sent their own soldiers through - bearing the sigil of a rose. Then soldiers from House Wraithtide itself, probably sent over by General Viku, bore the sigil of a neon teal orb wreathed in deathly fire. More soldiers from Jalel¡¯s own house bearing the sigil of the phoenix poured through as well, with the final group of soldiers bearing a sigil of a wolf. This last house primarily focused their attention on House Crushada soldiers and were calling out for Lady Muren while rushing into the periphery where the princess battled the other lady of the court elsewhere, which made it very apparent where they hailed from. Obviously sent through other entry points in the empire or somehow using system shenanigans that Allie didn¡¯t understand, dozens upon dozens of vampiric soldiers in the inner sanctum of the keep were erupting into an already blazing battle between House Barimont, the house Jalel hailed from, House Muren, House Wraithtide, the original garrison from the imperial throne, and House Crushada; with bodies and blood piling up left and right as they came. Soldiers from Wraithtide and Crushada were teaming up against House Barimont after leaping into Panu from the portal¡¯s spinning orb, House Muren remained neutral to others aside from House Crushada which they actively engaged, and the battle was spilling out into all areas of the keep with many of the Wraithtide soldiers rushing towards Allie¡¯s position after fighting through masses of enemies. The cacophony of blades, battle cries, screams and erupting magics from an ever growing number of hundreds of level 70-90 elites of the Blood Moon Requiem killing one another was almost deafening. *** The training pagoda was aflame, and smoke billowed up around the two combatants - far removed from the main course of fighting in the adjacent building. Kathrine gurgled incomprehensibly due to the sizzling hole in her throat, dropping to her knees while acid boiled out of numerous wounds covering her body. She managed to send another wave of blood magic at the vile bitch who¡¯d poisoned her, but Lady Muren merely laughed - blurring left and avoiding the attack but also staggering due to how tired she was. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got, you pompous, arrogant brat!?¡± Lady Muren wheezed while holding two wicked daggers, a long sizzling gash along her stomach with part of her intestines hanging out to mar her dress. She stood upon a hanging platform furth up in the training pagoda, the place all but abandoned due to the more intense fighting going on inside the main building of the compound. The only exception to that were the seven bodies of soldiers laying around them. ¡°Come on Kathrine, show me what you¡¯ve got!¡± Kathrine vomited in the firelight of roaring flames, hitting the floor with both knees and getting a cackling laugh from the woman ahead of her as Lady Muren¡¯s red eyes flared brightly. ¡°I guess not then! I do believe you¡¯re at your end, wench. This has been fun, but I think we¡¯d better end it now - don¡¯t you!?¡± Lady Muren pulled up both blades in front of her ripped dress, blinking away the smoke and ash that partially obscured her vision. One dagger rippled with flames, and the other with blood magic - and with a screech she launched herself towards the royal. A thunderous crash sent both women stumbling when an angelic figure smashed the overly handsome Lord Barimont into the barrier nearby, smearing his guts all along the translucent wall as onlookers from Wrightsville all watched the infighting with both awe and horror. Most of the outside soldiers had no idea what was going on, but due to the noise and explosions coming from the compound a perimeter had already been set up by the Thane Necropolis military for the protection of the civilians; should the barrier come down. ¡°As I said, vampire¡­¡± The angelic figure of Lahn, or Denaskus, said in a booming voice with burning golden eyes. He leaned back from the vampire lord in disgust, as if the thing he was pinning to the barrier was some kind of grotesque bug. ¡°I, Denaskus, will be the last thing you ever see.¡± ¡°I¡¯LL BE SEEING YOU IN HELL!¡± Lord Barimont roared back, exploding into flame and detonating the spot he and Lahn had landed in. Stone erupted about them and Lahn staggered, his golden wings flickering in and out as the last remnants of his power began to fade. But it was not enough, and Lord Barimont¡¯s exhausted, crimson eyes went wide in horror as the angelic figure remained in the flames that crackled and burned at the ground beneath them. Denaskus grew a wide, malevolent smile. Raising his hand and summoning a bolt of pure white lightning like the god of thunder himself, he arched his back and positioned himself to throw - but then abruptly disappeared when Lahn¡¯s body couldn¡¯t handle it any longer. There was a pause, both vampire women and the man pinned to the wall watching as Lahn became nothing more than a mortal human once more. His eyes were burned out, gone completely, his left arm was nothing more than a stump now - completely gone. His flesh was completely charred, and the brilliance he¡¯d once radiated now sent damaging sparks of lightning all up and down his flesh - causing him to shudder and jolt before dropping him to the ground in a smoldering mess. Lahn hit the ground, and he didn¡¯t get back up. ¡°HAAAAAAA!!!¡± Lord Barimont screamed in excited victory, only pausing to cough up blood and yank the spear of light out of his body - tossing it to the side and dropping to the ground next to Lahn¡¯s unmoving frame. The vampire lord wretched, then doubled over and began laughing like a madman. ¡°THE PIG HAS DIED! THE PIGGY HAS DIED!¡± Devolving into a fit of giggling, the badly injured vampire lord rolled on the ground in a state of hysteria - finding massive amounts of amusement in Lahn¡¯s demise. Kathrine too soon doubled over, her eyes sagging and her body unable to support her any longer when her left cheek hit the burning pagoda floor with a wet thunk. Shakily beginning to draw herself out of the flaming building, she felt an abrupt pain in her stomach when Lady Muren¡¯s foot crashed into it. Kathrine doubled over and flipped twice before landing on the stone outside, Lady Muren following gleefully close behind while twirling her two curved daggers in either hand. In the background, the area near Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole lit up with magic that abruptly turned the dark clouds above a bright red. ¡°Lights out for you next, bitch!¡± Lady Muren gleefully crowed, oblivious to the change above her and jumping up in the air and aiming to land on Kathrine¡¯s prone form when a thunderclap of sound rocked the compound. The barrier around the compound shattered. A black spear staff covered in flowing blood crashed into Lady Muren¡¯s body halfway through her leap, obliterating her torso entirely and splattering her remains on the pavement. With a wound like that, there would be no regeneration. There would be only death. The ground quaked, the civilians previously watching the scene ran screaming, and an aura far more powerful than any other on this part of the planet descended upon the compound with overwhelming force. The sky above opened up, and a sinister visage of a great maw opened up to reveal an abyss amongst the clouds. A storm of crimson and shadow roiled overhead as the temperature abruptly dropped, and red frost began accumulating all across the landscape surrounding the compound at a rapid pace. *CRASH* Like a meteor from the heavens, Riven descended upon the compound and shattered the earth. A booming echo reverberated from his impact, sending debris high into the sky as the maw across his breastplate hungrily shrieked and wailed. He straightened, slowly raising his head to where the sound of battle echoed in the nearby fortress before turning a curious glance on Kathrine. He teleported to her, and she stared back up at him wide-eyed while choking on green acid that was burrowing into her flesh more and more as time went on. *** Riven didn¡¯t know what to make of this. Infighting? Here? At The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound? He abruptly got to one knee and yanked out half a dozen high grade health potions he¡¯d bought from the Elysium Altar for occasions such as these. Usually he relied on his own healing and didn¡¯t often need a healer, but it was always better to be safe rather than sorry - and he was thankful that he hadn¡¯t forgone the option despite spending a fortune on potions that were far superior to what locals could make at the moment. ¡°You are in seriously bad shape.¡± Riven said, pouring the contents of three red vials all over Kathrine¡¯s upper body before pouring two more down her throat. ¡°Jesus¡­ That poison is nasty stuff. You gonna be ok? Do I need to pull out more? What¡¯s happening inside?¡± Kathrine gasped for air and immediately stifled a sob, taking in huge gasps and breaths while wiping tears away. ¡°Your-Your sister! And L-Lahn!¡± Riven cocked his armored head to one side, brows immediately furrowing. ¡°Tell me.¡± Kathrine took in another desperate gasp, ripped the last health potion he¡¯d taken out from Riven¡¯s hands, and poured it along other wounds on her body that were still fighting the acid. Sinking down with momentary relief, her eyes darted to Lord Barimont who was just staring at the two of them with a blank expression. ¡°You need to go! He did this, he tried to take Allie away and he killed Lahn! And now Jalel is inside trying to kill Allie because-¡± ¡°TO KILL ALLIE!? INSIDE!? WHO THE FUCK-¡± Riven didn¡¯t even finish his sentence and whirled around - his eyes briefly landing on Lahn¡¯s prone form. He briefly paused, sparing Lord Barimont only a passing glance before disappearing through a rift in space - leaving Kathrine to stare daggers at Lord Barimont in silence. Lord Barimont¡¯s red eyes slowly narrowed, and his fangs began to show when he picked himself up and headed Kathrine¡¯s way. He cracked his neck on the way over, pulling out his flaming whip while Kathrine painfully staggered to her feet. The two vampires only had a moment to stare at one another though, before Athela¡¯s blinding form ripped his head off and buried it into the ground below with a single, violent tearing motion. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Lord Barimont¡¯s body fell, never to get up again. *** Allie¡¯s whimpering scream was only emphasized by the sword being shoved through her armor and into her heart. Jalel¡¯s eyes were bloodshot even beyond their normal crimson appearance, he breathed heavily and was putting all his weight down onto the weapon to finish her off as his men desperately fought off reinforcements from House Crushada, the original garrison, and House Wraithtide. He hissed scornfully, specks of saliva slapping her in the face beneath him while he suppressed her magic with his own. ¡°If one of us has to go, it isn¡¯t going to be me!¡± She struggled, feeling her beating heart rapidly pounding as the steaming metal dug deeper and deeper into it. She began to spasm, kicking and lashing out violently but unable to do much more than sob. She was simply out of juice, having used most of her mana battling Lord Barimont, and didn¡¯t have anymore to give. Fimrindle was banished too, having been killed by Jalel himself, as was Captain Rusof who had also died at the hand of Jalel. ¡°Sorry to see you go, cousin, but just do us both a favor and stop resisting!¡± Jalel said between his teeth - pushing as hard as he could but having a hard time of it due to the quality of Allie¡¯s soulwoven armor. ¡°All that screaming and crying isn¡¯t going to save you - so just - LET - GO!!!!¡± *BOOM* Jalel¡¯s body shattered when a portal tore open in space and released an exploding blood nova directly into his face - the mana engulfing Allie protectively at the same time while tearing the room around her apart. The vampiric prince was flung through the next reinforced wall and then again through the next when a myriad of blood lances crackling with black lightning crashed into him like a storm - the frost around the room quickly building to the point that people began to slow down by the freezing effect despite their high levels and vampiric bodies. Out of the portal stepped Riven, coated in radiating blood, shadow, and sin energy while his eyes seemed to have expanded beyond their normal range in bright crimson lights. Jackal hissed in his right hand, and his left arm flared with oozing, writhing red mana - dozens of spinning storm razors snapping to life in the backdrop of his figure. Due to his sheer level discrepancy and his natural affinities, even when compared to the level 90 elites of The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s younger warrior class, his mere presence sent some staggering to their knees. Some froze over when he fully emerged, others passed out, and others seemed to have a hard time breathing while his aura radiated malice onto the entire compound with absolute authority. Only a third of the vampiric elite were able to completely ignore his presence with auras of their own, yet they were like candles in the abyss - only protecting themselves and unable to do much for their comrades no matter what house they hailed from. Riven did a quick check on Allie, seeing that though she was sobbing - she was still alive and her wound was regenerating as normal. He looked back up just a moment later to see Jalel blur ahead - far faster than a normal level 90 could do even considering he was a pureblood. The act surprised Riven immensely and he barely had time to react, but he did so nevertheless with a quick activation of Profane Blessing of the Crow. Jackal whipped up and smashed Jalel¡¯s longsword away, leaving the man open to a swinging kick that shattered Jalel¡¯s right arm and sent the other prince spinning into a stone pillar - knocking the support beam over with a groan and crash. Riven held up a hand, pointed towards the other man that was getting up from the rubble with bloodlust in his eyes. A roar of wind howled around them and dozens, then hundreds of spinning storm razors with sharpened blades of black and red swirled in a cloud behind Riven¡¯s position. ¡°Die.¡± Hundreds of projectiles torpedoed forward - causing the air to shriek upon their passing and leaving trails of blood ribbons behind them. Jalel¡¯s eyes narrowed and he activated one, three, seven, twenty protective treasures from his spatial sack - each of them shattering as more and more of the barrage smashed down onto his position. As Jalel used up his treasures, Riven charged up Jackal with torrents of black lightning. His spear staff howled with glee, and he pointed the curved blade in Jalel¡¯s direction just when the barrage ended. A snapping sound accompanied the rupture of shadow-infused lightning, and the mass of energy larger than Riven¡¯s torso shattered space and crashed into Jalel¡¯s body. The other prince however activated an ability of his own, flickering in and out of existence to dodge most of the attack but cursing loudly when his right arm and shoulder were ripped off entirely. Jalel lunged forward, disappeared, and reappeared next to Riven with a snarl of rage. He lifted a glowing red hand and reached for Riven¡¯s neck, only to be yanked back down by tendrils from Gluttony¡¯s maw across Riven¡¯s chest as the visage in the sky howled hungrily. ¡°I remember you¡­ and not just because of what Kathrine has told me concerning your punishment from the queen.¡± Riven muttered, staring down at the silver-haired man with ice-cold hate. ¡°You were as annoying back then as you are now. Let me finish what I started in Negrada.¡± Usually Riven avoided punching things because he simply didn¡¯t need to. However in the few instances he DID need to, Messenger had a unique feature that could be utilized. > Ripping Claws: Punching someone with the spikes of your gauntlets will cause massive hemorrhaging damage over time. *CRACK* Riven¡¯s gauntlet smashed down into Jalel¡¯s pale face, its jagged edges protruding from the knuckles as blades tearing off flesh from Jalel¡¯s skull. Jalel screamed in agony and hate, attempting to teleport away again but unable to do so when Riven¡¯s aura clamped down onto the man. Jalel¡¯s struggles became more frantic while blood poured out of his face, hemorrhaging onto the ground underneath them when Riven raised his fist up once more for a second strike. ¡°THAT SHARD OF GLUTTONY WAS MINE!¡± Riven didn¡¯t even respond. *CRACK* This time his knuckles took bone, his fist blurring forward and shearing off Jalel¡¯s lower jaw entirely amidst yet another scream. *CRASH* Jalel was flung through another wall, and Riven stepped forward to follow - smashing through two more vampiric guards bearing the sigil of the phoenix on their breastplates like they were nothing before continuing forward into the next room. ¡°Insect.¡± Riven said with venom, kicking Jalel when he tried to get up and then stomping down onto the other prince¡¯s neck. Only Riven was surprised when Jalel melted away, and a silver mace smashed into the back of Riven¡¯s armored head. The effect of a silver infused weapon was felt even despite no skin contact, with just the mere presence of the weapon having a more severe effect than Riven would have liked to acknowledge. He stumbled forward, holding the back of his head and having a blaring headache only for another strike to snap up into his jaw. ¡°You may have the levels on me now, but you do not have the experience.¡± Jalel spat blood, his jaw having regenerated rather quickly even for a vampire. He huffed and pulled out yet another talisman, snapping it and healing his wounds fully while simultaneously banishing the red frost on his body before audibly cracking his neck when Riven turned to stare at him. ¡°I am a warrior hundreds of years old, and I will not be defeated by the likes of a nobody like-¡± Jalel abruptly screamed, as did Allie in the next room, and he sank to his knees while clutching at his head when the entanglement of Malignant Prophecies flared yet again. ¡°Warrior?¡± Riven repeated, cocking his aching head to the side while blood began to flare up around him - engulfing him entirely as the earth began to tremble. ¡°No, Jalel. You are a fool. A proud and arrogant fool.¡± With that he teleported behind Jalel right when the other prince recovered and used Jackal to uppercut right between Jalel¡¯s legs. He felt something crunch under the blow, heard Jalel scream, and then sent the other prince high into the air hundreds of feet up with the impact that left a huge gash in his lower abdomen and groin. Riven followed, teleporting yet again behind Jalel¡¯s airborne position and using a network of wretched snares to entangle him before whipping Jalel¡¯s ensnared body around and flinging it at the ground with immense force. His hands blurred into clawing motions to charge lance after lance before impact, summoning a swarm of storm balls and storm razors beside them. Jalel crashed with an explosive thud, and red ice rose up from the ground to secure him tightly along with more and more layers of wretched snares that sprang up around him. High above him the storm of black and red abruptly changed, and the massive swath of mana overhead that hadn¡¯t created projectiles was pulled into Jackal like a swirling river of red and black. The heavens descended. Black and red crashed down upon Jalel with a thunder, sending pieces of the Elysium Altar¡¯s base platform sky high amidst the blurring bombardment that shook the earth. Jalel created a dome of blood to protect himself but was unable to defend against most of it - only barely managing to slip out with another teleport only to be met with Riven¡¯s own portal ripping open next to him. Jalel turned, horrified and bewildered that Riven¡¯s mana control was so good. ¡°HOW!?¡± Riven¡¯s weapon snapped forward, and the maw of a canine created from blood flashed ahead. The air split apart and the blade tore through Jalel¡¯s weapon that he¡¯d raised to block like it was nothing, splitting Jalel¡¯s body in half entirely and crunching down on the two remnant halves with the bloody jaws of the ability. When the crimson jaws snapped shut, a reverberating cloud of deep purple sin energy sparked along its teeth. Jalel¡¯s splintered body flashed a bright crimson a second later and reformed, gasping for air and turning to run. He staggered though, remnant sin energy remaining along unclosed wounds before Riven¡¯s body burst into flame and crashed into him from behind. Soldiers bearing the sigil of the phoenix were seen dashing Riven¡¯s way, but they were quickly intercepted by others bearing house Wraithtide¡¯s orb of flames in a quick melee. Riven blinked once, then tore Jalel¡¯s men apart with a crash of red ice that blew holes open in their bodies via spikes in the ground. ¡°You¡¯re really starting to annoy me.¡± Riven said softly in Jalel¡¯s ear upon turning, grasping the other prince behind the neck while Jalel screamed as hellfire licked at Riven¡¯s fingers. He picked Jalel up, then smashed him back down into the ground. He did this over and over again, keeping a firm grip on the other man and repeatedly beating him to death against the metal floor of the Elysium Altar¡¯s outer body. A swift strike with a hidden dagger snapped the blade off on Riven¡¯s throat, but the bloodsilk of Messenger held firm - much to the surprise of both men. Riven blinked, momentarily stopping his beating, and began to laugh - while Jalel¡¯s swollen, bloody, and regenerating face fell into a horrified panic. ¡°HOW?!¡± Jalel screamed in denial, trying to fish out another item from his spatial sack only to be stopped with a violent clamp of the wrist. Riven sneered, snapping the man¡¯s hand off with a grip and twist. ¡°Some warrior you are, eh? How¡¯s that experience coming in for you now?! A classic case of overconfidence!¡± He stopped Jalel¡¯s screaming by slamming his armored fist into Jalel¡¯s open mouth, shattering the man¡¯s fangs and gripping his spine. Yanking once, twice, and then three times he decapitated Jalel with brute force and then opened Gluttony¡¯s mouth along his chest. The head of the vampire opened its eyes wide, and in similar fashion to how he¡¯d ended the fight with the Azag hive cluster in Chicago - he shoved Jalel¡¯s head into Gluttony¡¯s maw. The mouth snapped shut, crunching onto Jalel¡¯s skull before pulling the remnants into the abyss in Riven¡¯s chest with black tendrils that licked up the remnant flesh. [Malignant Prophecy has been fulfilled by saving Kathrine¡¯s life, and your battle is now over. You have acquired 1 Malignancy Point. You have a total of 5 Malignancy Points. Elysium¡¯s wrath now descends in the form of a tribulation.] The sky above him depicting Gluttony¡¯s maw shattered, creating golden cracks along space itself. Brilliant multicolored light shattered space around the cracks moments later, and Riven grimaced when he saw a storm erupt from the beyond overhead. His shoulders slumped. ¡°Shit.¡± *CRACKLE-SNAP-BOOM* A roaring ocean of power crashed down onto Riven¡¯s position, engulfing his body in searing energies that caused him to scream. His vision immediately began to blur, but he pushed through the pain and managed to summon the visage of gluttony once again. The great maw tore through the ground underneath his feet upon his request, roaring to life to challenge the system itself - to protect the bearer of its shards as the abyss rose to the challenge. His mind snapped. His body tore apart. All that was left was darkness. [Your mana channels have been destroyed. Your pillars have been shattered. You have been temporarily afflicted with the debuff ¡®Soul Crippling¡¯. You have temporarily lost access to all of your abilities. Your soul crippling temporarily negates the effect of up to 1809 stat points from Strength, Agility and Intelligence at random for any given moment, severely weakening you for random amounts of time at random moments throughout any given day. You have condensed your Malignancy Points into a Malignant Fertilizer, and your Malignant Sapling grows. You have condensed enough sin energy to finish Mark of the Sinner. Mark of the Sinner¡¯s buffs cannot be accessed due to soul crippling. Congratulations! You have survived Elysium¡¯s tribulation.] *** Half a day had passed, and the sun was setting on the horizon. Lahn was barely breathing, but he was still alive. He¡¯d played dead after Denaskus had left his body to preserve what little life Lahn had left, but the remnants he¡¯d left behind were in absolute ruins. Burns marred his entire body, his eyes were gone, his left arm was gone, his lungs a seared and painful mess. His soul was in ruins, and the channels written into his pillars were all garbled or just outright gone; similar to Riven¡¯s own situation. He could barely function, let alone stand, and it was likely that Lahn would never be able to cultivate or grow his mana channels ever again. But to help Allie, it¡¯d been worth it. ¡°You¡¯re a damned idiot!¡± Allie said softly, wiping tears from her face and cradling his charred head in her lap while various healers from the Thane Necropolis did their best to stabilize the young man. ¡°A damned idiot.¡± Salves were being poured all over Lahn, spells and miracles were being cast, and Riven sat exhausted in a wheelchair beside them with a blank expression on his face. Yattazi was curled up behind him, and Azmoth sat on the large snake to protectively look over his master who was now rather helpless. Riven stared down at the sleeve tattoo on his right arm. The ever-moving tattoo still did have some of the black markings it once had, but other sigils now glowed a deep purple - and the entire thing gave off smoky wisps that trailed off his skin with whispers of power that he could not access due to his recent soul crippling. ¡°You ok, Riven?¡± Allie asked, looking up at her brother from where she sat cross legged on the ground. She knew he wasn¡¯t ok, but not asking would make her feel even more guilty. Her previously amputated leg was now back to normal flesh after using a bone mold in its place, but her soul-woven armor was heavily damaged and she wasn¡¯t sure if it was repairable or not. Riven nodded her way, even smiling slightly when Athela walked over to him to sit in his lap - wrapping her hands around Riven¡¯s neck and leaning into him while soldiers of House Wrathtide and Crushada cleaned up the mess the battle had left behind. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Though I don¡¯t know how things are going to progress from here.¡± There was a pause while the two siblings locked eyes. ¡°You might have to be the one that takes Messenger into Chalgathi¡¯s trial if I don''t recover in time.¡± Riven said eventually, averting his gaze from his sister with a frown. The burned wreckage of The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound smoldered and smoked, only a part of it still intact and undamaged after hundreds of warriors had died there in the political struggle between noble houses. Kathrine had left to go home after Riven had turned his ire upon House Muren, House Barimont, and Jalel¡¯s house - which was now known to him as House Firebird. But those noble houses were all still very intact and absolutely irate about what had transpired here, with only their youngest and lowest leveled soldiers being able to even visit Panu, and Kathrine had told him that the political upheaval was so big that the rest of the elder council had to get involved to settle things down after the entire Empire had watched events transpire. Meanwhile Elder Thune and the High Queen surprisingly enough remained rather absent from the public scene. Apparently, The Blood Moon Requiem was on the brink of civil war. It was unknown if it would happen or not. What was certain, however, was that if the empire didn¡¯t split apart into fragmented pieces of itself - there¡¯d be a reckoning in the form of a blood feud. It was the way vampires in the empire dealt with these kinds of things, according to Kathrine, where entire houses would sometimes be wiped out in miniature wars to settle disputes in order to keep the greater whole of the empire from fracturing. Allie thought over recent events, then reached out and grasped Riven¡¯s hand - squeezing tightly and keeping eye contact. ¡°Thank you.¡± Riven chuckled. ¡°No need to thank me. I love you.¡± ¡°What happened is my fault.¡± ¡°Nah, I used the prophecy to save Kathrine. If anything, it¡¯s my fault for choosing to do it.¡± ¡°But she wouldn¡¯t have been in danger if not for me.¡± ¡°Stop blaming yourself Allie. We¡¯re fine, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Riven gave Athela a quick peck on the forehead and his smile grew wider. ¡°It isn''t permanent. Plus, this gives me an excuse to really go at it with totem making again in the meantime. You know Hakim and the others I talked to you about? I told them I¡¯d be spending more time with them and would power level them - and that I¡¯d get back around to craft again. It¡¯s been a long time coming.¡± Allie averted her gaze, ashamed at what had happened and sighing when she saw Lahn stir in her lap. ¡°How are you going to power level them like you are now?¡± Riven looked her way a second later and raised an eyebrow. He gestured to Athela, and then to Azmoth. ¡°Athela and Azmoth of course. They can do it. Yattazi however will probably leave for another master soon, we spoke about it already and she doesn¡¯t want to stay with a crippled warlock that can¡¯t level himself for an undisclosed time - thus inhibiting her own growth. I get it, and I¡¯m not mad.¡± The huge basilisk behind him gave a low hiss of acknowledgement. ¡°Thank you for undersssstanding Riven¡­ I hope you are not upsssset with me. You have been a good friend while I have been here, but I hope to sssssucccceeeed in my ascension to higher power sssssooner rather than never.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We hardly knew each other anyways, and your help has been appreciated for what it¡¯s worth.¡± Riven smiled somewhat sadly over his shoulder, only to be drawn back into a smile when Azmoth grunted his way. ¡°I never leave. I stay.¡± Azmoth said with a wave of his claed hands. ¡°I annoy you til end of time.¡± Athela giggled, then nodded in agreement and ruffled Riven¡¯s hair. ¡°Yeah. I agree. Who¡¯d take care of you like this if not for us!? Even if it were permanent I''d not leave you. We¡¯ve been with you since the beginning, and we¡¯re here to stay. We don''t know how long this will be, but I''m sure it can''t be too long.¡± Athela shot the basilisk an annoyed glare. A heavy silence permeated the area while Riven contemplated their words, but eventually another smile tugged at his lips. Riven gave a salty laugh, then closed his eyes and let his head drop. Yawning and leaning into the demoness on his lap, he let the smile on his lips remain. ¡°Thanks. It means a lot to me. But for now, how about we talk about this later - eh? I¡¯m rather tired after what happened, and I¡¯d really like to enjoy a nap.¡± Chapter 214 (END OF BOOK 4) Chapter 214 (END OF BOOK 4) Athela slowly shut the door to his manor room behind her to leave only a crack open, smiling at Riven¡¯s bare rising and falling chest while he recovered. Then her eyes fell to the pair of feathered boots that Riven still kept at the side of his bed, and her smile faltered. The past few days had been¡­ difficult, with the serious damage to his soul very apparent. He could barely summon mana at all. Frankly she¡¯d been surprised that he didn¡¯t have permanent damage because that kind of event would have outright destroyed most cultivation efforts forever, but she was thankful the worst hadn¡¯t happened and that in time he¡¯d be fine. ¡°You¡¯ll stay here to watch over him?¡± She turned to Azmoth, and the large demon gave her a curt nod. ¡°Good. Thank you, I have business to attend to in the nether realms.¡± She turned to go, but was stopped by a large clawed hand that landed on her shoulder. ¡°Say hi for me.¡± Was all he said, and Athela stiffened slightly. She nodded, removing his hand and turning back to look up at him with pursed lips. ¡°What do you think I should do? When Tupper came to get me, I¡­¡± Azmoth slumped his shoulders, looking away and out a window in the hall where faded sunlight pierced through the fog of the haunted landscape outside. ¡°I not know. But I like her. Fay always kind to me, even if dirty succubus.¡± Athela¡¯s frown deepened, and she clutched the sides of her body in a self-hug, looking down shamefully to the floor. ¡°I think¡­ I may have overdone things. Back in Dawn¡¯s capital at the battle of Rippenvire, when I ate her. It was really mean, I was just so angry I¡­ I felt betrayed and felt like she was trying to steal him away. Perhaps we should have talked more first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Azmoth nodded in agreement. ¡°You should have.¡± ¡°What do you think she wants to talk about with me?¡± ¡°Not know.¡± ¡°Will Riven abandon me if she comes back?¡± Azmoth reared his head back and had to stifle a laugh, putting two hands on his hips with two more behind his head in a stretch. ¡°No. Riven love you.¡± ¡°But I can tell he misses her. He talks about her in his sleep.¡± ¡°Yes, but he chose you. You not know what he was like when you died. Was very, very bad.¡± Athela gave a half-hearted smile, shifting her long black hair off to one side behind her ear. ¡°Yes I know. I suppose he did choose me - but I¡¯m not sure it was for the right reasons.¡± There was a silence after that, and eventually Athela muttered a goodbye - waving at Azmoth while she disappeared down the steps of the manor stairwell and exiting out two stories down on the bottom floor. There, she met Tupper. The blue-skinned, white-haired incubus dressed in a tuxedo was waiting patiently for her arrival, and he bowed his head upon her approach. She nodded to him in acknowledgement and took in a deep breath, fingers clenched. ¡°Hello again Tupper.¡± ¡°Mistress Athela.¡± Tupper replied with a hesitant smile. ¡°Thank you again, for agreeing to meet my sister. You didn¡¯t have to do so.¡± ¡°I know. But there are things that¡¯ve been on my mind, things that I¡¯d like to get off my chest probably just as much as she does. It wasn¡¯t all that long ago that we were friends.¡± Tupper opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated - then shut it again. Without a word he opened up a blue-rimmed portal leading into a private nether realm, then gestured for her to walk inside. *** The nether realm she¡¯d created was only a temporary one, displaying a simple octagon room with low-hanging yellow lanterns overhead that gave off a warm glow and two fluffy couches facing one another across a small table. Fay fidgeted nervously, taking in deep breaths over and over again with long exhales to calm herself down. She¡¯d been sure to make herself look presentable and wore a modest white dress, plain and simple but still form fitting. Her black eyes stared vacantly at the table in front of her as she crossed her long blue legs, and a ball was forming in the pit of her stomach as she went over all the possible scenarios that could go oh so terribly wrong. She just wanted to¡­ to change how things had ended. She wanted to have a clear conscience after what had transpired. ¡°Hello Fay.¡± Fay startled, looking up to see a slender, athletic woman she¡¯d come to know rather well over the past year. She abruptly stood up, still clutching her sides involuntarily and giving a forced, nervous smile. ¡°Hello Athela. How¡¯ve you been?¡± There was an awkward pause while Athela considered this, and she gave a noncommittal shrug while looking away. ¡°Could be worse, could be better.¡± Well at least Athela hadn¡¯t snapped at her. That was promising. ¡°Have a seat?¡± Fay asked when the portal to Panu shut behind the other woman. Athela nodded, then stepped forward and sat herself on the couch on the opposite side of the table. She straightened her posture, put her hands on her bare knees, and then made eye contact when Fay sat across from her. ¡°What about you? How have you been doing? I hear you have a new master.¡± The words stung, though it was unintentional and there was no malice hidden there. Fay grimaced, but thought about the old man and some of the tension left her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve not been good. Not at all, but the person I¡¯ve contracted with is helping me out. He¡¯s something of a therapist.¡± ¡°Going for the older guys now?¡± Athela gave a halfhearted, teasing smile. Fay couldn¡¯t help but frown, and shook her head. ¡°No, I¡­ we haven¡¯t done anything of the sort. He¡¯s just a friend.¡± ¡°Ah. That¡¯s rather unusual, considering the type of people that usually contract with your race.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree. It is.¡± Fay paused, gathering her courage and clasping her hands in front of her while avoiding eye contact. ¡°Riven was like that too, at first.¡± The silence reigned heavily on the two women after that, each mulling over their own thoughts. ¡°I was told he recently got injured, pretty severely.¡± Fay started again, glancing up for confirmation. Athela nodded with a grimace. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re not sure how long it will last, but he should recover. It isn¡¯t the end of things, but it is enough that his newest contracted familiar left. It was a basilisk of some kind, it didn¡¯t want to wait. Short sighted, if you ask me, but at least we weeded out the bad apple if you catch my drift. Riven is a great master to have and I wouldn¡¯t choose anyone else over him even if he could never cultivate or level again.¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a point we both agree on.¡± Fay¡¯s gaze fell, and tears began to well up underneath her eyes. ¡°I wanted to talk about what happened between us. What I did. I¡­ I was hoping that you¡¯d accept my sincere apology. I was immature and selfish, and I sacrificed our friendship over what happened. I¡¯ve thought a lot about it, and I was willing to let him be with any other woman except you there at the end. That was¡­ That must have been rough to hear for you. And you and I both know that I knew how you felt. I¡¯m sorry, Athela. I really am.¡± There was a pause. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me this¡­ why?¡± Athela asked uncomfortably. Fay gave a quivering smile, wiping away some of the tears dripping down her cheeks. ¡°I just feel bad. And I miss all of you. I miss Riven, sure, but I miss you and Azmoth as well. I know it likely isn¡¯t repairable, and I¡¯m not asking to come back. I just don¡¯t want to go the rest of my life knowing how badly I fucked things up and not trying to have reconciled with the people I wronged. Namely, you. It is why I asked to meet only with you, and not with Riven. I owe you that much.¡± Athela silently gazed ahead, staring at her while Fay continued to talk. ¡°I was also hoping that you¡¯d pass along a message.¡± Fay said with a self-loathing laugh. ¡°To Riven. Tell him that Tupper has a letter, you can look it over first if you wish - but tell him that you were right. That I tried to manipulate him while you were gone because I was so head over heels, and I was jealous of you. I wanted him for myself. The time I spent with all of you was the happiest I¡¯ve been, even though it was rather short - and I ruined it.¡± Athela clicked her tongue. ¡°Yes¡­ He told me about the date the two of you went on.¡± Fay outwardly cringed at its mention. ¡°I¡­ see¡­ What did he say?¡± ¡°He told me what you two did and described to me how it made him feel.¡± Athela replied sadly. ¡°He said he wants to find that with me. He invited me to go on a picnic and a nature walk with him sometime as our own first date. I¡¯m excited to go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re implying he doesn¡¯t already feel that way about you?¡± Fay asked warily. Athela shrugged. ¡°Honestly I¡¯m unsure.¡± ¡°He chose you over me, Athela. I¡¯m sure he feels that way about you.¡± ¡°He did, but even in the beginning he admitted that he hadn¡¯t seen me as a romantic interest. He treats me like one now, certainly, but I get the feeling he¡¯s doing that out of¡­ obligation.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± Fay protested, frowning. Athela laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not being ridiculous! I know he loves me, I don¡¯t doubt that at all. But the way I love him is perhaps different from the way he loves me. I view him as a romantic partner and have ever since my transition into this body. Meanwhile, he views me as a best friend - as family. It is different, you know. When he sleeps, I¡¯m not the one he talks about.¡± Athela¡¯s eyes lifted to meet Fay¡¯s. ¡°He talks about you. He still keeps your boots at the side of the bed.¡± The succubus just stared. Then Fay¡¯s eyes and face scrunched up, and she immediately began to sob. First it was mild, and then she began to cry more violently as her shoulders shook while holding her head in her hands. Athela bit her lip, her voice cracking. ¡°Fay¡­ Why didn¡¯t you just talk to me?¡± Fay didn¡¯t reply, only continuing to violently sob on the couch across from the other woman. ¡°I wish we could have stayed friends, you know.¡± Athela eventually said in a low whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t like seeing you like this, and I want to apologize too. I¡¯m sorry for eating you back in Mandon.¡± Fay managed to calm herself down, sniffling loudly, and then laughed at the mention of it. ¡°I deserved it. Didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Probably, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t feel bad about it.¡± The two women shared a smile, and Fay even managed a curt laugh between sobs. Standing up and walking over to the other side of the small room of this nether realm, Athela motioned for Fay to scoot over and sat down next to her. Wrapping her arms around the succubus and letting tears fall down her own cheeks, Athela shuddered. ¡°I really am sorry.¡± Fay muttered under her breath, surprised at the embrace but leaning into it. ¡°Really, really sorry. I was a shitty friend. I have a lot of growing up to do.¡± Athela snorted, wiping off her cheeks. ¡°Yeah I know. In some ways, so do I.¡± The two women sat in silence after that, only the rising and falling of their chests moving in the otherwise still room. Fay moved to hug Athela back, pulling her in close one final time before pushing the demoness away. ¡°I think this is goodbye, for good. I should leave and finally move on¡­ It was nice seeing you again, Athela. I mean that. I won¡¯t bother or pester you anymore, I just wanted to end things on good terms. Thank you for coming, from the bottom of my heart. I¡¯m sure you and Riven will have lovely children one day!¡± Fay began to stand up with a gentle, shaky smile directed Athela¡¯s way, but was yanked back down to the couch with a surprised grunt. Athela glared at the other woman menacingly. A strange mix of emotions crossed her black and white face, but eventually she put a hand up to Fay¡¯s cheek and gently touched her wet skin. Private nether realms had quite a lack of actual feeling, but shared ones were more tangible as it drew on more than one demon to use - so the intimate touch startled Fay even more. ¡°Is your summoner able and willing to let you go, should you want to leave?¡± Athela asked curiously - searching Fay¡¯s face for clues. Fay, despite being startled, hesitantly nodded back and sniffled again. ¡°Yes¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Riven gave you the option of staying right before you left, under a condition. Do you remember what that condition was?¡± Fay momentarily blanked, her heart beating up to a much faster pace while she took in the implications of what Athela was getting at. ¡°Riven asked me if there was any way the three of us could work this out. That he¡¯d rather not lose either of us, and he¡¯d rather try to go forward with both of us rather than just choose one.¡± ¡°And does that idea still not appeal to you at all?¡± Athela asked softly, fingers twining around Fay¡¯s on the couch. ¡°I would like to be friends again. I liked how we once were.¡± Fay¡¯s composure quickly dissolved again, and soon her face was scrunched up and tears were running down her cheeks for the third time that meeting. She violently nodded, voice wavering. ¡°I w-would like that v-very much.¡± Athela smiled, put a finger to Fay¡¯s lips, then leaned in close and nuzzled the succubus¡¯s cheek with her nose. ¡°Then there¡¯s only one way I see this working out. We should work on our own relationship first. I think¡­ I think it would make Riven very, very happy.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Grazing Fay¡¯s left breast with a hand, Athela tugged on the fabric of Fay¡¯s cleavage and pulled it down. She slowly reared back a moment to soak in the look of surprise on Fay¡¯s face, then went back in and gently locked lips with the succubus - before pushing her to the couch beneath as Fay began to undress. *** Captain Vros Kinal, champion of this expedition to Panu, planetary leader of The Empire of Dying Suns, was vexed. He looked the group from Rippenvire over with a bemused expression, glancing over at his subordinates while conquered natives labored in the wheat fields below his perch on the tower. ¡°You want to team up? Did I hear that right?¡± The representative from Rippenvire nodded. The man was a tall vampire, pale skinned and red-eyed just like all the rest - but lacking the distinct glow that many of the purebloods had. He wore gadgets and steampunk pistols on either side, with a tophat that covered his face from the sun and a vest made of satin. ¡°Yes. You are correct, human.¡± ¡°And just why would I agree to something like that?¡± Captain Vros Kinal asked with a raised eyebrow, motioning for the vampire to come stand with him at the ledge of his tower overlooking the landscape. ¡°The Empire of the Dying Suns is doing just fine without you. Unlike yourselves, we chose not to go head to head with an Apex ranker immediately upon arrival and have been flourishing for it. Our men grow in level quickly, our profits are soaring, and we already hold many towns and cities while recruiting the best of the natives we capture to our own cause by holding out shiny trinkets and the promise of power to them. What reason have I to ally with blood suckers like you?¡± The vampire grimaced beside him, but didn¡¯t take obvious offense to the human¡¯s jab. ¡°We have developed a means to kill the one known as Riven Thane, but we need the manpower to back us up after our forces were demolished at the battle of Mandon.¡± Captain Kinal blinked, leaning onto the railing and resting his armored shoulders while the stiff horsehair down the center of his helmet shook in the breeze. ¡°That¡¯s very interesting, but I doubt we¡¯ll be fighting Riven Thane anytime soon. If anything, I want to avoid that monster at all costs until we get to the point that we can receive reinforcements from the homeland.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t survive long enough for that to happen.¡± ¡°Brazen words coming from a failed group of nobodies like you. Rippenvire might be respected in your part of the multiverse, but here on this planet - you¡¯re nothing but a bunch of washed up dogs tucking your tails between your legs after a severe beating.¡± Captain Kinal gave the stoic vampire a knowing look. ¡°But I will admit I¡¯m curious. Theoretically, if what you say is true, I would be open to potentially working with your kind. Just what is in it for all of you though? What would you get out of helping us? Surely you can¡¯t expect to actually succeed in conquering this planet now that over 90% of your forces have been crushed. You¡¯re all still in hiding and I doubt you¡¯ll come out unless forced to do so.¡± ¡°What do we get?¡± repeated the steampunk vampire with a blank expression, meeting the other man¡¯s gaze and folding his arms in front of him. ¡°What we get is our regained honor before returning home after murdering the man who took this victory from us. Do not worry about why, all you need to worry about is the how. Perhaps you and your men could follow me to a remote island out to sea, it is there that our secret lies. I¡¯m sure that, one day when the time finally comes, you¡¯ll have been thankful that you agreed to this when that bastard comes knocking down your door.¡± *** Riven sat in a wheelchair in the garden of his manor, next to Jose¡¯s tombstone with Azmoth nearby. The sound of crickets under a large tree infused with death mana after the terraforming was rather peaceful, and the neon-teal leaves glowed pale light down onto his position as he contemplated life. His body felt weak, but he could already tell there were signs of repair in his soul aperture. His pillars were beginning to reform, albeit slowly, as were the mana channels he¡¯d cultivated over the course of integrated time. ¡°Yattazi was so hasty to leave.¡± Riven muttered, looking up at Azmoth with clasped hands in front of him. ¡°It surprised me, very much so. Kinda hurt my feelings, honestly.¡± Azmot grunted in irritation. ¡°No loyal. No need for snake to be here. Not bad, but not one of us. It ok.¡± Riven let on a warm smile. ¡°Yeah. I suppose I still have you and Athela. Do you¡­ Do you think Fay¡¯s doing alright?¡± Azmoth turned his spiked, armored head - obsidian daggers for teeth smiling back at him. ¡°Yes.¡± Riven sighed. He did that a lot nowadays, the sighing. No matter how hard he struggled, he just couldn¡¯t seem to escape this bombardment of bullshit that chased after him almost endlessly. Just sitting here in the garden and taking in breaths of fresh air with his eyes closed made him realize that he¡¯d been constantly on the move without giving himself a moment to really pause and consider what it was he wanted to do outside the obligatory NEED to do things. This was the cost of power, he supposed. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe what happened at the trading compound. Kathrine was very shaken.¡± Riven stated while looking skywards. ¡°I hope she¡¯s alright. I hope Lahn¡¯s alright, but he was in even rougher shape than she was. Kid has a good head on his shoulders though, it¡¯ll be a while but at the very least his body will heal. His soul on the other hand¡­ I¡¯m not so sure about it. Maybe, maybe not.¡± ¡°This multiverse very big.¡± Azmoth retorted with folded arms, leaning against the manor¡¯s outer wall. ¡°Lots of treasures. Lots of powers. He get fixed, I sure.¡± Riven snorted a laugh, glancing down at the shifting, flickering sleeve tattoo covering his right arm. ¡°Yes, I suppose it is a big place.¡± The sound of footsteps and a beating heart caused him to turn, and from around the corner he saw Genua in a maid¡¯s outfit - her long blonde hair swaying back and forth as the pretty older woman headed his way. Her eyes were starting to turn a pale red, which was unusual for thralls but not unheard of - and she hadn¡¯t even made her transition yet. Though he was sure that was likely to come soon. Her attitude towards him and pretty much any other vampire had also drastically changed to one of both servitude and reverence - an opposite reaction to many mortals concerning vampiric negative charisma. This change was a common side effect of the transformation as well. When he finally did turn her into a complete thrall, those feelings would only solidify. What was even more interesting to him, was that he simply didn¡¯t care that she¡¯d essentially had her mind warped. Not only had she chosen this, albeit coerced into doing so, but in his opinion the punishment of everlasting servitude was fitting after she and her family had tried to assassinate him for no good reason. ¡°Here you are, master.¡± Genua said with a low bow, handing him a stack of tomes with a huff. ¡°These are the manuals you requested. All that we could acquire concerning totem making and rune crafting. There wasn¡¯t much that we could find, even in the altar¡¯s system store, but there¡¯s enough to get a head start.¡± Riven nodded, happy that he had at least something to go off of. ¡°And the supplies? Genua unhooked a spatial sack of her own, handing it over to Riven with a smile. ¡°Of course, these are some of the supplies listed in those books. Again, not much, but we got what we could. It should last you for at least a short time while you endure your recovery.¡± ¡°I see. How¡¯s your daughter doing?¡± ¡°Len is fine. The schools Mara set up are very good, and she¡¯s slowly stopped talking about her father and sister.¡± ¡°What about you? Are you still thinking about them often?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Genua admitted, though without much emotion. ¡°It does make me sad. I did love them, especially Ethel. Farrod was¡­ not the greatest husband, but he was still mine. However I¡¯m doing much better now thanks to Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass, they regularly infuse me with vampiric venom in preparation for when you claim me as a thrall. It has helped my mood tremendously. I find myself enjoying life once again.¡± ¡°Oh? How are those two doing by the way? I haven¡¯t talked to them for some time now.¡± ¡°Very good. They have taken up managerial positions under Mara and help run the city. General Bruner from Chicago is also in Mara¡¯s inner circle, and I get to see the four of them quite often since I work at your estate. They¡¯re far busier than you¡¯d imagine.¡± Riven snorted. ¡°Well I¡¯m glad SOMEONE enjoys that kind of work. It certainly isn¡¯t me.¡± He pulled up his status page and scrolled over to the quests menu. From there, he selected the most recent Chalgathi update. [Chalgathi, The Apocalypse Beasts World Quest, Panu: Congratulations on being the 3rd person to collect all 5 Chalgathi artifacts. Now that all artifacts have coalesced into one item set, you are to be given eventual access to the sub-event: Altars of Dread and Hope. The Altars of Dread and Hope are exclusive areas designated by the Elysium Administrator, where only the chosen of the apocalypse beasts may enter after having acquired their given artifacts. This applies to all apocalypse beasts, not only Chalgathi. Here at the Altars of Dread and Hope you will be divided into two groups: Cultists and Non-Cultists. As previously described, the outcomes of this world quest differ greatly depending on which of the chosen acquire the prizes for these quests. Thus, cultists will be pitted against non-cultists when reaching these altars. Non-Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Hope, and Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Dread. It will be highly incentivized to work together with your given team upon arrival, and severe punishments will be handed down to those who intentionally harm any others within your own category while involving yourself in this sub-event of the questline; with more details to arrive upon event initiation. The Altars of Dread and Hope will first open with an event initiation in 2 months, 19 days, and 11 hours from now. Upon opening, the next phase of World Quest 2, The Apocalypse Beasts will begin. You can expect to enter an alternate pocket realm at that time along with other various people, places, artifacts, and events drawn in from around the multiverse; and can be expected to be gone for a minimum of 1 year¡¯s time. Participants who do not collect all of the necessary apocalypse beast artifacts upon event initiation will still be able to join the Altars of Dread and Hope sub-event upon completion of the item sets.] He re-read the ¡®2 months, 19 days, and 11 hours¡¯ part. Would that be enough time for him to heal? And damn, being gone for an entire year or more¡­ That was rough. Had it really only been a month and a half since he¡¯d collected Messenger? So much had happened in that short amount of time¡­ It was almost unfathomable. His thoughts trailed back to that day, the day Athela had died - the day he¡¯d saved Fay from the cultists. He was simultaneously sad, angry, and happy all at once when thinking about it. Sad because Fay had left, angry that the cultists had dared harm people he cared about, and happy that Athela had returned to him. Perhaps it was selfish to think he was angry that things didn¡¯t turn out better, given the ridiculous circumstances he was in. Taking a look at his own spatial bag, he pulled out two objects. The first was a system-proclaimed ¡®treasure map¡¯ related to a dao treasure of Sin that he¡¯d acquired from finishing the quest to save Fay. The other was a dao treasure related to Blood that Athela had acquired herself after the harbingers of Gluttony had been defeated in Mandon. Unlike most treasure maps, this one was actually a 3-dimensional hologram. It was created out of a small metal cylinder, with the top of the cylinder creating a very intricate diagram of a part of Panu from a zoomed-out view. The hologram displayed a tropical island with a volcano at its center. It had a very distinct boot-shaped protrusion that formed a cove on one side, with trees and other features on the island so tiny that they were smaller than a pinhead but still somewhat discernable. The map spanned many meters across in any direction from the cylinder, and he was even able to get up and walk through it - identifying a glowing dot underneath the volcano through a large sprawling set of ancient ruins that were built into the ground underneath the island. There, where a ruined city lay long forgotten by the looks of how decimated the architecture was, were flowing rivers of magma that eventually led to an odd-looking temple. It was here, at this temple, that the icon continued to flash. It had no description otherwise, no details, only the outline of the island, the ruins, and the path down the magma rivers leading to the temple where the dao treasure of sin was located. The very large problem he now had though was that he had zero clue where this island was. It could literally be anywhere, and he had no doubt that the combination of three merging planets would only make it all the harder to find. But people in Chicago were already working on finding the treasure map¡¯s location by using drones. The mapping of Panu was underway, and many of these drones were already far out to sea to the south of Dawn. It might be a long time from now, but he¡¯d find the island he was looking for eventually. The dao treasure of Blood he already had, and it required a bonded partner to use it. Probably made specifically for Athela by the system itself, it was shaped like a tear and fit in the palm of Riven¡¯s hand - only being the size of a tennis ball, rounded with a point, and it glowed a bright red similar to the color of Riven¡¯s eyes. [Tear of the Blood Good (Legendary F-Grade Dao Treasure): Must have a bonded, contractual partner to use. Reveals insights into the Dao of the Blood Subpillar and drastically increases the resilience and size of both partners¡¯ Blood Pillars after use regardless of what your insights gain for you.] It was perfect. Not only because the Blood Subpillar was his specialty pillar, one that he had a 100% affinity for, not even because he had the accomplishment title of ¡®Bloodthirsty¡¯ that increased his damage output for any blood abilities he used. No, it was perfect because this treasure in particular would be able to reinforce both his and Athela¡¯s pillars - and perhaps it could even heal his blood pillar entirely. He¡¯d be finding out sooner rather than later, that was for sure. He felt rather exposed the way he was right now, and was pretty certain that even the weaker members of the Thane Necropolis military could likely put him down in his current weakened state. He needed to recover fast, and this treasure perhaps held the key. ¡°Do you intend to use it before you leave to meet with Hakim?¡± Genua asked curiously, cocking her head to the side. ¡°Or not until you get there?¡± ¡°Probably before. Might as well use it here where I¡¯m safe, rather than waiting until I¡¯m in relatively unknown territory to expose myself if anything goes wrong. But Athela has to get back first. After that I plan to work a bit on totem making, power level Hakim and the others, then maybe go after this other dao treasure before Chalgathi¡¯s quest happens if I¡¯m recovered before then.¡± Riven replied, putting the items both down on the stack of tomes next to his wheelchair and grunting with pained exertion upon turning the chair around. ¡°Oh boy¡­ This chair is a real pain to use. I don¡¯t know how Lahn manages to¡­¡± Riven¡¯s voice trailed off, and he nearly staggered when his eyes locked on two figures standing at the corner of the building behind where Genua now stood. Genua turned upon seeing his look of shock, then her eyebrows rose - and she quickly dismissed herself with a polite bow. Walking away and past the other two women present, she made herself scarce and vanished from sight. Athela stood beside Fay, holding hands with the other woman while smiling fondly down at Riven¡¯s seated form. Fay on the other hand looked incredibly nervous, avoiding eye contact and only managing to spare Riven brief glances while biting her lip. Eventually, as the silence wore on and Azmoth turned to look as well, Athela nudged the horned succubus in the ribs and then gently shoved her forward. ¡°Go on. I know you¡¯ve been looking forward to this.¡± Fay looked over her shoulder, legs shaking slightly, and her head hesitantly turned to look Riven¡¯s way while her hands fidgeted with the long, white, silky hair trialing down her front. She caught Riven¡¯s watery gaze while he stared her down, and she gulped with a light wheeze. ¡°Hi¡­ Riven. It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s nice to see you again.¡± Riven¡¯s hands balled into fists, and his red eyes shamefully hit the floor, unable to meet Fay¡¯s own while his body began to tremble. ¡°Are you unhappy to see me?¡± Fay asked worriedly, stepping back and almost tripping over her own feet. ¡°I-I can leave, if you want. I just thought that maybe¡­¡± Riven held up a hand, shaking his head. He turned to stare at Athela, who gave him a warm, smiling nod, and then he turned his attention back to the succubus while slowly beginning to wheel himself over to where she stood. Looking up at her and coming to a stop a foot away from the young woman, he barely got out a whisper while trying to contain his emotions. ¡°Are you here to stay?¡± Fay bit her lip, trying hard to fight the urge to cry and failing. ¡°Do you want me to?¡± ¡°Of course I do. I never wanted you to leave.¡± Fay choked, and she nodded adamantly - kneeling down onto the dirt below and wrapping her arms around his waist while shuddering. ¡°Ok. Then I¡¯ll stay.¡± Azmoth watched the silent, crying duo embrace one another before lumbering over to where Athela stood watching over them - arms crossed in satisfaction. He turned to match her posture, looking back and forth between her and the succubus who was shaking in Riven¡¯s arms. ¡°I surprised.¡± ¡°Are you now?¡± Athela asked curiously, raising an eyebrow up at the currently larger demon before lightly punching him in the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m full of surprises.¡± He nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, yes. I proud of you. Did you forgive?¡± Athela let out a long sigh, and her shoulders relaxed while leaning into the armored titan beside her. ¡°Yes. I did forgive her.¡± ¡°And she forgive you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Azmoth smiled. ¡°Good. Maybe it go back to way it was, or better. I hope better. You made Riven happy too. The way he looking at you says lots.¡± Athela blinked then followed Azmoth¡¯s head-nod to where Riven was still sitting in his wheelchair, hands holding Fay¡¯s kneeling figure while she quietly sobbed into his lap. Happy tears trickled down his cheeks, and he was giving Athela the most genuine look of appreciation she¡¯d ever seen. Her heart nearly stopped, and a faint blush started overcoming her. Then she straightened and huffed, pointing his way. ¡°I hope you appreciate the things I do for you, mister! You don¡¯t even WANT to know what I had to go through to get her here! Hmph!¡± With that, Athela twirled around - black hair swishing out behind her, and she made her way into the manor to get some food. ¡°Come on Azmoth! Let¡¯s get breakfast. I¡¯m starving, and a spider princess needs to keep up on her diet!¡± Azmoth chuckled, gave Riven a wave, and then left with his friend to follow her inside. Unbeknownst to Riven in that very moment, as his heart thundered approval with every beat while holding Fay close, his soul aperture was undergoing more changes than just a self repair. Tendrils of sin energy were spreading from his Mark of the Sinner on his right arm, silently spreading like a cancer into the demolished pillars and scattered fragments littering his soul. They pulled and pushed, yanking the pillars back together piece by piece - infusing each of them with Gluttony¡¯s presence while the great maw watched in avid fascination. It was a unique situation that the main body of Gluttony had not encountered before - having a harbinger finish his or her sinner¡¯s mark immediately upon a soul shattering. It provided a very unique opportunity to weasel himself inside, to circumvent laws that would otherwise keep him held back. [Estimated time until soul repairs and symbiosis are complete: 16 days.] ¡°Riven¡­¡± The great maw hissed at its notification in the eternal black of its abyss - tendrils from the deep places of creation spiraling upwards and outwards, waiting for his soul to reform. ¡°Oh Riven¡­ How I cannot wait to see how you turn out. You and I¡­ we¡¯re going to be very close friends¡­ Very¡­ Close¡­ Friends¡­¡± This is the End of Book 4. Thanks for reading! Chapter 215 [Beginning of Book 5] Chapter 215 The world was changing, and new empires were rising across the ashes of dead civilizations as the merged worlds creating Panu were beginning to come together. The tutorials were over, the initial shock of the integration now passed. It was a time of new beginnings. The terraforming of the inner lands of the Thane Necropolis had been a blessing to many of those drawing power from the Unholy Foundational pillar, and all associated pillars. Especially for the undead, who made up nearly half of the population under the Thane sibling¡¯s rule after the ongoing wars had added more bodies to the mix. The bone garden was working overtime converting more and more bodies to the cause, and thousands of people across the multiverse at a combat level below 5 that were unaffiliated with any major factions according to system standards were allowed their own pilgrimage to the newly integrated world as well - bringing tidbits or knowledge and expertise with them that helped the new nation progress over time. After the battle for Mandon, Capital of Dawn, as well as the subjugation of the elvish kingdom of Tereen and the absorption of Chicago¡¯s surrounding territories across the Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole, the Thane Necropolis was one of the leading powerhouses in their prospective areas on either side of the planet. Refugees from areas of wilderness where civilization still hadn¡¯t taken root due to monster nests or raging conflicts with other natives that wanted to carve out a piece of the planet for themselves were in abundance. Local warlords vying for control with one another along with roaming gangs and bandits were commonplace, but these were also prime targets for many of Allie¡¯s forces - specifically targeted for leveling opportunities as well as keeping the peace and maintaining a constant flow of new bodies for the bone garden in Brightsville. Thus the reputation of the Thane Necropolis had become something of a double-edged sword, a safe haven for some - and a treacherous calling to death for others. World forums often had starkly contrasting views on the faction as well, some praising them for wiping out the majority of an invading force while others called Riven and Allie evil for their blatant disrespect for life. The ¡®Butcher of Carnis¡¯ title had stuck to Allie after her incredibly brutal treatment of her elves during the war against Tereen, and Riven was outright known as a genocidal maniac. There¡¯d even been three other top 10 rankers that¡¯d spoken about the rise of Riven¡¯s presence on the world forums along with the country he represented. Judith Marcina - the number 1 powerhouse on the worldwide leaderboard 3 spots ahead of Riven¡¯s own number 4 spot, had issued a statement proclaiming the existence of an undead uprising as a concern - but she hadn¡¯t outright condemned them either. Publicly stating that if their factions should meet, she would concern herself with the necropolis then - but that it may be years before that were to ever happen and until then she was focused on her own newly created empire¡¯s expansion. Meanwhile Nithkik Brutishvase, the dark elf number 5 ranker and Sinthil Tuk¡¯tuk the rank 8 Lizardian had very opposing views on a vampire being in the top 10 that lined up with their charisma allegiances. Nithkik, being a dark elf, had a negative charisma allegiance by race alone and praised Riven¡¯s ruthlessness and magical prowess - while the opposite could be said for Sinthil the lizardian, who called RIven a madman after witnessing what he¡¯d done to Daskus, City of Canyons to bring back what he called ¡®an abomination from the hells that should never have been allowed onto this mortal plane¡¯ in reference to Athela. Yet despite all the attention Riven had received from Elysium¡¯s showcasing of his own exploits, he wasn¡¯t very invested in what people had to say about him. Mostly he ignored them entirely, and was far more focused on the important things that were close to home. Vampires from a local faction in the underdark had made contact in deepnest concerning the world quest of the vampiric elder god. The dwarvish kingdom of Brya had fallen after their king had been slain by Riven, and was being incorporated as another vassal state - but it would take time and some reeling in of their ratkin allies that still had a deep seated hate for the conquered dwarves. Chalgathi¡¯s next quest was upcoming in less than 3 months now, and the capital city of Dawn was still being rebuilt after the attack from Rippenvire. The Blood Moon Requiem was on the brink of an internal civil war after Jalel and Lord Barimont had been slain, resulting in multiple noble houses having their low-leveled elites enter into an all out battle with one another on Panu, and Kathrine had even left to go back home for time being until her parents made sure things were settling down to discuss family matters. The lesser lords and ladies of House Wraithtide were also scheduled for a meeting with Riven and Allie in upcoming days, and General Viku had stationed an entire garrison of House Wraithtide¡¯s own F-grade elites at level 90 apiece in the vampiric compound on Panu while simultaneously letting Riven know that there would be much talk on the matter of empire politics upon his projection¡¯s arrival. All in all, given the recent events, Riven should have been rather busy. Should have been. *** The sunset cast brilliant orange-yellow hues on the horizon across a sprawling sea of grasslands, sending shimmering trails off winding rivers etched into the landscape. Fay squealed in excitement, reeling in the line on her fishing pole with wild abandon while sitting cross-legged on the water¡¯s shoreline. The white Sunday-dress matched her hair that had been pulled back into a ponytail, and a wide thatched hat covered her eyes from the sun. ¡°Oh! Oh I think I finally got one!¡± Riven laughed at her giddy display, sitting immediately next to her and a few feet away from his wheelchair that¡¯d been parked on a grassy patch leading out to rolling hills and fields; grasslands that stretched for miles in all directions. ¡°Good! Maybe that bait Azmoth got us really is doing the trick after all.¡± Riven looked right to where Athela¡¯s growing pile of fish was being cooked and snacked on by the other campers here with them. His red eyes, cloaked by a black hood to block out the sun now that he wasn¡¯t wearing Messenger, shifted to meet Athela¡¯s own when she nuzzled up to him. ¡°Athela you damn cheater.¡± ¡°Cheater!?¡± Athela repeated, aghast at the accusation and bringing up both pitch-black hands to pinch his cheeks like one would do to a cute puppy before smugly kissing him. ¡°I would never cheat! My bloody strings are just more viable than your fishing poles!¡± Athela wore an outfit nearly identical to Fay¡¯s own after the two demonic women had gone shopping in Brightsville together for their trip. Her bare feet dug into the sand and she mockingly grinned down at Riven¡¯s own fishing pole that was clutched between his hands. A large campfire crackled behind them by a couple yards where Luke Blissfallen, an old elf and one of Riven¡¯s thralls, was preparing some of the fish by cooking them on sticks. He was in deep conversation with Genua, Riven¡¯s other thrall who¡¯d accompanied them on the journey with her daughter Len - the two older elves having a rather good time teaching the little blonde girl about how to skin a fish and what spices to use in the broth they were making as a soup. ¡°You¡¯re making that face again.¡± Fay said, finally pulling in the trout that she¡¯d hooked with a knowing smile. ¡°They chose to attack you first, Riven. Your decision was a sound one.¡± Riven grimaced with guilt, continuing to stare over to where Len was dangling her legs from a log and looking up to her mother with wide, wondering eyes and a bright smile. ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel guilty. That little girl lost her big sister and her father because of me.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t know it was you.¡± Athela said from the other side, standing up and brushing herself off before turning around with her hands on her hips. ¡°Genua never told her the truth about how they died.¡± ¡°What did Genua tell her then?¡± Athela shrugged, then walked over to get Riven¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°Perhaps you should ask. But come on! Don¡¯t be a downer, we¡¯re having fun tonight and all your friends are here!¡± ¡°She¡¯s right, you know.¡± Fay stated, putting her hand on his to give him a warm squeeze before standing up. ¡°Cut loose tonight, you deserve it after everything you¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°After everything we ALL have been through.¡± Athela corrected the succubus, spanking the other young woman and getting a yelp before grinning to herself and bringing the wheelchair over. ¡°Let¡¯s go big boy. Lahn and friends are back from their walk, it¡¯s time to gather around for the meal!¡± Riven glanced back over his shoulder, smiling in the dying light of day at the assortment of people who were present. ¡°Yes, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± He took her hand, hoisted himself up, and took a seat as she wheeled him around to join the main group. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Aside from Luke, Genua, and Genua¡¯s daughter Len, there were quite a few other familiar faces around the vampire sitting in folding chairs or on logs cut from the few trees that scattered themselves onto the rolling hills and flatlands around them. Gurth¡¯Rok the orc chieftain-turned-vampire and an orc woman he was courting were present and off to the side. Dr. Brass was - as ever - wearing his old whitecoat and had ditched the glasses after his body had undergone vampiric changes to become a younger man with sleek silver hair. The doctor was laughing and joking alongside Mara, Nin and Vin - the three black-clad necromancers seated highest in the tiers of Allie¡¯s underlings running the necropolis. Azmoth and Fimrindle were seeing who could better skip stones along the water, pelting the skeletal undead drake Tyranus while he napped in the deeper waters further in. Allie, Lahn, and Lahn¡¯s mother Shovi were just now rounding a bend in the river and wading through ankle-high grass, with Allie occasionally zapping mosquitos with her death mana, and Shovi was pushing her own son¡¯s wheelchair as the three talked and joked with one another rather loudly. Allie was obviously drunk but was having a grand time, and Lahn was still recovering physically from his temporary transition into an angelic being after fighting the vampire lord who¡¯d tried to take Allie as his own - but it was doubtful Lahn¡¯s soul would ever fully recover in terms of being able to wield magic or martial arts again. Though the young man still had hope, his eyes had been grown back and he was in better physical condition than he¡¯d ever been before, even despite the loss of his left arm entirely after the fight at the vampire compound. His stump where the arm used to be still retained significant residue from the possession however, and it¡¯d been so etched into his body that it would take massive amounts of possibly dangerous surgical interventions to fully regrow it given the knowledge Riven and Allie - or even Gaia had now. Otherwise the parasite that¡¯d been exorcized by Fay had left toxins and scar tissue which were eradicated by the angelic possession, and his physical recovery had increased at a rate by threefold. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he didn¡¯t need a wheelchair at all. There was also the topic of Miracles. Miracles and divinity worked differently than spells and mana, or martial arts and stamina, by essentially summoning the power of another entity or the pillars themselves rather than using his own innate strength as a power source. It was possible, according to Luke, that Lahn could potentially utilize miracle-type abilities in the future even despite the absolute destruction of his core and pillars. Albeit, the act would still be far harder to do than it would be normally - and no one they knew had access to holy miracles either. Even amongst the entire military of Dawn, miracles were apparently quite rare. ¡°Feeling better, I see.¡± Riven said as a statement rather than a question when Lahn was rolled up to the fire next to him. ¡°You¡¯re looking healthier.¡± Lahn waved Allie off after she gave him a peck on the cheek, grinning as she and his mother joined Fay, Genua, Luke and Athela at a picnic table right behind Riven on the left. ¡°Yes, I feel amazing.¡± Lahn smiled back, then gestured to the wheelchair Riven sat in while the flames of the fire cast shadows across his body. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve joined my club.¡± Riven blinked, then snorted a laugh and clasped his hands together - enjoying the warm of the orange glow. ¡°I certainly did. Hopefully not for too long, for either of us. Everything ok with your eyes?¡± ¡°Your healers did a wonderful job, there are no problems at all.¡± *THUMP* The ground shuddered just slightly when Gaia¡¯s small figure slammed into the earth beside them, and the dryad-like demigoddess gave everyone else she¡¯d startled a wave before creating a chair out of earthen soil to lean back lazily while taking up residence next to the two temporarily crippled men. ¡°Hello children. How is everything?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow her way. ¡°Good to see you made it Gaia. Wasn¡¯t sure you were coming.¡± ¡°I never miss an opportunity to gossip.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It is. Try being cooped up for as long as I have, and you too would seek as much social activity as possible given the chance. Thank you for inviting me.¡± Riven gave the little dryad girl, or what appeared to look like a little girl, a nod with a warm smile. ¡°I never did get to thank you face to face for how you helped Athela. Thanks again for what you did, it means more than you know to me.¡± ¡°She helped Athela? How?¡± Lahn asked curiously, scratching the back of his head with his pointer finger. ¡°She donated a tiny piece of her soul to Athela when Athela was killed, it helped reform her from a mere speck that my gluttonous miracle was able to acquire.¡± ¡°Oh. That¡¯s intense. Is that a normal thing? For demigods to give out pieces of their soul?¡± Gaia snorted a laugh at the young man Allie was so interested in. ¡°It is certainly not a normal thing, but it was the right decision. My soul has already begun mending itself and it will be like the piece taken from it was never gone to begin with in time. Also - here.¡± Gaia extended a hand over Riven¡¯s, and then dropped an amulet into his palm. It was sleekly crafted from the wood of a tree, circular in nature akin to that of a thick quarter, with a tiny flower carved into the front face. ¡°What you asked for. A replacement for the one you broke, and somewhat upgraded so that it can act with Fay¡¯s illusions more fluidly.¡± [Gaia¡¯s Heartwood Token (Epic): Wearing this token around your neck allows you to suppress any Charisma effects you may have, suppresses your vampiric qualities as well as the demonic qualities of your contracted familiars, as well as changes your status page information to represent a Level 55 Human. Those with identifier classes at high enough level can circumvent this passive ability.] The amulet she¡¯d given him was spectacular, and a wide grin spread across his pale face as he thanked the demigoddess and stowed it away. ¡°This will come in handy when I visit Hakim.¡± ¡°And Julie!¡± Athela called pointedly, taking a ketchup bottle and slathering the stuff all over a hotdog - and handing it to Riven. ¡°Julie is my favorite. By the way, these hot dogs look nothing like actual dogs. I¡¯d been expecting a flaming canine or something.¡± ¡°Yes I was wondering about that myself¡­¡± Shovi, Lahn¡¯s mother stated with a raised eyebrow - having already finished two of them and starting her third. The usually well dressed lady of the court was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt with an electric guitar on the front - some of Allie''s old clothes after Shovi had made it known that she didn¡¯t own any traveling gear. ¡°It is rather good though.¡± Allie hummed in amusement and popped the cork off another wine bottle, motioning for Genua to slit her wrist. Genua did so and let a good amount of her blood settle into the wine before Allie gave a heads up that she could stop, and the elf soon-to-be-thrall gave a nod before twisting her hand and sealing the wound shut. ¡°Can all thralls do that?¡± Shovi asked curiously. Genua shrugged. ¡°I can, and I¡¯m only ready for the transition. I haven¡¯t taken the dive yet. Luke? Can you do that?¡± ¡°I can.¡± The old man acknowledged her question with a grim frown. ¡°However, not nearly as fast as you can. That was impressive, Genua. Perhaps it has something to do with your other features¡­?¡± He gestured to the woman¡¯s reddening eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t recall ever having heard of thralls gain vampiric traits.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not supposed to.¡± Allie confirmed with a nod and a drunken side-bob of her head. Then she hiccuped. ¡°It¡¯s weird. You¡¯re weird, Genua!¡± ¡°How many has Allie had to drink?¡± Riven asked Lahn under his breath while the two men continued staring over their shoulders. ¡°She¡¯s plastered.¡± ¡°Too many to count.¡± Lahn confirmed with a chuckle. Riven¡¯s eyes shifted between his sister and the thrall to be, and he shook his head with a smirk before turning back around to the campfire and biting into his own hotdog. Immediately the taste of a perfectly cooked bratwurst caused his mouth to nearly explode with salivation, and he let out a deep, content sigh while loudly moaning amidst his slow chew. ¡°Riven!? Was that you!?¡± Fay asked incredulously with raised eyebrows. ¡°You must really be enjoying your food!¡± Smacking his lips and nodding enthusiastically, he only chuckled through his nose while continuing to eat. It¡¯d been way, way too long since he¡¯d had some basic, bad-for-your-arteries Americanized food. *** [Tear of the Blood God (Legendary F-Grade Dao Treasure): Must have a bonded, contractual partner to use. Reveals insights into the Dao of the Blood Subpillar and drastically increases the resilience and size of both partners¡¯ Blood Pillars after use regardless of what your insights gain for you.] Athela handled the large red tear-shaped gemstone glowing in her hands carefully, sitting cross-legged in front of where Riven was doing the same - albeit being supported due to his weakened state by Azmoth. Fay sat to the side, continuing to chomp and crunch on the smores Allie and Lahn had so enthusiastically begun making on repeat after Lahn had joined her in getting drunk and getting the munchies. ¡°I hope this works!¡± Fay said smiling widely, being absolutely on top of the world ever since rejoining the group and after recognizing that there was no ill will held towards her for her abrupt leave of absence. With her words came a wink from Athela, and the succubus blushed slightly - something that Riven did not miss due to his concern about how the two would interact after Fay returned. To his surprise things were going well, very well in fact. The odd new twist to how she and Athela were acting towards one another was somewhat odd to Riven over the course of the past two days, as they were a little handsy with one another which was certainly a surprise, but he didn¡¯t mind in the least and was just happy to have Fay back. He was getting suspicious concerning their behavior but if he was right on the money of just what had happened when Athela had decided to try and have Fay come back - he couldn¡¯t say he was mad about it. If anything they were making it kind of obvious, and he was curious as to how that¡¯d play into his own relationships with both of them. ¡°Alright so how do we do this?¡± Riven asked curiously, appreciating Azmoth¡¯s supporting hand when the muscles in his lower back began to spasm and his shattered pillars twitched with electrical currents. Athela frowned in concern at Riven¡¯s brief grimace of pain, but she placed the hand-sized ruby-colored crystal inbetween them - continuing to grasp the object with her right hand. ¡°We can try touching it at the same time. Probably our best bet.¡± A loud splash echoed from further down the river where some of the others had taken to swimming under the starlight, and Riven only hesitated a moment due to the distraction before placing a steady hand over the top of Athela¡¯s own. Wrapping his fingers around hers and letting his skin touch the red crystal tear underneath, the red light inside the treasure began to build. ¡°See. Easy as pie.¡± Athela winked at him fondly, only for her eyes to roll back alongside his own when a flood of power tore through their minds - and began to roar to life as the energy made contact with their Blood Subpillars. Or in Riven¡¯s case, where his Blood Subpillar should have been. Chapter 216 Chapter 216 Crimson threads tore out from the treasure and into Riven¡¯s soul, but he didn¡¯t scream - nor did he feel pain. The threads were soothing, caressing his damaged core and the obliterated Blood Subpillar that¡¯d been reduced to fragments. He watched as they intertwined with each of them, collecting them up and pulling the shards together - only to frown in confusion when other, pitch black threads flew forward from his fragmented shadow pillar and intertwined. He felt his Path of Black and Red radiate and synergize between the two pillars after that, a shudder going through his body and mind, harmonizing and¡­ And stitching the two pillars together? Riven¡¯s eyes widened, and his hand instinctively tightened around Athela¡¯s while his mind¡¯s eye focused on his internal soul. Something like this had happened before when his blood and shadow subpillars had connected to one another - but only this time it was far more than just connecting. They were locking themselves together with crystalized bridges, one after the other. They were extending. They were becoming far, far larger than they¡¯d been before - like a mixed tapestry painted between the two monoliths of black and red. The two colors swirled and meshed, the fragments coming together to create something entirely new - aided by the power of the dao treasure he and Athela were holding in unison. His Blood Subpillar then began to grow, and then grow even more. It expanded upwards off the base at the soul core it was attached to, surging forward until it slowed down and stopped at nearly twice the size of the previous one he¡¯d had as shards continued to slam into it; filling the cracks and crevices with more and more pieces of its old shattered remnants. But then the swirling shards of his two meshing pillars all simultaneously twitched, and the fusion between black and red stopped right as his orbiting Sin Core - an ominous black and deep purple orb - came to rest directly over the enlarged Blood Subpillar and its subserviently bonded Shadow Subpillar. ¡°Riven¡­¡­.¡± The voice echoed in his mind as a sea of whispers, causing him to tense and shudder when a cold dread overcame him. A demonic, deep laugh of glee followed, and the voice continued to whisper into his ear. ¡°Ah¡­ You can finally understand me¡­ Can¡¯t you?¡± The sin core pulsed, he felt his body tear at the seams when the voice called to him, and Riven¡¯s senses tingled when a maw opened up in the black and deep purple sphere. Rows of teeth let out a low hiss, and it was from here that he realized the voice was coming. He hesitantly nodded, not sure if he was saying the words aloud - or if he was just thinking them. ¡°I can. Hello, Gluttony¡­ I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re showing yourself in person to a little peon like me. To what do I owe the honor?¡± The maw¡¯s laughter roared to life, and Riven felt blood begin trickling from his closed eyes, nose, ears and mouth. Riven vaguely heard shocked yelps and cursing, but he held up a hand to let the others know he was alright - though his body certainly took a toll just by talking to the entity. And it wasn¡¯t just a piece of the entity either - oh no, this was the brain, the main aspect, the collective consciousness. This was far different. ¡°What are you doing in my soul?¡± Riven asked, growing more curious than anything else. He sensed no malice from the sin, and he doubted there¡¯d be any anyways considering how it¡¯d saved his life when Elysium¡¯s tribulation had tried to kill him. ¡°Just sightseeing, perhaps?¡± ¡°Testing the waters is all¡­¡± The sin replied with a hiss, the soul aperture around him shuddering with every word. ¡°Repairing and preparing you for what is to come¡­ and it will come sooner than you think. I came to say hello, so that you are not terrified of the bond when it solidifies in upcoming weeks.¡± At this, Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°Bond?¡± Gluttony¡¯s mouth widened, and slowly - it began to reveal a maze of tendrils coming out of the pit of its throat. They were dark, pulsing with deep purple and black energies that connected and pulled at the rotating shards that hadn¡¯t already been sunk into the pillars Riven had somewhat restored. The tendrils then flashed away, and were gone before Riven even knew what to make of them. ¡°It has already begun¡­¡± Gluttony said in satisfaction. ¡°Your soul, my soul, and the symbiotic relationship that has helped you already not just once - but twice.¡± Riven belched blood just from being in the presence of the great sin, and his vampiric regeneration kicked into high gear fighting off the cracks and crevices of sin energy leaking out of his skin now. He could hear the worries in the others¡¯ voices, but they were a distant call - and he yet again held up a hand to stop them from interfering with the process. He needed to know what Gluttony wanted with him. ¡°Symbiosis entails a mutually beneficial relationship. I hope you¡¯re not using this in lue of being a parasite.¡± ¡°I am certainly not¡­¡± the sin retorted gleefully, shifting its many teeth along the sin core placatingly. ¡°The alternative is impossible despite my wishes. I truly do wish to coexist¡­ but you must let me in for the bond to fully connect. Otherwise talking to you as a mortal will forever cause a violent reaction such as the one you are experiencing now. As a harbinger of my blood, it is the greatest honor one can be given. The others¡­ my worshipers¡­ even the other holders of my shards¡­ they don¡¯t understand what it is I truly am. Or what it is I desire. Nor do you¡­ but, that isn¡¯t important now. What is important, is that I can help - as I have already begun to do. May I pose a question?¡± Riven snorted a laugh, even despite numerous arteries bursting when he did. ¡°Sure. go ahead.¡± Gluttony paused. ¡°Did you not find it odd that your Harbinger of Gluttony Class, and your Harbinger Soul Clone, manifested itself as my visage - rather than your own?¡± Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed at this. He¡¯d been considering this exact thing for a while now. Even back in Daskus when he¡¯d been able to somehow summon Gluttony¡¯s maw in the sky as he destroyed the city in a wrath unlike anything he¡¯d ever experienced before - and that was before he¡¯d even acquired the soul clone on his status page. Then, very recently, he¡¯d called Gluttony¡¯s visage from the sky - and then the earth underneath him, to battle against Elysium¡¯s will when it tried to strike him down for using Malignant Prophecy one too many times. He pulled up an old notification to re-read it in his mind¡¯s eye. [Harbinger of Gluttony, Sin Class, Secondary Class, has finally finished its construction. Harbinger Soul Clone is now finished. +2 Sturdiness, +9 Free Points per level will now be distributed with each level up.] The suspicion had been there¡­ but¡­ he didn¡¯t know what to think. ¡°You¡¯ve been planning the transition for a while now. Haven¡¯t you?¡± Riven asked cautiously. ¡°Summoning your visage isn¡¯t normal for a harbinger. Is it? The description of my soul clone states it should be a superimposed image of myself. Instead, I got you. I had you even before I knew what a soul clone was.¡± The sin laughed. ¡°Envy may be the schemer of us sins, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t concoct plans of my own. You are a unique vessel with an even more unique situation after your soul was shattered, and we sins that spawned the first of demonkind - just like the commandments that the angels hail from - cannot manifest into a true life without a symbiosis unless all shards have been collected from our shattered bodies.¡± Riven grimaced. ¡°That brings up a lot of questions. Can you tell me what exactly the commandments are? Did you have an actual body of your own in the past other than the great maw I usually see? Why me? And just what is it that you desire, if it isn¡¯t to simply consume everything as I¡¯d assumed?¡± The maw seemed to smile, and the ocean of whispers endured. ¡°Those are questions that can all be answered in time¡­ but you must accept my bond to find out. When the time comes, it will appear as a contract much like those of your demonic familiars¡­ accept it, and I will be reborn.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Reborn? How?¡± This time, it was the sin that hesitated. ¡°Let us just say that I wish to experience life once more¡­ not this¡­ everlasting prison, I find myself in. I wish to be free of the memories that chain me here. Meanwhile you desire power, power that I can help acquire. Accept the contract and find out. The time is coming rather quickly now¡­ The terms will be in your favor. I¡¯m excited to see what you¡¯ll do.¡± The visage of the maw on his sin core vanished, and a torrent of black, red, and deep purple energy exploded to life with searing agony accompanying it. Riven didn¡¯t physically blink, but it certainly felt that way when he found himself standing beside Athela on a vast ocean of red. The blood moon was half buried on the horizon, encompassing nearly 40% of the sky above with a single figure outlined in black against the red backdrop - floating there nearly fifty feet above the ocean his feet rested on. Ripples of liquid radiated from his position when he turned to look at Athela, but the demoness was in a trance of her own - somewhere far beyond her current state while lights flashed in her eyes and her mouth twitched. ¡°Athela?¡± Abruptly the area around him shifted again, and he found himself floating beside the figure in black - red eyes gleaming underneath a dark hood as orbs of blood hovered around him to match the crimson landscape and the bright red moon behind them both. An aura bloomed from the figure before Riven as if the very skies around them were bending to the hooded man¡¯s will, and he gently lifted a hand to show the artifact Riven and Athela had used. It was the Tear of the Blood God. Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed but he found himself unable to talk anymore, just as the hooded man shattered the crystalized tear with a chuckle, and the oceans around him tore apart and soared into the heavens like a reverse avalanche. A sea of skeletal bodies were revealed under the depths of the ocean when the blood finally cleared after hundreds of billions of gallons of the crimson fluid covered the sky to blot out the stars. Wait¡­ Riven had been here before. He¡¯d seen visions of this place before, hadn¡¯t he? ¡°Blood, shadow, and death. These are the three pillars the vampires were created from.¡± The hooded figure said, turning his red gaze and forcing Riven¡¯s own with it towards the piles upon piles of dead far below them. You have taken the first step by converging the paths of shadow and blood, but you lack the trio in its entirety. Descendant, you show promise¡­ otherwise Gluttony would not involve itself so directly in you. But you need to broaden your horizons now and before you hit the E-grade, or you will fall short of what you could otherwise become. Death is a sister component to blood in more ways than one. Why do you neglect it?¡± Riven¡¯s eyes were allowed to drift upwards into the dark hood that outlined the mysterious man in front of him, but he felt his jaw remain locked. Riven assumed it was a rhetorical question when the man in the vision turned his gaze back upon the mountains of bones underneath them, and then he held out one hand - summoning a humanoid skeleton from the depths to hover in front of them like a rag doll. The unknown man stared Riven down for a long, long time after that. Longer than Riven was comfortable with, until a single red finger rose out of the black cloak flowing around him - and touched Riven on the forehead. ¡°Descendant, I bestow upon you insight.¡± Red cracks flashed across Riven¡¯s forehead where the man¡¯s red finger was suddenly digging into his skull, and Riven screamed in agony as images flashed through his mind at the speed of light. A field of battle on a distant planet roared to the forefront, where men skewered one another with blade and spear. Their bodies leaked lifeblood onto the soil in oceans of red, and their corpses dropped to the ground in death by the thousands. He experienced one by one the sensation each of them suffered, the sensation of dying, of losing life that their blood had kept intact. He experienced the darkness, the shadow, that overcame their spirits as they transitioned into the afterlife. Then he experienced a reversal of that cycle, never allowing the cycle into true death to be completed. Shadow turned to a pale imitation of light, and crimson fluid washed through rotted corpses as necromancers summoned the decaying souls of the dead back into their bodies. They weren¡¯t the same as they¡¯d once been, but pieces and fragments of these souls came together to form new beings - once again embracing undeath as a new form of life. The crimson liquid that¡¯d saturated the ground rose up and embraced these new, unholy abominations, and three symbols began to flash in Riven¡¯s mind over and over again on repeat. The symbol of a scythe, a symbol of a red teardrop, and the symbol of a black sun. They flashed over and over again, replaying without stopping faster and faster - overlaying on the images of the battle, the necromancers, the forward and reversed cycles that continued to slam themselves into his consciousness. He saw them rise up and roar to the sky above, saw their bodies begin to flicker with red mana, and then saw the blood moon flash before his eyes one final time. He let out an internal scream, his soul core erupting and shattering on one end where a new subpillar tore into the soul aperture with a frenzy. Neon teal flecked with black illuminated the spot between and to the side of his Blood Subpillar and Shadow Subpillar, beginning to form bridging connections to these other two pillars when their shards began swirling to repair themselves yet again. The three were slowly beginning to become one. Only for the symbol of the great maw to completely press itself against his dao vision and overtake his mind entirely. All other visions faded, with the teeth of Gluttony snapping down on them and obliterating them from his mind. [Your Blood Subpillar has been repaired and has grown significantly. Your Shadow Subpillar has been partially repaired. Your soul core remains cracked and in ruins, and your sin core is beginning to fuse with your soul core in its damaged state. You are now oriented towards the Death Subpillar.] [New Spell Learned: Legionaries of the Blood God (Death / Blood)(Tier 2): This is a temporary summoning spell that does not require minion slots. You may summon 8 Elite-Class Bloodstricken Undead from the Blood God¡¯s realm, equal in combat level to your own, and may designate whether or not you wish to summon Blood Knights, Blood Sorcerers, Blood Assassins, or a combination of the three when you do so. Undead are non-sentient and last for 5 minutes before disappearing. 1 day cooldown time. Very high mana cost.] [Gluttony has incorporated all the following ability properties from Jackal and Messenger as Sin abilities that you can cast regardless of wearing these items or not: Devour, Identifier¡¯s Clause, Beastform.] [Black Lightning (Shadow) has finished manifesting and can now be cast at will.] [Your bond with Athela grows stronger. Mind Link has been established between yourself and this minion, allowing for telepathic communication.] *** Riven slowly opened his eyes, realizing he was covered in his own blood that¡¯d seeped from all the holes on his head. It stained the ground underneath him as he sat cross-legged, and he took in a deep breath. Fay was staring wide-eyed at him while Athela lay crumpled in a heap on Fay¡¯s lap, where Azmoth was still holding Riven up in a sitting position to the side of his master. Starlight twinkled up above, and the sounds of laughter filled the air while the rest of the camp went on about their lives as if nothing had ever happened. ¡°I can feel it. Your mana¡­ part of it at least, is back.¡± Fay said with a hesitant smile. ¡°Am I right? And don¡¯t worry about Athela, she¡¯s just tired from the insights she got. Said she made a lot of progress and learned two new abilities!¡± ¡°Ah, I was about to ask. Good to know, and yes - I was able to use the treasure to repair part of my soul after all. Just like I¡¯d guessed, but in a rather roundabout and unexpected way.¡± Riven smiled back at her, a warm and comforting one. His body was still very weak, and his soul wasn¡¯t completely repaired by any means, but it was certainly stronger. And just like Fay had said: he could now summon magic to him again. A storm razor bloomed over his right palm when he held out his hand: the bloody, pronged, circular blade of magic shifting over his hand in the colors of black and red. It rapidly transitioned to a storm ball at a thought, the more explosive and less piercing variant of the magical attack, before it vanished entirely. Black lightning sparked along his fingers, dancing around it at a whim, before using his ¡®devour¡¯ ability on a nearby wildflower without much thought. A maw grew along Riven¡¯s outstretched palm and a cord of dark tendrils ripped the flower up, pulling it into the jaws that snapped shut and receded immediately. Glancing over at Jackal, who¡¯d taken its canine form, Riven imitated the creature by abruptly shifting his own body into a flickering black jackal too - complete with red eyes to imitate the weapon¡¯s secondary body as an absolute copy. The two dogs just stared at each other while Azmoth grunted in excitement and Fay gasped, though other than for subterfuge purposes Riven couldn¡¯t really see a reason to use the ability quite yet. He shifted back into his vampire form without having lost any of the items he was wearing. ¡°Neat, but not sure how it¡¯ll be used in the future. Wana see my last new spell?¡± Fay raised an eyebrow in amusement. ¡°You have more?¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Riven chuckled, then used the last spell he¡¯d acquired from his dao vision of the mountains of skeletons underneath a bloody sea - and the three sigils. ¡°I have some theories about the dao treasure we just used, and I don¡¯t think it was necessarily for a dao insight itself. And it turns out that the Shadow and Death Subpillars are related to Blood in a lot more intricate ways than I¡¯d expected. The experience was very complicated¡­ Anyways let¡¯s take a look, shall we?¡± Shifting his focus to the river¡¯s edge, he activated his temporary summoning spell. Eight flashes of light illuminated the small beach, and eight hooded skulls etched with crimson runes on their foreheads stared with equally crimson orbs for eyes in their skull sockets. Four were heavily armored with red claymores and thick red plate mail. Two held thin, wicked daggers dripping blood mana in each hand and were strapped in red leathers, while the last two wore crimson robes and held staves with ruby orbs that flickered blood mana in the same way his own arms did when he summoned blood lance. Each of their status reads was that of an elite, with gold lettering outlining their titles. [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] Chapter 217 Chapter 217 The undead legionnaires were something else. Riven had watched alongside many of the others under the stars as he commanded them to battle one another, and although it¡¯d only lasted for 5 minutes - the battle was a sight to behold. They were classed as elites, each poised at his own level which was far above the norm on this planet, and the fields erupted in a brutal free for all as they clashed. Storms of blood energies and shockwaves of clashing weapons eradicated much of the plantlife for a solid five hundred yards, and Riven wasn¡¯t entirely sure he¡¯d come out unscathed if he¡¯d been pitted against all eight at once. Unfortunately the fun didn¡¯t last, and as the night dwindled on - it was time for him to say goodbye. At least for now. ¡°I¡¯ll be back for our meeting with the fam.¡± Riven said, giving his sister a hug when she bent down to throw her arms around his chest. ¡°Feel free to call me with the coms we have whenever you want to talk otherwise. The engineers have really improved their craft, given we don¡¯t have satellites anymore.¡± Allie chuckled, ruffling his hair and kissing him on the cheek before backing up and evaluating Riven alongside the three demons he¡¯d contracted with. ¡°You going to get a fourth soon?¡± ¡°A fourth?¡± Riven shot Athela, Fay and Azmoth a sidelong glance. ¡°Before Chalgathi¡¯s quest, sure. Yattazi leaving like that left a bad taste in my mouth though. I¡¯ll give it some time, there¡¯s no rush.¡± Allie nodded sagely, leaning against Fimrindle¡¯s thin metal body. ¡°Gotchya. Well I do feel better now that you¡¯ve got some of your abilities back, but take it easy. No serious fights until you¡¯re fully recovered and can walk again without hobbling like an old hag.¡± Riven stuck out his tongue, and laughed when she did it right back. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m treating this like a miniature vacation anyways. Luke, Genua, Len, it¡¯s time to go. It should be noon on the other side of the planet and Hakim will be waiting for us.¡± Len grabbed onto her mother¡¯s skirt and followed the thrall-to-be to where the demons were gathered alongside Riven¡¯s wheelchair, smiling hesitantly up at him and hiding halfway behind her mother¡¯s legs. She still didn¡¯t know exactly what¡¯d happened between Riven and her family all those months ago, but her mother had told her they¡¯d had a falling out - so she¡¯d been rather shy ever since and kind of awkward. Riven himself had been even more awkward, and the guilt still gnawed at him every time he looked down at her. Nevertheless he gave his kindest smile and tried to avoid the child¡¯s gaze afterwards, nodding to Genua and then Luke after they¡¯d gathered up the supplies they¡¯d need for the next week. ¡°All ready?¡± ¡°We are, master.¡± Genua said with a slight bow. Luke just nodded with a grin and gave a thumbs up. ¡°This is how you all do it, right?¡± ¡°The thumbs up?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It means yes, or good, a positive connotation.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ve got it down!¡± Riven chuckled and lifted his hand, summoning Jackal to his hand - the weapon flew forward and landed in the open palm while his fingers gripped the solid black metal streaming with small rivers of blood. Allie, Gurth¡¯Rok, Dr. Brass, Mara, and all the others that¡¯d come waved their goodbye while the campfire still continued to crackle behind them. ¡°Have fun and get some relax time in!¡± Lahn called out when the portal erupted in front of Riven¡¯s spear-staff. ¡°You always look like you¡¯re about to have a stroke!¡± Riven blinked, then heartily laughed and flipped him off when he realized the young man was trying to make a joke. ¡°Fuck off, just because you¡¯re my sister¡¯s boyfriend doesn¡¯t mean you get to talk shit!¡± Smiling and waving at the now furiously blushing Lahn who sat in is own wheelchair, Riven immediately wondered whether or not they¡¯d made it an official thing yet. Probably not, at least not in Allie¡¯s queen persona, given Allie was going to go back to the royal academy again on her time off. The vast majority of people in Dawn, more to the point - the people at the Royal Academy, didn¡¯t know who and what she was outside of Lahn¡¯s family and that Gleetus guy they¡¯d already killed. Whatever floated her boat. Riven was just happy she was happy. Putting on Gaia¡¯s token, the red in his eyes began to fade to blue. The same could be said for Genua, and his three demons all abruptly changed as well. Athela¡¯s black hair remained but her eyes and skin became more human, adopting the look of a raven-haired young woman with the look of a track star. Fay adopted the same tanned blonde look she¡¯d had back in Mandon when she¡¯d gone on a date with him to meet with the king of Dawn, and Azmoth turned into a hulking, muscular, four-armed barbarian lacking a face. [Gaia¡¯s Heartwood Token (Epic): Wearing this token around your neck allows you to suppress any Charisma effects you may have, suppresses your vampiric qualities as well as the demonic qualities of your contracted familiars, as well as changes your status page information to represent a Level 55 Human. Those with identifier classes at high enough level can circumvent this ability.] Riven raised an eyebrow Gaia¡¯s way with a small grin, hiking a thumb Azmoth¡¯s way. ¡°That supposed to happen?¡± The demigodess chuckled dryly. ¡°I may have not tweaked it appropriately. Fay? Would you be a dear and fix it?¡± The succubus tipped her straw flat brim hat with a curtsy. ¡°Of course!¡± Her hallucinations kicked in, and a firm jawline along with deep brown eyes, and a nose all appeared - along with the disappearance of Azmoth¡¯s extra set of arms. ¡°There we go!¡± Azmoth looked down, at his body, feeling his extra limbs and the eel-like maws along his back - but not seeing them. ¡°Looks good. Thanks Fay, good to have back.¡± Riven¡¯s face softened, and he nodded in turn. ¡°Agreed.¡± Fay paused, then blushed a deep red and kicked at the ground when Athela nudged her out of her stupor. ¡°Thanks.¡± *** Hakim leaned against the wreckage of what had once been The Red Hand¡¯s home, a large burnt down cabin now with little to no one in the area of their recluse part of the world caring that the gang was all dead now. If anything, it¡¯d been cause for celebration. Hakim wasn¡¯t the only one they¡¯d tried to shake down and things had been a hell of a lot more peaceful with them gone. Though there¡¯d certainly been others trying to fill in that power gap in the meantime. But they were too busy dealing with other groups to worry about small fry like him. ¡°This was the day, right?¡± Julie asked from where she sat against a tree, dressed in a healer¡¯s robe that gave her a slight boost to holy healing miracles and her red hair pulled into a ponytail. ¡°I don¡¯t like being here more than I have to be. Not after what happened to Caleb.¡± Tim, her brother, nodded in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. But yes this is the right time, they¡¯ll be here soon. Riven wouldn¡¯t stand us up - especially not after mom told him she¡¯d bring sandwiches!¡± He winked at his mother, Tanya, who huffed and puffed on the hike here while carrying a large basket of the damn things for a total of over twenty sandwiches for lunch. A cold ice crystal bought from a mage in town kept the food cold and preserved, and it was almost like an ice box because of it. They were all ham and cheese, because those were a lot easier to come by than other things like peanut butter or jelly, and she¡¯d already announced that they¡¯d be headed to her favorite spot near the orchards after Riven, Athela, and their friends got here. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me. I see that look you¡¯re giving me.¡± Tanya slapped her hands onto the sides of her hips and pouted at her teenage son fervently. ¡°I brought you into this world and I can take you out of it mister! Don¡¯t make me come over there!¡± ¡°Better listen to your mom or I¡¯ll hear all about it.¡± Hakim grinned with a wink, only to startle when a portal lit up inside the wreckage of the destroyed cabin. He perked up, stood straight and helped Julie to her feet before turning around in his fur-covered leathers to watch. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re back!¡± Athela came through first, though they took a moment to recognize her due to the sundress and flat brim wicker hat she wore. That in combination with her more human features and skin color, they could have mistaken her for someone else if she hadn¡¯t waved at them. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey guys!¡± Athela called, enthusiastically running over and throwing her arms around Julie - causing the redheaded young woman to laugh. ¡°I missed you! What¡¯ve you all been up to while I¡¯ve been gone!? A lot¡¯s happened since we last talked, boy do I have stories to tell!¡± Azmoth came next, sizing Hakim up with a spout of flames from his mouth that briefly disrupted the illusion before walking beyond the portal¡¯s exit. Then came Genua holding Len¡¯s hand, the two elves followed by Riven who was pushed through by Fay - and then finally Luke came up in the rear. The portal snapped closed behind them in an instant, and Tanya¡¯s eyes lit up at the sight of them all. ¡°Oh wow! You brought more people than I¡¯d expected. Good thing I made so many sandwiches! I was worried I¡¯d had too many!¡± The middle aged woman slapped the side of her basket with a giggle. ¡°Who¡¯re the rest of these people? I¡¯ve only met Athela and Azmoth¡­ and¡­ Wait, is that the succubus you used to have? Didn¡¯t she leave? Where¡¯s the snake?¡± ¡°She came back, long and complicated story. And the snake is gone, another long story.¡± Athela cut in, putting an arm around Fay¡¯s shoulders to save her from having to explain. ¡°As for the others¡­¡± Riven motioned for them to introduce themselves. ¡°My name is Genua, and this is my daughter - Len.¡± The elf stated very properly, flattening out her maid¡¯s outfit and clasping her hands in front of her while giving them a polite nod. ¡°You can think of me as Riven¡¯s servant.¡± Len waved nervously from behind her mother¡¯s leg. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°I am a servant as well.¡± The older elf stated, his white hair pulled back into a ponytail of his own to match Julie¡¯s - but he had the stature of a confident and happy man with wrinkles to match frequent smiles. ¡°Occasionally I¡¯m also a sparring partner.¡± Tanya¡¯s mouth quirked up with surprise and amusement. ¡°Servants? Riven, I knew you were on the leaderboard but I guess I just put it together - you¡¯re rich too. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Hakim and Tim were a little weirded out however. ¡°What happened to you? Are you ok?¡± Hakim asked, motioning with his axe to the wheelchair Riven sat in. ¡°Don¡¯t you have healing properties due to your vampirism? I saw your neck get snapped once and you were fine.¡± ¡°Probably just an act to cover his identity, like the illusions he has on.¡± Julie said with a gesture. ¡°Makes sense to me. It¡¯s what I¡¯d do.¡± Riven opened his mouth to disagree, but thought better of it and shrugged with a gentle smile - then winked. He didn¡¯t want to burden them with unnecessary worry, because it was very likely he¡¯d be 100% soon enough. ¡°Caught me. It¡¯s just part of the act.¡± His demonic minions and thralls didn¡¯t even blink at the white lie. Riven¡¯s gaze turned to the town in the distance, settled inbetween large hills near a glistening lake with a temperate forest surrounding it. This entire area was temperate forest, pines, oaks and elms, in abundance, and it made him think back to the days where he¡¯d visited various parts of Utah in the rocky mountains. ¡°Is that the one?¡± They all turned to look with him. ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± Tim confirmed with a nod, hands resting on his belt. ¡°Not sure what it used to be called, but now that a bunch of new people moved in post integration - we all call it Jerbyville.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow in amusement, crossing his fingers wordlessly while his hood shielded his eyes from the rays of the sun. ¡°Jerbyville? Really?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t judge us when your capital is named Brightsville.¡± Hakim muttered with a grin. ¡°Fair enough. I definitely can¡¯t argue that one.¡± Riven chuckled under his breath. ¡°To be fair, I was going to change the name but never got around to it. Now that it¡¯s become a known entity though I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to change it, as lame as the name actually is.¡± *** The closer they came to the town, the more outliers they saw in terms of cabins, huts, or tiny fenced off communities. There weren¡¯t many of them but the whole mountain-man theme was certainly present and many people originating from Earth had gathered here. Some sported beards, others cut-off plaid shirts with hiking boots, and then there were still more that had adopted a more medieval-style outfitting after interacting with the system. The dungeons in the surrounding wilderness nearby apparently dropped a lot of low to mid grade gear for people around levels 10 to 40, with prizes often being things like the axe Hakim had or the stat-imbued robe Julie wore. There were also two blacksmiths in town, both of which having gained the ¡®ascended blacksmith¡¯ class that allowed them to actually imbue their personal signatures into various items they made for additional stat boosts; along with other benefits to having a crafting class. ¡°Hey Sara!¡± Julie waved to another of the brunette townsfolk her age, a very pregnant one, who was walking alongside her husband on the dirt road leading into town. ¡°How far along are you now!?¡± ¡°31 weeks and 3 days since I found out!¡± Sara called back, holding her belly and tripping slightly when a strong and warm breeze whipped at her hoodie - her husband leaning over to catch her from falling in the gust. ¡°Oof! That was close!¡± ¡°Be careful, and good luck!¡± Julie called back while they passed, giggling when the husband started chiding Sara about being more careful. ¡°Those two are a cute couple.¡± Athela nodded absentmindedly at Julie¡¯s words, looking deep into the forest and squinting with a frown. Then she turned back and stopped dead in the road, staring at the couple that¡¯d just passed by. When the couple turned back a second later to look at her, their eyes met - and Athela let out a snort. ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­ Julie, how long have they been here?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Julie cocked her head to the side with a smile, then made the connection. ¡°Oh! Sara and her husband John? They¡¯ve been here since before we were here. Why?¡± The couple hurried down the dirt road and out of sight, not turning back around while Athela and Fay shared a look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I was just curious. Hey Riven? Mind if I go for a quick jog? I could use a stretch.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes flicked left towards the spot the couple had disappeared, and he let out a sigh while rubbing his temple with two fingers. ¡°Sure. Make it fast.¡± Athela nodded, ruffled the hood he wore, and then flashed away - leaving the rest of them to continue into the settlement. Speaking of which, the town was a lot more lively than Riven had anticipated it to be given the size of it. Dirt roads, log cabins and poorly painted storefronts were in abundance. There were also a couple people doing various crafts inside open-air workshops, such as carpentry and map making. Men and women laughed and bustled about, with a few patrolling groups of militia making rounds on the perimeter from time to time. ¡°Is there a mayor here, or something like it?¡± Riven asked curiously, watching a couple of rifle and axe-wielding men trudge along while giving Riven¡¯s group sidelong glances. Some of them outright stared at the elves, and it occurred to Riven that they may have never seen elves before - many of the men even rubbing their eyes to gawk. Tanya shook her head, waving to one of the two blacksmiths in town who was hammering at a chunk of metal near a furnace. ¡°No, there aren¡¯t. It¡¯s everyone for themselves, which is why groups like The Red Hand were able to pop up. There are a couple of guilds, gangs, and militia like the ones you just saw - but mostly we all get along unless you get in someone¡¯s way. It¡¯s overall safe I¡¯d say. What happened with Caleb and the last time you arrived was¡­ an outlier.¡± Tim gave Riven a flat look as if to disagree but kept his mouth shut nevertheless. ¡°A little over twenty thousand people live here, including the surrounding homes a few miles out. Including even our own home that you saw last time.¡± Tanya said without missing a beat, continuing to almost skip along happily towards the center of town where a park was located for their lunch. ¡°It means that everyone has a place in the community! Even a small businesswoman like me! I make clothes for the people here, you know!¡± The men and women on the streets coming in and out of trading shops, homes and pubs all gave Riven and his friends sidelong looks or outright stares. He got a few pointed fingers as well, but he was pretty sure they were all looking at Genua, Len, and Luke rather than anyone else. ¡°Most haven¡¯t seen elves yet, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Hakim confirmed a moment later, stepping onto the circular grassy park and off the dirt streets - heading towards a set of picnic tables underneath some elm trees. ¡°It won¡¯t be a big deal, but you¡¯ll probably get some finger pointing and stares. There were actually some Lizardians that came through two weeks ago and that really stirred up a fuss, but even then - it was more curiosity than anything else. They came and went, and they¡¯ll likely be back - saying they were tradesmen looking to establish connections. They even brought over some cool trinkets for many of the people here, like enchanted amulets. A very nice bunch if you ask me, even if they did look similar to those lizard people you killed in the dungeon that first time I used Heroic Intervention. So if they can handle lizardians, they¡¯ll be able to handle some elves that look far more similar to humans than those creatures did.¡± ¡°Sandwich time!¡± Tanya called out, setting her basket on the flat wood and taking out packaged ham and cheese between slices of bread. ¡°Who wants some!¡± ¡°Azmoth wants some!¡± Azmoth let out and raised both hands. Fay rolled Riven up to the table, sitting down on the bench beside his wheelchair, and leaned her head onto the table while he pulled out some pitchers of water from his spatial sack. Looking up at the sunny sky above them, she let her shoulders relax as laughter began to fill the air around them when Len hopped up onto the wood and savagely demanded that she be allowed to eat the first sandwich. ¡°Len! That¡¯s rude¡±! Genua chided her daughter, swatting her hand very softly but with a meaningful glare as the others laughed. ¡°Apologize!¡± Fay smirked when the mother-daughter duo started arguing, then shifted her attention back to Riven with a whisper. ¡°They didn¡¯t know. They hadn¡¯t even a clue.¡± Riven didn¡¯t even grimace. Instead, he just allowed himself to take in the happy scene in front of him. Letting out a content exhale, he shrugged his shoulders and let himself slouch - putting a hand on Fay¡¯s own after accepting a sandwich with a nod of thanks. ¡°Athela will take care of it. I have no doubt that she¡¯ll be more than enough to handle the situation.¡± *** Athela¡¯s black figure blurred through the trees, the landscape flying by at insane speed as her legs carried her forward without a single sound being made at her passing. The wind failed to whistle, the leaves she stepped on failed to crackle, and her shallow breaths might as well have been nothing but a butterfly beating its wings for all the sound it made while she raced forward. And her prey had caught her scent. The two figures in front of her were fast, very fast, especially for their level. What were skinwalkers doing here of all places? Were they contracted familiars, or were they ferals that¡¯d escaped the lower realms on their own somehow due to sheer dumb luck? [Level 99 Skinwalker, Demon] [Level 86 Skinwalker, Demon] They were also far stronger than anything that should be living in this area. Was anyone around here even close to level 80 or 90 yet? Hakim¡¯s group certainly wasn¡¯t. In front of her, two gray figures - humanoid with lanky, long limbs and alien-like heads rushed forward in a frantic gallop. They moved almost like cats, on all fours, lacking faces with the exception of round mouths lined with teeth. Occasionally they¡¯d glance over their shoulders and shriek to one another, becoming panicked while Athela closed in. She grinned upon seeing their fear. She certainly had some questions for them, questions that they¡¯d give her one way or the other - and if they didn¡¯t¡­ Well she had two new abilities to test out on them if they didn''t. One¡¯s she¡¯d been absolutely dying to use. Chapter 218 Chapter 218 Sara and John, which were the two names they¡¯d adopted over the past couple months, were absolutely terrified. Their real names were Ak¡¯ra and Selzi, Ak¡¯ra being John and Selzi being Sara respectively. They¡¯d escaped the Hells with their clan and moved to this desolate wilderness, away from the rest of the world to avoid abominations like the very creature rushing towards them at breakneck speeds. ¡°Selzi!¡± Ak¡¯ra, or John, yelled back over his shoulder - pausing only for a brief half-second to pick Selzi up from the ground where she¡¯d skidded to a halt after tripping over a fallen log. His pale, eyeless head whipped around - and his body began to shiver in fright when he saw the sleek black form of the arshakai demon tearing through the forest like a speeding bullet. ¡°SELZI WE NEED TO MOVE!¡± He picked his mate up when he realized she¡¯d sprained one of her legs, badly, and he rushed ahead towards the clan nest with frantic abandon. His heart beat wildly in his chest and the pores along his skin began to weep. ¡°This can¡¯t be it¡­ This can¡¯t be the end, not here, not now¡­ We only just got here!¡± But the life of a demon was unforgiving. He knew what this creature would do to them if she caught them before they reached the relative safety of the brood. But even then¡­ Was he being selfish? His long, gangly, clawed limbs scrambled over a large boulder and launched his body at high speed towards the hills. He only dared look back once, and the demoness had gained ground. Long spider-like blades were carrying her forward through the trees now, the demon having abandoned the ground for an aerial attack - and he managed to identify her after three quick attempts only for his round mouth to exhale sharply in horror while he sprinted to lose her. [Athela, Level 127 Archdemon: Unique, 3 forms. Cute Wittle Blood Weaver / Gluttonous Arshakai / Gluttonous Fae Drider. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] By the Hells. He was going to be eaten today. The realization hit him like a freight train, and his mind blanked. He had a decision to make, and with one final look at his mate - he threw her forward and turned to meet the beast pursuing them. It was a final act of love, one final act of sacrifice to save Selzi so that she may have a chance to finally find that happiness they¡¯d been searching for all these years. ¡°SELZI, RUN! I WILL HOLD THIS MONSTER OFF!¡± *CRACK* *SNAP* *CRASH* *** Athela launched herself from the treetops like a torpedo and smashed into the higher leveled skinwalker with absolute accuracy, despite having jumped a gap of over fifty yards to do it. She cleared the jump in less than a second, and her six blades slammed into the monster in numerous spots like pistons all along its four limbs. The resounding sound of her impact intertwined with the snapping of trees when they barreled into two of them and slid to a stop, the demon underneath her screaming and squealing while trying to get loose. The other skinwalker had been thrown and was scrambling to her feet, wailing and limping forward when red threads extended from Athela¡¯s hand. The red strings spun out in a net that snapped shut around the other female demon - pulling her to the ground in an instant. ¡°Well hello, chaps!¡± Athela said with a proud smile, pretending to dust off her hands and looking around to see nothing and no one else present. ¡°Mighty fine day today, isn¡¯t it!?¡± ¡°Curse you to the abyss!¡± The skinwalker she was currently standing on and impaling to the ground, with numerous spots along its legs and limbs clamped down, spat viciously. ¡°Our clan will find you and gut you for this! You will not get away with taking our lives so easily!¡± Athela snickered, then began yanking the squirming ball of bloody threads closer and closer - pulling it in until the two skinwalkers were beside one another while they continued to thrash. ¡°Just get it over with!¡± the female skinwalker said, shuddering and its skin weeping like so many of her kind did when they were seriously upset. It was the equivalent to humans crying, and Athela momentarily took pity on it while the creature was stuck in her net. ¡°I have questions first, before ripping off both of your heads.¡± Athela said, putting a foot on the male¡¯s neck and causing it to gasp. She put on a little pressure for emphasis and glared down at them. ¡°What are the two of you doing here? Are you contracted familiars? Or are you escapees?¡± ¡°Why do you care!?¡± The skinwalker underneath her screeched in a raspy voice, even snarling her way with pinned claws extended. It tried to activate an ability but Athela¡¯s stamina and aura snapped down on the both of them so fast that whatever it¡¯d been, the ability shut off without even having a chance to start. The creature underneath her began to wail, loudly, echoing through the forest with high-pitched grunts and squeals while the female began to do the same. Ugh. Athela promptly slapped both of them across the face, one after the other, and then yanked the male up by his neck to stare down at his featureless gray head. ¡°You have one chance. Answer me, tell me what you¡¯re doing here, and you might live depending on what you say.¡± They slowly calmed down, though the male was still in a lot of pain. Athela remedied that by slapping a web onto his front and yanking out her bladed arachnid legs. One by one the skinwalker¡¯s wounds began to slowly heal - not quite as fast as Riven¡¯s healing, but still able to be seen with the naked eye. ¡°Now¡­¡± Athela muttered, her limbs twisting and snapping in an abrupt and violent lurch. Her body morphed, quick and fast, forming the house-sized drider form. Her body turned bright white, she grew an extra set of red eyes, her upper torso was that of a beautiful young woman while she had the body of an arachnid so large that each ice-covered leg could crush the two demons beneath her shadow with a mere flick. ¡°How many of you are there?¡± The two demons squealed in horror when her large hands reached down and plucked them up off the forest floor, taking piles of leaves and dirt with them while her fingers wrapped around their bodies. ¡°Squealing isn¡¯t an answer, you little pests.¡± Athela sneered - showing rows of jagged, white, sparkling teeth. Crystal roses bloomed along her body, and a fine mist of frost began to spread. ¡°What are your names? How many of you are there? How many people have you killed, and what were your plans for this town nearby?¡± The larger male spat blood when the grip tightened on his ribcage and a bone snapped. ¡°I am Ak¡¯ra. I have killed and eaten three people. The town is an excellent hunting ground for us, low leveled humans and unsuspecting. There are over twenty others aside from us that will come for you if we die, we are not bound to any summoner. We¡¯ve been here since the beginning of the integration. What is it to you?¡± ¡°My name is Selzi. Five humans I have eaten, my appetite is stronger than my mate¡¯s. One corpse may last him for months, but it is less so for me.¡± The female hissed in pain, arching her back when her words faltered and she hesitated. ¡°Ugh! There are indeed many more of us! Please release your grip¡­ thank you. It is as Ak¡¯ra said, this place is an easy hunting grounds for our kind. We merely wish to live in peace, please¡­ let us go. We can pay you, or even serve you if you wish! We can offer you more than just a meal if you let us leave alive! Achieving the rank of archdemon at such a relatively low level speaks volumes of your power and majesty! We would gladly serve someone who is so quick to rise, one who is no doubt destined for glory!¡± Athela raised an eyebrow, but it was amusement that colored her features rather than anything else. ¡°Glory huh? Go on.¡± If Selzi could have blinked in surprise, she would have. ¡°Y-yes! You are a majestic creature if we have ever seen one! Your power is obviously far beyond our own, it is only natural that we compliment you so!¡± Getting on board quickly with Athela¡¯s mood change, Ak¡¯ra nodded fervently. ¡°Of course, it is natural! Yes, absolutely natural! I¡¯m sure that one such as yourself no doubt has an entire nest of loyal followers! After all, you are not only archdemon - but you are of the legendary tier! Elysium has judged you as grandiose indeed!¡± Both skinwalkers rapidly nodded their heads three times in unison. Athela¡¯s narrowed red eyes flicked back and forth from one to the other. She let out an amused and content humming sound, then gently placed both creatures on the ground in front of her. ¡°Do not run, or I will kill you. Do you understand, maggots?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The jittery demons were obviously shocked, and they glanced at one another in disbelief before prostrating themselves before Athela¡¯s massive arachnid limbs. ¡°Oh great one! We thank you for your supreme generosity!¡± ¡°One as strong and as powerful and as beautiful as you honors us measly worms by allowing us to live!¡± ¡°Let us show you to our nest so that the others may worship you with us!¡± ¡°Praise be to the great spider queen!¡± ¡°Praise be!¡± ¡°Praise beee!!!¡± Athela waved a hand in the air as if fanning herself. They¡¯d no doubt killed the young married couple they were impersonating and the two skinwalkers had admitted to eating more people, but at the same time - isn¡¯t that what demons usually did just out of instinct? Humans were no different to most demons than what pigs were to humans. Could she really blame them? And if she used this opportunity to better suit her own needs, and Riven¡¯s needs¡­ She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Yes, yes. This is how it should be no doubt! I¡¯ll have to teach Riven a thing or two about how he treats me after showing you lot off to him. You¡¯re going to be my pets from now on. If I say bark, you bark. If I say jump, you ask how high. If I say go fetch me some wine, you¡¯re going to fetch me some wine and then rub my back for fifteen minutes before you get to leave. Got it?¡± ¡°We will serve if you protect!¡± Ak¡¯ra said, slamming his head hard and fast into the dirt floor of the forest. ¡°You have shown us mercy when you could have killed us, we will pledge!¡± ¡°A pledge¡±! repeated Selzi with glowing admiration, looking up in awe at the archdemon that - unknown to Athela - Selzi had only heard stories of as a child. To this particular skinwalker, and probably to many other lesser demons, standing in the presence of an archdemon was truly an honor and awe inspiring. ¡°We will serve our better!¡± Athela humphed, puffing out her chest and raising her nose to the sky. ¡°Yes my plebian peons! Take me to your previous leader. I will have words with him, I dare say! Oh, and one more thing.¡± Athela glowered at the two, suddenly slamming the presence of her aura down on them both as a suppressive weight that caused them both to gasp. The air cracked with elemental lightning, sin energy began to ripple and tear at space, and their skin began to freeze over while she flexed it to a new height. ¡°No more eating humans until I say you can. Only animals. My master would not deem it ok if you did eat people and I¡¯d be forced to kill you, even if he is a vampire. Odd situation I know, but rules are rules.¡± Both of the skinwalkers dropped their jaws in shock, gasping for air when her aura vanished from their presence. But the look of shock remained when they raised their heads to meet her gaze. ¡°You¡­ YOU have a master?! YOU!? How is that possible?!?¡± Ak¡¯ra asked, bewildered. ¡°HERE!? On THIS frontier planet?! Is there anyone that even remotely comes close to your power?¡± Selzi shuddered outwardly. ¡°He must be a very intimidating figure to hold sway over someone as amazing as you, my spider queen!¡± Athela¡¯s lips twitched upwards in satisfaction, and she let out another loud: ¡°HMPH!¡± She could get used to this. *** Riven was sitting in his wheelchair eating another sandwich she he got his first ever telepathic message from Athela, whose voice blasted into his head like a megaphone. ¡°RIVEN GUESS WHAT!?¡± He outwardly flinched, cringing and holding the side of his head to stop her voice from echoing around in his skull. It was an odd sensation, hearing her voice channel directly into his head, but he knew what it was as soon as it happened just by concentrating on the connection. ¡°Jesus Christ¡­¡± Fay was the only one who noticed while the others were laughing, talking and joking around with one another while continuing to get stares for being in the company of elves. ¡°Are you ok? What¡¯s wrong? Is it your soul again?¡± ¡°No¡­ No, I''m fine.¡± Riven gave her a warm smile and put his hand on her own, fingers intertwining under the table where she¡¯d rested it on his knee. ¡°Just Athela using that new telepathy thing we¡¯ve got going-¡± ¡°RIVEN CAN YOU HEAR ME RIVEN!?¡± He winced again, then internally scowled and thought back another message in reply. ¡°Athela I swear to god if you scream into my head one more time I¡¯m going to put you in spider time out for SO long.¡± There was a pause. ¡°Fine. I was just so excited! Do you want to know why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve subjugated a nest of skinwalkers is why! They¡¯re calling me the SPIDER QUEEEN AHAHAHAHAHAHAHahahahaha! I AM GLORIOUS! I AM SUPREME! I WAS BORN FOR GREATNESS RIVEN! BORN FOR IT!¡± ¡°Dear god in heaven. Alright well you can tell me the details when you come back. Are you coming back soon?¡± ¡°On my way now, my sexy potato man!¡± ¡°What in the world prompted you to call me a potato man?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just excited! I have my very own minions now!¡± He let out a long exhale. ¡°Right. Just travel back safe. Ok?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re worried about me! Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I just want you to be careful is all. Especially if you¡¯re over there subjugating demon nests.¡± ¡°You love me, don¡¯t you!?¡± there was a hint of amusement there, but also a genuine fondness. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes. You already know I love you. Now shut up and get back here if you¡¯re done doing what you need to do.¡± ¡°Got it babes!¡± Athela¡¯s presence faded from his mind, and he rubbed his fingers into the bridge of his nose again before sighing in relief. He turned to Fay. ¡°If we ever get a telepathy thing of our own going on, please don¡¯t scream obnoxiously loud stuff into my head just for the fun of it.¡± Fay blinked, then snickered and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t. Athela is just being Athela, it¡¯s part of her charm.¡± He let on a suspicious look after that, but began to smile while Len and Julie were playing nothing less than monopoly of all things with Hakim and Azmoth. Azmoth already had Park Place and was going for Boardwalk, while all of the light blues and purples on the bottom side of the board were taken up by Julie who had a hesitant alliance with the little elf girl - as if Monopoly alliances were even a thing. Len on the other hand had all the greens, and was working on the oranges even now. Hakim was shit out of luck. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to collect when you pass GO, Len!¡± Fay yelled out an exclamation of horror when the little girl landed on one of Azmoth¡¯s railroads. She then laughed and gripped Riven¡¯s hand more firmly, leaning into him with a deep sigh. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± He didn¡¯t blink, still hooded from the bright midday light. ¡°Part of her charm? What exactly did you and Athela talk about when she went to get you back?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like she just CAME to get me back, I invited her to talk first.¡± Fay protested, putting an arm around his neck and nuzzling her nose against his with a playful grin. ¡°And that¡¯s girl talk.¡± He simply raised both eyebrows. ¡°Ok, fine. I¡¯ll talk.¡± Fay said, throwing up her hands in defeat. ¡°But ONLY when Athela gets back, and when we go to sleep tonight. It needs to be a talk between the three of us.¡± Riven¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Is it bad?¡± ¡°No! Not at all. It actually went very well, as long as¡­ you¡¯re ok with it.¡± Fay looked around making sure no one else was listening, then huffed. ¡°Yeah, ok, I''m not going to be able to hold this in. Athela said that if I were to come back that we¡¯d need to work on our own relationship too so there wouldn¡¯t be any jealousy issues sharing you, and we might have slept together. There.¡± ¡°Knew it.¡± Riven said flatly. He hesitated when she looked back at him with concern etched into her face, then held up a hand to stop her from speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯d originally been the one to throw that idea out when you were about to leave, and I¡¯m glad it worked out that way.¡± Fay¡¯s features softened. ¡°Alright. I knew that was probably the case, but Athela didn¡¯t ask you first and I wanted to make sure¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d much rather pursue a relationship with both of you than a relationship with just one of you, if it means that neither of you leave.¡± Riven confirmed with a brief glance. ¡°I know I¡¯d said I was looking for ¡®the one¡¯, and a soul mate, but you leaving made me realize that it¡¯s possible to deeply care about two people at once. As cliche and shallow as that sounds. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, Fay.¡± The succubus went from shocked one moment, to a furiously red blush - and she averted her eyes but tightened her grip on his hand with a poorly hidden and embarrassed smile. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m glad I¡¯m back too. I thought about you the entire time I was gone.¡± There was a pause. ¡°As did I for you. It was hard, seeing you go.¡± From across the park and coming in from the street, a group of three men began to approach the table. One of them had a large rifle on his back, and the other two were completely unarmed - or at least at first glance they were. They all looked rather gruff and one had a jagged scar running down his thick neck, each of them sporting shaggy beards. Riven watched them come in silence, watched them evaluate him and the rest of the group in turn until he came to a stop behind Hakim - waiting for all of them to give him their undivided attention as the board game, laughing, and joking all subsided within twenty seconds. ¡°Hello, friends.¡± The man said in a thick southern accent while wearing jean overalls, spitting tobacco out to the side and gesturing to Genua with an upturned chin. ¡°Don¡¯t mean to be rude so please don¡¯t take no offense, but is that there really an elf? Or is ya fake?¡± Genua blinked, then exchanged looks with Luke, and then Riven, before answering. ¡°I am an elf, yes. Why?¡± ¡°I bet my friends here five silver coins you was the real deal, so I was hopin you could pull on your pointy ears there a bit to show these fine gentlemen they¡¯re actually attached to your pretty blonde head?¡± The man said with a genuine smile. ¡°If it aint too much of a burden, that is. Also, ya see¡­ my boss here has been looking for one of your type. He¡¯d pay handsome dollar bills if ya get what I¡¯m sayin, if you were to visit him for a bit so he could¡­ have a chat. If ya get what I¡¯m sayin.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes darted left to the place where the three men had come, and standing there in the dirt road watching the exchange was a man in a fancy top-hat wearing a monocle of all goddamn things and using a cane to support himself. He was surrounded by bulky, gruff looking men like the three that¡¯d approached the table Riven now sat at, and he looked to be waiting expectantly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to refuse.¡± Genua said politely, giving a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m on holiday duty attending to my Lord. I am his servant, and cannot be bothered to leave at this time.¡± The gruff man in the center of the three raised an eyebrow quizzically, giving the group a once over. ¡°Servant? Did I hears ya right? To what man or lord is it you speak of?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be me.¡± Riven said without missing a beat, meeting the gazes of the three men unflinchingly and with a polite but simple smile. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Genua is preoccupied. I¡¯m sorry, he¡¯ll have to find another elf to bother.¡± A bag as thick as Riven¡¯s fist slapped onto the table a second later, spilling coins of gold, silver, and copper onto the thick wood and startling Tanya - who was sitting next to her son Tim in bewilderment. ¡°You can¡¯t just come over here and ask for someone to play your whore, thinking you¡¯re the new dogs in town now that The Red Hand is gone.¡± Tim said with a scowl. ¡°Get lost, that¡¯s absolutely insulting.¡± Tanya¡¯s objecting frown seemed to agree with her son, while Hakim and Julie just blankly stared - unconcerned in the least but with a slightly annoyed look on Julie. ¡°That¡¯s a lot¡¯a money, ¡®Lord.¡¯ I¡¯d take it if I was you.¡± The bearded middle man said with his hands coming up to rest on his overalls - ignoring the protests of the others. ¡°But if you don¡¯t want it, we can just give it to the lady here directly if need be.¡± Chapter 219 Chapter 219 Riven stared down at the bag of Elysium coins glinting in the sunlight with a frown, ignoring the challenging tone of the rough-looking man in front of him. ¡°Genua?¡± The elf immediately straightened on her seat. ¡°Yes, Riv?¡± He snorted in amusement at the reduced name they were using for him in public. It wasn¡¯t like his features were all that different and in time people would likely put two and two together, but still. ¡°Would you like to go?¡± His head turned and he clasped his hands with a polite smile. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you if you do want to. You can always come back if it¡¯s me that¡¯s holding you here. I can watch Len for you and have Azmoth even escort you back and forth if you¡¯d like. Is that something you¡¯d want?¡± Genua¡¯s face twisted in disgust, and she gave the three bearded men a once over before leaning forward to get a better look at the man in the top hat. ¡°No. No it is most certainly not.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Riven said, scooting the bag of coins over the table to her for her to get a better look. ¡°They¡¯re willing to pay.¡± ¡°I said no, Riv. Please don¡¯t ask me again.¡± She stiffened and one of the men standing nearby audibly scoffed, picking up the bag of coins and pocketing it. Riven shrugged their way. ¡°There. I asked, she didn¡¯t want to go even given leave of her duties. Please, go away.¡± Azmoth took the liberty to stand up, getting some wide-eyed looks of astonishment when they realized just how tall he actually was. Even in ¡®human¡¯ form, he was absolutely huge and towered over even Hakim who was already a beast of a man. The middle of the three men, wearing overalls and fidgeting with one of his pockets before glancing over his shoulder to shake his head at his boss - made some unsaid communication with the other man before shrugging and sighing. ¡°Alright, that be fine. If ya change your mind lady let us know, my employer is mighty rich and treats his women well.¡± With that, much to Riven¡¯s surprise, the three newcomers turned around and simply walked off without a care in the world. There were no attempts to intimidate anyone, no threats, no angry yelling or pointing fingers. They just left, and the man wearing the tophat and monocle sighed reluctantly before turning around with all of his hired thugs and walking away down the street. Azmoth sat back down, causing the bench underneath him to creak. ¡°That actually went rather well.¡± Riven said with surprise. ¡°Usually I end up killing a bunch of people when things like that start.¡± Hakim chuckled under his breath, shaking his head and resuming the monopoly game they had going on. ¡°You say that so casually! I hope I don¡¯t become like that. Do you ever have questions about your morality? Not trying to be offensive, I¡¯m just seriously curious.¡± Riven considered the question, drumming his fingers on the table and staring out into the forest beyond town where Athela was likely still running his way. ¡°It isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Riven shrugged, taking another bite of a ham and cheese sandwich and chewing slowly before swallowing. ¡°I¡¯ve given up trying to determine what is good and is not, what is evil and what is not. I just do what I want, hope for the best. Now tell me, is there a shop around here that would sell anything on this list?¡± Riven pulled out a sheet of paper and shoved it across the table for Hakim, Tim, Julie and Tanya to look at. Over thirty items were listed on the sheet, with various notes and starred items written in black ink. ¡°It¡¯s stuff I could use for totem making based on the few beginner¡¯s manuals I got back in Brightsville.¡± Riven said with a toothy grin. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to starting. I have enough to start out and make a few really basic totems, but by the time I go back my goal is to have finally acquired an ascended craft. One of my previous familiars, Yattazi, had a cooking skill I never got to see and she didn¡¯t have a cooking class - so I know it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Might not be as good as those with a class, but yes it¡¯s definitely possible. I personally have a crafting class regarding the clothesmaking profession, but there are others here that have only the ascended craft.¡± Tanya muttered under her breath, flipping the page over to make sure nothing was on the back and brushing her fingers through her shoulder-length red hair. Her face scrunched up and her freckles became more pronounced when she handed the paper back. ¡°There are two shops you might want to check out.¡± ¡°Glee¡¯s General Goods Store and Odds & Ends.¡± Tim nodded in agreement, standing up and beginning to stretch. ¡°Want me to show you while the others finish their game and wait for Athela?¡± ¡°I still hungry, stay and eat.¡± Azmoth confirmed in his hulking, bald, barbarian form - but it looked more like he was just invested in the monopoly game and didn¡¯t want to get up. Riven chuckled, wheeling himself back and then around the table while Fay gave a polite nod to the others and stood up with him. ¡°Absolutely. Let¡¯s go, I want to start building things today!¡± *** Glee¡¯s General Goods Store already had a pack of men and women of various levels carrying backpacks or pushing carts right outside, talking about nearby dungeon runs or trading opportunities with other towns that were somewhat out-of-the-way according to Tim. The building was a boxy two-story log cabin with the bottom floor being a general goods store and the top floor being where ¡®Glee¡¯ - the owner of the establishment - lived with her two sons. ¡°Scuse us.¡± Tim called out, getting a few head turns but also allowing Riven, Fay and himself to pass through when the other people crowding the area made way. ¡°New to town, eh?¡± A stick-thin woman wearing hiking gear asked with a puzzled but warm smile. ¡°Not often we see people coming through here besides the regulars. They with you for a while Tim? Or just acquaintances?¡± ¡°Hey Jarla, and they¡¯re going to be here for at least a few weeks I think.¡± Tim gestured to the two behind him. ¡°This is Riv, and that¡¯s Fay pushing his wheelchair.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t walk?¡± Another short bald man wearing a backpack asked - only to be chided by the woman named Jarla. ¡°Course he can¡¯t walk, idiot!¡± Jarla smacked the bald guy with the back of her hand across his shoulder, causing him to wince. ¡°What do ya think he¡¯s in the chair for!? You got two brain cells up there in that tiny skull of yours and only one of them is working! Riv, ignore this moron.¡± Riven smirked at the man¡¯s expression, having thoroughly tucked his tail between his legs, but held up a hand to dismiss the question. ¡°Not a problem at all. To be fair I can walk, but it takes a lot out of me and it isn¡¯t for very long. Hopefully I¡¯ll recover soon.¡± ¡°See! It was a valid question!¡± The bald man humphed, getting a laugh from his friends when Jenny scowled ferociously his way - but Tim was kind enough to hold the door. Riven waved to his brief acquaintances and let Fay push him inside, the succubus getting more than a few stares on the way in. The sound of a bell jingled when the wooden door shut, and the interior was well lit with a couple barred windows as well as a few lightbulbs powered by a generator in the corner of the store. Glass cases stood against the walls and as counters to lean on, with a few shelves and tables all displaying various goods and attached price tags. It was obvious this had once been an outdoors and hunting store by the layout, or they¡¯d simply adapted really fast with all of the stuffed deer heads. ¡°Hold on! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± a feminine voice called out from the back with the gruff laughter of more masculine voices around a corner and into an office area near the generator. Opening the office and saying something to the occupants inside, a tall overweight woman with happy features and wrinkles indicating she smiled a lot said something sassy - getting a laugh from the men inside before letting the door click shut behind her. She turned, brown frazzled hair completely unkempt and a smudge mark of grease on her face. ¡°Oh hello, Tim! You brought some new ones with ya today? My name¡¯s Glee, and this is my store - Glee¡¯s General Goods Store in case you didn¡¯t read the sign out there!¡± ¡°Hey Glee!¡± Tim replied happily, bouncing over to the counter and introducing ¡®Riv¡¯ and Fay one by one. ¡°They¡¯re here for the next couple weeks and he¡¯s looking for some supplies. I know that a lot of people come through here and drop off their finds from monster kills or dungeon runs, so we decided to come here to take a look.¡± ¡°What kind of supplies?¡± Glee asked with a raised eyebrow, coming behind one of the glass counters and leaning her weight onto the top while giving Riv and Fay a once over. ¡°Kinda odd you came all the way out here to Jerbyville with a chair like that. I don¡¯t know how you made it through the wilderness frankly.¡± ¡°He had help.¡± Fay said kindly, brushing her long silky blonde hair out of her face and blowing at it with a puff of air when it came right back over her right eye. ¡°I babysit him, basically he¡¯s my pet.¡± ¡°You what!?¡± Riven said aghast, dropping his jaw in fake protest and whirling around to get a laugh from the young woman. ¡°That¡¯s just plain rude!¡± Glee grunted her acknowledgement while her eyes traced Fay¡¯s figure in the sundress. ¡°Yes I think many a man wouldn¡¯t mind being your pet, missy. So what is it you both need? A comb maybe?¡± Fay snorted with a smirk. ¡°Yes, that. But mostly we came for Rive- Riv¡¯s new hobby. He¡¯s trying to become a totem maker.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Riven playfully stuck his tongue out at the girl behind him and then took out his list, handing it to Glee across the countertop and waiting for her to read. The store owner frowned slightly upon getting the list, then took out a pen and paper of her own before writing three things down. ¡°I have a few of them, but not much of each. Werebear Fangs, Icewind Roots, and Glowstones I have in stock. You said you were into totem making? I heard that was a rare one. Only Fae users can make and utilize totems right?¡± ¡°Unholy as well.¡± Riven corrected with a nod. The woman paused, raising her eyes to meet Riv¡¯s and blinking twice. ¡°You an Unholy user?¡± ¡°What if I am?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d say your type is very rare around here. We only have two people with the Unholy Foundational Pillar in town, and neither of them are very talented.¡± She finished writing on her own sheet and handed Riven¡¯s list back to him. ¡°Might want to try Odds & Ends after my place, they probably have some of those soulstones you¡¯re looking for. I used to have em too but I sold all of them for a discount because they were wailing so damn much. Made an absolute ruckus.¡± Her frazzled head bobbed up and down while fumbling with a key and turning a lock after walking down the row. She collected a couple bear fangs from the glass cases, went around to a shelf to collect a couple of white roots, and then bent down to snatch a few small round stones. Coming back to the counter and laying them all out for Riven to see, she gestured to the items with a flick of her wrist. ¡°These what you¡¯re looking for?¡± [Werebear Fang: These fangs are often used as crafting ingredients for jewelry, and contain a faint pulse of nature-attuned power.] [Icewind Root: Alchemy ingredient. This root is often found in cold climates, thriving in harsh tundras, but they can also be found in cave systems underground.] [Glowstone: These stones are most often made through mana polishing. Occurring in nature most often in rivers with creatures possessing a high water affinity, these stones can collect ambient energy over time that causes them to glow when they hit maximum storage. After release, they turn back into dormant stones until the cycle is repeated.] Three of the fangs, two roots, and five small round glowstones. The stones weren¡¯t glowing now, at least not until they had enough mana infused into them, but they were the real deal according to his identification skill; courtesy of Gluttony¡¯s gift. He didn¡¯t even have to wear Messenger anymore to thoroughly identify things, though it also wasn¡¯t anywhere close to what a real identification class at high levels would get you. ¡°Price?¡± Riven asked, noticing that the tags had been stripped off these items before having been placed on the counter top. The storekeeper mischievously grinned. ¡°What¡¯re they worth to ya? Seems mighty interesting you have an entire list to collect. You must have enough coin to buy it all, or I¡¯d assume so anyways. Is that right?¡± Riven¡¯s expression flattened, and he tisked in irritation. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have the money, he had more money than he knew what to do with. In fact he had so much money that he was downright filthy rich and barely had time to spend any of it, but that didn¡¯t mean he liked being taken advantage of. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t do that. That¡¯s just mean.¡± Glee laughed heartily, slapping her hands onto her hips with a shake of her head. ¡°No, no! It¡¯s business. We all have to make a living young man! Now, how about we price these at¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ 50 gold apiece?¡± Riven didn¡¯t even blink, flat stare boring into the woman while Tim let out a loud huff of surprise. ¡°50 gold APIECE!?¡± Tim gasped. ¡°That¡¯s robbery!?¡± Glee kept eye contact with Riven for a solid five seconds, before deflating when he didn¡¯t make a move for the items. ¡°Ah fine, I just wanted to see if you¡¯d do it. I¡¯ll be real with ya lad. They¡¯re more worth twelve silvers apiece. How about it?¡± Riven still felt like he was being ripped off, and he slowly tilted his head to the side in consideration of her offer. ¡°Do you people even have an Elysium Altar around these parts?¡± ¡°You people?¡± Glee repeated with a chuckle. ¡°Hardly. But Elysium coins are the new currency and there is an altar far to the south of here down Pig¡¯s River. We have traders come up from there once in a while but not too often, the trek is well over two weeks on foot and there aren¡¯t any roads - making it a bit unsafe.¡± ¡°How about seven silver pieces for each?¡± ¡°Ten.¡± ¡°Seven.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t do less than ten. Final offer.¡± Riven huffed. ¡°Alright ten apiece it is. Three of the fangs, two roots, and five small round glowstones. That¡¯s one hundred silver pieces straight¡­ Fay, could you get it for me please?¡± Fay happily obliged, pulling at his spatial sack that they¡¯d tucked into the back of the wheelchair. Digging around in it, she pulled out the one hundred silver coins in neat stacks and slid them over. ¡°You can count if you wish.¡± But Glee was already stuck dumb at the sight of the bag. ¡°IS THAT A SPATIAL SACK!?¡± She nearly tripped on her way around the glass bar, peering close at the emblem in Fay¡¯s hand bearing the eye-sigil of Negrada. ¡°I KNEW IT! You lot ARE rich! Damn it to hell, I should have swindled ya more!¡± ¡°Take it or leave it.¡± Fay muttered, only faintly amused while the ticking clock in Glee¡¯s brain seemed to work overtime. ¡°You already agreed, don¡¯t go changing the price now.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Glee silently cursed again and took the coins, taking her time to make sure it was all there before nodding and putting the ten crafting pieces into the sack Fay held out. ¡°Fine, fine, fine. Just remember to come find me if you think of anything else ya need - I¡¯ll be sure to up the prices when you do too.¡± Riven rolled his eyes, then waved back at the clerk. ¡°Thanks anyways. Come on Tim, let¡¯s go to this other store to check it out. What was it again?¡± ¡°Odds & Ends.¡± Time stated dryly. ¡°Hopefully they won¡¯t try to rip you off there too.¡± ¡°I heard that Tim! Don¡¯t talk bad about me or you¡¯ll have it comin!¡± ¡°Bye Glee! And I would never dream of it!¡± The bell jingled, and the group of three left to explore more of the town on the way to their next destination. *** The Blood Moon Requiem was almost at a standstill as a society with all the turmoil going on, and tension was sky high between the ruling families of the courts. Maneuvering the political landscape was an absolute nightmare that General Viku had never enjoyed, but it was even worse due to the fact that Allie and Riven were at the very center of House Wraithtide¡¯s current predicament. Not that he could blame them. He¡¯d outwardly exclaimed with a roaring chear when that lordling from House Barimont had been killed by Riven¡¯s minion Athela, and had doubly cheered along with half of the officers around him at the time when Jalel - that prick of a prince - had been eaten by Riven¡¯s gluttonous maw. It¡¯d all been live streamed after the empire had paid an extraordinarily high price to Elysium itself for selective cut scenes or frequent theatrical streams for the population at large to watch. But those two deaths had led to problems. Problems only exacerbated by the fact that Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th had almost been murdered by a political rival - Lady Muren of House Muren, before Lady Muren was killed too. Captain Rusof, a favorite great grandson of one of the greatest generals their empire had ever seen, was killed by Jalel himself, and there were more than a few daggers in the night searching for retribution and revenge behind the scenes in all directions. Already scuffles on the bordering territories between House Crushada and House Muren were in abundance and on the brink of an outright genocidal fervor, and that was only the least of it. House Wraithtide¡¯s spies reported numerous military movements concerning House Barimont forces on the outskirts of Wraithtide territory, while the High Queen Nephridi and Elder Thune had publicly criticized one another before going into seclusion. No doubt the elder council was trying to wrap this up out of the eye of the public so that people didn¡¯t get ideas about the empire¡¯s leadership not seeing eye to eye, but that image was already shattered. The damage had already been done, and General Viku couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this had been a calculated move by the high queen. Whispers in the courts claimed that the queen had warned both of the Wraithtide siblings, but yet other rumors described her as the one who initially warned the late Lord Barimont about Allie¡¯s potential reaction - even if it had been Elder Thune to actually send him to Panu in the first place. But just what reason would she have to pit Lord Barimont and Jalel against Riven and Allie? Surely it couldn¡¯t just be a great grandmother¡¯s love for her descendants, she barely knew the siblings and there were many easier ways of disposing of a young lord such as Lord Barimont than what had actually happened. No, there was more to this picture - and if General Viku of House Wraithtide¡¯s forces had any guess, it was likely very much woven into events revolving around Elder Thune. The doors of the supercarrier¡¯s great hall swung open, revealing servants and soldiers in uniform lining the walls and standing at attention. His eyes fell to the large rectangular table where a dozen of the highest ranking family members of House Wraithtide sat, all of them either glaring at one another - or shooting him worried and angry looks. One man in particular stood up before all the others did, however. It was none other than Baron Orimus Wraithtide, a very outspoken antagonist to Riven¡¯s policies and a man who was obviously disgruntled by the way things were going. Not only in the empire, but on their home planet - Luteski. Slave uprisings had been prominent reason the baron had given people concerning Riven¡¯s inadequacies as a long-distance ruler of the house, but upon Riven¡¯s overruling orders concerning General Viku¡¯s intervention that had previously been halted by other nobles of this house - those uprisings were quickly quelled. It now meant that Baron Orimus Wraithtide was very grumpy, and that he was looking for other reasons to pin fault and blame on Riven for the problems this house and the empire at large were having problems. The most recent of those reasons, and a valid one, was the recent murder of Lord Barimont and Prince Jalel on a small, insignificant world of the newly integrating frontier. ¡°It¡¯s about time you arrived, General Viku. I and the rest of our esteemed house are growing impatient.¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide muttered, his wiry posture shifting while adjusting his slicked-back chestnut hair using a comb. ¡°Please tell me this meeting won¡¯t take long. We already have an abundance of problems to fix with House Barimont at our doorstep creating what is probably going to become a blockade on all trade, if not an outright attack.¡± ¡°Not to mention that we still need to go over taxes!¡± Lady Riska Wraithtide commented, the old woman¡¯s silver-gray locks pulled to one side while she waved a fan as if to cool herself off. ¡°Taxes are the most important part of running a planet and we haven¡¯t been able to do so with all of our tax collectors boycotting the job without proper escorts. Preposterous if you ask me! The slave uprisings are dealt with and there¡¯s no reason we need to adjust for those idiots more by supplying them with body guards just to do their damn jobs!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± General Viku said, quieting the nobles down who¡¯d once been the ones giving him orders, and his red eyes tightened with delight when he saw the baron and many of the others stiffen at the lack of respect he now showed them by not addressing them individually or by their titles. Viku clasped his hands behind his back, his domed head reflecting the light of the chandelier above them. ¡°Prince Riven Wraithtide and his sister, Princess Allie Wraithtide, will be here within the hour. I ask that all of you please refrain from doing anything or saying anything stupid, as many of you are apt to do, because Allie in particular is very easily set off.¡± ¡°As we are all very aware¡­¡± Lady Riska Wraithtide muttered, getting chuckles from some and scowls from others. ¡°Hasn¡¯t even been to the empire yet and already has a name for her maliciousness and temper.¡± General Viku ignored her comment, speaking over the mutterings without hesitation. ¡°The formations are already set and we¡¯ll let you know as soon as they arrive, before leading them into the great hall here on the flagship. Again, I very much stress that you not try to antagonize them. Remember that they are the heirs to this house, Riven in particular being the one who - at a word - can make sure that you lose your title completely by dismissing you from the family. I only say this as a warning, and mean nothing by it other than letting you all know that he is likely not going to be happy with my report concerning what I found in regards to what started the slave rebellions. It is my duty to report all findings to the head of house, and I will do as my job requires without leaving out details.¡± Immediately the room fell silent, and many of the nobles went even paler than normal - shifting in their chairs uncomfortably. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide uttered with clenched fists. ¡°General Viku¡­ are you threatening us?¡± The general raised one eyebrow the other man¡¯s way, and shifted one pauldron with a roll of his shoulder. ¡°Threat? No. Just what reason would I have to do that, concerning such outstanding citizens of the empire such as yourselves? Surely there¡¯s nothing for you to hide, Baron. I am merely stating facts, and sometimes facts can lead to more questions that - in the wrong circumstances - can lead to heads being detached from bodies.¡± Chapter 220 (Book 2 releases tomorrow on Amazon!) Chapter 220 Skinwalkers. They were¡­ fawning? Over Athela? If that was even the right word. Prostrating or attending to her with different odds, ends, gifts and food they had on hand, Riven watched the strange pale creatures deliver her trays of refreshments while she sunbathed in their newly built temporary lair next to Tanya¡¯s family cabin. Hakim¡¯s cabin? Who knew. They all shared it so who cared. ¡°Athela¡­¡± Riven said with a dumbfounded look on his face, equivalent to those the others had on their own faces when they¡¯d returned to the woodland home to find this amalgamation of demonic entities. ¡°Just how did you convert them into servants, one more time?¡± ¡°We wish to serve the great one!¡± A pale, faceless humanoid creature with abnormally long and wiry, clawed limbs said fervently. It bowed and prostrated itself before Riven next. ¡°We did not know an archdemon existed on this planet! We are indebted to her gracious act of sparing us, and wish to grow in her shadow so that we too may one day find glory!¡± Athela smugly smirked Riven¡¯s way, gesturing to the nest she¡¯d crated. Bloodsilk now formed layers upon layers of walls, webs, and cocooned carcasses of animals - creating a multi-layer structure of her webs between the large trees with only a single central tunnel shaped like a funnel that allowed the sunlight onto her sunbathing spot. ¡°It was my charm! I am a princess after all!¡± She gave him a wink on the web hammock she¡¯d created, then closed her eyes and enjoyed the deep tissue massage one of the other demons was giving her. ¡°You should do this more often, you know. I¡¯d like it more if it was coming from you. Or Fay¡­¡± Fay blushed, and Riven outwardly laughed and shook his head in amazement. Julie was less enthused by it, and her voice quivered when she spoke next to Hakim. ¡°Didn¡¯t these creatures eat John and Sara? Sara¡­ she was pregnant¡­ She was so nice¡­¡± ¡°We ate them long before you knew her.¡± One of the skinwalkers said, cocking its head to the side from a perched position up above in the webbing. ¡°The person you always talked to was actually me. I am the Sara you¡¯ve known all along. My real name is Selzi, and yes - I am actually pregnant with child. That is not false.¡± This admission was something of a shock to Julie, who didn¡¯t know how to handle the information at all. She stuttered twice, had a series of conflicting emotions cross her face, and then she simply turned to leave - walking out the hole used as a door with Hakim quickly following. ¡°Interesting. As long as they¡¯re not hostile I don¡¯t mind.¡± Tim stated with a shrug. ¡°Going to start on your crafting gig today?¡± ¡°In a few hours, yes.¡± Riven nodded, letting Fay help him up and feeling his soul jolt when a strand of Gluttony yanked a little too hard on one of his shattered fragments. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m going to need to rest for a while though. I have an off-world meeting later today with The Blood Moon Requiem, so I¡¯ll probably be out of commission for while. If you need me, just talk to my demons - they¡¯ll be staying here while I¡¯m gone excluding Fay. She¡¯ll be escorting me to the vampire compound back home. Latest, we¡¯ll be gone until tomorrow morning.¡± Tim frowned, and Len¡¯s laughter was heard alongside Tanya and Genua outside. ¡°Just what exactly is The Blood Moon Requiem anyway? Not a lot is known about it on the forums, all the Panu forum community knows is you¡¯re registered as a lost prince of that place and it has to do with off-world vampires.¡± ¡°That¡¯s basically all there is to it. Space vampires.¡± Tim snorted a laugh at Riven¡¯s deadpan expression. ¡°Alright, fine. Keep your secrets!¡± They exchanged smiles and a handshake - Riven already feeling week from standing for more than a dozen seconds. ¡°Alright man I¡¯ll see you when I get back. Athela? Mind making that thing bigger for Fay and I to join?¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE JOINING?!¡± Athela exclaimed in a squeal of delight, immediately opening her eyes and getting to work in a blur of motion that sent strands of blood webbing in numerous directions. ¡°Ooooh a midday nap! I¡¯m so excited to cuddle with the two of you! Skinwalkers, take a hike. I need private time with my man and succubus friend.¡± ¡°Yes, my lady!¡± Ak¡¯ra - Selzi¡¯s husband, grabbed the other skinwalker and abruptly shifted, turning into their Sara and John figures before exiting the bloodsilk nest with over twenty other skinwalkers in tow. They all bowed or said respectful well wishes, and one of them even offered Tim help training his thieving class up. ¡°You¡¯re willing to help level my pickpocket ability?¡± Tim asked, repeating the offer this unknown demon had just laid out. His freckled face twisted into a confused half-smile. ¡°Why? I would certainly appreciate it but¡­ why me?¡± The skinwalker¡¯s bald head bowed low. ¡°You are friends of the great one, it would be an honor to help you along with your class evolutions! I have a very similar class involving subterfuge as well, and I too have the pickpocket skill. When I overheard your mother Tanya talking about it, I told myself that I should ask. Not to brag, but I am rather good at it.¡± ¡°Sounds like a good deal to me.¡± Riven said encouragingly, smiling at the continued look of surprise on Tim¡¯s face. Tim, for his part, slowly nodded and then gave Riven and the two women standing with him a wave. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later tonight or tomorrow! Good luck with your meeting!¡± ¡°Thanks man. Adios for now.¡± The last of them left, leaving Riven standing with an arm over Fay¡¯s blue shoulders to support himself and staring at the nest¡¯s entrance. ¡°You two just going to stand there looking sexy or am I going to have to drag the both of you down with me?¡± Athela said lazily from the back, getting a sharp inhale from Fay when she and Riven turned around to look at the other demoness. Athela was missing her chitin now, the outer shell layer she usually wore was gone and in its place was softer black skin - emphasizing her now completely bare feminine qualities. She was seductively laid out with her head propped up on one hand, and grinning at the two of them like a predator about to pounce. Hiking up a pointer finger, she clawed in the air signifying them to come to her. ¡°I¡¯m waiting¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t realize it was going to be that kind of nap!¡± Riven laughed, sitting down on the bloodsilk that¡¯d been very rapidly transitioned from hammock into a pseudo-bed. He winced when he put his entire weight down, his lumbar spine screaming at him with the act, and jolts of his injured soul painfully lit up when his mana channels that connected his physical body to his soul realm twitched. ¡°I may not be able to be as active as I usually am.¡± Fay laughed, gently pushing him forward into Athela¡¯s grip and helping him up onto the bed. ¡°We can do the work, don¡¯t worry. Just relax, enjoy the sunshine, and let us put on a show that I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy.¡± ¡°Did you tell him yet?¡± Athela asked curiously, pushing her warm body up against his with a gleeful grin. ¡°Of course I did!¡± Fay promptly replied - kicking off her knee-high boots and laughing at the smug look Riven was making when Athela started taking off his belt. ¡°I couldn¡¯t keep that a secret for long! You know that. He approves, just like you¡¯d said he would.¡± Athela giggled evilly. ¡°Yeah I kind of counted on it, let me avoid the discussion myself. Alright, cat¡¯s out of the bag - now let¡¯s have some fun!¡± *** Helicopter blades whirred about them, beating against the air and delivering Riven, Fay, and Allie at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound where dozens of vampire soldiers bearing Wraithtide¡¯s sigil of an orb wreathed in deathly black-teal flames stood at attention. Allie gave the necropolis pilot a thumbs up. ¡°Thanks Jack, we¡¯ve got it from here!¡± ¡°No problem my queen, always a pleasure to escort you from place to place.¡± The military man in the cockpit gave her a thumbs up back through the window, and when the three others were off - began lifting up off the landing spot before heading towards the airfields their military were using. Riven and Allie watched the helicopter go as Fay adjusted Riven¡¯s legs on the wheelchair. ¡°Remind me to ask General Viku about getting some modification specs for our own fleet on Panu.¡± Allie muttered under her breath when the sound of the beating blades keeping the machine aloft were no longer heard. ¡°If what you say about Wraithtide¡¯s fleet is correct, they¡¯re thousands of years in development ahead of us. Maybe more.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Probably more.¡± Riven nodded in agreement. ¡°But I doubt it would work. Already asked Kathrine about this and she said the system would either tax the everlasting hell out of that kind of knowledge, or in the more likely scenario - it¡¯d completely stop it from coming at all through numerous means including and not limited to smiting people dead. That kind of knowledge would be something that could shift the balance of these world trials and the political landscape so fast and so drastically that Elysium likely just wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± Allie¡¯s shoulder¡¯s sagged. ¡°Damn. And speak of the devil¡­¡± Out of the inner compound where the main body of the fortress was located, came Kathrine. Her long brown hair was swept to one side and the usual style of a form fitting black dress with red flowers of her house on it was worn yet again - though she had six of her own personal house guards with her. She took about twenty seconds to reach them, then nodded in greeting to both Fay and Allie - getting polite smiles in return, before giving a genuine grin Riven¡¯s way. She then bowed low at the waist. ¡°Riven¡­ I never got to say thank you for saving my life. What you did, using your malignant prophecy to make sure that I didn¡¯t die, has both me and my parents flustered in a good way. None of us are sure how we will ever repay your kindness.¡± Riven waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ve had a rough time now, with two attempts on your life since getting here and you¡¯ve never done me wrong.¡± She raised her head and straightened her posture, a soft gaze lingering on him before turning heel and gesturing them to follow. ¡°Suitable words from my future husband, I suppose. Come now, your family is waiting for you on the other side.¡± Allie and Fay shared a look, each of them rolling their eyes while Fay pushed Riven ahead - letting the vampiric guards fall in line around them while they marched into the walls of the inner compound. Construction was still underway concerning repairs, and there were many corridors and rooms that still held bloodstains. The bodies had been cleaned out and servants were putting the walls back in place with various kinds of crafting magic, but they all stopped to prostrate themselves when the three royals passed. ¡°Anything I should know about this meeting?¡± Riven asked curiously, turning a corner in the inner sanctum of the fortress and eventually coming to a stop inside the ritual room he¡¯d used last time. Kathrine cleared her throat and nodded to the wizards, sorcerers and ritualists lining the area - signaling them to start the process when the runes and crystals began lighting up. ¡°Not necessarily concerning your family, no. General Viku no doubt knows more about the inner squabbling than I do, and he is a trustworthy man that served your mother well. I have no doubt he has your best interest in mind so if in doubt, ask him for any advice you might want. As for the rest of what recently transpired¡­¡± Her voice trailed off and her face fell, red eyes casting themselves to the floor and porcelain features contorting with worry. ¡°The empire is not in a good place right now. There will be political upheavals at worst, assassinations are being carried out daily in one sector of the empire or another, and the elder council has congregated to enter seclusion indefinitely until they can fix whatever it is they are trying to fix about this problem. Elder Thune and High Queen Nephridi have always been at odds, but it¡¯s never been this bad before.¡± ¡°No point in worrying about things we can¡¯t fix, but sending that little bitch Lord Barimont to force Allie¡¯s hand like that was an absolute no go.¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°Neither of us have regrets.¡± ¡°You got that right¡­ He tried killing Lahn.¡± Allie muttered venomously. ¡°Good riddance.¡± Kathrine laughed, shaking her head while Fay remained still and silent. ¡°Good gods¡­ Are the two of you ready to enter the ritual? I believe it is ready to activate.¡± *** Riven¡¯s hologram form materialized on board the supercarrier right on time, and General Viku¡¯s spirits rose when - for the very first time - he laid eyes on Allie¡¯s figure alongside the prince. There was also Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada, but she was less important to General Viku than the two heirs of his house were. ¡°My prince, princesses!¡± General Viku bowed low and took a knee, the glow of light from above reflecting off his perfectly shaved head and polished plate armor. ¡°Your highnesses! Thank you for coming. I sincerely appreciate the time you¡¯re taking out of your doubtlessly busy schedules in order to run the inheritance your parents left behind! Much is needing to be done.¡± The walk through the flagship was just as awe inspiring to Allie as it¡¯d been to Riven, with the bay doors shielded by some kind of forcefield being the same exact point she stopped this time around - a replica of how he¡¯d been taken so aback by seeing the nebula and starship fleet of sleek, dagger-like black and red vessels outside in planetary orbit. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Allie said, just staring absolutely wide-eyed at the thousands of craft floating with the backdrop of a beautiful starry display. ¡°This is incredible¡­ Riven! Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this!?¡± She whirled and glared at him accusingly, getting a laugh from his spectral self-image. ¡°I did tell you about it! You just chose to ignore it.¡± ¡°Did not! This is WAY cooler than you made the previous trip out to be!¡± Fay was equally stunned, and came up to the forcefield¡¯s edge while gawking into the abyss beyond. ¡°This is incredible¡­¡± ¡°Right?!¡± Allie agreed with a huge smile, joining Fay at the lip of the drop off while lights blinked randomly throughout the fleet beyond. Kathrine cleared her throat, getting Riven¡¯s attention while General Viku grinned in satisfaction at the reaction Allie was having to the tour. ¡°Yes, Kathrine?¡± Riven asked, glancing left to where her own spectral visage stood beside him. Kathrine beamed. ¡°I think you two should come visit my own place sometime, now that General Viku was kind enough to create such a message delivery system. My parents have been wanting to meet you, and Allie as well, to discuss potential trade negotiations and upcoming wedding ceremonies scheduled for next yet. Would that be alright?¡± ¡°Next year?¡± Riven repeated - suddenly struck dumb. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ awfully close.¡± Kathrine¡¯s face fell into a concerned frown. ¡°Is something the matter? I¡¯d already talked to Athela about things like you¡¯d said and she understood the situation¡­ I hope there aren¡¯t second thoughts on the matter. I realize that our relationship will never be real, and is more of a political ploy for both our houses as well as a means to acquire more of the gift for the empire - but¡­¡± Riven shook his head, giving her an encouraging smile. ¡°No, you¡¯re fine. It¡¯s just hitting me a bit harder now that you¡¯re giving me a timeline. Sorry if I came out as shocked.¡± Her eyes searched him for a bit, and she took in a deep breath before steeling herself. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll tell my parents you need to have some more time, and if we need to put a hold on the wedding we can. Whatever makes things most comfortable for you.¡± They stared at each other in silence for a solid ten seconds after that, while Fay and Allie continued to point out things to one another at the edge of the pilot¡¯s bay like little school children at the zoo. ¡°Thank you, Kathrine.¡± Riven eventually replied, and he gave a nod. ¡°That would be appreciated. I¡¯ll meet your parents in time, just¡­ give me a bit. With everything that¡¯s happening, I¡¯m beginning to feel overwhelmed.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She politely smiled back, though the smile no longer reached the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if politics have corrupted your view of our empire. It really isn¡¯t that bad of a place most of the time.¡± ¡°Questionable.¡± General Viku muttered with a sideways glance, getting the attention of both Kathrine and Riven simultaneously. His red eyes narrowed. ¡°It¡¯s a cesspool. One that the queen has been trying to clear up for some time, but the corruption is rampant and the other elders make things hard for the rest of us. At least, that is my opinion. I am, however, far older than you princess - I am sure you¡¯ll probably come to the same conclusion as I eventually given time. Your parents are good people though, so at least you have that going for you.¡± Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada was somewhat taken aback by this statement, but she shook herself out of her momentary shock at being addressed by this high ranking military official with a curtsy. ¡°Thank you for your kind words concerning my parents, and for the insight you have granted me. I will meditate upon your wisdom and seek answers, I assure you.¡± General Viku scoffed with an eye roll, then quickly corrected himself and shook his head like a wet dog. ¡°Sorry, princess! I did not mean that as a rude thing. I just don¡¯t need to be addressed as formally or placated with such aggrandizing words, I am a mere head of House Wraithtide¡¯s military. A privatized general of the empire. Nothing more.¡± The rest of the tour was much the same as last time. The central deck showed the large constructed stargate with merchant fleets coming in and out, as well as the large space station they were docking in and the planet Luteski far below. ¡°51.23 Million vampire citizens, and over 6 billion slaves.¡± General Viku stated after a while of shocked stares from the two women who hadn¡¯t been here before. He turned his bald head to meet Allie¡¯s respondent gaze. ¡°That is what your family lords over and controls. It is your inheritance, where your brother - and you to a lesser extent as second in line to the house name after your parents left - is able to make and change laws that determine the way people life. To most if not all of those slaves, your word is law. You are gods to them, so far out of their reach that they can¡¯t even comprehend it.¡± Allie blinked. ¡°Why are you telling me this like you¡¯re trying to make a point?¡± General Viku gave a sad smile. ¡°Because, Princess Allie Wraithtide, though it is Riven¡¯s name that holds the most dominant power of this house - it is you with the true power behind it. After speaking with Riven previously and after watching the two of you on Panu, it is very apparent to me that Riven is a weapon. A sword that he begrudgingly shapes himself into in order to make his own version of the world. He is a threat, a hidden dagger you use to spearhead your advancement of the civilization you are building on the frontier - and he allows you to do this because he loves you. Would I be wrong in assuming that it will likely be a shared venture between the two of you when running Luteski?¡± Allie slowly began to blush at the mention of Riven¡¯s brotherly affection toward her, but Riven gave her a warm smile and calmed her down - allowing her to nod. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. What about it?¡± General Viku chuckled and folded his arms while his gaze shot back to the planet and merchant fleets beyond the window. ¡°Because though you haven¡¯t yet been to the empire up until now, your name is already known far and wide as being absolutely ruthless. It is a quality many of our kind are proud of, proud of FOR you! It is needed in your line of work, in order to get things done properly. To crush your enemies into dust so that order may remain.¡± The man sighed, then fully faced the young woman with determination set in his hardened jawline. ¡°Those enemies I speak of live within your own house, princess. Before you enter into the room where your extended family is now gathered here on this ship, know this: they are not your friends. They are vultures, maggots trying to eat away at the diseased corpse of the dying animal that was your house so that they could squeeze the last of life and prosperity from it before its end. They are corrupt beyond measure, and they think only for themselves. Given there are a few of them that aren¡¯t like this, but that¡¯s how most of them are - and I want you to be very aware of this before speaking to them. They have the smiles of snakes, and the venom to go along with it. The reports I give you when we meet the rest of your family will show some of these things in an obvious light, while other things are not as well defined - but Kathrine will be there to guide you if she sees things amiss. Things that I myself have seen, where you can make jumps of logic even despite not having true proof. Now, are you ready to go in there? Are you ready to pull out that cloak of ruthlessness that you so readily use back on Panu? Are you willing to do what needs to be done in order to better the lives of your citizens? Because if not, if you are not ready to face the family branches, we may perhaps want to postpone this meeting to another date.¡± Chapter 221 (Book 2 releases tomorrow on Amazon!) Chapter 221 ¡°May I present Prince Riven Wraithtide, presiding master of this house - along with his sister, Princess Allie Wraithtide, his fiance, Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, and his attendant demon - the succubus Fay.¡± The doors to the great hall swung open, revealing an elongated room with an overhead crystal chandelier. Works of art such as paintings and sculptures of vampires performing great feats lined the walls where servants and soldiers stood at attention. Twelve very attractive men and women were sitting at a long rectangular table, all dressed in fancy attire concerning either elegant robes, dresses, or Victorian-style suits; and all of them immediately stood upon the approach of the two royal siblings. They all bowed their heads in greeting, with General Viku coming to a stop at the head of the table where four vacant chairs were already placed - having servants holding them out expectantly for the newcomers to sit. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± General Viku motioned to the four chairs, which was somewhat odd to Riven considering the four of them had spectral bodies. Then again he HAD been walking around the ship like this, and he couldn¡¯t really interact much with his environment - but he COULD just barely feel it. ¡°Thank you, General.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes shifted over the gathered vampiric nobles, all of them out of xianxia cultivation novels, medieval fantasy, or Victorian era fiction. It was certainly an odd combination in his opinion, but seemed to be the norm here. Six figures on each side of the table gave him fixed, polite smiles - all of their eyes glowing the same bright crimson his own did. All of them fanged, all of them pale, all of them with extraordinarily perfect facial features. ¡°Riven, I believe they¡¯re waiting for you to sit first.¡± Allie said with a raised eyebrow, her own chair already having been pushed in and her spectral body leaning onto the wood. Riven wordlessly shifted, letting the faint feel of wood under his apparition underneath him when the servant pushed his chair in. The others of House Wraithtide all took their own seats when he did, elegantly flowing in one synchronous motion to join him at the table again. General Viku cleared his throat, then took the equivalent of a tablet from a nearby soldier with a muttered word of thanks before stepping to stand at Riven¡¯s side. ¡°We have with us the minor branch families and nobility of House Wraithtide in attendance my prince. They represent the families that control various aspects of production, security, management and trade with your house resources. They are what make the machine of your trading hub here on Luteski run. I will introduce them one by one, and because you are so new to the empire please feel free to ask any questions that may be unknown to you - no matter how trivial. I will try my best to fill in the gaps of prudent information.¡± The vampire general started on the right hand side of the table, where an older but very fit and slender woman with silver-gray locks of hair down to her bare shoulders sat unblinkingly staring. ¡°This is Lady Riska Wraithtide, head of Taxation and Treasury, and in my opinion the most competent person here at this table.¡± This got poorly concealed frowns and huffs from many of the other nobles present at the table, but the old woman absolutely beamed at the praise - displaying her fangs with the first sign of genuine emotion Riven had seen since entering the room. ¡°General Viku honors me, I am merely a humble servant for your estate - Prince and Princess Wraithtide.¡± The corners of Riven¡¯s lips quirked upwards a bit, and he nodded - otherwise he remained silent and waited for Viku to continue introductions. ¡°Then there are Lord Ruim Wraithtide and Lady Nulasta Wraithtide, husband and wife who oversee infrastructure and education.¡± General Viku gestured to a man and woman who both had eccentric pink hair, hers in dreadlocks and his in a mohawk that made them stand out like a sore thumb. Both husband and wife smiled politely but did not say anything. ¡°Count Amestrius Wraithtide oversees our judicial branches here on Luteski. Viscount Adian Wraithtide, Baroness Julasi Wraithtide, and Baron Eethinsa Wraithtide deal in any major trade negotiations with other parts of the empire. Duke Hazith Wraithtide and his wife, Dutchess Ova Wraithtide deal in any major trade negotiations with factions outside the empire. Lord Wyvern Wraithtide deals in maintaining food supplies and slaves.¡± Coming to the last two men at the end of the table¡¯s left side, General Viku paused and took in a brief breath of air. ¡°Lastly these two are Baron Orimus Wraithtide, overseer of mining operations on the northern hemisphere - along with his cousin Count Jaricock Wraithtide who oversees mining operations on the southern hemisphere. Our mining and vast crystal farms on Luteski are some of the most profitable resources House Wraithtide possesses. Alongside our strategic location in the empire¡¯s borderlands with a natural wormhole that we were able to turn into a warp gate - it creates a unique opportunity that allows our homeworld to become a centerpiece of galactic trade in this sector.¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide was a very thin man with slightly sharper features than the others, with slicked back black hair and slightly hunched posture. Meanwhile his cousin Count Jaricock Wraithtide was quite the opposite - a very well built, thick mountain of a man with knotted muscles that bulged through his vest. No one moved or said anything after that, with only Lady Riska Wraithtide to have spoken at all since the arrival of the royals. The silence grew heavy after that, everyone in the room looking to Riven expectantly as if it was he that should make the next move. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of names to remember, but I¡¯ll do my best. It¡¯s nice to finally see my extended family, I¡¯m just sad that my mother and father aren¡¯t here to be with us too.¡± Riven eventually said with a polite smile, acknowledging each of them in turn. ¡°I appreciate all of you coming. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all very busy. Unfortunately this meeting had to be called due to what I believe to be discontent amongst house members, and though I¡¯m quite a far ways away - it still falls to me to make sure Luteski is properly run. Apparently, there have not only been minor thefts¡­ but rather treacherous acts as well. Even as far as some people trying to sell major components of our inheritance, such as continents on the planet or large caverns of crystal farms to private buyers.¡± He glanced up at Viku. ¡°At least that¡¯s what the general tells me.¡± Nervous laughter echoed throughout the hall, and Count Jaricock Wraithtide leaned forward onto the table with hands clasped in front of him - muscular arms bulging through his sleeves. ¡°May I be the first to say that it is an honor to finally have Lady Sheline¡¯s children home, in your rightful places in the cosmos. Even if it is just through a communication array.¡± ¡°I second this!¡± Lady Riska said with a more genuine smile than any of the others had. ¡°Sheline was my best friend, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll return to us one day if the Queen has anything to say about it. I¡¯m glad you called this meeting, there have been many questionable things going on regarding how this house has been run in Sheline¡¯s absence and frankly it has grown tiresome.¡± ¡°Rich, coming from a penny pinching nymphomaniac who doesn¡¯t have the foresight of a gnat.¡± Lord Wyvern Wraithtide, a younger man with sandy blonde hair muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. ¡°If you¡¯d just allow us to spend more of the treasury on slave acquisition by even ten billion A-grade coins for the next year - we¡¯d easily increase revenue by 20% and make up the difference in no time. Just ask Baron Orimus and Count Jaricock, they¡¯ve been badgering me about slave acquisition in the mines for a decade and all I get from you is the same whining complaints about how the numbers don¡¯t add up.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. This immediately sent Lady Riska to her feet. ¡°You watch your tongue, little man! There ARE discrepancies in the vaults, someone is stealing from our house coffers and I have a pretty good idea of who that is!¡± The room went into an uproar, with Lady Riska pointing accusatory fingers at numerous people while Count Jariccock, Baron Orimus, Duke Hazith and Dutchess Ova got to their feet cursing insults at the old woman while Lord Wyvern put on a sly, amused smile and leaned back to watch the fireworks go off. ¡°It is not STEALING if it is for the betterment of our house - Lady Riska!¡± Count Jaricock hissed angrily with clenched teeth. ¡°We need more manpower to make more money and you¡¯re not willing to invest! It¡¯s that simple! Do you even know WHEN the last time it was that we bought slaves in bulk!? It¡¯s been twenty years! TWENTY GODS DAMNED YEARS, YOU OLD HAG!¡± ¡°With 6 billion slaves you should be able to repopulate your losses easily enough!¡± Lady Riska snapped back with a snarl. ¡°Your operations in the mines are just as careless as Orimus over there! Zero safety measures and cattle dying off like flies whenever a tunnel collapses or a smelting chamber blows up! Completely careless and unacceptable! If you want money to reorganize the mines and set out new safety measures then I¡¯d gladly hand you money to do so - but I will NOT give you more money to buy more slaves just to let them die off by the hundreds of thousands for your careless laziness! Not to mention the amount of food it¡¯d take to FEED another influx of slaves - food that Lord Wyvern here knows VERY well we¡¯d have to import because our farmlands were RUINED in the slave uprisings that mysteriously started popping up as soon as Riven and Allie were found. How odd is that, hhmmmm!? DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THAT¡¯S RATHER ODD?!¡± Next to her, the couple Lord Ruim and Lady Nulastra nodded sagely in agreement. ¡°It is certainly odd.¡± Lord Ruim said allowed, eyelids half lowered like he was bored. Duke Hazith tisked in irritation. ¡°Oh shut up you pink-haired fairy fucking twat! I don¡¯t even know why you and your wife are on this council, for all the good you do! Infrastructure and education can be left as peasant work if you ask me!¡± Lord Ruim only rolled his eyes, not bothering to reply. Riven¡¯s one raised eyebrow stayed raised, and beside him Allie began to giggle and snort underneath a hand that¡¯d been raised to cover her amusement. ¡°This is like a Jerry Springer episode - family feud edition!¡± Allie said with another snorting laugh, and Riven had to chuckle with a shake of his head while just taking in the absolute madness that Lord Wyvern had obviously provoked intentionally. The man even now was sitting back with that amused grin, silently sipping on a drink in his chair while the various other nobles of House Wraithtide raged at one another. General Viku, on the other hand, was unamused. ¡°Prince Riven, Princess Allie, should I shut them up?¡± ¡°Absolutely not. At least not yet.¡± Allie replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, leaning forward and taking all that was being said in with a keen eye. ¡°Let them talk for as long as they can. I¡¯m finding all of this information very interesting. Oh, and please - bring up that slave you talked about right before we entered the room¡­ I want to confirm a few things with him before really making any decisions on what to do here.¡± *** Jeltuna was a Sarak, a native species to Luteski that¡¯d been enslaved hundreds or possibly even thousands of years ago by the vampires - though he¡¯d not lived long enough to know the exact timeline. He¡¯d been born into slavery along with all of the other slaves now kept in the mines, on the farms, or were working as servants and sex workers for the vampiric population. He¡¯d dreamed of freedom his entire life, dreamed that savior would one day come to free his people from the hardships of this hellish life they and their children now lived in. It was all he¡¯d ever known, and it had caused a burning hatred for the vampiric kind. Yet he¡¯d also been afraid. Too afraid to act on his own¡­ until something akin to a miracle was found in the form of a small note on his rotting wooden desk in a slave barracks. It was a location with a key code to a vault, as well as a threat - and a set of instructions. His moment to take back the lives of his people had finally come. The threat had been unnecessary, he would do it regardless. Jeltuna¡¯s drifting thoughts were interrupted by the sliding clang of his cell door, and his pale eyes lifted up to see two vampiric soldiers come in. His purple skin was a stark contrast to theirs, as was his white hair and two smooth antennae that were soft and fleshy as opposed to insectoid. ¡°You¡¯ve come to kill me, I hope?¡± Jeltuna said in ragged gasps, the shackles around his wrists and ankles pulling against the chains that tethered him to the wall. He spat blood from bruised, cracked lips. Still, he managed to let out a chuckle. ¡°I have no regrets. I took my vengeance, I will never apologize for what I have done. Not after the horrors your kind has inflicted on my people for generations! You all sicken me!¡± One of the two vampire soldiers shrugged, walking over to where Jeltuna was still tethered to the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you apologize or not, cattle. Personally I¡¯d rather just throw you out an airlock now to be done with it, but apparently the prince and princess want to see you.¡± Jeltuna was about to snarl something back, when the realization of what the soldier had set hit him. He abruptly stopped. ¡°Prince? Princess?¡± ¡°House Wraithtide¡¯s main branch has finally returned. They¡¯re here now in spectral form and want to talk to you, hopefully before they let us gut you. Come on, cattle - let¡¯s get going fast. If you slow us down, I¡¯ll start taking fingers.¡± Jeltuna was shoved out of the prison cell and into a long lane that stretched to the right and left far into the dark. His kind were adept at seeing in the dark however, just like the vampires, which made them good slaves to have in the dark mines of Luteski¡¯s underground. ¡°Any disrespect to the royals will be an immediate beheading.¡± His red eyes turned to glare down at the slave the other soldier was yanking along. ¡°After that we¡¯ll kill your family too. I know you have kids and a wife back on surface, don¡¯t make us do that. Understand? These royals have the say so to completely wipe out your entire pathetic race with a simple command, so don¡¯t test them. You creatures are already on thin ice and just beginning for a purging after the shit you pulled in those rebellions.¡± *** Negrada¡¯s flaming eye shifted to gaze upon his breached body, where thousands of enemy undead poured over his demon and azag warriors in the pits of Hell to try and stave off the invasion of their home. Pillars of fire boiled and pulsed out of volcanic pits, the skies were filled with ash, and the raging hordes collided with one another along a bridge connecting his fortress to an outside exit. He was losing. His allies had already been overrun, and soon even his own dungeon core would be shattered and consumed by the enemy dungeons now finishing their ransacking of the last of his friends. If Riven hadn¡¯t given him the Azag relic, Negrada would have been long dead already. It¡¯d been his greatest boon since the war had begun. [Cursed Azag Sanctuary Stone: This sanctuary stone enables the bearer to create an Azag Hive Cluster Sanctuary, and will list the creator of this sanctuary as this hive¡¯s Overmind. This sanctuary will seclude an area of the planet in a protective layer that has permanence for 1 year, and can only be passed through by the overmind, Azag, and whoever the overmind deems as allies. Becoming the Hive Overmind will enable the creator of this sanctuary to create a Hatchery immediately upon creation, and will open up the ¡®Queen¡¯ and ¡®Drone¡¯ pathways to breed units with. More units will be available upon creation of the necessary biological modification facilities. Warning: This item is cursed; It afflicts the owner with compulsions that are in the best interest of the Azag Hive Clusters, and links the owner to the galactic hive minds for communication purposes.] The great eye, wreathed in hellfire, flashed away and appeared back in his altar room where the dungeon boss he¡¯d created now slept soundly. He didn¡¯t bother waking the creature just yet, no - his guardian needed as much rest as possible after slaughtering the last invading army. Instead, Negrada turned his sight to a crystal ball that depicted a frontier planet on the edge of integrated space. Negrada was in a very weak area of Hell that was full of F-grade and E-grade enemies, with no one here being higher than late E-grade. Low amounts of ambient mana meant less dangerous enemies, and it''d allowed an upstart dungeon like himself to remain viable for as long as he had. Those days were quickly closing, however. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps he could hire some mercenaries to help him. Yes. That is what he would do. Riven still had the ability to portal back, and with him he could bring others¡­ Or perhaps he could even use the mercenary guild system instead. Hadn''t guild functions just arrived on Panu anyways? Elysium would be angry about it but it technically wasn¡¯t against the rules. Taxes would be high, and that would be the end of it. He was desperate enough to pay the taxes even if it bankrupt him now, because if he was dead - what use would he have for treasures and wealth anyway? Sending a message to his demonic servants at the trading commune in Brightsville, he prepared a tribute to the vampire who¡¯d started as a mere welp in the depths of his first dungeon level. He was interested in what Riven¡¯s response would be, and what the man would have to say. Chapter 222 (Book 2 releases tomorrow on Amazon!) Chapter 222 ¡°Prince Riven Wraithtide, Princess Allie Wraithtide, and Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, we have brought the requested prisoner.¡± Jeltuna the Sarak was lead bound and chained into a large and elegant hall, filled with some of the most prominent faces on the planet. Despite having led insurrections in protest of his people¡¯s treatment, enslavement, butchering and worse - he couldn¡¯t help but go slightly pale at the sight of the vampiric nobles who were glaring at one another before sending smoldering looks his way. Immediately upon coming into their presence, he began to feel their auras slowly and passively bearing down on him. Lady Riska, Count Amestrius, General Viku, Count Jaricock and Baron Orimus were all immediately recognizable through pamphlets and propaganda campaigns in the Luteski forums and on display crystals in the mines. The others were less so, but each of these Wraithtide nobles were far, far beyond anything Jeltuna had come to face in his rebellion¡¯s battles against relatively weaker vampires. The soldiers and civilians he¡¯d fought and killed were middle E-grade at best, and those skilled enough to even reach E-grade at all were some of the most feared opponents Jeltuna had ever come across. They were machines of war, slaughtering hundreds of Sarak slaves who¡¯d in turn been quarantined all their lives and restricted in their leveling. The best of the Sarak, including Jeltuna himself, had needed to pile their enormous number advantage onto these opponents just to bring a single one of them down. But here? Here he couldn¡¯t even recognize just what grade of cultivation any of them were at. Just a single one of them could have crushed entire armies of Sarak, which lead to the question - why hadn¡¯t they done so? Were his attempts to buy freedom for his people truly pathetic enough that they not even bother metaphorically glancing his way? Unfortunately he didn¡¯t last long before the effects of their cultivation differences broke the tension resonating around his soul aperture with a thunderous internal crash. The mere presence of EACH of these vampires was astronomically high, excluding the four ghostly apparitions at the end of the table which gave off no signature at all. But the presence of the vampiric nobles weighed down on him like the weight of a world - crushing him abruptly as he gasped and fell to his knees. His eyes boggled, his heart began to frantically beat and felt like it¡¯d explode, and his entire body began to quiver and spasm when a seizure began to take him. ¡°Please nullify your passive auras.¡± General Viku called to the other leaders of House Wraithtide in a stern voice that allowed no objection. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill the slave before he even gets to speak. As much as I¡¯m sure some of you would prefer that, you will do as you¡¯re told or I will suppress your auras for you.¡± Baron Orimus glared daggers at the military man but did as asked, and soon all of the others had done so as well. Jeltuna stopped seizing, but the bruising along his body had increased with small tears in his skin opening up at random. Coughing and gasping for air again, he was yanked up by his metal collar back onto a kneeling position. Head spinning and gaze shifting from face to face, his hatred for these vampires began to bubble up to the surface as a sneer took hold of him. ¡°Get that disgusting look off your face, maggot.¡± One of the two guards angrily glared, drawing his broadsword and putting it up to Jeltuna¡¯s neck. The weapon flickered with unholy energy, and runes began lighting up the base of the blade with a hiss. ¡°You are in the presence of royalty, and you will show proper respect.¡± ¡°Do not harm him.¡± A man¡¯s voice called from the very end of the table, from one of the ghostly apparitions that sat in a chair with hands clasped on the wood. The soldier immediately straightened and bowed. ¡°Yes, sire. My apologies.¡± The soldier stepped back, sheathing his blade and straightening to face forward. Silence engulfed them, and Jeltuna used the ticking second to better get ahold of his breathing again. ¡°Is this some kind of sick execution? Or are you playing mind games before you torture me to death like you do so many of my people?¡± The sarak man spat in the table¡¯s direction, but he was so weak from lack of food and beatings that it barely went a few inches and onto the floor; where a nearby servant quickly came over to wipe it off the polished metal with a handkerchief before returning to the wall. ¡°You would be wise to keep your tongue in check, slave.¡± Baron Orimus said with a click of his tongue. ¡°Know your place, and perhaps your coming death will be less brutal than I¡¯d originally intended it to be-¡± ¡°His death is not your decision to make, Baron Orimus.¡± The ghostly apparition at the end of the table announced, cutting the noble off with a wave of his hand. The noble looked both cowed and irritated, but he shut up a moment later with a submissive bow to the apparition. ¡°As you say, your highness.¡± Ah. So this must be the prince. Jeltuna silently eyed the apparition with a wary gaze. ¡°Is it you who called for me? The so-called prince? Why? What words could you possibly want with a man who you value so little - a man of a race that you use as a commodity rather than valuing us as real people?¡± The man of the apparition sadly smiled. ¡°Yes, I am a prince of the empire. My name is Riven, and you can call me as such. Though I never said that I viewed you or your race that way.¡± The comment threw Jeltuna off slightly. Call the prince by his first name? He blinked rapidly, but then caught the glances shared between other vampiric nobility. They too had looks of surprise, and even anger. ¡°Yet you enslave billions of us to work in your mines, on your farms, for blood sport entertainment and as sex objects to be traded like collectables in breeding programs.¡± ¡°An unfortunate aspect of my heritage, yes.¡± Riven said with a shrug. ¡°I will admit, I even took part in enslaving an enemy force on the world I currently live on - but I also say that I let most of them go shortly thereafter. Now the only people who live as slaves from that particular group are the ones who can¡¯t behave, and the ones who committed crimes too sinister to be forgiven. Now, most of those elves are living lives as second-class citizens¡­ but citizens nonetheless. I¡¯m here to tell you now that, if you cooperate with me here and make this as easy as possible for me by answering all my questions, the same can be said of your own people.¡± There was dead silence for mere seconds after that while Jeltuna¡¯s mind tried to comprehend what the prince had just said. His blank expression only twitched, until none other than Baron Orimus Wraithtide launched himself to his feet with a scathing snarl. ¡°This is an OUTRAGE! Did I just hear this right?! That you intend to elevate these CATTLE to the position of second class citizens in the empire!? THAT¡¯S OUTRIGHT ABSURD!¡± The baron slammed a fist onto the wood - drawing the attention of all the others. His sleek black hair shimmered in the light of the chandelier, and though he raised his voice - he did not meet Riven¡¯s gaze directly. ¡°My prince, PLEASE rethink what you are doing here! You do not understand the ramifications of what you are saying because you did not grow up inside the empire¡¯s border. I understand this and will happily educate you in areas where you are lacking, but giving citizenship of ANY kind to these creatures is equivalent to madness!¡± ¡°I¡­ I have to agree.¡± Lady Riska muttered dubiously, for the first time in accord with what the baron was saying. ¡°I admit that improvements to their lives and safety are needed in order to maintain our slave population, but giving them rights as any kind of citizen goes against the dogma and core values of The Blood Moon Requiem entirely. We do not have any citizen that is not vampire, in any house, on any planet.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow at this, then glanced up to General Viku who stood as still as a statue. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Kathrine stated for the general, and Viku shortly nodded to confirm. Riven sighed, then shot Allie a look. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Fuck the dogma.¡± Allie smiled with a shrug. ¡°Kathrine, is it against the law to consider them secondary citizens?¡± ¡°I am not sure, it has never been attempted before. I doubt, however, that the queen would allow it.¡± Kathrine replied uncomfortably. ¡°Then there¡¯s a simple work around.¡± Riven replied indifferently. ¡°They¡¯re all my property, correct?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°And I can treat them however I want to, correct?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Then as long as they stay on this planet, a planet that I own, and are themselves property that I own, I can treat them the same way I would treat citizens of the empire. They just wouldn¡¯t be officially recognized as such off world in different parts of the empire I don¡¯t directly control. Correct?¡± Kathrine hesitated, but nodded yet again. ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Riven smiled smugly, leaning back and folding his arms. ¡°Problem solved. Now, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m just going to bankrupt the entire house by giving freedom to all the slaves at once mind you - we¡¯ll keep the mines running, but the quality of life for these people is going to be up to standards with any other citizen on the planet starting this week.¡± Lady Riska slumped her tensed shoulders in relief, but the Baron was not as easily swayed from his anger. ¡°Treat the sarak cattle like vampiric citizens?¡± Baron Orimus let his jaw drop, only to pick it up with a spluttering snort and throw out his arms to the others at the table. ¡°Are the rest of you hearing this!? Are the other elders of our house hearing this lunacy? He¡¯s ALREADY implemented child labor laws, has stopped butchering cattle in favor of regular blood drains, has built schools and created free healthcare for any slave that needs it! These two siblings have angered the other noble houses in ABUNDANCE, we have House Barimont on the verge of forming a trading blockade on the edge of Wraithtide space, the siblings have NO experience in running a planet and all of a sudden they make massive changes to our way of life after having lived less than a century!? THEY ARE MERE BABES! This is utterly absurd! This will be the downfall of our house and lineage if we let it slide!¡± Mutters of agreement spread amongst some of the house elders, while others remained stoic and silent. Riven and Allie merely watched too, waiting for the baron to continue - and when the baron finally looked in the direction of the prince - Riven waved him on as if to say keep going. ¡°You obviously have a lot to say on the matter, Baron Orimus. Please, go on if you have anything more to say. I¡¯ll listen.¡± Seemingly encouraged by these words, the baron straightened slightly and loudly huffed. ¡°Not to mention that for all the good you have shown these animals, how do they repay you - my prince?¡± He swiftly shoved a finger in Jeltuna¡¯s direction, accusingly. ¡°This man and many others spearheaded rebellions all across the planet, ending in the death of not only hundreds of thousands of slaves - but just as many vampires! Your loyal citizens - TRUE citizens of the empire like you and I! You cannot think of giving those barbaric animals that would so carelessly slaughter your innocent citizens another free ride!? If anything, you should retract the gifts you have already given them for their lack of gratitude!¡± ¡°Do true citizens of the empire plot against the royal family? Or is that just you?¡± Allie spoke out, a crisp edge to her words. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Enlighten me, oh esteemed elder of mine. General Viku - if you would.¡± Once again the room became dead silent, and General Viku sat a solid black cube on the table. He pressed a couple buttons, and a recording of his talk with Baron Orimus Wraithtide while on the command deck of the supercarrier went on display. ========================================================================
Recording of Past Events (Concerning the reader, feel free to skip if you wish to do so):
The cube in his hand gave off a steady vibration again, and then began to blink. It drew his red eyes down to stare at it, and from underneath his helmet - a small smile crept over his lips to display his fangs.
Finally.
¡°General Viku!¡± One of the house elders, a man by the name of Baron Orimus Wraithtide called out while walking onto the elevated platform of the command deck. His wiry posture moved like a practiced snake in burgundy robes, and his eyes glinted mischievously under slicked-back chestnut hair while glaring at the screens on the general¡¯s sides. ¡°I see the rebellions are going well. The agents we planted are supplying as necessary, not too much but enough to cause trouble. Are the damages being quarantined to the designated areas?¡±
General Viku nodded gravely. ¡°Yes. The production facilities and mining operations are all still under our protection, we¡¯re letting the slaves sack the Bezin and Norcof districts where our poorer citizens reside. It¡¯ll be enough vampiric blood to get quite a reaction out of the rest of the empire, they¡¯ll be calling for a culling.¡±
His eyes shifted to the other, well groomed vampire as Baron Orimus Wraithtide nodded in approval. ¡°Do you really think it wise to go against a high ranking prince like this? Sheline¡¯s son, of all people?¡±
The baron scoffed indifferently, watching as cargo ships from other sectors in the galaxy warp in through a spatial gate before changing course to dock at the space station nearby for check in. ¡°Sheline is dead, and her son made it very clear to the rest of us that he can¡¯t be trusted to lead the family when he gave those sarak cattle rights. Can you believe this list of changes to the laws that we have to abide by? Just listen to this!¡±
General Viku rolled his eyes while turning his head so the baron wouldn¡¯t see. He knew very well what the changes were, and to him they weren¡¯t all that big of a deal - but to an old timer like Baron Orimus Wraithtide it appeared to be the end of the gods damned multiverse.
The old vampire pulled out a list, then put on a pair of reading glasses while loudly clearing his throat and staring at the hastily scribbled on parchment down the bridge of his nose. ¡°Ahem! Where is it¡­ Ah yes. Just to BEGIN the list, we have protection for the cattle children!¡±
Baron Orimus Wraithtide raised an eyebrow and scoffed again in disbelief, glancing at the general who continued to stare down at the planet from their perch on the flagship¡¯s deck. ¡°Do you realize what that means, Viku? It means no child labor which cuts down production by an entire 9 percent worldwide. No delicacies at the Rouge Cafe that I so frequently visit or ANY OTHER high end establishment on the planet. No training them for unique positions such as concubines or slave warriors. No pets for our own vampiric children. It¡¯s absurd! Utterly absurd! And that¡¯s just the CHILDREN of these cattle!¡±
The baron smacked the paper again with mouth agape, shaking his head violently and huffing loudly. ¡°No gladiator battles between slaves, no torture without reason, oh - here is one of my favorites - NO BUTCHERING CATTLE IN FAVOR OF REGULAR BLOOD DRAINS!? IS THIS MAN SERIOUS!? I nearly got up and left THAT VERY DAY after reading this ridiculous list! We literally BREED SARAK in some specialty lineages to become fatter so we can EAT THEM! WE HAVE TO SPARE THEIR LIVES AND JUST USE THEM AS RENEWABLE BLOOD BALLOONS? THIS IS RIDICULOUS!¡±
General Viku stared straight ahead, trying to give off apathy, but inside he was struggling very hard not to smirk. He¡¯d never liked Baron Orimus Wraithtide very much, but since the ruling lady of the house left many years ago never to return - the baron was one of three of the house nobility that was in contention for Patriarch of Matriarch due to Lady Sheline¡¯s absence. It was Viku¡¯s great misfortune that he had to listen to this idiot babble, otherwise he would have hung him from a tree many months ago due to political games ramping up when Riven and Allie had first appeared.
The baron continued to rant, jabbing an old wiry finger into the paper with each thing he listed off. ¡°We have improved slave housing which has cost us trillions, compensation built into our tax system for slaves who donate more blood over the course of a year than others, ability to attend NEWLY BUILT CRAFTING SCHOOLS that also cost us a fortune, FREE HEALTH CARE, and a clause that allows slaves to own basic property? HE MIGHT AS WELL MAKE THEM HONORARY CITIZENS! And that doesn¡¯t even BEGIN to touch upon the fact that he and his sister are being auctioned off to the highest bidder AS WE SPEAK, with the conclusion of the bids in coming months allowing a FOREIGN vampiric noble house the rights to be WED to them?! We might as well just hand away the keys and pack up all our belongings now! I hear that House Crushada is especially invested in obtaining Riven and has even managed to get their daughter to seduce him on that integrating planet! This is the end for our lineage if we don¡¯t do something about it now, Viku! And I¡¯ll be damned if it happens while I¡¯m still alive! It may take a couple underhanded schemes and maybe a couple years but eventually if we¡¯re able to prove incompetence we can petition the crown and have him removed. If it were anyone else without the bloodline, I¡¯d just have him assassinated, but the queen would have my head faster than you could say sarak cattle shit if I even tried. So though I do not want to go up against a prince of our own house, I do not believe I have a choice in order to maintain our way of life. Sometimes, dark deeds must be done to correct for the greater good of the family.¡±
The baron reached out and put a hand on General Viku¡¯s shoulder pauldron, patting him twice. ¡°I know I can count on you to do the right thing, Viku. Just remember what we¡¯re fighting for, and why we¡¯re letting this happen. I expect your full cooperation in this matter, and in future ones. We cannot let outside forces like House Crushada interfere in our internal affairs, unless we want to be absorbed by them. I know they¡¯ve been in contact with you, and I hope you see past their lies. Do you understand?¡±
General Viku spared the old man a glance, keeping eye contact and clicking his tongue before turning heel and beginning to head down the bridge. The cube in his hand was vibrating again, and he had an appointment to keep.
¡°General Viku!¡± Baron Orimus Wraithtide called out, a little more harshly than usual, and he rushed to catch up to the larger man while deeply scowling. ¡°I expect an answer! Let me hear you say it!¡±
¡°Say what, exactly?¡± Viku said with an exasperated sigh, turning to face the smaller, thinner man as officers from along the command bridge curiously shot glances their way. Viku brushed the hand Baron Orimus Wraithtide put on his shoulder again, and he gave an irritated grunt. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for me to turn my back on the head of this house, you have me mistaken for a blood traitor - Baron.¡±
The baron¡¯s eyes went wide, and his pale face deeply reddened while he took a step forward. ¡°I would watch your words, general. You are essentially calling me a blood traitor by association, and I do not take such offense lightly.¡±
¡°Are you threatening me?¡± General Viku¡¯s figure stepped forward to meet the shorter man, towering over him as his hand drifted to the broadsword at his hip.
He stood there glaring down at the Baron, and the older man¡¯s eye twitched when he saw the general¡¯s hand on his weapon. Other soldiers in the room were now dead silent, watching to see whether or not the baron would keep his head on his shoulders. Viku was an A-grade warrior, nothing to be scoffed at by anyone, and if he wanted the baron dead - the baron would no doubt be dead very soon.
¡°Let me make something very clear to you.¡± General Viku said with a sneer. ¡°It was not you who elevated me to this position. Nor was it any of the still living elders of this house. This house is a shadow of what it once was, thanks to you and people like you. Now that the main bloodline has finally returned, I no longer have to answer to you. My position is due to Riven¡¯s mother, a true leader, and I owe her everything that I am. Everything that I have is due to her, and here you come years after she disappears to threaten what is rightfully her children¡¯s inheritance? In what world did you think I would agree to such schemes? Ask yourself one more time, Baron Orimus Wraithtide, is what you are doing wise?¡±
======================================================================== The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. When the recording ended, Baron Orimus was as pale as a sheet. His fists were clenching and unclenching, and a sincere look of fearful rage had overcome him when his eyes landed on General Viku only a table¡¯s length away. ¡°You¡­ You recorded our conversation?¡± The Baron¡¯s fists began to tremble, and like a caged animal he leapt back - whirling around to stare one by one at soldiers who¡¯d placed hands on swords while looking to the general and the royals for confirmation. Power in the form of blood mana began swirling around him - and his chest began to rapidly rise and fall with eyes going wide. ¡°Sit down, Baron. You are not going to be killed today.¡± Allie called out, getting a confused and scared stare from the baron while other nobles and elders of House Wraithtide sat in rigid positions along their own seats. ¡°I said sit, and I will not say it again. Unless you truly do want to have your head removed - which could be arranged. Riven has given me full leeway to decide your fate, along with the other fates of traitors currently sitting at this table with us. There are more than just you, the reports - which were going to be entirely unfolded here for everyone to witness in the open, have for the mostpart been put aside after my brief review prior to entering this room. Instead of wasting time, I¡¯ll just summarize.¡± Allie shifted her gaze to a number of the other nobles, one by one. ¡°Lady Riska has been skimming off the coffers for her own gambling problems, an addiction if I¡¯ve ever seen one, by astronomical amounts. Lord Wyvern has bought his own moon with Wraithtide funds. Count Jaricock has an entire sheet of well hidden schemes that range from smuggling drugs that the High Queen herself has outlawed, to attempting to sell pieces of the planet off to other noble houses. Duke Hazith and Dutchess Ova take a slice of every trade negotiation they make - depositing 6% or more directly into their own coffers and telling all the rest of you it never existed. Viscount Adian blackmails lesser officials regularly to sleep with their daughters. Baroness Julasi also participates in smuggling and is even a part of an illegal syndicate, most often dealing in the movement of exotic treasures stolen from other murdered or kidnapped nobles of the empire. Baron Eethinsa has a bad habit of killing random people for fun and then covering it up. Count Amestrius takes bribes from almost all of you in order to look the other way, and he is currently holding General Viku¡¯s own daughter as a hostage to make sure Viku does what he wants - with the threat of removing Viku from power should he attempt to subvert the ¡®will¡¯ of our house. The ONLY ones who do not have any dirt on their names are husband and wife, Lord Ruim and Lady Nulasta Wraithtide. Did I miss anything, General Viku?¡± ¡°Many things.¡± General Viku said, staring ice-cold hate in Count Amestrius¡¯s direction as the other vampire¡¯s fingers went rigid gripping the wood of the table. ¡°Give me the word and I will execute as many of them as you¡¯d like.¡± Meanwhile Lord Ruim and Lady Nulasta both looked rather smug, snickering at the other house elders who¡¯d begun looking sick to their stomachs. Allie chuckled bitterly. ¡°I see. Lord Ruim and Lady Nulasta will be rewarded for their loyalty and will be promoted to a position ahead of all the rest of you, to run the planet with General Viku when we are not here. An order to the military forces under our control has already been sent out to inform them as we speak, should any of you try to undermine them, but we¡¯ll get to that later. The first order of business in the present, Baron Orimus, is sitting down. Then we can discuss just what we are going to do with my dear distant relatives - but no, I do not intend to kill you even if it is what the general here would like.¡± Baron Orimus was outright shocked, just as many of the others were, and he hesitantly let the power building at his fingertips fade before walking to the table and sitting down with a dumbstruck expression. ¡°Count Amestrius, you will immediately release General Viku¡¯s daughter.¡± Riven announced for the room to hear. ¡°She will be put on a ship and within General Viku¡¯s possession before you leave this supercarrier. If you do not comply, you and your entire branch will be executed for treason - and your estate will be burned to the ground. You will also be forced to find compensation for the harm you have done to him and his family, until General Viku is satisfied. Try anything like that again, and I give General Viku permission to kill you on a whim without my say so, and if you try to escape you will be labeled an outlaw with a bounty put on your head.¡± The count gave a sharp nod, then pulled out a tablet and began to transcribe a message - hands shaking slightly under the rage-filled gaze of the military officers surrounding him. ¡°My prince! My princess! I would like to explain¡­¡± Lady Riska began with a sheepish smile. Allie shook her head. ¡°No need to explain. Let me be frank, despite the things you¡¯ve all done here - it has been made clear to us by not only General Viku, but also by Princess Kathrine, what roles you all play in running the planet. Most of you have major problems and are very corrupt, but you - Lady Riska - are probably on the lower end of offenses. Mere gambling with house money is problematic considering how much it was, but it is reported that you otherwise did a fine job. Please be at ease.¡± She visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°For the rest of you¡­ you¡¯ll be able to keep your positions, but needless to say this all ends now. You¡¯ll be given a one time pass for the crimes you committed in our absence with two exceptions.¡± Allie¡¯s words struck home, gathering all of the attention of the surrounding nobles who looked both very surprised and just as relieved as Lady Riska had been moments before. ¡°Viscount Adian, you will immediately stop blackmailing lesser officials and will be spending a temporary amount of time in prison for what you did. You will also be paying the families a solid chunk of change for the emotional damage you likely did to them. Baron Eethinsa, your murdering spree hobby is going to stop. Immediately. You too will be spending a solid amount of time in prison, but will be let out on good behavior if you agree to the terms I set out. I¡¯d rather not have an internal family struggle but if you have a problem with our terms, you¡¯re free to try and run or fight. General Viku assures me that he¡¯ll easily put either of you down like a dog if push comes to shove, despite the private soldiers you two keep in your branch family estates.¡± ¡°I willingly comply with your decree, princess.¡± Baron Eethinsa, the murderer stated with a tight-lipped bow. ¡°Your judgement is more than I could ask for in any normal circumstances, far more lenient than I would have thought possible. May I ask why? Your reputation on Panu is one of malice and brutality, if I may be frank.¡± Viscount Adian nodded in agreement. ¡°I too accept your terms and will spend my time in prison as you suggest. Thank you for your mercy.¡± Allie merely gave a sly smile. ¡°I intend to use each of you instead. I will give you a single chance to prove yourselves starting now. It is true that nearly all of you are, simply put, ready for the noose¡­ but each of you has a vast amount of experience in politics and knowledge on how to run businesses, a planet, and our house that I simply don¡¯t have. Think of this as an olive branch, the only one you will ever get.¡± ¡°In other words, your actions will be closely monitored and most of you are one step away from losing everything.¡± Riven cut in with a raised finger, then he pointed at Jeltuna kneeling on the floor. ¡°And I¡¯ll hear no more bullshit about how I treat my own slaves either. Not from you people.¡± Sufficiently cowed, the nobles and their muttering had quickly silenced. Baroness Julasi, a platinum blonde woman wearing a black and yellow dress, cleared her throat nervously and tapped her fingers on the table before speaking out. ¡°Your highnesses¡­ May I ask what you are to do with me, specifically? Regarding the syndicate¡­ if the High Queen found out about smuggling, kidnapping, and murders of other nobles in different houses¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, unsure of what else to say. Lady Riska snorted in derision. ¡°Here I thought my gambling problem was bad, and I¡¯m sitting in the same room with a bunch of treacherous demons. No offense meant, Lady Fay.¡± Fay gave the vampiric woman a brief smile of acknowledgement. ¡°None taken.¡± ¡°You will continue as you have been, but your loyalty will be to this house - not to the syndicate. You will feed us information regarding syndicate activities around the empire. Anything saying otherwise will lead to a swift execution without warning.¡± Allie stated as matter of fact - getting more looks of surprise from not only the nobles - but from General Viku and the surrounding soldiers as well. ¡°Let me be clear. I¡¯m not sure who my allies are, and who is truly my enemy. My great grandmother the High Queen does seemingly have good intentions for us in some ways, but in others I am questioning just whether or not I am simply a pawn for her. As was seen in the most recent attempt to sell my hand off in marriage. Was that her? Or was that Elder Thune? I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t pretend to know. Some of you might call this borderline treason itself by speaking such words, but that¡¯d be rich coming from the lot of you. This room was also completely sweeped by General Viku and his men, so there won¡¯t be any recordings of what is said leaking to the public by any known means available. The soldiers and servants were personally picked by the general as well, and I have full faith in his abilities to maintain their wellbeing - to take action against those that might think disposing of them for knowing too much is a good idea. Should any of them mysteriously die off for knowing your secrets, I¡¯ll start ordering heads to be removed - starting with the lot of you. I want to avoid any political upheaval in this house, but don¡¯t think that I will shy away from it just for the sake of maintaining experience. Riven, did you want to add anything?¡± Riven coughed, then nodded and leaned forward again. ¡°Yes. Back to the topic of slaves and slave rights. I¡¯ve written a draft of what I want changed and have already given it to the general here, who will enforce these laws. As stated earlier, General Viku will have absolute authority in our absence while Lord Ruim, along with Lady Nulasta, being placed firmly at the top of the house hierarchy underneath General Viku starting immediately. House Crushada and House Wraithtide are to sign a mutual agreement of self defense in case of an internal blood feud regarding recent events at the vampiric compound on Panu, and exclusive trade rights will be given to House Crushada as a way of thanks.¡± Kathrine¡¯s eyes rose in surprise, and then delight as a wide smile exploded across her features. ¡°This is news to me! I thought you¡¯d not wanted to talk to my family about such things yet!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later.¡± Riven grinned her way. ¡°Long story, you can join us for dinner tonight at my manor for the details. Oh, and one more thing.¡± Riven gestured to Jeltuna, the sarak man with purple skin, who had been completely forgotten by many of the nobles in the room. ¡°Jeltuna is going to be promoted to a position called ¡®The Voice of the Sarak¡¯ - starting immediately. I believe that he was hailed a hero by many of his kind, and I¡¯d like him - despite your poor attempts to push the deaths of these rebellions upon his back alone - to be the man who thinks of ways to better the livelihood of the slave population. Congratulations Jeltuna, your rebellions seem to have paid off - despite them originating from Baron Orimus for quite the opposite reasons.¡± Chapter 223 Chapter 223 Mara¡¯s hooded figure walked under a dreary sky alongside two necromancers, Nin and Vin, and two vampires, Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass. Together the five of them ran most things on his side of the world, with the exception of General Bruner from Chicago who was not present today. Crowds parted before their heavily armed escort, and they made their way through the active streets of Brightsville while heading in the direction of Riven¡¯s guild hall manor - which was technically home to the three undead necromancers as well. ¡°Three audiences in one day¡­ what a rarity.¡± Mara muttered in irritation. ¡°At least we¡¯re doing it all at once. I was hoping to finish my experiments rather than deal with more politics.¡± ¡°Such is the life of a second-in-command.¡± Nin, the skeletal skresh stated promptly with a skip to his step. ¡°I for one am rather eager to find out just what Negrada is trying to pitch us.¡± Negrada had recently stationed one of its people inside Riven¡¯s guild hall as a hire-on, very similar to what Katherine herself had done whenever she was on-planet. This made direct access to the Thane siblings rather easy, as opposed to being stuck at the Elysium Altar or their trading compounds like most. That particular person had very recently sent a messenger to collect Mara concerning matters of ¡®importance¡¯, while almost simultaneously a separate messenger had been sent saying that vampires of the underdark had come up from passing through Deepnest for more direct contact after Riven had flat out ignored them in favor of other events with the dwarves having been conquered and made into another vassal state. Mara knew Riven wasn¡¯t intentionally doing so, but she could only facepalm and shake her head - given the importance of the matter was probably high if they really were here on business pertaining to the elder vampiric god world quest. He was just so busy that he barely had time to breathe, and she was hesitant to complain about his brief get-away across the planet with Hakim¡¯s group either because of it. The third audience that¡¯d come up was none other than representatives from Deepnest itself, again. This time though, things were more on-edge with the ratkin, who believed that it was their right to claim the dwarves as food and slaves - to claim the dwarven strongholds and cities for themselves. Of course Allie had flat out refused them this, saying that it was Riven who¡¯d broken the war and telling Deepnest that if it wasn¡¯t for the necropolis - they¡¯d all be rat schishkabobs. That hadn¡¯t gone over very well. But Allie simply didn¡¯t find it in herself to care, thinking Deepnest¡¯s queen to be quite selfish and simultaneously ungrateful for the help they¡¯d gotten. That was probably why Mara had been the one to hear their gripes repeatedly ever since the Thane Necropolis had claimed the dwarves as vassal citizens and slaves - similar to how the elves were being treated in Tereen. Citizens who behaved were left alone or given opportunities, and people who made problems were enslaved and made to do hard labor until they learned their lesson. People who made more serious problems and had steep offenses, if not outright killed - were enslaved for life. The multi-story stone manor came into view soon enough, with guards patrolling the fence and Genua already standing out in front of the manor in a maid¡¯s outfit. ¡°Genua.¡± Mara called out, nodding in affirmation when they all approached the front doors that¡¯d swung open - elf servants on either side. Most of the people who¡¯d landed jobs at the manor had kept them due to the pay, even though they weren¡¯t slaves anymore, and it¡¯d even become something of a status symbol for the young women and few men who¡¯d successfully retained spots there. The elf-turning-thrall smiled with a nod, respectfully bowing her head at the approach of her superiors. ¡°Hello Mara. Nice to see the rest of you as well. The diplomats from Deepnest, Negrada, and the vampire covens of Bernzee are awaiting your arrival in the eastern wing.¡± ¡°Who or what is Bernzee?¡± ¡°A vampiric city in the underdark, so say the ratkin.¡± ¡°I see. Where is Tupper, if I may ask?¡± ¡°He¡¯s taking the day off, I believe he¡¯s indulging in some frivolous activities with one of the other elf maidens in his room. That, or they really are watching one of those ¡®movies¡¯ the Earth-people always talk about. I told him that while I¡¯m temporarily back here in Brightsville awaiting lord Riven¡¯s return from The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s estate, I could fulfill the duties he otherwise takes on. It won¡¯t be long until I return to join my daughter Len anyways, and Tupper was always very kind to me.¡± ¡°That was very nice of you. How is Len doing - if I may ask?¡± ¡°Quite well. She has decreed that she and Azmoth are getting married one day, and the brutalisk has taken a liking to being her babysitter whenever he¡¯s around. She talks about it quite often, I think it¡¯s rather cute and very innocent.¡± Mara snorted, pale eyes rolling with amusement, then gestured for the maid to go ahead. ¡°Alright, show us the way.¡± Genua swept her long golden hair off to one side, then turned heel and with perfect posture continued into the reception room before turning right. Passing a couple of armored death knights and cyborgs posted at intervals on the first floor, they made their way to the set of double doors at the end of a long hall. The stone manor¡¯s eastern wing contained the largest room in the entire building.. It was here that the large indoor pool was located, and just above it on an elevated floor overlooking the pool was the dining room and kitchen. A large crystal chandelier had been installed where candles were placed all around the perimeter of the room on shelves and other fixtures, and food was already set out along the rectangular redwood table where fancy glass cutlery was being used. The three delegations had already segregated themselves to a point. Deepnest had sent Rashtalia, the brood mother of Brood-Tarrow - an equivalent to a noble house in Ratkin society. She¡¯d been the go-between for the queen and the Thanes ever since Snagger, the oversized and muscular ratkin warrior Riven had first met in the tunnels underneath Brigthsville, had introduced them. She was sitting now but stood at 7 feet tall and wore a platinum necklace that hung down over her chest. She was thin with brown fur and was dressed in a form fitting white robe. Her long bare tail, the clawed hands and feet, and her mouse-like ears and face were certainly ratkin in origin - but anyone could still tell she was very feminine for a rat person; and she was accompanied by only two armored soldiers on either side of where she sat alone eating berries and tarts off a plate. Further down the table sat a hunched, red-skinned jabob demon with three green eyes, a gnarled staff laid against his chair, and sported a long braided beard. His skin was old and wrinkled, but he was familiar to Mara even if it was only in brief passing. His name was Fred, or at least that¡¯s what he preferred to be called since so many of the mortal races butchered the pronunciation of his real name, and he was the trading commune¡¯s leader - temporarily having shifted over to become an enlisted hire via the guild hall functions just like Tupper and Kathrine had done. He wore a rather odd-looking, bright purple, flat-brimmed and pointy wizard¡¯s hat that expanded a couple feet in all directions; and the demon was apparently deep in meditation upon the flavor of the sauces used by the manor¡¯s cooks regarding a steak he was halfway through eating. Lastly and just a couple seats down from the other two was another group of three blonde vampire men. The trio all had red eyes and pale skin, though their eyes didn¡¯t glow the same kind of bright crimson the purebloods had - being more comparable to Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass. Mara frowned. Greater Vampires, perhaps? [Lesser Vampire Assassin, Level 40] [Lesser Vampire Scout, Level 35] [Lesser Vampire Warlock, Level 42] Nope. Lesser vampires. Their bloodlines must be quite diluted when compared to her two allies following behind her. The vampiric diplomats were all dressed in purple and black silks with hoods shadowing their faces, all of them wore extravagant rings. All of them grew quiet upon Mara¡¯s approach, though they were the first ones to stand in respect when she took the steps up to the elevated platform overlooking the shimmering indoor pool. Genua cleared her throat as the others stood, then made formal introductions with a steely gaze cast upon the vampiric entourage in particular. ¡°Honored guests and diplomats - I present to you Chancellor Mara Tovane of the Thane Necropolis. With her are the four esteemed counselors: Gurth¡¯Rok previously known as warchief of the Yellow Skull Tribe, Dr. Brass, and the two brothers Nin Kal and Vin Kal previously of the Great Dead Plains.¡± Dr. Brass sighed, pushing a hand through the silver hair he¡¯d let grow out over his white labcoat. ¡°I really need to get a better title.¡± Nin snickered, the blue-teal orbs of light in his skull-sockets quivering in amusement. ¡°Or a title at all! Perhaps just ¡®Counselor Brass¡¯ would be preferred?¡± Nin and Dr. Brass shut up when they saw Mara¡¯s beautiful features set into a firm scowl directed their way. ¡°Sorry.¡± They said simultaneously. Sighing and rubbing her temple where two pieces of her head had been stitched together, the ghoul woman shook her head - then gestured for Genua to continue. ¡°You may proceed, Genua.¡± The elf and soon-to-be-thrall didn¡¯t skip a beat. ¡°Our guests include Rashtalia, Broodmother of Brood-Tarrow, Fred of Dungeon Negrada and the outer realms of Hell, and Aksilias Bloodmare of the vampiric covens of Bernzee alongside his two sons: Rufus Bloodmare and Jakromi Bloodmare.¡± ¡°It is good-great to meet-see once again!¡± Rashtalia said cheerfully, clawed hands clasped in front of her. ¡°I-we just wish-say it would be better-good under other circumstance-happenings. Queen of Deepnest sends regard-tidings.¡± The jabob demon, Fred, waved a hand. ¡°Agreed, good to see you all again! Thanks for making time for an old crotchety coot like myself. The food here is great by the way! Far better than what I get in the hellscapes.¡± Mara chuckled while she and the counselors all took seats at the end of the table opposite the vampiric retinue. ¡°I¡¯m glad you find our food to your liking, jabob demon. Please, all of you sit. If you need further refreshments just let Genua or one of the other elf servants on the perimeter know.¡± The diplomats all took their own seats soon after, all except one - the warlock and the oldest vampire of the diplomat expedition from ¡®Bernzee.¡¯ His dull red eyes followed Genua to where she took a stance next to four other elves in similar maid attire, all of them rigidly still and awaiting requests along the wall. ¡°Aksilias Bloodmare, was it?¡± Mara commented, eyeing the older blonde vampire and shaking him from his staring. ¡°Is there a problem? You seem to be glaring at our servants with ill-hidden contempt.¡± The vampire quickly straightened. ¡°Apologies, Chancellor. I did not mean insult by it. I am just unused to having thralls so blatantly ignore the orders of their superiors.¡± The man sat down, pulling his chair in and crossing his hands one over the other - his words directed primarily at Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass. ¡°Do you let all of your thralls have such open autonomy? It is a rare thing in our own city, but I realize that with our worlds having been merged there are certain customs that do not translate easily across social norms.¡± Gurth¡¯Rok replied before Mara could, and his pale-green hand opened palm-up over the table in a gesture. ¡°Curious words. Was there an incident that we need to be made aware of?¡± ¡°Father asked her for fresh blood, and the woman refused.¡± one of Aksilias¡¯s sons spoke out with a chuckle, making eye contact with both Dr. Brass and Gurth¡¯Rok in turn and smiling pleasantly. ¡°Nothing a good lashing won¡¯t cure to remind her of her place if you ask me.¡± Gurth¡¯Rok exchanged a look with Dr. Brass, and then Mara. ¡°Do you happen to be Rufus, or Jakromi?¡± ¡°My name is Rufus Bloodmare.¡± The young man said simply. ¡°My brother is Jakromi.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The vampiric orc paused in thought, red eyes narrowing. ¡°I see. Rufus it is then. May I ask the three of you, is it normal to go about this city of¡­ what was it? Bernzee? To go about Bernzee taking other people¡¯s thralls to feed on without asking permission first? Generally we keep to our own here.¡± Aksilias furrowed his brows in confusion. ¡°It is simply good manners to supply your guests with the blood of your thralls and cattle, so I would say under these circumstances - yes. It would be normal. When your wench denied my advances to taste her, it could be seen by some as a serious blow to your reputation. I had thought the Thane Necropolis would have leaders that trained their thralls better.¡± The room fell into an awkward silence. Then Mara blinked, and she leaned forward. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s what happened. Let it be known that Genua is not a thrall yet, despite being what your kind calls cattle.¡± Mara corrected, regaining the attention of the vampiric retinue who¡¯d been primarily focused on her two counselors of similar heritage. ¡°It is true that she is a blood source for our king Riven, and she is certainly far along on her transition into a thrall, but Riven does not play by other people¡¯s rules in any case. Not only did we not know of your customs, but I doubt he¡¯d abide by them or have us abide by them in his stead even if he did know. He¡¯s not an ordinary vampire, and neither is his sister. He cares not for the opinions of others, power trumps need to save face.¡± Aksilias flushed slightly at the way she emphasized the word ¡®ordinary¡¯. ¡°No offense intended, Chancellor, but being a ghoul it does not surprise me that you don¡¯t understand the basic norms of vampiric culture. Offending me is the same as an offense to the people who sent me, and we have already been ignored for-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a tragedy.¡± Mara cut him off, unphased. ¡°But I fail to see why we should care. You come here of your own accord to discuss things related to one of the world quests, am I right?¡± The vampire¡¯s frown deepened underneath his hood, and he slowly crossed his arms. ¡°That is correct. We¡¯ve been trying to contact the King and Queen of your necropolis for some time now - but every time we reach out we are ignored. We have matters to discuss concerning the vampiric elder god in the underdark. It is of great importance.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s stick to discussing that.¡± Mara snapped with a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I realize that it may be of importance to you and us, and everyone else on this planet, but Riven is already caught up in two other world quests already. One concerning the apocalypse beasts, and the other concerning the invaders from beyond. Even now our scouts are finding the last rats of Rippenvire¡¯s invasion force, and we are either executing them - or converting them to our own side through tested and proven means of persuasion. To come into our home and complain of asinine matters regarding why you can¡¯t suck the blood of my king¡¯s personal servant, especially after we just annihilated a vampiric army that is no doubt far more powerful than your own, speaks volumes about the pompous and short-sighted attitude you and the people you represent bring. It is not a good look - vampire of the so-called Bernzee covens.¡± Mara leaned back in her chair, letting the words sink in while the three hooded figures in black and deep purple glared back at her. She turned her head, then gestured to Rashtalia. ¡°Broodmother of Deepnest, you may go first - as I think our friends of the Bernzee need time to process just how they want to present themselves before speaking again.¡± Rashtalia shot the three glaring vampires a very brief look, shrugged, and took out a scroll that she rolled out on the table after motioning for one of the elf servants to come take her dishware away. ¡°Thank-praise to you, Chancellor-friend! I come-walk bearing word-tidings of the bearded ones.¡± The scroll was pushed across the redwood table and Mara took the parchment up in her hands, pale eyes shifting across the text before the necromancer looked back up at the taller ratkin woman. ¡°These are number estimates regarding population, resources, buildings and different crafters concerning the dwarves and the conquered cities of the kingdom previously known as Brya. Why am I looking at this?¡± Rashtalia hesitated, then inclined her head again in respect. ¡°My Queen-mother wishes to change-steer how land-valuables are given amongst our kin-peoples. She believes-knows it to be unfair-sad that we of Deepnest never acquired-received any of the territory-lands of the dwarves when the war-battles were done.¡± Mara cocked her head to the side in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? All of your lands were returned to you after they were taken back from the dwarves.¡± ¡°Yes-yes! And it is appreciated-thanked for!¡± Rashtalia eagerly nodded her head, mouse-ears bobbing. ¡°But we think-say that our kin-warriors and brood died-sacrificed much, that we fought-killed and our blood spills the bearded-ones halls-lands. My Queen-mother wants the dwarflings¡¯ blood-bodies for food, and asks for Charathigog - one of two bearded city-nests that were taken-conquered at the end of battles-war.¡± Mara audibly sighed, feeling a killer headache coming on. ¡°We¡¯ve gone over this thrice already, Rashtalia. Your queen knows you would have lost the war, and your people would have been purged entirely if not for our help. We guarded our trade routes and supported your city, our warriors regularly fought on the front lines for experience and pay, and in the end - it was Riven that struck down the dwarf king that ended the turmoil your people had been going through over this last half year. We were more than fair in giving back your many farming villas and resource-rich caverns your people originally had stolen from them when the dwarves first arrived, but the two dwarf cities of Charathigog and Reathian are to remain under the Thane Necropolis¡¯s control as a vassal state; and will eventually be integrated into our empire. Nor will we give dwarf civilians over to your people for eating, you don¡¯t need the food and simply want to kill them out of spite for what their king ordered. This is not a topic for debate.¡± Charathigog was the capital of the small dwarvish nation that¡¯d recently been conquered, with a few smaller dwarvish settlements of little note surrounding it in other smaller caverns. Reathian was its sister city and, unlike Charathigog, had largely remained untouched by the war as it was positioned deeper into the Underdark with only a single and very defensible tunnel in or out. Both cities however were full of talent in various crafts, a thriving population, and had natural treasures that the cities were built around. Handing Charathigog over, even in its half-destroyed state of disrepair due to the war, was an absolute no-go according to Allie - no matter what Deepnest did to try and say otherwise. It¡¯d lead to tension between the two allies, but in the end - Deepnest probably knew they were being overbearing and just wanted to get as much as they could from their sworn enemies before turning over and accepting the fact that many of the dwarvish civilians would end up living to tell the tale. It was a hard pill to swallow, considering many of the Ratkin citizens had been butchered like animals in a failed attempt at genocide in the early days of the war. Rashtalia shifted uncomfortably with the answer, then pulled out another and smaller scroll - laying it out on the table next to read off of it. They ended up being the names of all the cities the Thane Necropolis now controlled, which made Mara wonder just where the diplomat of Deepnest was going with this. Charathigog and Reathian, the dwarvish cities, were at the top of that list. Then came Brightsville, Chicago, Rockford, and Milwaukee. Dungeon Alibast was mentioned too, given it was a strategic ally and resource that¡¯d developed a budding town around it - with Gaia being the one residing over that particular settlement. The Kingdom of Dawn with its rebuilding Capital City of Mandon, along with the northern town of Bradshire and the southern town of Belmington, were mentioned. The Earthborn city 200 miles down the southern coast of the continent, which had turned out to be none other than Corpus Christi, was also mentioned as a very recently integrated part of the necropolis after their military might was wiped out in the battle against Rippenvire before Riven, Allie, and the Chicago airforce got to saving them. The five conquered high-elf towns of Nicina, Elvirinci, Podash, Asalia, and Twinleaf were named next, along with the two conquered elvish cities of Alvadore and the previous Tereen capital Ortalight. Bluefang, the single largest community of greenskins from various orc and goblin tribes in the area, was listed next, with two-dozen villages listed at the very end. These villages included 12 elf villages from Tereen, 6 human villages from Dawn, and 5 mixed villages that¡¯d just been created since integration that included many races of undead, humans, greenskins and even the occasional elf that ventured outside the vassal state of Tereen. When finished reading off the list, Rashtalia cleared her throat to summarize. ¡°2 dwarf city nests. 5 human city nests. 2 elf city nests. 1 mixed undead-human city nest. 5 elf town nests. 1 greenskin town nest. 2 human town nests. 12 elf village nests. 6 human village nests. 5 mixed, mostly undead, village nests. 1 Dungeon Alibast town nest, elf human dryads. 42 population nests total.¡± Rashtalia put the list back down and crossed her arms. ¡°Deepnest only have-own five village-nests outside Deepnest, and our kin-people are starved of space-places. We need room-growth and caverns of beards-dwarves are good to take-nest in. Charathigog half-part destroyed, yes-yes?. Even if pay, we want to expand-take city of Charathigog so we too become-get stronger and larger-big! Other caverns given-taken back to us-we are unsettled or destroy-buried, need repair-resources and time-effort. Not expandable-settleable yet, refugees-homeless need place from cramped-closed Deepnest after flee-flee in war!¡± Mara slowly blinked, her jaw becoming rigid. ¡°We rightfully took those cities from the dwarves, and your people had room to live in prior to discovering the dwarvish threat. As I have said many times over now, the answer is still no. You need food? We¡¯ve provided that. You need access to materials and manpower? We¡¯ve provided that as well. Your people even come regularly with caravans to trade with our own, our trading compounds from off world have been opened to you, and even access to our Elysium Altar has been provided without any additional taxation. Your queen is pushing her boundaries, Rashtalia. We like you, and we like your people, but the answer remains a firm no. This is a direct order from my own queen, The Butcher of Carnis, so I am sorry. If there¡¯s anything else that you want to discuss I¡¯m open to it, but we will not be giving up the dwarvish cities of Charathigog or Reathian.¡± ¡°But what if we pay-give price?¡± Rashtalia retorted boldly. ¡°All things have price-list, tell us what price and Deepnest ratkin pay-pay!¡± Her gaze held firm until Mara started rubbing her temple again. ¡°God damn it Rashtalia. Fine, I¡¯ll ask Allie if there¡¯s a price that can be set on the old dwarvish capital but I do NOT think she¡¯s going to go for it.¡± Mara shook her head helplessly, shoulders slumping. ¡°I am getting so damned tired of talking about this subject.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just help you rebuild the cavern towns that were destroyed in the war?¡± Dr. Brass suggested, frowning equally to Mara¡¯s own. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re being awfully generous here.¡± Gurth¡¯Rok cut in next. ¡°At least give them the opportunity to barter. The worst that comes out of it is we say no again.¡± Mara¡¯s eyes shifted to her old friends, the two skresh necromancers next to her. ¡°Nin? Vin? Thoughts?¡± Per usual, neither skresh cared. If it didn¡¯t involve their experiments in necromancy or war efforts that added to their piles of bodies, they simply didn¡¯t care - which meant Mara had to deal with all the political bullshit while they got to enjoy the more relaxed way of life. Rashtalia smiled eagerly when Mara let out a defeated groan, but was stopped before she could put forth an offer. ¡°Write it down, it¡¯s not my decision anyway so no need to give me the offer personally.¡± Mara tapped one of her pale fingers on one of the scrolls nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along to Allie to review and give you an answer later. Don¡¯t expect a yes. Fred? What¡¯ve you got?¡± While Rashtalia began scribbling on a new, blank parchment she pulled out of her robe for the third time, the jabob demon with the pointy purple wizard¡¯s hat stretched and yawned. Fred then yanked a spatial sack onto the table and began digging around, his old white beard swaying from side to side while he fidgeted with the contents, until a pale teal crystal appeared in his hand. It was placed on the table in front of him, before scooting it over with one finger. Black lines began racing along its outer edge when he first touched it, but it didn¡¯t do anything otherwise. ¡°The status information is already pre-listed on inspection, I¡¯ve taken the liberty. Go on, have a look before we get started on just what I¡¯m doing here.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± Confused, Mara¡¯s brows furrowed and she attempted to examine the object. To her surprise, she got far more than what was normal for someone without an identification class or skill. [Death¡¯s Eye Crystal (Death)(Artificial Soul Core)(Ancient F-Grade Relic): An artificial soul core formed over thousands of years by Dungeon Kravash on the outskirts between Hell and the Sanctified Graveyard, this item can be used to add a new soul core to non-sentient undead - or can be used to add additional soul core components to an already-sentient undead. Guarantees one dao advancement upon integration.] As soon as Mara read the description she nearly spit blood, and Nin to her left literally fell out of his chair with a flailing motion when he gasped - only to yank himself back to his feat and scramble towards the item to peer at it more closely. ¡°Is this real!?¡± Nin gasped, skeletal head whipping around to stare at the jabob demon with avid curiosity and greed. ¡°Tell me it¡¯s real and tell me you can get more of them, you little red monkey! TELL ME!¡± ¡°I take offense to that. I am not a mere monkey.¡± Fred replied with a scathing glare, before huffing and turning his attention back to Mara. ¡°I suppose that this item may interest you¡­ Yes? Perhaps, it may eve interest the Thanes?¡± Mara slowly nodded, eyes not leaving the crystal for an instant. ¡°I would guarantee you it would for all parties involved. What makes you bring out a treasure like this? Did you intend to sell it to us? I¡¯m not sure anyone here could afford it, but perhaps Allie could when she gets back¡­ Or maybe Riven. What were the taxes you spent just getting it onto this planet? Surely it was worth more than what you can attempt to sell it for! Which brings up the question¡­ Why? Actually, you don¡¯t intend to sell it to us at all, do you?¡± Mara¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. ¡°What is it you want?¡± Fred¡¯s scheming grin widened, smirking at the gawking looks from the vampires at the other end of the table - who also had glassy, greedy expressions regarding the item. ¡°I did not intend to sell it to you¡­ but I did intend to trade it, and I wanted to show you just what it was that was on the line. If I told you that not just one or two of you could acquire such a thing, but perhaps dozens or even hundreds of your people could do so? What would you say to that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you¡¯re crazy.¡± Mara retorted immediately, suspiciously glaring at the smaller demon. ¡°These don¡¯t just grow out of nowhere. What¡¯s the catch?¡± Fred sagely nodded in agreement, then leaned forward and intertwined his fingers. ¡°Fortunately for you, there ARE many dozens of these cores¡­ just waiting for the taking. It was taken off an enemy dungeon¡¯s miniboss in the hellscapes. Dungeon Kravash is very heavily oriented towards undead, after all. Fortunately for you, I can tell you where to get them. Fortunately for you, Panu¡¯s guild system just went live¡­ meaning that - even aside from using guild hall prices to buy out help, you can now be HIRED by off-world entities as mercenaries. And given our little arrangement concerning the trading compound, it opens up certain avenues that would usually be¡­ off limits, for a startup dungeon like my master Negrada. What do you know about the wars Negrada is involved in, and what do you think Riven and Allie would say to¡­ Oh I don¡¯t know¡­ letting your citizens participate in mercenary work - or perhaps even involving themselves in that mercenary work as well? I hope you¡¯re interested, because this could be a life-saving thing for my people and even the dungeon Negrada itself, while simultaneously being very lucrative and experience-heavy for all of you. As long as your people don¡¯t die, that is.¡± Chapter 224 Chapter 224 3 Days Later near Hakim''s village of Jerbyville¡­ The details on the vampiric elder god quest had been left with Allie to deal with since Riven would be leaving in a couple months for Chalgathi¡¯s next trial. Allie had essentially dropped out of the Apocalypse Beast questline entirely after giving him her own piece, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t deal with the underdark while he was gone. He had faith in her to do so, and it¡¯d been decided by both of them that while Riven was gone for the next year - she would do what she could. As long as it wasn¡¯t overly dangerous of course. She¡¯d rolled her eyes at him and gave him a kiss on the forehead when he¡¯d insisted on this, but nevertheless she¡¯d promised. However the only real details they¡¯d even been given hadn¡¯t triggered the quest prompt, with both of them thinking it would likely take physical action to go down into the underdark at a specified location to start the world quest at all. The short version was that a labyrinth had been found in the deepest depths of the world, and anyone that entered this labyrinth acquired said quest update. That, and the vampires claimed someone of pure vampiric blood was needed to unlock many of the seals. In the entirety of the Bernzee covens, there were only two purebloods - both of them in the same coven which made the others very, very upset. Hence Aksilias Bloodmare and his two sons had ventured to the surface to try and get one of the Thane siblings to spearhead their own house¡¯s expedition. He blinked his eyes, staring at the ceiling of the constructed ¡®nest¡¯ Athela had made near Hakim¡¯s cabin. It was a lot to deal with, and these rambling thoughts often kept him up at night. What if he failed? What if ALLIE failed? What then? Athela¡¯s warm thigh rubbed up against his, and she started talking in her sleep about being a princess again to his immense amusement. ¡°I suppose I should really work on sleeping during the day, and staying up at night¡­ that might be another reason why I don¡¯t get good sleep anymore.¡± Yawning, Riven managed to push Athela¡¯s sprawled, naked body off of his while chuckling about her mid-sleep grumbles. He managed to scoot himself to the edge of the bed she¡¯d procured for the three of them, his strength starting to return now that Gluttony was in full swing mending his broken soul and mana pathways. He was able to push himself up off the bed too, but wobbled and fell back down after a brief stroke of weakness overcame his lower back - an area where his mana channels were still fractured. He inwardly cursed, starlight from the small openings in the bloodsilk nest filtering through the ceiling. ¡°Where are you going?¡± A small voice asked, and Riven felt a light touch on his hand. He looked right, seeing Fay curled up in a ball with the covers flung over her - one slender blue hand gently touching his. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Her wide, black eyes were full of concern, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. ¡°I just needed to get up to pee.¡± ¡°Can I come with you?¡± Fay asked hesitantly, almost nervously even. Riven¡¯s eyebrows lifted. ¡°To pee with me?¡± ¡°No, I just want to go with you.¡± ¡°Oh. Of course you can come, Fay. I¡¯d love to have you along¡­¡± He winked, getting a playfully sharp jab in the side when she swung her own bare legs out of the covers and planted her feet on the floor. They exited the nest into the forest of pine trees, and began walking towards one of the two outhouses his friends from the tutorial had made. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Glad you came back.¡± Riven eventually said, using Fay to support himself when he felt a searing pain down his back. The succubus bore his weight for him, then put her free hand around the front of his bare chest to look up at his face - making him stop in his tracks under the starlight. ¡°Can I ask you something, Riven? It¡¯s been bothering me¡­ since Athela came to meet me, to convince me to come back.¡± He blinked. ¡°You can ask me anything, Fay. I¡¯ll be honest with you.¡± Nervously, she gulped, and the grip on his body tightened. ¡°U-Uhm¡­ She said some things that I, I would¡­ I would like clarification on. I think?¡± Riven nodded patiently, waiting for her to continue. Fay let out a deep breath, then steeled her nerves. ¡°Riven¡­ Athela said that she thinks that you chose her, back then, because she is family to you.¡± Riven frowned, and closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯d rather not relive those moments for long if I don¡¯t have to. Please, ask your questions.¡± She gulped. ¡°S-Sorry¡­ Uhm¡­ she said that you talked about me in your sleep? Is that true?¡± A sad smile played across his lips. ¡°Yes. At least that''s what she, Azmoth and Genua tell me.¡± She began to blush. ¡°And she said that she thought you missed me?¡± His sad smile turned into another soft laugh. ¡°Of course I did. Why are you even asking me? Fay, you were and are important to me.¡± Her blush grew darker, and her eyes dropped. In a whisper, she asked: ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll ever think of me as family too? That you¡¯ll love me like that one day?¡± He paused, thinking of how to say what he wanted to portray to her - then a memory came to him. A fond, warm memory. ¡°Do you remember the day that I brought you flowers, after I thought I¡¯d messed everything up?¡± Fay giggled. ¡°Yes. You were so nervous.¡± ¡°I was. I was beyond nervous.¡± He placed a hand underneath Fay¡¯s chin, bringing her face to meet his eye to eye. ¡°I said it before and I¡¯ll say it again. You mean a lot to me. Yes, I do think I¡¯ll get there, that I¡¯ll feel that way about you - but don¡¯t think that it should be a comparison. I loved Athela as family back then, but not as a lover. I¡¯d actually been more invested in you as a romantic partner than I was with her, and she knew this. I¡¯ve told her as much, and I¡¯m working on my relationship with her just as I am with you - because that¡¯s what she wants.¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s what she wants?¡± Fay repeated, frowning. ¡°You aren¡¯t attracted to her?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m attracted to her, as I am you!¡± Riven laughed, this time more loudly. ¡°But her proclamation to me back then blindsided me.¡± Fay¡¯s frown turned contemplative, and a bright smile lit up her face before she got up on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear. ¡°So¡­ You were actually more interested in me as a wife then?¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Riven said playfully, scolding her and booping her on the nose before drawing the succubus in close to his body with a hug. ¡°None of that, that isn¡¯t healthy if we¡¯re really going to try to make this relationship triangle work out.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°I know! I know¡­ I¡¯m just lacking confidence and wanted to hear it¡­¡± Fay replied, embarrassed and shifting her gaze. ¡°Sorry. I won¡¯t ask questions like that again, but¡­ you didn¡¯t deny it.¡± She shot him a look, then furiously blushed again when he remained silent - still refusing to deny it, but with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Ok that¡¯s seriously the last time I¡¯ll ask. It¡¯s just that you actually did choose her¡­ and now knowing what you really thought about it all - it just makes me feel good. Validated, that I¡¯m not just a second choice. I don¡¯t want to feel like a third wheel.¡± Riven glanced back over his shoulder to where Athela was still sleeping in his nest, sighed, and turned back to Fay with a gentle smile. ¡°Fine. I was, at that point, more interested in you than her for wife material - but I hadn¡¯t developed feelings of love for you. Meanwhile, I did love her as a friend and family, so when you made me choose I couldn¡¯t¡­ Ugh. Wipe that silly smile off your face - I¡¯m equally invested in both of you regarding any kind of wedding now. That was all in the past, this is the present, so if you go and tell Athela that I-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say a word.¡± Fay giggled, for the first time since getting back having a true giddiness about her that¡¯d previously been present. She was blushing furiously, and brought a hand up to Riven¡¯s cheek. ¡°Thanks for saying it.¡± Her lips touched his, pressing softly against his face, and she held him there for a long, long time until pulling back. Tears were wet against her skin, and she sniffled - wiping them off her cheeks. ¡°Thank you, Riven. It means a lot to me.¡± Nearby, the sound of retching was heard from the nearest of the two outhouses. Both Riven and Fay shared a look, before heading over to see just who it was. Coming around the corner and seeing one of the outhouse doors open, they both laid eyes on Genua - who was on her knees in a nightgown; vomiting and dry heaving into one of the two dug-out holes. Riven scratched the back of his head, then kneeled down beside her to put a hand on her bare back. ¡°Oof¡­ You don¡¯t look so good.¡± The elf dry heaved again, wiped spit off her lips, then turned her glowing red eyes to meet his. They were abnormally bright now, far brighter than they¡¯d been even a couple days ago. Wasn¡¯t it abnormal for thralls or people becoming thralls to have red eyes at all? So why were hers brighter than even Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s? ¡°Hello master Riven, I did not mean to wake you if that is what happened. I thought I¡¯d be quiet when exiting Athela¡¯s new house.¡± Genua¡¯s trembling arms shook from weakness, and she nearly collapsed before she was caught in his arms. She made a belching sound, puked onto the ground in front of him, and groaned. ¡°I am sorry¡­ I did not mean¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry a damn thing about it, and you didn¡¯t wake me.¡± Riven said, concern in his voice while he propped the blonde woman up. ¡°Fay, could you go grab a glass of water?¡± ¡°Absolutely, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The succubus turned around and scampered back to the nest where Athela and Len were still asleep. There was a long pause in the conversation after that, the silence drawing out with the sound of crickets in the night. Genua¡¯s fingers gripped Riven¡¯s wrist, getting his attention, and the middle-aged woman coughed to the side before clearing her throat. ¡°Riven¡­ did you want to kill them? Did you enjoy it?¡± Riven¡¯s brows furrowed in confusion, until a prickling sting of guilt flooded him when he realized what she meant. Sincere sadness and regret overcame him then in that moment, looking down at her, and his shoulders sagged as he propped himself up against the outhouse next to her. ¡°Your family¡­ Ethel in particular, were some of the first people I ever came across out of Negrada that showed me kindness.¡± He tisked, remembering Greenstalk village and the elves he¡¯d thought would be his friends. ¡°The short answer to that question is no. I did not enjoy it. Not at all. Your husband was an asshole through and through, but Ethel in particular was a hard pill to swallow. I liked her a lot.¡± He gave a half-hearted smile. ¡°I even had a crush on her. Then she attempted to murder me, and thought she had, until I blew them up.¡± ¡°That was certainly a nasty trick you pulled.¡± Genua muttered under her breath, a slight hint of malice underlying her words - but that malice quickly faded when she continued talking. ¡°For months I absolutely hated you, for what you did. For taking my baby girl away from me, and my husband. I won¡¯t deny it though, I understand why you did it - even if I still wish it was you who¡¯d died that day.¡± She abruptly turned her head and belched out more vomit, going into a coughing fit while her fingers dug into the dirt. She spit, then turned and - oddly enough - smiled at him. ¡°But I do not hate you. I wanted you to know that. In some ways, I even consider you a good person despite the grudge I have against you for taking Ethel¡¯s life.¡± Riven, who¡¯d never thought he¡¯d ever get closure on the guilt he still battled with regarding this subject, was shocked. He nearly choked when he realized she was being genuine, and a lump in his throat started to form. ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re being serious¡­ aren¡¯t you?¡± Genua nodded - shadows of pine trees shifting in the moonlight while a breeze picked up around them. ¡°You¡¯re a good kid. A good man, I mean. Or at least you try to be. There are certainly some questionable morals regarding your choice to destroy Daskus, and the way you butchered my family, but those were not choices you actually wanted to make - rather, you were forced to. I understand that.¡± She reached out a hand, placing it on his shoulder and beginning to squeeze when she saw tears beginning to trickle down his face. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you trying to give us a good life after your initial spurt of revenge was done, after you¡¯d been hurt and felt betrayed. A betrayal that I participated in when we tried to kill you for not a single good reason. I¡¯ve seen you battle with that guilt of retaliating for a long time now. You should stop, you have enough to deal with as it is, and battling the demons of your past - no pun intended - will only burden you more. Let it go, in many ways what happened was our own fault due to extreme prejudices, and if you can¡¯t and still really want to make it up to me¡­ If you want to make it up to Len, then just make sure Len grows up cared for. She still doesn¡¯t understand why her older sister and father were killed, and one day I¡¯m going to need to break it to her that it was you who did it. I hope that, when that time comes, she won¡¯t judge you as harshly as I did after getting to know you.¡± Riven was silently crying now, and his reply came out as a wavering whisper. ¡°How can you even say that I¡¯ve tried to make her life better? After what I did?¡± Genua gave him a fond smile. ¡°You don¡¯t think I know it was you? First, it started out as extra recess time for her and her friends at the camps. That was only the beginning. Then it was extra tutoring in subjects she loved¡­ private tutors, that even went as far as to read her bedtime stories when I wasn¡¯t there. Then you allowed her to live with me in your manor, when I was supposed to be nothing more than a slave without rights. The real kicker was when you allowed me out of that silly cage Tupper came up with!¡± Riven snorted a laugh, wiping the wet tears from his eyes. ¡°That was a little bit too far, I agree.¡± Genua¡¯s weakly shaking hand slunk off his shoulder, and she clasped her hands together with an amused eye roll. ¡°He thought you¡¯d be more into it than you were. He misjudged your character. Regardless, I was told later by Tupper that the maids who¡¯d been giving Len extra attention at the manor had been instructed to do so. At first I thought they¡¯d just been awfully nice, but no - it was you. You¡¯d told them to do it, because you care. You are worried about her, aren¡¯t you?¡± Riven didn¡¯t reply, choosing to stare at the ground between his legs instead. Genua¡¯s hand again reached out, pushing her fingers across the back of his head through his hair with a groan and another hiccuping gag. She spit one more time, glancing up to see Fay walking their way with an entire pitcher of water, and gave an amused laugh. ¡°Thank you, Riven. A piece of me may forever hate you for what you did, but know that I am working on it - and that I am sorry. Sorry that my decisions, and the decisions of my husband, ended up causing the nightmare that I later endured. It was more our fault than it was ever yours, please - remember that. And know that I forgive you.¡± Riven, for all that he tried, couldn''t even form a response. Instead, he just nodded and closed his eyes - focusing on the feeling of her comforting touch while he curled his head down into his knees with a sitting position. Crickets continued to chirp, and those chirps were soon joined by the patting of bare feet on forest ground. Fay huffed, coming out of a jog to a stop - and leaned down to hand Genua the pitcher. ¡°Sorry! I couldn¡¯t find the cups, but the pitcher should do!¡± The succubus sat down on the other side of the elf when Genua took the pitcher and started to drink, frowning when Genua set it down to vomit again shortly thereafter. ¡°Did you eat something bad? Was it that mutated racoon Athela caught and cooked? I told her those things weren¡¯t good to eat and still she insisted¡­ She''s a fuck''n glutton!¡± Genua and Riven both sputtered laughter, getting Fay to smile in self-satisfaction that they¡¯d thought her funny. ¡°No, dear, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡± Genua shook her head, then kicked out her legs and pushed herself into a laying position to look up at the stars. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting sick almost every day for the past two weeks now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Riven furrowed his brows and cross his arms. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told anyone? We could have gotten you a doctor, you should probably be seen by¡­¡± His words trailed off, and a lightbulb seemed to click inside his small pea-brain at the same exact moment that Genua gave him a knowing look. Fay gasped, then frowned and scratched her head. "Wait, no... that can''t be right. It hasn''t been nearly enough time for... for that. Right?" She glanced between the other two, remembering a very particular night that Kathrine had visited the manor. Fay''s face scrunched up in concern. "I''m pretty sure it''s not even possible to, you know, with a vampire and an elf? IS it possible?!" Genua merely shrugged, then pulled out a small handheld mirror from a pocket of her nightgown. Staring up at the twinkling red eyes reflecting back at her, she hiccupped one more time. "You tell me, Fay... You... tell... me..." Chapter 225 Chapter 225 All of them, they were all going. Tanya, with her son Tim and daughter Julie. Hakim. Genua, Len, and Luke. Riven, Athela, Azmoth and Fay. The 23 skinwalkers in Athela¡¯s new fan club, including Ak¡¯ra and Selzi - better known to the people of Jerbyville as Sara and John. They were marching through the forest, many of them laughing jovially in the early morning light amidst the chirping of birds and crunching of leaves and pine needles. Athela wore an assassin¡¯s outfit with her black, ruby-studded Tiara of Silent Killing, disguised as a human with glossy brown skin and white hair - something she¡¯d recently modified to look almost like a drow elf given Gaia¡¯s Heartwood Token. Fay took on her usual blonde, tanned appearance - not even needing Gaia¡¯s token but wearing it nonetheless. Azmoth had the appearance of a hulking bald barbarian, and Riven only changed his eyes to not give away he was a vampire - otherwise keeping his appearance of a handsome young brunette man. [Gaia¡¯s Heartwood Token (Epic): Wearing this token around your neck allows you to suppress any Charisma effects you may have, suppresses your vampiric qualities as well as the demonic qualities of your contracted familiars, as well as changes your status page information to represent a Level 55 Human. Those with identifier classes at high enough level can circumvent this ability.] ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± Genua asked, holding Len¡¯s hand while she walked beside him - shooting Riven a very concerned frown and bringing her free hand up to her chest. ¡°You don¡¯t look it¡­¡± She¡¯d been nervous ever since the reveal of what she thought to be a pregnancy. It wasn¡¯t a certainty, but the dots connected. Even if vampires weren¡¯t usually supposed to have babies with mortal races it¡¯d happened before when Riven had done some asking around. It was just incredibly unusual, so said some of the many pardoned Rippenvire vampires who¡¯d joined the Thane Necropolis after a deal had been struck for their lives. He grimaced when a twinge of pain flared in his lower back, but otherwise smiled at the elf with a shake of his head - blue eyes reflecting back at her underneath a black hood that shielded his skin from the sunlight. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a lot to take in¡­ I never thought I¡¯d have one so soon.¡± ¡°Have what?¡± Len asked curiously, peeking from around her mother¡¯s leg - blonde pigtails bobbing while she walked a brisk pace to keep up with the adults. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about those poison cookies you used to make.¡± Riven grinned. ¡°Remember when you poisoned my sister?¡± Len giggled, holding a hand up to her mouth. ¡°Those cookies were supposed to be for my big sister, Ethel! Not Allie! I wish Ethel was still around. I miss her.¡± Riven tried not to cringe. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, so do I. And Genua - if that is what¡¯s going on, you have nothing to worry about. You will be taken care of, I promise.¡± Genua¡¯s tense shoulders relaxed, and she stared at the forest floor amidst the laughter of Athela, Tim and Azmoth behind them when Fay tripped on a root to screech and faceplant. ¡°Thank you, Riven. I was worried.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I could do. We¡¯ll talk more about it later, I promise.¡± Casually turning and raising a hand to point past Genua on her left, Riven summoned a blood lance the size of his arm. Red wisps of silky blood magic flowed out of his body and began sparking with black energy before tearing into the forest with a flash of crimson - blowing a huge hole in a large tree¡¯s body. The tree, in turn, screamed out an alien cry and flailed about - its entrails pouring onto the ground in layers as the disguised monster toppled over and died with a crash. ¡°Mimic. It was getting closer every time we weren¡¯t looking.¡± Riven shrugged after seeing Genua¡¯s shocked expression. ¡°Picked the wrong group this time. Hey Hakim, are we almost there?¡± The large african man at the front of the group, walking alongside his girlfriend Julie and her mother Tanya, gave a thumbs up after shaking himself from staring at the beast Riven had just killed. ¡°Another ten minutes and we should make it to the clearing!¡± Riven gave a thumbs up. Then ten minutes later, Hakim proved himself right. Two dozen tents were already set up through a large camping area cleared right outside a massive cave, one that opened into the side of a tree-covered hill. People with various weapons, classes and other equipment were moving in full swing - trading with one another, cooking, eating and joking around campfires. There were three clearly distinct groups already set apart from one another though - one of them being a well-outfitted bunch of hunters in camo with compound bows, long knives, and rifles. Another was the same group of mountain-men with axes and shotguns who¡¯d harassed Genua just days ago - with three well dressed men in top-hats holding caster staves. The third was a bunch of mis-matched, non-uniformed people with various types of metal armor, swords, pistols, rifles, crossbows, hatchets, and wands. They all were inbetween level 14 and 56, but this third group also had someone Riven recognized in it. Her name was Jarla. She was the stick-thin woman in hiking gear he¡¯d met outside the shop in Jerbyville, and she wore the same equipment with a large backpack and a couple cans of bear mace strapped to her hips. [Jarla. Level 16 Packmule, Human.] It didn¡¯t take long for her to see Riven¡¯s group coming into the clearing off the opposite hill when everyone else in the camp started looking their way, and a wide smile spread across her face as she brushed her dark hair back across her neck and put it up into a ponytail. ¡°Hi Hakim and Julie! Tanya you look better than ever. - I can see where Julie gets her looks. Hey Riv! Hey Tim! I was just tellin my friend here about the new guys in town! Come for a dungeon run? And what happened to your wheelchair!?¡± The other two groups segregated to other areas of the camp shot confused or surprised looks over to Riven¡¯s band of misfits, and the mage in the tophat who¡¯d propositioned Genua not long ago for a good time quickly avoided looking in their direction with a flush of embarrassment. At least the guy hadn¡¯t been an asshole about it when Genua had said no, so Riven could at least respect the man for that. Hakim clasped hands with the thin woman and patted Jarla on the back. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re here to get some leveling in, and with our new friends I think we¡¯ll go far.¡± ¡°You think you¡¯ll make it to the third dungeon floor this time?¡± Jarla asked curiously, looking their group over one by one and pooching her lips. Her gaze lingered on some of the skinwalkers - who were all wearing various disguises of humans themselves, all of them looking something like a cult with identical brown cloaks, simple rags for masks masks, and hidden weapons underneath - but she shrugged it off a second later. ¡°Your friends are all pretty high leveled. Riv here is level 55, and a warlock no less! That¡¯s impressive, I hadn¡¯t seen that before. Thela is a level 55 assassin¡­ Fay is a level 48 illusionist. Wow that¡¯s a class you don¡¯t see often. That big barbarian guy is level 66! Holy hell that¡¯s high!¡± Jarla shot Genua, Len and Luke - the three elves - a quizzical stare. ¡°And those weird cult people behind y¡¯all are in the 40¡¯s to 50¡¯s too. What about the three elves though? You really bringing a kid into a dungeon? She¡¯s level 1, so is her mom. I guess the old guy is alright though, level 17 Stormrazor Battle Priest doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not old! I¡¯m just wrinkled!¡± Luke protested with a humph, getting laughs from the surroundings. Riven brought up a hand and pated Len¡¯s pigtails. ¡°She¡¯ll gain passive experience while being retained in the group, and I am confident in our ability to protect her. She asked to come, I¡¯m more than certain it will be fine.¡± Jarla gave them a skeptical look, but she also didn¡¯t realize what she was actually looking at. She didn¡¯t realize that the number 4 spot on the power ladder on this planet was the one she was talking to, that a single one of his 8 summoned bloodstricken undead could likely blaze through most or even all of the dungeon within the single 5 minute summoning he had if only he knew the way. She didn¡¯t realize that the entirety of a small clan of level 50-98 skinwalker demons were on babysitting duty to make sure the weaker members of the party weren¡¯t killed. She wasn¡¯t aware that two world-boss class entities were here, or that the ¡®barbarian¡¯ Azmoth by himself had fought toe to toe with one of those summoned bloodstricken paladins and had come out even - adding another person to the party that could wipe this dungeon out with little to no trouble all on his own. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Riven had come a long way from fighting that level 20-something satyr warlord miniboss in Negrada. How he had struggled back then, it was a night and day difference now from the army-killing disaster on wheels he¡¯d developed into. ¡°Alright well just know that the average monster level is 29 on the top 2 floors, and it gets progressively higher the farther you go down.¡± Jarla gave Len a worried frown, pulling on the straps of her backpack. ¡°Just be careful. On the last and fifth floor, you¡¯ll even see some monsters reaching into the 60¡¯s! The one group to actually finish this dungeon and send it into hibernation said the boss they fought was level 61! That aint nothin to scoff at, ya hear me?¡± ¡°I certainly do.¡± Riven nodded with a polite smile, hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Let me assure you that I am not worried.¡± Those kinds of levels were exactly what he was looking for. Hakim was in the low 40¡¯s along with his barbarian class, while Julie was now a level 27 healer and Tim was level 24 thief. Fay was still level 48, not having ranked up at all in a long time since she¡¯d left, while Luke was level 17 - and it was a perfect training ground for all of them. Even Azmoth might get some experience if the boss was good enough, and Tanya, Genua, and Len would gain some passive experience from being in the party while in proximity of the fighting. He, Athela, the skinwalkers and Azmoth would all be waiting on the periphery as guards to make sure things didn¡¯t go south unless needed - in which case he¡¯d send in the four-armed brutalisk first. Azmoth was leaps ahead of most things on this planet, but he also trailed behind Riven and Athela by around 35 levels. Regardless, it would all be a good precursor and warm up for what lay in waiting for them in Negrada over the next two months - because he fully intended to transition most of them to a real battlefield soon enough should powerleveling go as expected. Hakim jabbed Riven¡¯s side with a laugh. ¡°I think he¡¯ll be more than enough to make sure the lot of us do ok. Thanks for the concern, Jarla.¡± One of the others from Jarla¡¯s group of 18 people, a tall and lanky blonde man with a ponytail, walked over and placed a wooden staff onto the forest floor butt-first. ¡°Hey! I was kind of eavesdropping and heard you guys would be going into the dungeon soon. I already asked the other two groups but they honestly think we¡¯re a little too weak to pair with. Five of our top classers didn¡¯t show up today, don¡¯t know why, but perhaps you¡¯d all want to throw in with us?¡± Many of the rag-tag men and women from Jarla¡¯s team were watching more intently now, having overheard the conversation and looking hopeful. One guy in half-plate and half-studded leather called out as well: ¡°We¡¯d owe you big time! I have a wife to feed!¡± Some people laughed, while others just nodded in agreement. ¡°Wife to feed?¡± Riven asked, somewhat amused. ¡°Does this dungeon really give enough loot to make a living off of it? Especially since only one team actually made it to the end.¡± ¡°Every monster drops meat and Elysium Coins, sometimes items, and there are more than enough monsters to go around.¡± Jarla confirmed with a wide smile. ¡°Any items we get, they give to one of us three pack mules and we divy it up at the end of the trip. They even drop magical items once in a while! Got a dagger that did an additional 68 lightning based damage the other day - I haven¡¯t seen my husband¡¯s eyes boggle like that since the integration!¡± A thinner balding man in the background scoffed, probably because of the teasing grin his wife was giving him, then looked away after sticking his tongue out at her. ¡°Anyways we might not be as strong as you all, but Jarla seems to trust you.¡± The mage went on, raising an eyebrow when the team of hunters started their way into the cave on their own. He watched with everyone else as the hunters in camo disappeared, then turned around to shove his free hand into a pocket. ¡°We¡¯ll even split it 70/30 in your favor due to power discrepancy, but at least we¡¯ll get something instead of nothing at all if we just up and leave. How about it?¡± Riven shared a look with Hakim, then the others behind him. No one spoke up, leaving the decision to him. ¡°Yeah, we can probably do that. But know that this actually isn¡¯t a normal dungeon run.¡± Jarla and the mage both looked confused, as did many of the others. ¡°What do you mean, Riv?¡± Jarla asked while pooching her lips again, hands on her skinny hips. ¡°How would this not be a normal dungeon run? Were you only wanting to stay on the top floor or somethin? We¡¯d only been wanting to go to the second floor, so if that was the issue I suppose we could just take in the first if you¡¯re more comfortable with that.¡± Riven shook his head. ¡°No not that. The thing is, most of us are here to make sure the ones fighting don¡¯t get killed. I won¡¯t be fighting unless needed, same with those cultist-looking people in the back. Thela won¡¯t be either, nor will that barbarian guy. This is a power-leveling trip, and for most of it I¡¯ll probably be sitting in the background working on totems. So if you guys come along, that¡¯s fine - just know that we¡¯ll do our best to help you lot out but you¡¯ll be less of a priority than the ones we already have with us.¡± ¡°Oh! That - that¡¯s unexpected, power leveling doesn¡¯t come cheap!¡± The mage laughed, then raised an eyebrow Hakim¡¯s way. ¡°No wonder they¡¯re new to the area! I hadn¡¯t realized you and Julie had the money to hire power levelers like this! Explains a lot.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend, they¡¯re doing it for free.¡± Tanya stated from the side, pulling out a sandwich from her ice-box she¡¯d brought and handing the cold meat-and-cheese sandwich to Len with a warm smile. ¡°And I for one am excited! I haven¡¯t actually ever been in a dungeon and I¡¯ve always wanted to see my son and daughter do their thing! They always tell me these bold, adventurous stories - so now with some more protection I finally feel ready to come too!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be in the back watching the show.¡± Genua confirmed. ¡°Hakim, Julie, Tim, Luke, and Fay are the only ones fighting from our group.¡± ¡°More experience for us then!¡± The mage laughed. ¡°With nearly 30 high rankers watching over us C-and-D rankers, I feel better about this already!¡± *** The cave opened up into a huge tunnel that eventually smoothed out into a perfectly polished brown hallway of neatly packed dirt and stone that spiraled down into the earth. When it eventually came to a stop in the front of a set of large stone double doors that were already wide open, the sounds of battle and screams could be heard from inside with torches lighting the interior. [You have entered Dungeon Petrus. Other in-area participants: 195] Apparently there were multiple groups already inside, more than just the one that¡¯d gone before them. ¡°Don¡¯t bother helping, they¡¯ll just get angry about us trying to steal their dropped coins and loot.¡± Hakim muttered under his breath, head-nodding to where the hunters in camo were firing projectiles or engaging in close combat with swarming large purple rats in the low level 20¡¯s. Riven didn¡¯t pay them much attention, instead turning his head around to look at the various other hallways leading out into the rest of the dungeon. This was a lot different than Negrada had been, and was more similar to the other dungeon Hakim had visited with the drake. But even there, Riven hadn¡¯t started out at the top floor - but instead had been summoned to the boss room at the very end. Negrada itself had only seen his trek lead him across its top floor in the hellscapes. Even Gaia¡¯s dungeon hadn¡¯t been fully completed before the demigoddess had introduced herself. So this would, in fact, be the very first dungeon Riven went through from top to bottom. The first ever. This would be new. The thought made Riven chuckle, considering he was actually just babysitting for the trip. He gestured to the others behind him, everybody from the additional 18 of Jarla¡¯s raiding party having gotten the heavy hint that he was the commander here. ¡°Same plan as what we discussed earlier. Noncombatants you¡¯re with me, the rest of you are on Hakim - he¡¯ll be your de facto leader. Combatants, if you need to drop back to safety we¡¯ll be here - but Elysium rewards those with more XP if you struggle to win. You¡¯ll get more out of it if you put yourself on the edge, just keep that in mind.¡± Jarla, two other people wearing backpacks including her husband, and one other man in spectacles exited the original 18 of their own raiding party to mingle with most of Riven¡¯s original batch. 14 stood beside Fay, Julie, Hakim, Luke and Tim for a total of 19 combatants - healers in the back, archers and casters in the middle, tanks and fighters in the front, with two rogues and Tim being a forward scout to check for traps. ¡°Make sure the scouts don¡¯t run into anything too lethal.¡± Riven told Athela in a voice loud enough for all of them to hear. ¡°If it¡¯s a trap - leave it for them to find and disarm unless you think it¡¯ll outright kill them, but give the scouts an opportunity to try first. Try to stay hidden so you don¡¯t alert any of the monsters here to your presence.¡± ¡°Roger-roger!¡± Athela saluted. ¡°And you never asked about my two new blood abilities! Meanie. I¡¯ve been dying to show you since we used that dao treasure - so if we come across something strong can I show you then?!¡± Riven facepalmed. ¡°Sorry! I¡¯ve just been so busy I completely forgot. Yes! Of course, show me when the next opportunity arises!¡± She aggressively groped his ass with a brilliant and almost predatory grin. ¡°Good boy! I¡¯ll be on the periphery. Oh and good luck Fay! Get some levels in for us!¡± Then she blurred across the room to where Fay stood - so fast that most people couldn¡¯t even see the movement and causing people to shout out in alarm and stumble in shock. She took Fay¡¯s face in both hands, gave her a solid mouth-to-mouth kiss, and laughed before disappearing in a flash of black. ¡°Where did that assassin go?¡± The blonde mage from earlier asked hesitantly looking around with many of the others and avoiding eye contact with Fay while blushing furiously at the public display of affection. ¡°Does she have a teleport spell?!¡± ¡°No. She just moves very fast, and is very stealthy.¡± Riven stepped back, motioning for Hakim to take charge. ¡°Go on then. We¡¯ll be here if you need us. Do you already know the way to the second floor?¡± Hakim hesitantly shook his head - still ignoring the sounds of battle down one of the hallways on their right. ¡°This dungeon, as most other dungeons I know about, changes from time to time. There¡¯ll always be a way down, per Elysium¡¯s rules, but that way down can shift. Let¡¯s go the opposite way Jared¡¯s group just went. I don¡¯t like the look of camo anyways. Scouts run ahead, and let us know if there¡¯s anything there. Let¡¯s get a move on so we can make the third level by tomorrow!¡± An excited cheer of agreement went up, and they all started down the leftmost hallway in quite high spirits. Chapter 226 Chapter 226 ¡°This feels very much like a vacation.¡± The comment gained him some curiously amused looks from Jarla and her non-combatant fellows from the other group, but none of them said a word. How could they, when everything had gone so smoothly so far? Battle after battle, time after time, not a single one of the forward group had been seriously wounded - with Athela and the strange cultist-looking people having intervened twice to save someone from any real harm. Riven munched on one of Tanya¡¯s standard sandwiches, going through the dozens of different ingredients, notes, and diagrams sprawled out around him on a large disc of solidified crimson ice he was now sitting on. It floated down a hallway at a leisurely pace under the orange and yellow torches lighting the dungeon at intervals, keeping in range but not too close to the sounds and shouts of battle further into the dungeon hall. His ability to see in the dark also helped, because if he¡¯d been a normal human it would have only been every dozen or so feet that he¡¯d actually be able to see clearly with all the patches of shadow. ¡°This one.¡± Azmoth said, pointing to the tiny rodent skull Riven was looking for while maintaining a cross-legged position next to him on the disc. ¡°Oh! Thanks man.¡± Riven picked it up and added it next to the square block of wood he was going to change into his first-ever fully fledged totem. The ones he¡¯d made in the tutorial all that time ago hadn¡¯t actually been complete, lacking souls or soul shards to control them, but now that Riven had the Death Subpillar he wouldn¡¯t have much of an issue getting said soul. Genua and Tanya watched him curiously, sitting in their own spots on the floating disc while the skinwalkers kept a closer watch on the fighters in front. ¡°You said you¡¯ve done this before?¡± Genua asked curiously, staring down at one of the diagrams before entering another patch of darkness. ¡°You create runes and plant them into an object? Isn¡¯t that the same thing as runecrafting?¡± ¡°It is very similar, yes.¡± Riven stated warmly, growing excited as the mysticism behind magic once again set in. It¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d been able to truly relax, and was finding this setup of arts-and-crafts for adults rather enjoyable. ¡°Last time I created two small cylindrical blood totems that shot out damaging blood magic! But I¡¯ve been able to buy a bunch of crafting manuals from the Elysium Altar we have at ridiculous prices, it isn¡¯t anything intricate but it is enough to give me the basics on how to approach this given my lack of real experience.¡± He picked up the square piece of wood, then held up a finger while Tanya watched under furrowed brows as a thin wisp of blood mana lasered itself into the wood - cutting off the top of the cube and then hollowing it out entirely. Riven took another look at two diagrams set out before him, carved another sigil into the rodent skull, placed the rodent skull into the cube, and then slit his wrist - getting a gasp from Tanya when his own blood started pouring into the cube¡¯s interior. ¡°Riven! Why did you¡­¡± Tanya¡¯s voice trailed off, and she sighed in relief when Riven¡¯s skin quickly began repairing itself over the course of seconds. ¡°Don¡¯t do that! You¡¯re going to scare Len!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared!¡± Len replied with a giggle, watching Riven put an odd-looking red herb into the wooden cube before sealing it shut again with crimson ice. ¡°Riven didn¡¯t even cry! I would have cried, but he¡¯s big and strong. I don¡¯t think he ever cries. One of my friends from camp said boys don¡¯t cry or they¡¯re girly.¡± Riven nearly choked in amusement at the look Genua shot her daughter. ¡°Everyone is allowed to cry sometimes, Len. Even boys. I cried just yesterday actually.¡± ¡°WHAT!?¡± Len gasped with an open mouth, hands raised up in shock to either side. ¡°Oh my goodness! What made you cry though!? Did you get hurt!? Did someone hurt your feelings?¡± Riven tilted his head to the side, pondering what he was going to say and then slowly turning his blue eyes to where Azmoth sat in his barbarian visage. ¡°Azy beat me up.¡± ¡°Really!? But Azy is so nice!¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Azy! How could you!?¡± Len gasped again, utterly shocked and making her mother chuckle while facepalming. Len pointed an accusing finger at the demon with a stern scowl. ¡°You leave Riv alone! You don¡¯t want him to turn into a crybaby!¡± ¡°Too late for that.¡± Azmoth grunted. ¡°Sorry Len. He big baby, but we work on it. His character develops slow, but growing up is hard.¡± ¡°HEY!?¡± Riven protested, landing a hand on his chest. ¡°That¡¯s hurtful! You goddamn jerk!¡± Len held up her hands to hide a smile, giggling again and leaning into her mom to put her head on Genua¡¯s lap and looking down the hallway. ¡°Thanks for letting me come Rive- Riv! This is exciting!¡± ¡°No problem kiddo. No problem at all.¡± Turning the cube around, he started using his blood mana to cut into the wooden cube¡¯s faces one by one - carving sigils that matched some of the basic inscriptions on the papers when he felt Gluttony¡¯s presence enter the area. He glanced left, seeing his soul clone in the form of Gluttony¡¯s maw watching from where it¡¯d appeared in the air above them and to the right - but it quickly vanished after only staying for a few seconds. Huh. Funny that. Riven wasn¡¯t even fazed by the presence of the sin anymore, something that¡¯d cause other people and creatures to cower in absolute terror was now just a passing partner of his. He knew the ramifications of partnering with Gluttony would be tremendous, but in what ways or if it was to be a good thing or not were yet to be determined. It would PROBABLY be good? Bleh. Who knows. What he DID know is that Gluttony had already saved his life multiple times. The first time being in Negrada when he fell into that pit of blood and the tentacle monster tried to eat him, and the last time being when Elysium¡¯s tribulation tried to strike him down for using Malignant Prophecy one too many times. The least he could do was to give Gluttony a chance, as weird as that was to think about considering it was supposed to be an evil entity of extreme proportions. Finishing his inscriptions on each cube face, he took a vial of thick gray powder and dusted it into the crevices - receiving a flash of energy on each of the rather sinister, gothic runes. Clicking his tongue and curiously having some time for introspection, specifically concerning his Death Subpillar, he then began to channel small amounts of mana into it - shifting his gaze into the void¡­ Into the void to look for a soul. Or better yet, souls - plural. Fuck it, even soul shards would do. He just needed to make these totems work, and without at least a shard - he wouldn¡¯t be able to complete his creations. Even if they were rather basic copies of the ¡®Totems for Dummies¡¯ equivalent book he¡¯d bought out of the Elysium general store. *** Fay was a curse specialist, though one wouldn¡¯t know it by the complete lack of expression every time she cast one of them. Curses often had a negative tradeoff for casting them, in Fay¡¯s case this was pain and physical anguish the more and more she cast. She¡¯d become rather good at hiding the self-inflicted agony through trial and practice, and in turn they were usually more powerful than their counterpart spells that only used mana. Back when she¡¯d fought with the orcs of Gurth¡¯Rok¡¯s tribe in attempting to save the elves of Greenstalk Village, these curses had blown through dozens of enemies with curse traps, confused them with illusions using Curse of the Dreamwalker, and had melted away their flesh in black clouds using Curse of Rot. But she hadn¡¯t grown much since then, and it was painfully obvious by the way she was struggling here in the dungeon beside Hakim, Luke, and the other more capable people in this combatant group that she¡¯d been left far, far behind Riven and his other two minions. Sure, she had her ¡®Charm¡¯ ability that infatuated enemies who were close by - and she had the ¡®Dark Pact¡¯ curse which was her newest acquisition - which healed all allies nearby while simultaneously slowing enemies. It was a Tier 3 curse, was pretty potent, and it built up over time in both how much it healed as well as how much it slowed enemies. The problem was the self-inflicted harm mentioned in the description - which was supposed to be a given since the ability was actually a curse. If it specifically mentioned self-harm in the display window¡­ that did not bode well for the caster. But she¡¯d never had the chance to use that last ability with a team, and she was determined to try and use it here after getting back into the swing of things concerning her more offensive spells first. *SPLAT* *CRASH* Fay torpedoed past a series of heavily armored rats bearing down on their party with metal-tipped fangs, setting up curse trap after curse trap in flashes of green runes in front and behind the huge rodents while they swarmed down the domed room. Explosions of unholy might lit up the dark interior of the dome, sending waves of green energy blasting through metal, bone and flesh in sprays of shrapnel. Each explosion detonating gave Fay a sharp pain randomly across her body, but she kept pushing herself farther and farther - setting down more and more traps as fast as she could conjure them as the roars of incoming enemies. And behind those rats were hulking, fleshy, humanoid mutants with purple goo for flesh - spurring the rodents on while laughing at the massacre of their own pets that just kept on coming. Bright orange eyes, hulking muscles, no necks with heads connected straight to a torso of dripping slime. Was it slime? She couldn¡¯t tell - but utilizing Riven¡¯s armor through the master-minion bond, she was able to get basic details. [Petrus Mutant, Level 31, Beast Tamer] [Petrus Mutant, Level 19, Sludge Warrior] [Petrus Mutant, Level 40, Sludge Warrior] *WHAM* The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Fay felt something hard impact her gut mid flight, and she gasped before being slammed into the far wall with an audible crunch of bone when one wing gave out. ¡°Gods damn it!¡± She wheezed, coughing blood and staggering to her feet only to see Athela begin to move in to intercept the hulking sludge warrior sprinting her way. ¡°DO NOT INTERFERE ATHELA! I NEED THIS!¡± The archdemon was hidden to most, and to people outside of Riven¡¯s contracts the arachnid woman was pretty much invisible. So the sludge warrior didn¡¯t see who or what Fay was yelling at, only giving a passive half-second glance at the dark ceiling above while continuing to barrel ahead with large bulky fists raising above its head. Still, Athela slowed - doing as asked to let Fay handle this by herself. Because Fay was tired of being the weak link here. She was going to push herself, even if it meant being banished over and over again in temporary death - she was going to rise. Pushing herself forward with one broken wing, Fay¡¯s feathered boots propelled her forward to meet the charging brute twice her size. She dodged left and flung up a dreamwalker zone, narrowly avoiding an incoming vertical swing of both its arms when it perceived her to go left when she really went right - and a black mist of Curse of Rot was blasted directly into the monster¡¯s face. Its purple skin began to sizzle and necrose as the purple sludge-like creature screamed and hit the ground with its knees, clawing at its skin only for a rune to flash green right in front of where it knelt. Next thing it knew, Fay¡¯s boot crashed into the back of its head - sending the monster directly into the rune that¡¯d just flickered out into invisibility. But that didn¡¯t mean it still wasn¡¯t there. The monster¡¯s skull exploded upon impact with the invisible trap rune, and Fay was sent stumbling back - cursing that she couldn¡¯t just light up a rune inside a living creature which would have made things so much easier. Withdrawing her wings entirely because they were now slowing her down, she turned back to the fight where Julie was busy focus-healing two armored warriors and Hakim. ¡°You ok!?¡± Tim called out, huffing and tearing out of the shadows with his hands on his knees to catch his breath. ¡°You took a real hit there!¡± Fay gave him a polite smile, though internally she was furious at her own lack of performance. She was supposed to be better than this, and she mentally moved her dreamwalker zone to hover over the majority of her party - causing enemies to see the world at a slant, to see swings that weren¡¯t there, or to see new enemies that simply didn¡¯t exist. ¡°I¡¯m ok, thanks for asking!¡± She watched as Hakim¡¯s downward axe created craters through the dungeon floor, splitting open numerous armored rats in a single go when he followed up with a shockwave stomp similar if not identical to the one Azmoth had. She watched as the lightning mage in Jarla¡¯s group hurled sparks and chain lightnings, killing two or three rats at a time from the backlines while archers and men with rifles activated martial arts to empower their projectiles in flashes of green and blue. Why couldn¡¯t she have offensive abilities like that? Had she chosen the wrong path to power? Fay felt so useless. She watched as Luke, being the lowest level of them all and quickly gaining ground to catch up to even her throughout the short time they¡¯d been in here, wipe out two sludge monsters ten levels of his own paltry level 19 with muttered incantations - creating miracles that sent whirlwinds that ripped creatures asunder with a maddening howl of noise. Even Julie, who¡¯d been a level 22 Healer Priestess Initiate, was able to gain three levels since arriving in Dungeon Petrus. Yet despite all that she¡¯d tried, Fay hadn¡¯t even grown a single level yet - and had only managed to kill the weaker creatures of the dungeon even if it was a good number of them. But she would not be left behind despite the sinking feeling in her chest. She would NOT allow herself to take up one of Riven¡¯s slots, only to be useless baggage when he could have someone better. Determination filled her, raging against despair, and the sound of shuddering weight pounding against stone made her head shift right. Through the darkness and behind a slowly grating gate at the end of a tunnel, the solid black eyes of a bus-sized beetle glittered back at her. Just like the rats, this creature was covered in spiked metal plates. Huge pincers that could crush a man in a single go flared out to either side, and when it opened its maw - a swarm of smaller beetles just like it flew out towards them like a silver tide of carnivorous rage. [Petrus Beetle Queen, Level 62] [Petrus Beetle Drone, Level 12] [Petrus Beetle Drone, Level 8] [Petrus Beetle Drone, Level 16] This was her chance to prove herself! Immediately she began setting up dozens upon dozens of flashing green runes through the end of the tunnel and into the mouth of the dome room the rest of her party now fought in. Each time she did, another prickling sting or ache assaulted her body; another jab at her conscience tried to sway her away from the cursed path she¡¯d chosen. However she kept pressing on. ¡°Shift! Shift damn you!¡± Her dreamwalker zone did just as she asked, shifting away from where the battle behind her raged across the room and into the other tunnels. It moved, placing itself directly in front of her where the swarm of drones and the larger queen beetle were racing down the hall towards the flashes of combat. She closed her eyes, focusing on what she wanted them to see - and bought herself time when hallucinations took on the incoming swarm. The cloud of beetles and the queen itself went into a rage, fighting invisible enemies and killing one another off when they began to think of each other as the enemy before they¡¯d even reached her magical landmines. One by one they splattered, buzzed, sent sparks of electricity at one another, and died. Until the beetle queen let out an angry roar that shook the hall and reverberated off the stones with some kind of martial art - pulsing with gray waves of power that caused Fay to immediately vomit. The hallucinations shattered. The unholy landmines all shattered. And her entire party all crumpled together in a mass-effect attack of violent puking and hurling. Even some of the skinwalkers started looking queasy, with two of the disguised demons immediately gagging. [You have been afflicted with the debuff: Extreme Nausea.] She wretched, only to scream aloud when two beatles each the size of her fist clamped down onto her right leg and began to tear at her soft blue skin. Fay immediately reeled backwards and exploded with a black cloud of rot, showering the oncoming beetle swarm and rebuffing them from joining their counterparts in the rats and sludge men. Insects died by the dozens and then hundreds, smoldering in black pockets of necrosis that ate them away at rapid pace. Snarling and stomping down onto one of the two beetles that''d been blown off and half-eaten by the sheer force of her black cloud of rot - she puked a third time before getting dizzy. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± *CRACK* A giant insectoid limb clipped her shoulder through the black cloud and tore a huge bloody gash through her flesh, smashing into the ground in a spray of stone with a force that¡¯d no doubt have killed her outright should she have been hit full on. Fay hit the ground, rolling and reeling in agony while trying desperately to get ahold of her senses. She rapidly blinked, using a pillar in the domed room for support to try and stabilize herself - only to see Riven looking her way with a worried expression from the backline. And when she saw him move to help, she held up a threatening finger his way. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE! THIS IS MY FIGHT!¡± She whirled around again, trying not to get upset with herself for the embarrassing display she was putting on - then almost took a face-full of purple goop to the head that¡¯d exploded across the room. Thankfully she managed to dodge most of it, but little spots of acidic sludge she hadn''t managed to duck began eating away at her skin while she let out a scream. Then, she felt a searing golden energy flood across her body - burning the purple acid away but simultaneously causing her entire body to shake in rigid pain like she was burning from the inside out while she gasped. Then she profusely vomited as random spots of wounds started to rip across her sky-blue skin with holy light. Fay stared down at Julie who was on her knees in front of her in a praying posture - golden wisps and rays of brilliance shooting up from cracks in the ground that her miracle was tearing into. Julie had attempted to heal Fay while not realizing that Holy magics had an opposite effect on demons, and Fay quickly shook the other woman while tripping over her own feat and vomiting yet again. "UGH! JULIE! STOP HEALING ME!" A ritual circle encircled Julie while her eyes glowed gold before she realized in horror what was happening, and another burst of radiance lit up the room - healing everyone EXCEPT the demons in their party before her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. Fay let out a sigh of relief as the golden and white lights across her skin faded, but she was in very bad shape. And the fight still wasn¡¯t done. Over half of their combat team had been taken out of commission and onto the sidelines by the stronger spectators of the supervising group, in other words - they would have died in a real, non-supervised scenario. Julie was out for the count, Tim was out, Hakim was out, even Luke was out. There were only eight of them left, including herself and a bunch of randoms from the local squad. Taking a deep, calming breath, Fay spread her wounded patchwork wings and launching herself towards the ceiling. She turned, taking in the oncoming swarms of vermin and beetles - the latter all chittering and buzzing to rush her way. Two dozen unholy sigils flashed and evaporated around her in a protective reverse dome, a black cloud swirled and roared about her body for a secondary layer of protection, and she began to chant the rites of Dark Pact for the very first time. [Dark Pact (Unholy)(Tier 3) ¨C Create a cursed zone of healing for allies while simultaneously slowing the thoughts and movements of your enemies. The more mana used to create the zone, and the smaller the zone is, the higher the potency of the hallucination effects. The longer you use this zone and the higher potency you use it at, the more anguish you personally experience until it hits a threshold. When the threshold is reached, you begin to take rapidly escalating physical damage.] Her hands blew through the motions, arcing up and around her - twisting and turning in the lock-and-key mechanisms needed to summon this particular curse. In her mind¡¯s eye, she identified who was enemy and who was ally in a single abrupt thought - while her mouth uttered the words needed to go along with the dance her body was performing. ¡°Bluvetsa rucnav etlespronumas krakemi thor!¡± The room around her seemed to freeze as a pulse of black and green rippled across the air, or at least it did for all of the dungeon monsters. It was like watching a movie in slow motion: the beetles flapped their wings more slowly, the downward swing of a mutant¡¯s club fell far slower, even a nearby rat fell to the earth in its dive at almost a third of the speed that it would have otherwise done. All of this happened under a blazing pentagram of crimson light that created itself over Fay¡¯s head and near the ceiling above, unholy sigils swirling around to create an ominous feel to the very air around them. Meanwhile the rest of her remaining party surged with vitality as the same spell poured healing mana into them, while Fay¡¯s mind went blank with torturous pain. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!¡± Blood poured from her eyes and it felt like hot irons were tearing into her brain. Her ears started to ring from the sensation while channeling the zone while enemies down below her died, and she felt more than heard the defensive runes she¡¯d created underneath her hovering position go off with explosion after explosion while beetles attempted to get to her. It was unlike any pain she¡¯d ever experienced before, a curse on an entirely different level - and she absolutely hated it. But as her mind gave out and her mind broke under the pressure of the torture, what she didn¡¯t hate were the brief notifications she saw filter across her vision when she finally released the cursed zone to the ether. [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] Her body limply dropped through the air like a sack of potatoes, but despite her vision going dark - she let on a smile. Elysium had recognized her efforts even despite her role as a support, and she had to remind herself that even despite not having a lot of direct firepower - it was still possible to catch up to her friends. Fay¡¯s body landed in a soft bed of flowing blood, where she was gently transferred into the arms of Riven who smiled down at her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like your skillset all that much, even if it is useful.¡± Riven stated with a concerned grin, giving her kiss on the forehead between her two small horns. ¡°But I won¡¯t take away your moment of glory. Good job Fay, I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Ah. Yes. He had called her useful. He still thought she was useful. That was exactly what she¡¯d been wanting to hear, even if she hadn¡¯t specifically admitted to the need aloud. Her body relaxed, and with a content hum, she let herself doze while the rest of the remaining combatant squad continued their best to try and cull what was left of the oncoming swarms. Unfortunately, she¡¯d pushed herself to the point that she didn¡¯t even realize what she¡¯d done. She¡¯d pushed herself hard, to prove to herself and to everyone else that she was still worthy. That she could still be something, mean something, and provide something to the group - when she¡¯d let her personal hallucinations slip. When she¡¯d used her demonic wings to fly. When she¡¯d accidentally lost Gaia¡¯s amulet due to a sludge-ball to the face and had gone all out. She was too exhausted to notice how many of the people were now looking at them. At how her body had changed from that of a blonde, tanned supermodel into a similar but also very different visage of a blue-skinned, white-haired, winged succubus. A very famous succubus at that, at least on Panu. She didn¡¯t see the dropped jaws, the unhinged stares, or the looks of shock and awe from Jarla or her companions before she let herself drift off into the very warm and cozy embrace of her lover and master. And honestly, even if she had seen it, she probably wouldn¡¯t have cared all that much. Because Riven had said she was still useful. She was in a good place. Chapter 227 Chapter 227 Flashing magics tore through the air on either of her sides as black hooded figures and screeching waves of undead intercepted enemies of the necropolis with overwhelming force. Allie¡¯s foot blurred - smashing down into the neck of a dying ratkin rogue, snapping the creature¡¯s neck while sneered in contempt. With a lightning fast backhand she tore half the face off of another ratkin warrior who¡¯d dared try to take her head on. The creature was sent spinning, dead before it even hit the cavern floor. Crossbow bolts flew through the air towards her and simply bounced off her armor or were swatted away with contempt. ¡°Pathetic.¡± Flaming skulls were born from the ether, and they began to scream before shattering the sound barrier and crashing into their targets in explosions of death. Allie¡¯s hands rose out to either side of her path as she walked, and the dead began to rise with them. Flesh peeled from bone, while necromantic magics gave life to the skeletons of those who¡¯d been alive not mere minutes before then. Her echoing footsteps joined the groans and shrill screams of the dead over the din of battle, and as one - they rushed the oncoming ratkin vagabonds that were mostly squealing and running for their lives in a panic. People didn¡¯t call her the Butcher of Carnis for nothing. The ground groaned underneath her, and ghosts swarmed up from the depths to tear at her enemies and inject themselves into the soul realms of the fleeing humanoid rodents. They died by the dozens, and then by the hundreds, while she and a dozen of her fellow necromancers watched the bodies pile up in the backdrop of a burning dwarvish village. ¡°They will stop coming eventually if I slaughter enough of them.¡± Allie said from underneath her hood, red eyes flashing from behind a skull mask and body flickering with teal and black energy. ¡°Or they will be converted to our cause the hard way.¡± Mara nodded with hands clasped behind her back while Nin and Vin chuckled beside them. ¡°More bodies for the necropolis is never a bad thing. Ratkin from deepnest are still angry with the dwarves, but these dwarves are ours now. I agree, they will learn - or their bodies will join us in death. And I doubt their leadership will ever come out to publicly support these vagabonds either, their relationship with your highness is too valuable a thing for them to lose over little squabbles like this.¡± ¡°Either way, we win¡­¡± Vin said in a raspy voice, his body of bone quivering with excitement at all the dying raiders that¡¯d sacked the dwarf village only an hour ago. A dwarf village that was owned by none other than the Thane Necropolis. He slammed his staff into the ground, bone fingers scraping against the wooden shaft, and shrieked to the cavern ceiling above to unleash a dark green wave of plague; one that rushed overhead and dove into the battling combatants where the living started to pick up nasty afflictions of disease at accelerated rates. Allie snorted in disgust, walking forward through the underground realm and towards a tunnel descending further into the underdark. She didn¡¯t glance back, and the other dozen necromancers followed with sweeping black cloaks billowing out behind them. ¡°Have the patrols continue to run them down, and have our soldiers put the ratkin heads on spikes after we leave. We have business to attend to, otherwise I¡¯d do it myself.¡± Mara nodded, beginning to pull out a phone inscribed with sigils from the mechanics in Chicago. Allie continued, only waiting long enough for Mara to relay the first message. ¡°Send a letter to the queen of Deepnest. A letter letting them know that our guard patrols have just tripled. If she isn¡¯t competent enough to get her people in check, I¡¯ll start doing it for her. Tell her that word for fucking word. Fimrindle, scout ahead. And tell Lahn that I¡¯m going to be late on our return after this unexpected fiasco, but that I¡¯ll still be back in time for the ball in a couple weeks.¡± The iron scarecrow exited concealment and nodded, vanishing into the tunnel labyrinths of the underworld like a silent wraith. Descending into darkness, with a horde of undead and the most elite necromancers of the Thane Necropolis at her back, Allie took her the first steps on the edge of known territory. Following a map supplied by the Bloodmare coven, they began their trek towards the underground vampiric city of Bernzee. *** The dungeon was covered in viscera, organs, and blood - with Athela tearing through enemies with her large archdemon form on full display; standing over the corpses as a huge white drider touched by one of the seven primal sins. When the forward group had almost been overwhelmed, and now that Fay had already given their identities away, there wasn¡¯t much more point to keeping hidden. She¡¯d gone all out as soon as the last of their side was pulled by the skinwalkers, and the sheer amount of killing intent released from her aura had caused nearly half of the enemy dungeon monsters to cower, shriek and run. Or at least they¡¯d attempted to run, but their remains now plastered the walls, ceiling and floor of the domed room in all directions. The body-blender she¡¯d become just continued pumping out death, and the dungeon had to resort to using some kind of mass-frenzy abilitiy that¡¯d pulsed from the very structure of the dungeon in order to keep its minions fighting. Dozens more armored rats and their mutant purple masters barrelled down the hall in a crazed frenzy, roaring as their claws and metal boots scraped against the stone floor. The hall shook, and another many-ton beetle crashed through one of the hallway walls to enter the swarming monsters that were driving forward towards the dungeon divers in an absolute rage. Riven gently set Gaia¡¯s necklace on Fay¡¯s sleeping form, then handed her to Azmoth. She¡¯d fallen asleep so fast that he had to do a double take to make sure she really was out, but pushed the hair out of her face with a warm smile and stepped back when he was certain. Ignoring the stares of awe and fear from the others, in particular that of a slack-jawed Jarla - who was standing next to her husband with his hand clasped tightly in her own, he turned to face the oncoming enemies. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Riven stepped forward towards the rushing swarm, and crimson frost began to cover the ground he walked on. The stone floor began to shudder with every step he took, and blood mana began to flare along his arms. And then that mana turned black when he rerouted the energy into his shadow subpillar. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Sparks of shadow-infused lightning crackled along his body, and the stone underneath his feet began to tear apart. With a roar of energy that ripped through the environment around him as soon as he came to the tunnel entrance, hundreds of enemies bearing down on his position were in the direct line of fire. Lifting one hand, undeterred, he let loose a roaring tide of black lightning. The hallway shattered instantaneously. Blood, bodies and gore exploded in all directions, the screams of the incoming monster tide lost in the abrupt rupturing of internal organs. Stone from all around the hallway, bottom and top, side to side, was torn off and flung forward in a violent cloud of supersonic shrapnel. The back end of the hallway exploded as well, and the dungeon itself seemed to scream in pain and rage as the underground complex shuddered at the might of the strike. In an instant they were all dead, outside of the few that Athela was still toying within an adjacent passage connected to the domed room. Dust and debris mixed with red mist, and black sparks occasionally traced themselves up the ruined remains of unrecognizable corpse pieces littering the dungeon hallway. Turning around, eyes burning crimson, he settled his gaze on the friends and acquaintances brought in to level with. Julie, Hakim, and Tim weren¡¯t necessarily surprised - but they were still impressed. Julie was still recovering from the very recent miracle performed though, and the blast had woken her up with a start. Tanya on the other hand had never seen Riven fight up close and was holding a hand over her open mouth with wide eyes and a furrowed brow. ¡°Riven¡­¡± She muttered under her breath, just as a piece of the hallway behind his black silhouette collapsed. ¡°Riven, I don''t think you should eat anymore of those ham and cheese sandwiches I made. I think they might accidentally have given you god-like powers.¡± Tim grunted a laugh and swatted his mother on the arm while Tanya grinned. ¡°Stop attributing our good fortune to your cooking, mom! You¡¯re so ridiculous - he was obviously powered up because of my stunning good looks. He was inspired to perform in my presence is all.¡± ¡°Oh is that so!?¡± Hakim bellowed a laugh of his own, continuing to hold Julie up with one of his arms wrapped around her waist. ¡°I think Riven was doing just fine before he saw your ugly mug!¡± Tim frowned. ¡°Now that¡¯s just mean!¡± Riven rolled his eyes and grinned, then walked back over to sit next to Fay and some of the others on his floating disc of blood magic. ¡°It appears that everyone is worn out from the fight.¡± Another cackling laugh from Athela, a crash, and a resultant monster¡¯s scream echoed through the room. ¡°Almost everyone.¡± Riven corrected with a backwards glance. ¡°Is everyone ok with setting up camp here for a couple hours to rest? I feel like all of you could need it.¡± *** The four campfires sent flickering yellow lights across the pillars of the domed room and the people encamped there. The tunnels that weren¡¯t caved in had been sealed off by Athela, and those strange cultist people in masks continued to walk the perimeter in groups of two or three. ¡°You told me his name was Riv! Not Riven, as in THE Riven! Not the crazy, city-killing warlock ranker that took out an invading fleet of ships and destroyed an azag hive nest in Chicago!¡± Jarla hissed under her breath, glaring at Tim menacingly while taking time to shoot a look Riven¡¯s way - where the vampire and his demons were laughing and talking around a campfire of their own with the elves. ¡°This is crazy! How did you even make friends with someone like that!?¡± Tim shrugged, peeling an apple with one of his knives in a cross-legged position. ¡°We met him in the tutorial. He¡¯s a nice guy.¡± ¡°Nice guy!?¡± Jarla repeated, dumbfounded, and she leaned closer to make sure no one else outside their little circle overheard. ¡°Tim! We are in serious, SERIOUS danger here! Vampires feed on people like us! We¡¯re like¡­ like little sacks of snack for him to gobble up if he gets hungry!¡± Julie, who¡¯d been grinning in amusement at the exchange, snorted a laugh and covered her mouth. But the others sitting at this particular campfire who also hailed from Jarla¡¯s group didn¡¯t look amused in the least. Instead, they were either very scared - or awestruck. Or a combination of both. But mostly awestruck. ¡°Riven does not have a reason to kill you, Jarla.¡± Hakim said with a lowered voice and a calming smile, giving Julie a neck massage while the smaller woman continued to giggle amidst pleasured groans. ¡°If it came down to choosing between one of his minions and you, sure - he¡¯d kill you too. But he doesn¡¯t randomly kill people just because he¡¯s a vampire. He¡¯s a good person, at least to us.¡± The blonde male lightning mage with a ponytail who¡¯d spoken with Riven previously before coming into this dungeon also looked rather nervous, but for different reasons entirely. He put on a pair of spectacles, squinted Riven¡¯s way to the other campfire, and cleared his throat. ¡°You all have known him that long then? I¡¯ve read on the forums and even seen videos about the Elysium Altar Brightsville has. It is an oriented type that can recreate one¡¯s soul into that which channels the Unholy Foundational Pillar. Do you think that perhaps he¡¯d be willing to take us back to Brightsville with him when he next leaves? You said he can portal back, right? Maybe he could even give me some tips on the dark arts if I¡¯m lucky enough. Oh¡­ Maybe he could tell me how he got that warlock class of his so that I could get some demonic familiars too¡­ God damn it, he has such a cool class!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just happy we have that monster on our side!¡± One of the frontline fighters chimed in, cleaning off blood from a metal helmet with minor enchantments at the fire¡¯s side. ¡°We¡¯re probably going to be escorted like this the entire way through! I¡¯ve never completed a dungeon before!¡± ¡°Uhhh¡­ Is he really a vampire prince?¡± A petite, young, raven-haired woman wearing fur jacket asked. She was one of the healers of Jarla¡¯s group, and kept stealing glances Riven¡¯s way. ¡°Like, a real one?¡± ¡°He¡¯s taken.¡± Julie stated flatly. ¡°Give it up, butterflies.¡± Tapping his foot against the floor impatiently, the mage had enough talking and stood up. He cleared his throat, closed his eyes to settle himself, and he turned his body to set himself on a path. ¡°I can¡¯t not at least ask him about it, after seeing that black lightning for myself. So here goes nothing.¡± Stepping over a large divot in the floor made from the battle not long ago, the man pushed off with his basic wooden staff and headed over to the other fire. He got more than a few looks from others of his group, but no one said a word until he cleared the distance between himself and the rather famous - or infamous - vampire warlock so many people had heard about. Sweat began to drip down his forehead, and he took in deep, calming breaths when Riven¡¯s laughter died out and the warlock¡¯s eyes shifted in his direction. The two demonic women, one on either side of him who stopped their laughing banter, also paused to stare expectantly his way. The only one on this side of the fire that didn¡¯t give him any attention was the hulking four armed brutalisk drawing pictures with the little elf girl - using crayons on manilla paper. Seconds ticked by. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± Riven eventually asked, a curious eyebrow raised while leaning forward. ¡°Everything ok?¡± The lightning mage gulped. ¡°Ye¡­ Yes. Yes! I, uhm, was just hoping that I could, just maybe, get some p-pointers¡­ Pointers! My name¡¯s Jared, and I, uhm, have been something of a fan.¡± ¡°Oh? A fan? That¡¯s new. But yeah, I¡¯m not sure what it is you mean by pointers, I don¡¯t have an orientation to the pillars you have, but we can talk. Go ahead and take a seat. Name¡¯s Riven, though you probably already knew that - nice to meet you.¡± They shook hands, and Jared fell flat on his butt next to Athela. Gratefully accepting a flask of what had to be vodka from the smell of it, Jared¡¯s face brightened slightly and he gave a knowing grin before taking a small chug. ¡°Ah that hits the spot!¡± He could feel the stares of his comrades at his back, and it only made things worse for him because he was downright nervous to be sitting next to THE Riven Thane and his familiars. ¡°So¡­¡± Jared began, handing the flask back to Athela who took a swig of her own and began making gargling noises with the stuff after throwing her head back. ¡°Pointers, yeah¡­ How common is it that people in Brightsville swap their pillar orientations?¡± ¡°With the Elysium altar?¡± Riven clarified pointedly. ¡°Yes, that!¡± ¡°No idea. Athela? Fay? Genua? Any idea?¡± They all shook their heads, but it was Luke who raised a hand - the old man putting down some cooked meat to the side before wiping off his hands. ¡°I know a thing or two about it, because I actually considered it myself after becoming a thrall. I have the Storm Subpillar, subservient to the Fae Pillar, just like you Jared. Being a thrall also gives bonuses to any Unholy oriented subpillars and I was very curious about potentially throwing my weight around with the Blood type.¡± Chapter 228 Chapter 228 All heads turned in Luke¡¯s direction, with Jared in particular being quite captivated. ¡°So I went around asking people who I knew that¡¯d done it, and I even made a forum post about this exact topic inside our empire¡¯s forums to let other people know what my findings were. If you go look for yourself, should you ever visit the necropolis, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d see my post has been a very big hit.¡± Luke continued with a wave of his hand. ¡°Some of the people I talked to gathering information were private guilds, others were undead soldiers in the Necropolis army. Others still were orcs, and believe me when I say that the orcs in particular have a very keen liking to the Unholy Pillar even despite naturally being oriented to Fae Pillar more often than not. I even talked to Princess Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada of the Blood Moon Requiem about it! Her part of the recorded interview was rewatched more than any other part of my video. She was very helpful by the way, being keen to answer my questions knowing I¡¯m Riven¡¯s thrall. I can¡¯t say exactly how often it is that people do it by a percentage, but I can tell you that it is far more common than you think. I mean, just think about it! How many people are born with a low quality orientation affinity? It¡¯s very high. Anything above 20% can generally use abilities with effort, 30% affinity to a pillar is considered pretty good. Above a 50% affinity is extremely rare and they¡¯re all downright talented. But what about those who have affinities less than 15%? What about less than 10%? Those would include people who can barely muster up a single ability even when straining to do so. Gods help you if you have less than 6% affinity for your highest pillar. So do you have any guesses?¡± The question was directed at Jared, and the man slowly shook his head. Luke held up a finger and wagged it in the air. ¡°The answer is that by Kathrine¡¯s estimates - an entire fifth of most populations has their highest affinity less than 15%. This also matches up with estimates from my own world Zazir before the merger. What does this mean?¡± There was a pause. ¡°It means that a fifth of any population won¡¯t be able to gain levels or use abilities without extreme effort.¡± Jared eventually answered. Luke nodded. ¡°Precisely. A fifth of the population is, rather unfortunately for them, useless - in the grand scheme of cultivation and leveling. Especially those below 10%. Do you know how the resetting of Riven¡¯s modified Elysium Altar works?¡± ¡°No, I do not.¡± ¡°It rerolls those numbers.¡± Luke replied. ¡°Not only do the affinities change, but the affinity percentages also change. Most of the time, at least according to the people I¡¯ve talked to, they even increase those affinities. Not always, but far more often than the other way around. So, theoretically, if you have a fifth of your total population that can¡¯t level or cultivate very well or at all¡­¡± His voice trailed off, and he made a flourishing motion with his hands. Jared rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. ¡°They¡¯re all going to the Elysium Altar to try and reroll their affinities.¡± ¡°Precisely. The Unholy Pillar is, at least on this planet, probably the least common pillar affiliation out there. This can be guessed at by the world forum posts, when you compare subsection forums and the amount of active users in each forum. Here, take a look.¡± A hologram appeared in front of Luke, and he began scrolling through the cotex pages almost immediately. [Welcome to the Panu Cortex! Here you will find forum categories and branching categories that you can scroll through subjects, post your own topics, acquire or share video feeds, create enemies or alliances in, and even bargain for goods here like a marketplace. Be warned that each of these have strict sets of rules, and you will receive a notification if your content is prohibited as it is denied entry. Most prohibited material from being made public involves key events in the world of Panu or even in your local area, secrets of Panu that the Elysium Administrator wishes to be found rather than publicly exploited, information released too early regarding worlds outside of Panu, and spam content. Video feeds can only be uploaded by request. You must ask the administrator directly for uploading content, and may or may not get your request recognized. Sometimes the administrator may also post video content even without an express request. In order to request video uploading, just mentally think of the time and place you want to upload and wait for a response. Please note that restrained or imprisoned personnel may not access the forums of Panu¡¯s cortex. Forums extend to only to places you have visited and guilds you have joined before with the exceptions of the main page discussion boards and the world quest message boards - both of which are world-spanning and more heavily moderated. No forums outside key areas visited and guilds can exist other than Global Forums. Feel free to select from one of the already categorized subjects, or you may use the search function for more in depth selections of guild forums. Your options are as follows: NOTE: Continental differences along Panu have been detected in optional selections. To acquire access to continent-wide forums or map-sharing specs, please visit more locations along the continents you have traveled between.] Riven stopped him before he selected an option, pointing to ¡®The Golden Bull Sect¡¯ option quizzically. ¡°Who and what is that?¡± Luke looked surprised at the question, then chuckled and shook his head. ¡°You really need to follow up more on the politics of your own empire, Riven. Your sister hasn¡¯t talked to you about it? The Golden Bull Sect is another faction to the north of our own, relative to Brightsville - not the side of the world Chicago is on. I went to Muvare once at the invitation of Mara, when they were discussing geopolitical issues with our relative neighbors.¡± ¡°Ah. I see. Are they close?¡± ¡°Not necessarily, but that is why I called them ¡®relative¡¯ neighbors. They¡¯re the largest faction on our continent after ourselves. They seem friendly enough, or at least are cowed by the fact that they know they¡¯d be crushed if they ever came into conflict with the necropolis. Your sister is rather intimidating when she negotiates in politics, and she uses your name as a metaphorical stick to beat her rivals over the head with.¡± Riven nodded with a laughing grin. ¡°Of course she does. What¡¯s the continent¡¯s name? Do we have a name for our continent yet?¡± ¡°We do not. I¡¯m sure that will be figured out in time though.¡± Luke turned back to the cortex screen, then began shuffling through the options again - getting back to his original points concerning pillar forums. [You have selected: Main Page & Announcements (Global) You have selected a major subforum: General Discussions (Global) You have selected a minor subforum: Power and Cultivation (Global) You have selected 6 specialized subforum options: Unholy, Holy, Fae, Archaic, Harmony, and Machine Pillar Discussion Subforums (Global)] [Unholy Pillar Discussion Subforum: 604,822 Active Users] [Holy Pillar Discussion Subforum: 3,429,112,317 Active Users] [Fae Pillar Discussion Subforum: 2,829,808,773 Active Users] [Archaic Pillar Discussion Subforum: 996,325,199 Active Users] [Harmony Pillar Discussion Subforum: 893,111,225 Active Users] [Machine Pillar Discussion Subforum: 2,665,343,586 Active Users] Luke points out the active users for each of the global discussion forums, which Riven hadn¡¯t even known existed until now, concerning the main pillars Elysium had to offer. The numbers fluctuated by the second, but they usually stayed within a certain range for each subject category. ¡°Do you see a trend, Jared?¡± Jared scowled. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s rather obvious.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°The Unholy Pilllar has far, far less active users than any other group, with less than a million total at all times. The Holy and Fae pillars hover around 3 billion active users at a given time, with the Machine Pillar category right below them. Harmony and Archaic Pillar categories are each hovering at a little less than a single billion active members - staying in the hundreds of millions.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Exactly.¡± Luke agreed with a smile. ¡°Which very likely means, based on these numbers alone which very rarely fluctuate off the norm, that the Unholy Pillar on this planet is by far the least acquired of all six major pillars. Now, I know I¡¯m going off on a rant here - but why would I make this a big deal since we¡¯re talking about Riven¡¯s Elysium¡¯ Altar being able to switch people over into an Unholy alignment? Let¡¯s find out!¡± Without waiting for an answer, Luke clicked on the Unholy Pillar Discussion forum. And when it appeared, the first three topics in that discussion forum were related to the Thane Necropolis - with many more following after it further down the most active forum discussions ongoing right this moment. Some of the top on the list were as follows: [Where is the Thane Necropolis located, and do they accept new recruits? Am hoping to acquire the Unholy Foundational Pillar for myself, my friends, and my family from their altar.] [Fellow undead and necromancers of the Thane Necropolis: a question on skeleton body part integrations for skresh.] [In need of help acquiring a demonic familiar, am hoping to acquire a succubus like Riven Thane did. Any advice on how to go about attracting one? #NotAPerv] [Casting advice needed concerning Tier 2 Chaos Spells] [Blood Rituals and Blood Miracles - a Healer Priest¡¯s guide to the Profane] [An in-depth analysis of high level combat concerning Unholy-aligned abilities, with video footage including Paragon and Apex Rankers such as Riven Thane and his familiars, Allie Thane, Retesh Vorath, Krush Rinnil, Chitter Teh-Sneaker, and Lucas Von Calimont.] Luke let out a low chuckle. ¡°As you can see, the most popular topic in this forum is talk about whether or not Riven and Allie allow others to acquire the Unholy Pillar for themselves - and Chancellor Mara Tovane herself answered yes with Allie¡¯s permission, given they pledge loyalty to the necropolis. Since her reply, she has been bombarded with applications and an entire team of government workers were assigned to help people try to navigate their way to our empire given on what little we know of the geography on our planet. Of course, this may be hard to do for some - but it is certainly a big draw for those that are interested in the affiliation or outright desperate to get ANY chance at a reroll for their own affinities. All of this being said - our capital, Brightsville, is now the unquestioned epicenter for the study and acquisition of the Unholy Foundational Pillar, and all its branches, on the planet of Panu.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you were such a celebrity on the cortex, did you?¡± Athela teased while jabbing Riven in the ribs. Fay nodded enthusiastically with a yawn. ¡°You get talked about a lot in this forum! You¡¯re probably the most popular unholy-oriented user on the planet, and you definitely have the most footage out there. Compared to that rank 3 corpse lord elder lich, Retesh Vorath - you probably have twelve times as much footage as he does even though he¡¯s a rank above you.¡± ¡°Kathrine informed me that it is rather rare to successfully convert an Elysium Altar the way you did, Riven.¡± Luke continued again with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. ¡°It¡¯s apparently considered a world treasure by many factions. You sometimes see terraforming altars, or ones that have some kind of affinity in some way or another, but to outright change someone¡¯s pillars and reroll affinities is very much sought after by even the larger factions of the multiverse. You hit it big, and Brightsville will no doubt be a long-standing attraction to the world and beyond because of it. Though she did say that when the world opens up, you may want to start taxing people that come to use it - otherwise your world will be flooded with desperate masses of people from intra-system planets. Some may even try to conquer Panu over such a treasure, or so she says.¡± ¡°Already have that problem!¡± Riven replied with a laugh, slapping Athela on the back of the head when she tried to jab him in the ribs again. ¡°Not much I can do about it now though. Don¡¯t get me wrong, this is all very interesting - OW!¡± Riven got Athela into a playful headlock after another jab, and the arachnid woman hissed before warping into a smaller spider version of herself and scampering away with an audible humph. Shaking his head at the exiting spider, Riven cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Luke. ¡°It¡¯s all very interesting and I¡¯m glad to know, but why bring it up?¡± Luke turned his gaze upon the lightning mage, Jared. ¡°Because Jared here wants to convert his own pillars, and wants to join the necropolis. Don¡¯t you Jared? You¡¯ve already read these posts, haven¡¯t you?¡± Jared gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Heh¡­ Yeah. Maybe. I didn¡¯t know how to ask, but I¡¯d very much like to become a necromancer or warlock myself. Something with minions to keep me safe. An elemental storm mage is REALLY cool, don¡¯t get me wrong! But it wouldn¡¯t be my first choice. It¡¯s only good for combat and doesn¡¯t have much else in terms of use. At least, none that I¡¯ve personally found. I¡­ hope I¡¯m not overstepping here.¡± The eyes of all others, at all four campfires, were now intently staring while they listened in on the conversation. Riven blinked. ¡°Oh? Is that all? No, that''s not overstepping whatsoever. If you want to try your hand at a reroll then sure - you can come along with me next time I head to Brightsville and we can set you up at the altar.¡± Jared¡¯s face lit up with surprise, and then elation. ¡°Seriously!? Just like that!? I¡¯ve heard that some of the guilds that go monster hunting give combat lessons and help acquire new abilities - do you know if that¡¯s a thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s completely fine with me - and no, I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a thing or not. It appears Allie has made it a mandatory thing to pledge to the necropolis though, so as long as you¡¯re fine with becoming a citizen-¡± Luke cut into the conversation a second later. ¡°It is a relatively common practice for guilds to help out their new recruits in the necropolis, yes - and there¡¯s lots of experience to be gained due to the high amounts of rabid undead that spawn in the terraformed lands surrounding Brightsville. Hunting parties and government contracts go out all the time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± Jared exclaimed excitedly, jumping to his feet just as others from other campfires started heading over with a barrage of questions being flung Riven¡¯s way. Riven held up his hands to calm the others down, and soon the room became quiet again. ¡°Yes, you can all come if you really want to - I didn¡¯t realize it was such a draw. But that only will happen after we¡¯re done powerleveling my friends from the tutorial.¡± He gestured to Tanya, her children, and Hakim. ¡°Also guys, I¡¯d been wanting to talk to you about a decision you need to make. Come on over and have a seat.¡± Confused, Hakim and the others got up - making their way to push through the crowd and sit nearby. ¡°That sounds ominous.¡± Julie said with folded arms. ¡°What decision do you have for us to make?¡± Riven held his hands up to either side. ¡°Well, first answer this. Why do you think I¡¯m powerleveling you guys?¡± The four people he¡¯d met in the tutorial exchanged looks, and they all shrugged. ¡°To be nice?¡± Tim replied hesitantly. Tanya laughed. ¡°That was my thought too!¡± ¡°I suppose that¡¯s part of it, yes.¡± Riven admitted with a side-bob of his head. ¡°But not all of it. You know that guild functions just went up, right?¡± They all nodded. ¡°And you overheard me talking about the war that we¡¯re about to enter in the hellscapes of Negrada. Right?¡± Their expressions became more wary, but they all nodded yet again. Riven smiled. ¡°Allie will announce to the empire that we¡¯re joining Negrada¡¯s war soon, and we - alongside Negrada - are going to pay Elysium a large sum of money to do it. It¡¯ll be beneficial for both of us, but for different reasons. The guild functions to be hired on as mercenaries will very likely be approved without issue, and if not - we can at the very least use my portaling abilities to get some of our elites into Negrada if the dungeon chooses to pay us. It will be a very good opportunity for real combat experience, a chance to solidify our bond with one of the hellscape dungeons, and there¡¯ll be lots of loot. Allie will also announce a guild tournament, with prizes handed out to the top contestants, and it¡¯ll be empire-wide in both combat and crafting categories. She¡¯s forming her own guild because I¡¯ll be leaving for Chalgathi¡¯s sub-quest over the next few months while she deals with the fallen elder god quest in the underdark, and I¡¯ll be gone for a year - but I was hoping to get my own guild started with the four of you.¡± ¡°Four?¡± Tanya asked, obviously surprised. Hakim¡¯s own smile brightened his face. ¡°You want us? I love the idea! But we are far, far below you in terms of power.¡± Riven dismissed him with a shake of his head. ¡°We¡¯ll change that. If you want it, I intend to bring all of you up with me. Hakim, you¡¯re already close to Fay¡¯s level - and Tanya, you could stick to crafts. For me, a guild is just a bunch of friends that go on cool adventures together. Why not let it be you? Besides, my demons don¡¯t even count towards the 20 member limit! It¡¯ll be fun, at least I think so. What do you say?¡± ¡°You forgot to tell them other thing.¡± Azmoth stated pointedly from where he was still using crayons to draw with Len as the little girl giggled and hummed. Riven snapped his fingers. ¡°Oh! Right. Well if the four of you want it, and you certainly don¡¯t need to do this - I¡¯m willing to turn each of you into vampires. It¡¯s a big decision to make, yeah, but it¡¯ll also seriously improve your chances for survival because you¡¯ll have innate healing abilities - and my bloodline is good enough that a conversion will set each of you up in the ¡®greater¡¯ vampire category.¡± *** Chaga moved furiously through the dungeon halls alongside his two vampiric brethren, red eyes flaring and blood magics tearing through armored rats and purple abominations one after the other. The fifth floor was far harder than the others and was now giving the three Rippenvire vampires a tough time due to the concentrated high levelers Dungeon Petrus kept down here to keep its dungeon boss and treasuries safe. Curses and damnations, why did it have to be here and now? Couldn¡¯t Riven Thane have gone to some other out-of-the-way village? Why Jerbyville? JUST WHAT WERE THE CHANCES? This gods damned settlement was on the other side of the fucking world! Despite his orders, Chaga was questioning whether or not this would actually work. But orders were orders and he dared not be labeled a blood traitor like so many of those that¡¯d surrendered to the Thane Necropolis in weeks past. - destined never to return home without swift execution. The thralls of men he¡¯d harvested from Jerbyville and the surrounding area fought valiantly to keep up with him, but neither he nor the other two vampires could waste time. They needed to find the dungeon avatar or the boss itself in order to make contact. ¡°What¡¯s the time on reinforcements?¡± One of his fellow vampires, a man with a blade extending from his cane asked while slicing through yet another armored rat. Chaga turned left down a dark hallway and shifted his weight when he saw a large pair of barred double doors. He heaved a sigh of relief, and straightened out his vest while adjusting his top hat. ¡°Three hours until Rippenvire and The Empire of Dying Suns have their death squads arrive, and we need to make a deal with the dungeon before they get here.¡± Chaga turned to look the other man in the eyes, fangs bared wickedly. ¡°It¡¯s time we get revenge on the man who killed all our brethren back in Dawn. By this time tomorrow, his name will be erased from the leaderboards - and his body will be carried out as a corpse. At least, that is what I hope.¡± Without waiting for the thralls, Chaga started walking alongside his two compatriots towards the doors. Without even needing to reach them, the doors unhinged and clicked numerous times before swinging slowly open with an ominous creaking sound - letting his eyes fall upon one of the biggest, purplest, meanest looking mutated rats he¡¯d ever seen in his entire life. Yellow eyes flared, and the dungeon boss began to rise. ¡°Yes.¡± Chaga said with a growing smile - beginning to raise his voice. ¡°Yes, this one will do nicely. Dungeon Petrus, if you would but spare me a moment - I would like to make you a deal. One that would benefit you far more than it would ever benefit me.¡± Chapter 229 Chapter 229 Captain Vros Kinal knelt on the outskirts of the forest clearing in full plate mail armor - the etched carving of a black sun embroidered on his breastplate. His pauldrons looked like they were aflame and caught in a moment of time from the way the metal was carved, and a long red cape flowed out behind him in the wind. Unsheathing his silver-infused longsword forged specifically for killing vampires, picking up his kite shield, and lowering the visor of his plumed helmet, he raised a hand to give the signal. ¡°Kill the natives, let none escape.¡± Horns blew from all around the clearing, and many soldiers in armor just like him rushed the camps below. The locals who¡¯d been coming out of the dungeon or had been preparing to go in began to scream and shout in alarm - but they didn¡¯t even have a chance before soldiers of The Empire of Dying Suns were upon them. Captain Vros Kinal blurred forward down the hill, decapitating a young woman he thought to be a healer and then spearing another man through the heart with his blade. He parried two strikes - crushed a man¡¯s knee with a side kick and disemboweled him all within a second¡¯s time. Guts spilled out onto the forest floor. Locals from Panu were desperately trying to flee and started scattering upon seeing the drastically higher levels of the invaders, only to come face to face with another death squad of Rippenvire vampires. Steampunk guns mowed them down mercilessly with popping sounds of shots amidst horrified screams, vampiric hounds lacking fur and with split faces tore into the ambushed men and women, and the shrieking pleas for mercy were short lived. Blood soaked the hillside moments later, and the final begging sobs came to an abrupt stop as the two invading parties stared at each other in front of the dungeon entrance. Captain Vros Kinal nodded to the vampiric leader, and without another word - the two forces merged and started their trek into the tunnels. They had a common goal, and neither group would benefit from killing the other. Unlike Rippenvire - the Empire of Dying Suns had been far more successful in leveling their members up over past months. Each of the three dozen elites from the empire¡¯s death squad were above level 100, and they had a very specific vampire prince to put down for good this day. It was time to knock out one of their biggest obstacles towards world domination - it was time to kill a World Boss apex ranker. *** The third floor of Dungeon Petrus saw a couple more scenarios where Riven and his two stronger familiars or the skinwalkers had to step in, but otherwise the powerleveling group was doing very well. They were confident, sometimes too confident for their own good, but didn¡¯t hesitate to throw themselves as hard as they could in order to gain experience. Wave after wave, room after room, and with a few caches of loot to be had - they made their way all the way through the third floor until they hit a spot where a dungeon miniboss was present. It was another beetle queen, though this one¡¯s shell was covered in large spikes, and it took a lot of effort to kill it. When it eventually died, both Fay and Hakim were particularly rewarded by Elysium in way of prizes to each. Fay was given a pair of enchanted hoop earrings that passively boosted her mana recovery and intelligence - while Hakim was given a pair of thick metal bracers that added to his strength and sturdiness. They weren¡¯t anything overly special, but they were nonetheless good items to have. The fourth floor was filled with traps, and surprisingly enough - large lakes of venomous aquatic rats with gills, webbed feet, and stingers at the ends of their tails. These particular rats lacked any fur and were accompanied often by their other, armored, land-dwelling rat brethren on the shorelines of vast chasms. The purple mutant humanoid handlers were also in abundance, often appearing with mages that used swamp spells like afflictions or plagues that did damage over time. The healers were very much overtaxed by these, and the party often had to rest inbetween fights in order to make sure they could continue without needing to be saved by the stronger backups in the observing party. Everything was going as expected, and perhaps even better than expected due to the frequent level ups and even more frequent loot drops the further and further they went. By the time they found another large stairwell traveling down into the fifth floor of the gigantic maze-like complex, Riven was quite pleased with their progress. ¡°I gained a level from passive XP just a moment ago.¡± Genua stated with a smile, holding Len¡¯s hand while they traveled down the stone steps of the spiral staircase - exiting onto the fifth floor where the stairwell led into a large library of sorts. Riven, who was pulling off one of said books to flip through the pages, quickly tossed the book after realizing it was a medical textbook from Earth and nothing of significance to him. ¡°Glad to hear the plan is working! Len, did you grow any levels yet?¡± ¡°Mhmm!!¡± Len happily smiled, running over to where Athela was tossing book after book after ripping them off the bookshelves. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Athela glanced down, then handed the little girl one of the picture books she¡¯d found. ¡°Just making sure none of this is worth anything.¡± ¡°Are you looking for spell books?¡± ¡°Or tomes, yes. It appears this dungeon is something of a collector concerning normal, old fashioned books though. Nothing too spectacular.¡± Athela patted the little elf girl on the head, getting a warm stare from Genua, and then waltzed over to Riven to put an arm around his. ¡°Feeling better? You look a lot better.¡± Riven shrugged and lifted up his right arm, where the unholy sleeve tattoo shifted its runes and sigils that flashed between black and red at random all across his right shoulder and arm. ¡°Gluttony is hard at work putting my soul back together, so yes. It still has a bit to go but I almost feel 100%. I just-¡± Riven¡¯s voice cut off and his head swiftly turned left, seeing the hall at the far end of the library abruptly cave in. Frowning alongside many of the others who¡¯d had their own attention turn to the piling rocks, dust and rubble - his frown only grew deeper when a new passage opened up between two bookshelves that split apart with ominous grating sounds. The new hallway was more pristine than the previous one, with no layers of dust or grime anywhere and a smooth white surface to it - created from polished marble. ¡°Well that¡¯s super weird.¡± Riven scratched his head, sharing glances with Azmoth and then starting for the new hall. Coming to step into the new marble hallway, Riven touched the wall and channeled a pulse of mana down its length. The mana swiftly radiated along its entire length, rebounding back like a sonar and simultaneously setting off a single trap that¡¯d been placed at the very front of a circular vault-like door at the end of the hall. A pillar of flames tore out from the bottom floor and crashed into the ceiling, rebounding and tearing through the hallway towards Riven¡¯s position before he raised his free hand and lifted a wall of crimson ice to block the oncoming inferno. Flames collided with his blood magic and rebounded, heating up as more and more of the flames continued to blast into the compact marble room with increasing fury. Riven kept the mana channeling, watching expectantly for the trap to stop spewing out flames - but he raised an eyebrow when his wall began to crack. ¡°Step back everyone, to the end of the room just in case.¡± Jarla hurried her husband to the very back along with many of the others, including the lightning mage Jared - and Len who was dragged by her mother at rapid pace. Riven in turn stepped back and set up another wall of ice, a second layer, and then a third. Still the flames kept coming, and the stone walls of the library about them began to shake under the force of the pressure building up inside that rectangular marble hallway. ¡°That is a lot of pressure in there.¡± Riven stated absentmindedly, clicking his tongue in irritation and watching the very walls of the inside start to turn red-hot - beginning to melt. ¡°Surely that dungeon trap doesn¡¯t have much more to go. Right?¡± Azmoth, who had come to stand next to him with both of his maws circling around off his back to peer like eels at the melting inner layers of ice, unstrapped the large dark-gray shield off his back and held it in one of his four clawed hands. It was the same round shield Riven had bought for him back in Negrada¡¯s trading compound, and had finally accepted Azmoth as a wielder only recently. [Immortal¡¯s Grasp (Tier 1 Awakened Shield)(Heavy Armor): 640 average defense, 83 average damage on strike. +209 Sturdiness, +42 Strength. ¡°I can suck in flames before explode.¡± Azmoth offered, turning his almost permanent obsidian smile on Riven with a questioning head-tilt. ¡°Put ice around me, then I go in. I not die to fire.¡± Just like that, Azmoth¡¯s body burst into hellfire - the obsidian plates around his body cindering while red, bare muscles inbetween the plates lit up with bright flames and spread. Slapping his spiked tail impatiently on the ground behind him, he motioned for Riven to get on with it. Riven backpedaled while more of his original three layers began to melt, then began to draw up a fourth ice layer behind Azmoth - this one being far larger than the other three he¡¯d already made. Anticipating an explosive impact, he put a final fifth layer domed around the party members behind him for insurance. ¡°Alright my man, let¡¯s see if you really can suck in fire or not.¡± Azmoth gave him a nod through the crimson ice, turned back to the melting barrier Riven had initially made, and raised his shield. His feet each crashed into the ground, shattering stone and anchoring him into one spot while bracing - and as a final act he swung his massive magma-infused warhammer into the ground - creating a hole that half his hammer was also anchored into while he held onto the weapon using two hands. The two eel-like maws opened wide while their necks circled around to the front in anticipation, as did Azmoth¡¯s actual mouth a moment later. It was a weird sight, but the pressure only kept building and building behind Riven¡¯s three crimson sheets. More cracks spread, the quaking of the dungeon around them kept building to the point that many of their party had to kneel behind Riven¡¯s protective dome in the back, and the fire¡¯s light behind Riven¡¯s makeshift plug had reached a nearly blinding crescendo. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Riven took in a deep breath, making sure Fay and everyone else were safe with a doublecheck. Only he and Athela were in the main room now, and he nervously clicked his tongue yet again when the air began to whistle with high-pitched shrieks through cracks along the edges of the melting hallway. ¡°This is going to be a very big-¡± *BOOM* His inner plug shattered, with the last layers of his ice melting and giving way to a raging inferno that tore through the air towards Azmoth¡¯s planted figure like an atomic bomb. His planted clawed feet tore through stone alongside the warhammer - causing his anchors to leave long marks of ripped trails through the dungeon floor as his body began absorbing the flames as fast as it could. The fourth layer held, only barely, and the short distance the flames rocketed through was enough to send all the books around the library flying off their shelves onto the floor. Azmoth¡¯s figure disappeared in the raging flames, and Athela¡¯s figure transformed into her drider body in anticipation of another break. More cracks formed on the fourth barrier, and the shrieking sound of hot air only grew louder. Riven immediately took his plate-armor leggings, his weapon Jackal, and his armor Messenger out of his spatial bag, placing his gluttony-infused armor on first. ¡°I thought this was supposed to be a lower leveled dungeon, so what the fuck is this?¡± ¡°Yeah, this doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡± Athela replied with a worried grimace. Opening the vertical crystal maw on her white body, more ice-made spiders began pouring out and moved to cover the barrier Riven had made behind them for another buffer. ¡°This is definitely odd.¡± Bloodsilk snapped around his body, clinging to his skin and disposing of the robes he¡¯d been wearing. Ivory plates began shifting and moving to cover the larger sections of his chest, abdomen, back, and arms. Gauntlets with spiked knuckles crackling with black and red energies snapped onto his fingers, horned skull pauldrons began to glow bright red in their eye sockets. A very smooth, ivory-colored metal clamped down over his head with slits for his eyes, with the helmet being molded in the form of two jaws coming together to interlink vertically down the middle; like two halves had been smashed together to create the intricate helmet. Short neon red feathers that almost looked like blades came down the spine of the helmet and along the back of the neck. The full-body chest armor had the same vertical maw of black teeth down the center, and it had what looked like four flat patches of black metal imbedded in the ivory along the back. These black slabs each sparked with a similar energy to the gauntlets, but instead of sparks - they exuded wisps of red and black that drifted into mist; similar to what happened when Riven charged a blood lance. Two additional large flaps of bloodsilk hung down from the armor¡¯s back to cover the posterior and sides of his thighs down to where his knees would be before ending entirely, protecting his legs from any potential propulsion his suit made using ¡®Launch¡¯ - and the bloodsilk from his upper body began making its way down to connect with the plate-armor leggings he was using as an add-on piece for the otherwise complete set. Jackal came next. The spear-staff snapped into his hand, akin to a chinese halberd or Kawn Dao. It was quite long, made from black polished wood, with the bottom of the shaft being blunted using a cap carved into a Jackal¡¯s mouth. The opposite end had another and larger jackal¡¯s head that produced a pitch black blade, and the weapon oozed a mixture of red and black energy in the form of wisps trailing off the sharp end. Swirling patterns of blood trickled like small rivers along its surface and flowed over his hands. The streams caressed him, burrowing into his armor and his skin, sending a jolt of awareness from the weapon as the mental entity touched Riven¡¯s mind, and Jackal¡¯s eyes along its carved faces of the weapon began to glow crimson in a very similar way that Riven¡¯s own did. The maw on Riven¡¯s armor hissed and opened wide, and Riven held up a hand to reinforce the layer around Azmoth yet again. He¡¯d received no notification that Azmoth had died but he couldn¡¯t see the demon either, and he could feel the pressure building in the room while the very stone under their feet started melting - spreading from beyond the fourth wall. Red wisps tore out of his hand, embracing the cracking ice layer and trying to repair it to give Azmoth more time. Athela too began sealing the cracks shut and reinforcing the fourth layer with her mana-infused bloodsilk, keeping the shaking barrier intact as best she could while more of her dog-sized spiders crawled out of her giant maw to settle on the dome in the back. Cracks just popped up in other places, and Riven had to increase the amount of mana he put out at higher and higher amounts. By now the room was rumbling violently, and heat was starting to escape out of fissures in the floor with spewing flames that Riven¡¯s ice quickly combated as layers of frost buried them rapidly one by one. And then, the dungeon trap inside let out an even more urgent pulse of flame. The straining barrier of Riven¡¯s magic burst. The room went bright white when the metaphorical dungeon pimple popped. *KABOOM* Both Riven and Athela¡¯s aspects of Gluttony¡¯s maw opened wide and took in huge swaths of flame before both of them were violently flung back into the far wall adjacent to the final protective dome they¡¯d formed. Fire raced through the room and spiraled up the staircase, destroying it entirely by means of shredding the melting stone into magma as the ceiling began to collapse with the force of the explosion. Riven¡¯s thoughts tugged at his soul aperture, and Gluttony¡¯s own maw erupted as a black, unholy visage in front of the barreling fires to intercept the brunt of the impact before it hit the dome. His soul clone ate what it could, swallowing the flames and drinking them into the abyss, but much of the flames still got around Gluttony¡¯s form and slammed into the piles of ice-made arachnids covering the final protective layer around the weaker dungeon divers The arachnids all shriveled and died, but thankfully enough of the barrier held. Ten second passed before the flames finally died away, and Riven¡¯s body screamed at him in agony as he moved even despite Hell¡¯s Armor being activated to negate the fire damage. That amount of pressure had been so vast that his body would have been crushed ten thousands times over if Messenger hadn¡¯t been there to protect him, as was evidenced by the way his less-able armor covering his lower body was now crushed into flattened scrapmetal along with his mutilated legs. The smoldering room was in absolute ruin, glowing bright orange and white along the stone walls and partially exposed upper floor dozens of meters above them where a hole had been melted into the ceiling. The door at the end of what had once been the marble hallway was still intact, but glowed a hot molten color, and to Riven¡¯s left Athela was pulling her scorched archdemon body out of a hole in the wall where she¡¯d created a goddamn crater. ¡°Fuck!¡± Riven yanked off the bent, twisted metal from his soup-like legs, trying not to scream while Messenger¡¯s fingers dug the leggings out of his flesh piece by piece. Thankfully his legs began to regenerate quickly, courtesy of his pureblooded heritage, and he let out an audible sigh of relief when new flesh began overtaking the charred remnants that¡¯d been left behind. Still, even as he picked himself up and pulled out a second set of the leggings he¡¯d had crafted for him should something like this ever happen - he dared not take down the crimson dome covering up the others. The heat was simply too high, he could feel it even through the nullifying effects of his own body¡¯s obsidian plates and flames - and he didn¡¯t even consider dismissing Hell¡¯s Armor after his initial attempt - immediately reactivating it when he both saw and felt pieces of his regenerating legs catch fire after brushing up against the near wall. ¡°OW! Motherfucking goddamm-¡± He started cursing in force, not stopping while he continued applied his new leg armor, ignoring the laughs of Athela while she let off soothing waves of frost from the crystal roses covering her body. ¡°That was fun!¡± Athela crowed, raising both of her giant arms in the air over her house-sized body and stomping two of her eight sharpened feet into the molten ground. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again! Azmoth, are you ok?¡± In the very front of the room and still near the hallway that¡¯d nearly been vaporized, Azmoth¡¯s flaming body stayed in a kneeling position with two hands grasping the magma-infused stone maul and a bright-hot metal shield. He was breathing heavily, each breath producing abnormal amounts of flames that billowed into the air, and with a loud belch he accidentally let out a good blast of the stuff with a demonic groan. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that ok.¡± Riven said with a grin. ¡°Big boy, you gona live?¡± Azmoth hiccuped, producing another puff of flames, then shook his head to stand. ¡°No. Eat too much, not enough *HICCUP* space.¡± A loud cracking sound, and then the snapping of metal on stone was heard from the end of the hallway. There at the very end, the vault-line contraption began to turn - hot metal sliding around in a circle until there was another loud click. Opening and spilling magma onto the smoldering ground, the hallway¡¯s end was opened up to reveal a rather odd sight. There, standing in the dungeon hall¡¯s end, was none other than the man in the tophat who¡¯d originally proposed Genua not all that long ago in Jerbyville. Beside him were his two other companions, also in tophats, all with canes - and behind them were numerous gruff men with hatchets, machetes and rifles. All of them had death-stares locked onto Riven¡¯s person, the previously wary or polite smiles now gone. How had they gotten down here before Riven? Had they used another set of passages he hadn¡¯t known about? He was sure his team had come down first, but he also knew there were multiple ways to the bottom. Perhaps he just hadn¡¯t seen them because they¡¯d taken one of these alternate routes. But the way they stood there looking at him like that caused him to tense, and he met their gaze with narrowed eyes - only to hear the sound of marching feet from above. Looking up at the hole that¡¯d been carved into the dungeon¡¯s ceiling far above him, he more men in tophats and steampunk attire that he immediately recognized given their red eyes - red eyes that the men at the end of the hallway were also displaying now. More warriors who were not vampires also closed in around the hole overhead, heavy-hitting knights and paladins with unsheathed swords and kite shields - while hooded monks clasped hands in muttered prayers beside them. No words were spoken, and the stare down commenced as Riven sized up the enemies that no doubt had come for him. What were the chances that those guys in tophats had actually been Rippenvire men? Here, on this side of the planet? He wanted to facepalm. The chances were so low that he hadn¡¯t even considered it, and the vampires had somehow concealed their race upon brief identifications when seen earlier. What was even worse was that - though the Rippenvire soldiers were all around level 70 or 80, the knights, paladins and monks were all even higher level. The identification information they gave off also spelled out just exactly what they were doing there, and who they were. Their names were also highlighted in golden flames, signaling that they were of the Elite status based on level range according to Elysium. [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 110 Heavy Knight, Human. ELITE.] [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 102 Heavy Knight, Human. ELITE.] [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 119 Paladin, Human. ELITE.] [Captain Vros Kinal, Invading Faction Boss, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 122 Sunchosen, Human. ELITE.] [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 103 Sunfire Monk, Human. ELITE.] Their blades were made with infused silver alloys, he could tell just by looking at them. The queasy feeling he got made him absolutely certain of it, and it was like he almost recoiled internally at the thought of touching one. He knew wholeheartedly those weapons would hurt him far more than any normal blade, these people had come prepared to slay a vampire - namely him - and they were equipped with ¡®Sun¡¯ type classes. The Sun subpillar of the Holy Foundational Pillar did extra damage to vampires - as was confirmed by briefly pulling up part of his status page again. [Pureblooded Vampire, Malignancy Heritage (Blood / Shadow / Death) - Your heritage as a pureblooded vampire has finally come to fruition, and is no longer repressed. As a person holding one of the original vampiric lineages and as a greater undead, you are a favored descendant of the Blood God. Your heritage empowers you with many bonuses, but it also comes at a steep price. Please review the following changes. Negatives: He closed the window off after the first two initial items seen, not needing to read the rest. ¡°This¡­ is not good.¡± Riven¡¯s words were spoken too soon, because the wall to his right shattered in a spray of molten stone when an enormous rat three times the size of Athela crashed into what had once been a library. Scales covered its skin instead of fur, enormous spiked plates covered its body, and a third yellow eye was planted into the center of its forehead between slits in the metal helmet it wore. Huge clawed hands carried enormous battle axes, spit dripped out of its mouth and off its two enormous fanged front teeth, and huge muscles encompassed its limbs while it stood up on its hind legs to roar out a high pitched squeak. The areas far beyond this room, both up above and below, sealed off in white barriers of shimmering light - locking him and his team inside entirely without any chance of being able to portal out. WARNING WARNING WARNING WORLD QUEST BOSS FIGHT: TEAM 1: RIPPENVIRE DEATH SQUAD, EMPIRE OF DYING SUNS DEATH SQUAD, CAPTAIN VROS KINAL OF THE EMPIRE OF DYING SUNS (FACTION BOSS), AND SKRAGNUT THE DOOMAXE (DUNGEON PETRUS BOSS) VS. TEAM 2: RIVEN THANE (PANU WORLD BOSS), ARCHDEMON ATHELA (PANU WORLD BOSS, 3 FORMS), SKINWALKER TRIBE, AND OTHER PANU DUNGEON DIVERS [This fight is now being broadcasted.] ELYSIUM HAS SEALED OFF YOUR POINT OF EXIT WITH A DIAMETER OF 5 MILES UNTIL THE BATTLE IS COMPLETE, THOUGH ENEMY AND ALLY FORCES CAN STILL ENTER THIS ZONE DURING THE BATTLE UNTIL ONE OF YOU IS KILLED DUE TO WORLD QUEST AND INVASION PARAMETERS. [1 Mythic-Grade artifact will be provided to the victorious team.] BEGINNING BATTLE IN 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ Chapter 230 Chapter 230 Chaos erupted. A dozen intricate ritual circles overlapped one another in the air over Riven¡¯s position, written in the flames of the sun. Celestial power tore down from above and crashed into his position, only for Azmoth¡¯s defensive dome of hellfire to nullify the attacks with a thunderous boom that scattered the flames across the already molten room. Battlecries roared out and heavily armored soldiers leaped from above with vampiric hounds and thralls, while vampires on the ledge up above and in the smoldering hallway took aim with rifles full of silver bullets to pepper Riven¡¯s position. Athela¡¯s vertical maw across her lower torso and upper arachnid body opened - letting out a torrent of energy from her ability ¡®Crystal Maw Cannon.¡¯ Elemental lightning fused with ice and purple sin energy shot out in a radiating wave that shredded the incoming thralls along with two of the three vampires at the end, instantly ending their lives - but she was forced to defend and backpedal when a flaming sword tore a gash into one of her legs. The warrior was flung off her body instantly and smashed into a wall with the sound of snapping bones, only for Riven¡¯s arc of black lightning to rip across his body - burying the warrior deeper into the stone and shoving him across its surface in sprays of debris for twelve yards like one would wipe thick ice off a windshield. *CRASH* The echoing squeak of the dungeon boss was shrill and loud with resounding fervor, and its two battle axes made contact with Azmoth¡¯s shield to create a shockwave that pushed the brutalisk into the dungeon floor with the weight. One of Azmoth¡¯s free hands crashed into the ground and his body let out a kinetic shockwave that staggered the rat, only for him to follow up with flaming breath in a torrent of fire. The enormous armored three-eyed rat rapidly dashed left and avoided the flames while simultaneously using a kinetic martial art of its own - raising both huge axes up in the air, each larger than Azmoth was, and smashed them down in dual rippling waves of energy that tore through the entire room across the demon¡¯s position. Pieces of Azmoth¡¯s obsidian plates were ripped off, but he ignored the damage and began chanting under his breath. Quick, direct, and violent body motions lurched from his four arms while activating his Tier 3 martial art buff ¡®The Burning Crusade¡¯ - and everyone in the dungeon diving party that Riven had entered with saw their bodies begin to cinder. Weapons and claws caught fire for additional flame damage, and they each gained increased resistances to flame as well - inhibiting the sun damage Riven and Athela were currently taking while sparks flew in clashes of blade, magic, metal and claw. And like a fuse was lit underneath them, the skinwalkers acted on this new buff in a frenzied rage - tearing out of a weakened point in the dome barrier together and rushing the vampiric hounds and human paladins that were trying to swarm Athela¡¯s position. Their bodies shifted and morphed, revealing to everyone the demons that they actually were with extended claws, lanky pale limbs, and shrieking screams roaring from circular toothy mouths. The violence escalated. *** Riven¡¯s enhanced body - moving far faster than what was normal with wisps of power from Blessing of the Crow - ripped through a tear in space. His blade smashed through the armored flaming shield of a paladin immediately after the teleport, but the man in turn sacrificed his shield and the impaled arm behind it to return a blow of his own - flaming silver mace crashing into Riven¡¯s left shoulder with a resounding sound of metal on ivory that shook the pureblooded vampire just by being in proximity with the weapon. Sunfire stacked on silver alloy. Riven felt weakened by the close contact, and he felt his regeneration in both health and mana already beginning to decline. If he let his reserves drop to a dangerous level and didn¡¯t keep himself in top condition throughout the fight, he wasn¡¯t sure he could even depend on his normal levels of healing whatsoever. Not only that, but they¡¯d attacked in an enclosed area that limited his long-range capabilities; and in a place where he didn¡¯t have massive amounts of blood reserves to pull on as environmental mana. They¡¯d planned well for this. The ground underneath him screamed in protest and shattered with a roaring visage of Gluttony at his back. Dark sin energy swirled and flew forward in an arcing slash, colliding with three overlapping barriers of the sun in a monumental explosion as he simultaneously parried a swinging claymore and staggered when a flail collided with his back. Silver bullets slammed into him from above in a storm of metal, but the room exploded in crimson light when spikes of crystalized blood launched off the floor skywards. The spires of ice avoided his allies entirely, some even bending around fluidly before reorienting themselves in the direction of enemies. The vampires and crusading invaders did not fare as well however, and many of them were skewered or knocked off the overhead ledge entirely while the dungeon boss itself was too large to dodge. The enormous three eyed rat was still engaged with Azmoth in a david-and-goliath scenario when Riven¡¯s spires struck - tearing into weak points and even through many spots along its armor into a tough hide of scales and muscle. Azmoth capitalized on it in that moment and activated his shield¡¯s grasping ability - pulling in the screeching bloodied rat closer with a black hand that ripped out of the shield¡¯s metal; before meeting the giant rat¡¯s face with a magma strike. [Hellforged Maul (Infernal / Volcanic Weapon): 319 average physical damage on strike, Two-Handed for full effect, with each strike dealing additional burn damage on hit and over time. 10% bonus to stun chance. Requires 532 Strength stat with the Infernal or Volcano Subpillar to use. Stone maul met armor rat skull in an explosion of flame and molten rock, sending the creature rolling and bouncing across the ground even despite its massive size. Azmoth roared and exploded forward, launching himself with a flare of hellfire off his legs and feet and crashing into the dungeon boss with the force of a cannon. *WHOOMF* A miniature sun of golden flames exploded overhead, causing a wave of burning energy to radiate out from the hole in the ceiling above Riven¡¯s position - collapsing directly onto him. The vampiric prince staggered under the channeled assault of golden light, twisted to avoid an incoming spear thrown at supersonic speed across the room, and prepared a counter attack. Spinning storm razors ripped into existence around him by the hundreds, infused blood and shadow mana in conjunction with the path of Red and Black, and launched forward in a chaotic tidal wave of desolation. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Twisting and turning with lock-on effects for each of the hundreds of deadly projectiles, the spinning blades avoided all skinwalkers, avoided Athela, avoided Azmoth and ripped into enemy warriors. Vampiric hounds and thralls were shredded entirely in sprays of gore by the dozens, not as protected as the other combatants, while an abrupt shield wall was formed in a line from the enemy paladins and knights on the lower floor. Sunlight blasted upwards from radiant shields, connecting with the oncoming barrage with each storm razor exploding on impact with tremendous force. An illusory copy of Riven ejected itself from his body and he saw himself go invisible, only to see a fire-covered flail originally meant for his real body flash through one of Fay¡¯s illusions. He grinned, seeing the man wide open while noting relief upon the channeled golden light of the sun above followed Fay¡¯s illusion too, and his spiked knuckles took the armored man¡¯s chin at close combat. > Ripping Claws: Punching someone with the spikes of your gauntlets will cause massive hemorrhaging damage over time. The metal of the man¡¯s helmet tore and blood fountained out of the heavy knight just as his lower jaw tore off with it, sending the warrior crashing into the ground twenty meters away before Riven¡¯s body teleported back to avoid a two-sided attack by other combatants. Time seemed to stall when his hand curled and he activated his snipe ability via blood lance, the mana flaring up his arm in slow motion as his vision zoomed in to lock onto the exposed neck of another paladin. The long crimson blood lance erupted from his outstretched hand at emphasized speeds. *SMASH* A sonic boom caused the room to shake and the paladin¡¯s shield barely came up in time to block Riven¡¯s attack, shattering the shield but saving the man¡¯s life while he spun through the air in dozens of flips per second before smashing and bouncing off the ground in a roll. ¡°Damn, I thought I had him.¡± To his left another flaming longsword whipped around and collided with his weapon, only for two skinwalkers to claw under his armpit and rip the appendage off entirely with herculean teamwork. The man screamed, only to be pounced upon by the two level 90 demons in an extremely violent goring session. Throughout all of this, the dome of crimson ice mostly held - but he made sure to reinforce it from time to time when able. He¡¯d also sealed it shut again after the skinwalkers had left it to join the battle, and was relieved after looking that way again to see these enemies were completely ignoring the weaker members of the dungeon group - considering them noncombatants no doubt until the end where they would certainly be killed if Riven ended up losing this fight. Well at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about a hostage scenario. On the other hand, the monks from above were doing a very good job in healing any of the knights and paladins his side didn¡¯t outright kill, as did the golden sun overhead that simultaneously healed the invaders and sought him out to damage him over time with searing heat even despite Azmoth¡¯s buff to reduce fire damage. The vampires on the ledge had also stayed out of the fray, taking pot shots at Athela, Azmoth, the skinwalkers and himself this entire time while sending in their thralls and fleshy hounds to do the up-front fighting alongside the other invaders. His pauldron groaned under the sparking impact of a powershot from a steampunk rifle above, and Riven was sent crashing into the ground when two golden fireballs smashed into his body. One was intercepted and eaten by the gluttonous maw on Messenger, but the other one made full contact with his lower thigh and groin - causing him to lurch and wince. ¡°Cocksuckers!¡± He said in a high pitched voice through gritted teeth, rolling and launching himself across the room as sin energy bloomed out the back of his armor to avoid yet another large fireball. Creating a shadow rift just before he smashed into the wall, he teleported up above and right behind the vampires and monks taking potshots at him. He gave an evil grin, and the entire area around him - now completely devoid of allies he had to worry about getting caught up in the immediate explosion - began to light up bright red. His hands blurred with the proper motions, and a shockwave radiated out from his body to floor the enemies with their backs turned to his airborne position. The orb of crimson light between his palms was thrust forward, and in an instant grew to the size of a truck. ¡°Nefajia crecus blood nova! *BOOM* The vampires were eradicated in a single go, with half of the floor they stood on vaporizing under a blinding red light - its blowback shattering the summoned golden sun as well that sent many of the monks falling back with cries of alarm. Winds whipped the air around them and the dungeon shook with the impact, leaving Riven to crashland in a superhero pose on the crackling remnants of the ledge overlooking the battle below; where Athela¡¯s large figure crashed all eight legs into the dungeon boss to help Azmoth take it down in the confusion of Riven¡¯s shockwave. Black lightning coursed through his body, and his crimson eyes elevated themselves through slits in his ivory gluttonous helmet to look at the six monks and three armored warriors standing across the gap in the floor. These three warriors were different from the others who¡¯d already jumped down. Each of them had frilled helmets, each of them had more decorative armor than the others with golden and black trimmings, and each of them had bright red capes with the sigil of the black sun on it in the same way their breastplates showed off the symbol. These were the leaders of the empire¡¯s invasion force, and they each drew flaming longswords while getting ready in a defensive stance - radiant shields lighting up in golden light while their eyes flared a bright orange mixed with gold. [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 120 Sunchosen, Human. ELITE.] [Otherworldly Invader, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 117 Sunchosen, Human. ELITE.] [Captain Vros Kinal, Invading Faction Boss, Empire of Dying Suns. Level 122 Sunchosen, Human. ELITE.] The six robed monks quickly got to their feet, getting behind the three ¡®sunchosen¡¯ warriors and empowering them with various buffs - golden rings of light encircling the three warriors at different points in the air and sigils of holy and sun origins smashing down onto the warriors¡¯ bodies. A man¡¯s calm voice carried over the chasm between the two sides of the ledge, coming from the central man labled ¡®Captain Vros Kinal¡¯ by the system. ¡°Hello, Riven Thane. I have heard much about you, and I must say that I am less impressed than I thought I would be.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, watching the power build between the three of them as his own power immediately spiked. Roaring waves of black and red thundered around him in a storm of crimson frost and black lightning, and the visage of gluttony - Riven¡¯s soul clone - appeared behind him with a hungering chuckle of malice that caused the three warriors to instinctively step back. Riven sank Jackal into the floor blade first, then smashed both his armored hands together. Tearing them apart with strings of blood and death mana ripping through space between his fingers, eight flashes of light appeared - four to either side of where he stood. [Legionaries of the Blood God (Death / Blood)(Tier 2): This is a temporary summoning spell that does not require minion slots. You may summon up to 8 Elite-Class Bloodstricken Undead from the Blood God¡¯s realm, equal in combat level to your own, and may designate whether or not you wish to summon Blood Knights, Blood Sorcerers, Blood Assassins, or a combination of the three when you do so. Undead are non-sentient and last for 5 minutes before disappearing. 1 day cooldown time. Very high mana cost.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 133. ELITE.] Eight hooded skulls etched with unholy crimson runes on their foreheads stared with equally crimson orbs for eyes in their skull sockets. Four were heavily armored with red claymores and thick red plate mail. Two held thin, wicked daggers dripping blood mana in each hand and were strapped in intricately decorated red leathers, while the last two wore crimson robes of shifting runic black sigils and held staves with ruby orbs that flickered blood mana. Riven yanked his sin-afflicted weapon out of the ground in a spray of debris, got into a stance, and the screeching visage of gluttony opened wide as tendrils of dark sin energy poured out in a typhoon in all directions around him. The hooded blood knights simultaneously shifted their own stances, planting their armored forward feet in line with Riven¡¯s own - long blades lowered at the opposing fighters while the blood assassins utterly vanished in clouds of red; and the skeletal sorcerers began summoning blood lances similar to Riven¡¯s own that collected in the air around them. Riven sneered. ¡°Good thing I won¡¯t need to keep you impressed if you¡¯re dead.¡± Chapter 231 Chapter 231 The first to move was one of the bloodstricken sorcerers, who shrieked an unholy cry before their blood lances snapped forward with blinding speed. The monks countered with golden fires or barriers of their own, and the magics clashed across the gap between ledges in explosive fury. Gluttony cackled and the great maw¡¯s tendrils collided with the sunchosen in turn, smashing them backwards and dimming the barriers they created to a drastic extent before the maw diverted its attention to easier targets - those down below. ¡°I am hungry!¡± Deep purple and black sin energy that was once directed towards the three leaders now turned on the more numerous and distracted warriors fighting the skinwalkers on the bottom floor, tendrils impaling them from behind one by one or wrapping around the legs and arms of the screaming paladins to drag them back into the abyss. Snapping down on well over ten of their elites to immediately end their screams within seconds, the visage let out a content groan and fizzled out - its taxing presence on Riven¡¯s soul dying away with it. Riven winced as the pain in his back seared, his still broken soul had pushed too much through a particular mana channel, but ignored it just like he¡¯d done with most of the fight. Launching himself across the gap where red and golden lights collided, black lightning encompassed his spear-staff and slammed into the blazing shield of the enemy faction leader. Sparks flew and the man parried his strike with a countering kick to Riven¡¯s leg, causing Riven to buckle, then capitalized with a headbutt to Riven¡¯s face and a shield bash martial art that knocked Riven over entirely. What Captain Vros Kinal didn¡¯t see were the threads of black, needle-like nets that¡¯d sprung out of Riven¡¯s hand and wrapped around that same leg he¡¯d kicked the vampire with. Riven cackled and yanked violently, coming out of his roll and flipping his enemy onto his back before bringing Jackal up in an arcing swing to smash down onto Kinal¡¯s flaming sword. Blood and shadow bloomed against sunfire, and the weapons continued to spark while Riven pressed down his weight before vanishing backwards through a shadow rift to dodge an incoming swing from another of the sunchosen. He reappeared twelve yards away and whipped around, only to see his caped pursuer get smashed into the ground by two bloodknights. The undead legionnaires of the blood god were nothing to scoff at, and five minutes - though technically short - now seemed like an eternity as he watched them carve through the opposition even as reinforcements from what remained of Rippenvire attempted to help. He winced yet again as pain radiated up his back. God damn it, why did he have to enter a fight now of all times - while he was still recovering!? The monks used flaming barriers to block and defend against the blood assassins, who¡¯d already killed two of their number with a quick rush from behind and teleport abilities - while the four blood knights went to work battling the three sunchosen with blurring attacks of sparks and metal while Riven took a breather. Meanwhile the blood sorcerers had turned their attention at his command to the battle below after killing the small squad of reinforcing vampires, focusing down any of the empire¡¯s soldiers who attempted to jump back up - and otherwise just bombarding the enemy combatants to give the skinwalkers, Azmoth, and Athela some support fire. The same could be said for Fay, who was still encased in the crimson dome to avoid getting killed while simultaneously casting hallucinations and curse traps that she¡¯d activate whenever an enemy walked over one. Even now, the multi-ton rat dungeon boss in spiked armor was missing an arm and two of its eyes - with Athela and Azmoth tearing into the creature time after time, only its massive sturdiness keeping the creature alive with the absolute onslaught of the two demons. It would no doubt have already been over if this had been a more open battlefield too, but Athela was being very careful not to unleash too much power in case she accidentally killed those huddled inside the dome. It made her slower to work, but she wasn¡¯t wanting to hurt Len, Hakim, or any of the others in there either. Huffing and pulling himself up to a fighting stance, Riven took in a deep breath to focus in on the primary target. He only needed- *SHUNK* Pain. He felt pain. A silver alloy dagger empowered with some kind of martial art sank into Riven¡¯s neck, piercing through the bloodsilk before lighting up with golden flames. Riven didn¡¯t bother screaming because his voicebox was blown out and flames tore through his mouth - but he instantly activated ¡®Launch¡¯ from messenger¡¯s back; causing sin energy to blast the area behind him. A resultant scream was heard, and Riven dropped to one knee when he crashed into the opposite platform across the chasm - looking left and yanking the dagger out of his throat while struggling to breath through the charred flesh. A rogue¡¯s corpse lay where he¡¯d been a second ago, unmoving with half its flesh melted off. No doubt the man had waited this entire time in order to get a clean shot, and a clean shot he¡¯d made. Riven fucking hated rogues, and god damn did that hurt, but it¡¯d take more than a single attack like that to kill someone like him. Yanking out a red vial health potion from his spatial sack and downing it, he clamped his eyes shut and shook his head to clear his mind. The liquid soothed his insides that were battling what was the definition of an anti-vampire attack, using both a Sun martial art and a silver blade that reduced his natural regeneration, and he downed a second one just for good measure before shifting his weight and cracking his neck. His gasping stopped and became a more normal breathing as the flesh revived itself, and he took in a deep breath of fresh air to expand his lungs to the fullest. The blood god¡¯s legionnaires had killed four of the monks now, but one of the blood assassins and one of the blood knights were also dead. Thus it was three blood knights and a blood assassin versus three sunchosen and two monks. Their actions were all elegant, well trained, and fluidly savage while they all cleaved into one another with blades, miracles, martial arts and magics. A wave of blood energy tore out of the claymore of one blood knight with a downwards swing that glanced off a golden dome of fire before one of the sunchosen grew wings and rushed the blood knight, taking the two of them off the ledge and down below where they crashed and continued to battle furiously. The others remaining up top smashed, crashed and roared in blindingly fast strikes, propulsive movement abilities, and bright lights amidst clashing spells. It looked like the legionnaires were more than enough to give him time, time to free up Athela and Azmoth. Mentally ordering his blood sorcerers to focus their attention on the huge dual-axe wielding rat creature that could have easily stomped him flat underneath one foot, he began to charge up his own barrage. Blood lance after blood lance after blood lance was created, shifting and detaching from their arms to hover like two-meter spears all around them. The air sang with the building mana as Riven reached out with his mind, connecting lances one by one with thick cords of unholy wretched snares, before he electrified them all with a thought. The resulting display was an enormous electrified net with large red spikes at every interval between cords, spanning an area forty yards in diameter including the lances that his blood sorcerers had created. ¡°Focus the sunchosen now, I¡¯ll take over these spells from here.¡± The blood sorcerers wordlessly acknowledged his command and relinquished their own spells to his control, then began casting crescent waves of blood that started barraging the other platform across the gap where Captain Vros Kinal and his men were still fighting the blood knights. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. In turn, Riven concentrated on his telepathic connection to Athela. It wasn¡¯t often used, and she was the only one of his minions that he had such a connection with, but it did come in handy now. ¡°Both of you, move.¡± He activated snipe with his largest and most powerful blood lance, the epicenter of the entire sparking, writhing net, and time slowed while his vision zoomed in on the dungeon boss¡¯s shrieking open mouth. It snapped forward just as Athela dove backwards with a call for Azmoth to do the same, and the two demons managed to get out of the way right before Riven¡¯s attack struck. The bottom floor exploded with power as the primary lancetore into the back of the monster¡¯s throat, and the net coming behind it swung around the creature¡¯s body to entangle the dungeon boss - snapping down onto the gigantic beast with spike after spike using centripetal force to snap down and through the rat¡¯s armor. The creature croaked a wail, dropping both of its enormous axes to the ground and clawing at the electrifying net with the dozens of blood-lance spikes impaling it all over. And when Riven¡¯s hand curled into a fist, the infused mana of the net exploded inwards. Shrapnel from the rat¡¯s armor mixed with highly piercing blood lances, shredding the already wounded monster from dozens of wounds - only for the remaining snares to contract and squeeze - ripping into and through scaled flesh easily now that the punctured armor wasn¡¯t holding. The enormous rat let out a gasp, stumbled left, and crashed into the ground with a shrill squeak - only for Athela to rip its throat out with two of her enormous blade-like front limbs in her drider form. Blood stained the stone ground of the dungeon, and Athela let out a scream of victory as her aura boomed out with electrified snow. Satisfied that the dungeon boss was now not a factor, Riven nodded their way - sending another telepathic communication to Athela. ¡°Help the skinwalkers finish up those below and get up here!¡± He didn¡¯t pause to see if she¡¯d heard him, he knew she had. And- *CHINGGGGGGGggggg¡­.* Metal rang against metal, and another splash of sparks lit up Riven¡¯s armored face when one of the sunchosen - who¡¯d lost an arm to one of his blood knights - tried to impale him. The flaming metal sent ripples up the flowing blood of Riven¡¯s spear-staff, and Riven pressed back to keep the weapon at bay before leaning to be within inches of the other man¡¯s armored face and glaring eyes. ¡°I find you wanting.¡± Riven¡¯s headbut caught the other man off guard and staggered him, only for Jackal¡¯s Lunge to activate. The blood-red maw of a canine roared to life in front of his outstretched blade, and in an instant Riven¡¯s body blurred through the sunchosen¡¯s own - armor and all - in a spray of red mist when Jackal¡¯s visage snapped down. His momentum stopped at the ledge overlooking the bottom floor again, and he stared over at the remaining man. All the monks were dead now, as were the other two sunchosen and even Riven¡¯s entire blood legionnaire retinue excluding the two sorcerers at his side. Captain Vros Kinal glared at Riven, golden flames still crackling along his longsword, before he blasted forward with intent. *BOOM* *CRACK* *SMASH* The blows landed one after the other, pushing Riven back while the blood sorcerers launched waves of red energy at the invader - only for one of them to die a moment later with some kind of thrown bomb that tore the skeleton apart entirely and nearly caused the entire platform to collapse. The other sorcerer erected a red barrier just in time to block Kinal¡¯s follow up strike, and Riven used that opportunity to feign an attack with his weapon - only to follow with a low kick to the knee. But Riven¡¯s kick never connected, and Kinal¡¯s body spun in a horizontal arc while jumping over the kick to throw his longsword directly into the sorcerer¡¯s skull. The blade hit home, piercing the rune along the skeletal mage¡¯s head with an impressive explosion of sunlight that eradicated the undead where it stood. Despite this, Captain Vros Kinal was obviously injured. Blood leaked from numerous places along his armor, and a huge gash was carved down the right side of his chest where a red claymore had dug into one lung. He drew a long dagger at his hip, cape flowing out behind him while he gasped for air, and he stared at Riven not far off with unconcealed contempt. ¡°Your kind belongs nowhere except a shallow grave.¡± Captain Vros Kinal stated simply, watching Riven get into the final stance of the fight with grim determination. He straightened, and pointed his flaming sword in Riven¡¯s direction. ¡°I have learned much from this fight, but it saddens me that we could not have finished this today. This is not the end, Riven Thane - it is only the beginning. The next time we meet, I will be stronger than you.¡± His shield flared bright white again, blinding Riven¡¯s eyes as the captain pulled out a small box from a storage compartment. The lid opened, the man reached inside, and he turned his wrist. The room immediately flared up around them with an even more intense light just as Athela¡¯ lean humanoid body ripped through the air and sank one clawed hand into the man¡¯s side. [Captain Vros Kinal, Faction Leader of the Empire of Dying Suns, has used a single-use escape treasure. Invading factions may only have one escape treasure on hand per invasion, and he will not be able to use another one even should he acquire a second, per Elysium¡¯s rules of engagement.] The ringing in Riven¡¯s ears and the flash of light in his eyes faded away, leaving only the sound of a single desperate combattant left from the Empire of Dying Suns - a heavy knight that was immediately swarmed by the remaining skinwalkers. His screams echoed throughout the dungeon with- *SHUNK* Pain. The same pain he¡¯d felt from that other gods damned rogue. ¡°MOTHERFUCKER!¡± *CRACK* *SNAP* ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!¡± The rogue¡¯s screams were shrill, pain-ridden, and terrified. *CRUNCH* Riven reacted far faster this time, even if the stealthed rogue had managed to shank him for the second time that battle through underhanded means, and this time it¡¯d been a kidney shot between ivory plates rather than in the neck. He didn¡¯t even give the rogue time to activate the second follow up martial art concerning the flames, and quickly crushed the man¡¯s head between his hands after breaking the rogue¡¯s wrists with a downwards chop of his hand. He let the dead man drop to the ground in front of him, wincing at the side wound and growling out loud. ¡°I, fucking, HATE, rogues! HATE THEM!¡± Stomping on the man¡¯s already crushed head for good measure, he grinded his plated boot into the stone floor and spat. ¡°Athela! I¡¯ve decided what kind of demon I need for my last slot. Remind me to get a demon that has detection qualities, I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m killed by one of these pussy-ass twinkle toes that run around in the dark shanking people all day long!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Athela protested, frowning and folding her arms. ¡°I¡¯m an assassin too! You¡¯re not being very nice.¡± CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE WON THIS WORLD QUEST BOSS FIGHT: TEAM 1: CAPTAIN VROS KINAL OF THE EMPIRE OF DYING SUNS HAS FLED. RIPPENVIRE DEATH SQUAD, EMPIRE OF DYING SUNS DEATH SQUAD, AND DUNGEON PETRUS BOSS - SKRAGNUT THE DOOMAXE HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED! TEAM 2: RIVEN THANE (PANU WORLD BOSS), ARCHDEMON ATHELA (PANU WORLD BOSS, 3 FORMS), SKINWALKER TRIBE, AND OTHER PANU DUNGEON DIVERS HAVE COME OUT VICTORIOUS! [This fight is now ending its broadcast.] ELYSIUM HAS UNSEALED YOUR POINT OF EXIT. [1 Mythic-Grade artifact will now be provided to you.] [You have gained 3 levels. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] [Your minions have received their XP and level ups as well. Congratulations!] [YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE DUNGEON¡¯S PRIMARY BOSS: SKRAGNUT THE DOOMAXE. DUNGEON PETRUS HAS LOST, AND AS MASTER OF AZMOTH - WHO WAS THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING PARTICIPANT IN KILLING THIS DUNGEON BOSS, YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DECIDES WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.] [Now that Dungeon Petrus has been defeated, you may choose to either take the dungeon¡¯s bribe - or may choose to destroy its core. Taking the dungeon¡¯s bribe allows it to offer you treasures otherwise hidden inside the dungeon¡¯s realm. Taking the bribe allows the dungeon to either relocate entirely, or allows it to enter a hibernation mode where the Elysium Administrator guarantees its protection and gives it time to rebuild. Choosing to destroy the core will kill the dungeon permanently, preventing monster spawns out of it, but you must find the core first to do so.] Riven closed his eyes, bringing up another health potion to his lips and gingerly sucking the red liquid down as he felt his wounds slowly start to regenerate again. It was weird, not healing immediately like so many of his other injuries in the past had. Those silver weapons and sun affinities were no joke, almost completely negating his passive healing and making him feel rather sick to boot. His attention was turned to the dungeon floor on the lower level next, where a large platinum chest with glowing blue runes had appeared on top of the dead dungeon boss. If he had to guess, that was the mythic item Elysium was talking about. Half of the skinwalkers had also died, leaving only 11 of them still standing, which was certainly unfortunate¡­ he even felt a little bit bad, and would be sure to reward them for their efforts. Not a moment after the chest had appeared, another smaller figure flashed into existence right beside Riven¡¯s standing position - taking the form of a hooded ratkin man only two feet tall. It was tan, seemingly made out of clay, but Riven had already seen a dungeon avatar like this before. His identification only made him more certain of it. [Avatar of Dungeon Petrus] Riven¡¯s red eyes narrowed, and the dungeon avatar merely looked up expectantly and rather sheepishly his way. ¡°I hope you know that, unless you want me to seek out your core and shatter it for the shit you just pulled, you¡¯re going to have to pay up realllllly nice. And I mean, REALLY - nice. Got it, rat boy?¡± All Dungeon Petrus could do was nod and sigh. Chapter 232 Chapter 232 Mythic-tier item box sitting on another dungeon boss corpse for his sister to use? Check. Room full of gold, jewels, and various F-grade artifacts? Check. Powerleveling his friends and demons? Very much a check. Having a bunch of level 15¨C50 dungeon divers in his group after wiping the floor with a whole gaggle of level 100+ paladins and their less powerful vampiric allies had meant enormous gains for everyone involved, including Fay and Azmoth who¡¯d each gained quite a bit of experience respectively. Unfortunately Captain Vros Kinal of the Empire of Dying Suns had gotten away, Riven had failed to see Athela¡¯s two new blood martial arts during combat, and half of the skinwalkers recently pledged to Athela had died - but considering the ambush it was an overall better than expected outcome. Riven was still recovering from the tribulation, Athela had lost her entire force of crystal ice spiders before the fight had even begun, and the paladins had specifically outfitted their weapons with anti-vampire silver alloys which had been a real pain in the ass. Riven pocketed the orange bauble, having had Dungeon Petrus package its dead dungeon boss just like he¡¯d forced the last one to package the drake. ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you, jackass.¡± ¡°Stuff it!¡± Dungeon Petrus growled while folding its little avatar arms. ¡°The amount of coins you cost me is outrageous! You have six hours, then you gotta leave so I can relocate! That¡¯s the deal. I¡¯ll be moving out of this forsaken lands to set up somewhere else, I won¡¯t have a monster like you knowing where I set up or I¡¯ll never make a living!¡± The dungeon avatar snapped its fingers and it vanished, leaving Riven in the room behind where skinwalkers were still stripping gear and loot off the dead. Meanwhile Athela and Azmoth were digging through piles of gold an treasures in the room beyond the trap he¡¯d tripped behind that hidden hallway earlier, where Dungeon Petrus had put an additional sum of cash there after Riven¡¯s thread made it abundantly clear that if it wasn¡¯t enough - Riven would find the core. As for Fay, she was standing beside Riven while he watched the skinwalkers work. On one hand he didn''t¡¯ necessarily trust them not to steal high quality treasures off these young scions of the multiverse if there were any to be had, but on the other hand they¡¯d also bled and died in the fight against the offworlders. He was torn on what to do, because though he likely wouldn¡¯t have needed them - they had served as decent distractions. ¡°Ak¡¯ra and Selzi, a word please.¡± He motioned to where the skinwalker couple, the first he¡¯d ever met, stopped what they were doing and walk over to where he and Fay stood in the center of the room that looked like a typhoon had gone through it. ¡°Yes, master of our master?¡± Selzi - the female skinwalker asked with a submissive bow and posturing. ¡°Can we help the great one in some way?¡± Her mate, Ak¡¯ra, bowed the same way. ¡°We wish to serve¡­¡± Riven gave them a sad smile, seeing that they were a bit down about losing friends or family, and took his helmet off to better look at them. Stuffing it under one arm, he gestured to where the individual piles of armor, weapons, potions, jewelry and other items had been categorized. ¡°Do you see anything you want?¡± Selzi shifted her body uncomfortably. ¡°We do not wish to take from the vampire prince, but appreciate the great one¡¯s generosity if that was intended.¡± Riven blinked, considering this. ¡°What is it that you and your clan want?¡± ¡°I am¡­ unsure of what you mean by that. Forgive me, great one.¡± ¡°What are your goals? Why leave hell? What do you intend to do here now that you¡¯re on Panu and in the mortal realms? Surely you have some kind of want or desire.¡± Ak¡¯ra was the one to reply this time. ¡°We do not have any high aspirations, great warlock. We merely wish to grow strong. What about you? What is it that you desire?¡± Riven hadn¡¯t been expecting that kind of response, and the question turned around on himself made him seriously give it thought. He looked right, to where Fay was standing beside him, and pulled her in close to kiss her forehead. She grinned, planting a kiss on his cheek and wrapping her arms around him while he continued to search for answers. ¡°I guess my life is so hectic I hadn¡¯t thought about it much.¡± Riven replied softly, stroking the back of Fay¡¯s head with one hand. ¡°Growing stronger used to be a need, and it still is, but that too has become a desire because of the freedom it grants me. That though is secondary to keeping the people I love safe. And lately, magic itself has been rather¡­ fascinating. I suppose if I had to choose an answer aside from granting the people I care about protection, it would be that I want to explore magic in the same way scientists of my old world did with microbiology, chemistry, physics - I want answers to how it all works.¡± Riven thought back to the totems he was working with, smiling slightly. ¡°I wish the Blood Moon Requiem was able to give me more information on totems. Sucks that it¡¯s restricted. Elysium is very picky about what it does and does not allow on planet¡­ Anyways I¡¯m getting off track. Ak¡¯ra, Selzi, I just wanted to let all of you know that I appreciate the help. And you know what? Take whatever you want off the bodies, but know that if you find anything good that I may be able to use - I¡¯d be willing to buy it from whoever finds it for a good price. You¡¯re all more than welcome to come back to the necropolis after this is done with Athela too, though I¡¯m sure you¡¯d already planned on it.¡± ¡°We had, great one!¡± Selzi adamantly nodded her head. ¡°We will do so, and your appreciation is noted! We will let you know if there¡¯s anything worthy of your attention and I will inform the others they can pick what they¡¯d like off the dead.¡± Both skinwalkers bowed again, then left for the rest of their clan on the outskirts where the bodies had been dragged to. The sound of a woman clearing her throat caused Riven to turn, and he saw Genua standing awkwardly with her daughter¡¯s hand in her own only a few feet away. ¡°Yes Genua?¡± The elf woman¡¯s eyes rapidly blinked, and she looked around the room - then back to where the others who¡¯d remained under the dome had been all this time. Most of Jarla¡¯s group were completely shellshocked, staring dumbfounded at the absolute destruction of the dungeon around them, while a few of them were excitedly going over all the levels they¡¯d gained by just passively being in Riven¡¯s group during the fight. ¡°You ok?¡± Riven asked, frowning in concern when Len hid behind her mother to peak out the side of Genua¡¯s leg. Genua seemed to get ahold of herself then, and straightened her posture to smooth out her maid¡¯s uniform. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I just wanted to say thank you for keeping us alive and out of the fight. It was far more violent than I¡¯d expected it to be, and I just¡­¡± ¡°Mother and I were scared.¡± Len said from behind Genua¡¯s leg - staring up at Riven¡¯ with that one eye poking out where the rest of her face was hidden. ¡°That was really, really scary.¡± Genua took a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and nodded. ¡°Yes, I felt rather helpless. I don¡¯t like feeling helpless, but it seems to repeatedly afflict me time after time. But I wanted to thank you for having us along, because it appears that I may not always be so helpless.¡± Genua shifted one hand, and a status screen appeared. [Genua¡¯s Status Page: ¡°Oh wow! You gained so many levels just from standing by! That¡¯s awesome!¡± Riven enthusiastically put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°3 class options too! Any idea what you want or if they¡¯re any good? I¡¯m happy for you¡­¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His voice trails off when he saw ¡®Blessing of the Blood God¡¯ listed as one of her traits. Furrowing his brows, he scratched his head. ¡°What¡¯s that? Have you had it before now?¡± Hesitantly, she shook her head no. ¡°It is new, and came with the level ups. Until now I¡¯d only had one class option available too, it was just ¡®Slave¡¯, and now the old one disappeared entirely. There are three new ones. They each mention something very specific, and I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s some kind of oddity, or a joke from Elysium, or something entirely different. Would you mind having a look and guiding me?¡± Riven continued to curiously stare, his curiosity getting the better of him. ¡°Sure, of course.¡± Nervously smiling her appreciation, and with Len still looking at Riven like he was some kind of truly scary monster after the fight, Genua pulled up her class options. It was somewhat reminiscent of his own class choices back in the day, only these ones were far, FAR better than his own options had originally been. [For every level gained, you will be presented with certain amounts of stat points depending upon both your class title, your race, and sometimes other unique factors that will not be discussed here. Currently you have no class title, and your race is set to High Elf. The High Elf race has +5 Free Stat Points per level. Please choose your starter class title. Remember that classes do not dictate your survival style - rather, in the future, your survival style will dictate what classes you are awarded beyond these base forms. The better your performance, the better classes you will be awarded upon evolution opportunities. The very second Riven finished reading her notification, the room shuddered as the lid of the mythic-grade treasure chest opened. His eyes widened, and many of the onlookers stepped back while Azmoth and Athela rushed back into the room. Red light bathed the interior of the dungeon wreckage, and a swirling mass of crimson symbols intertwined with one another hovered in the air - mixing with one another and rearranging themselves in odd, interchanging patterns. If there was ever any question that system prizes for quests didn¡¯t customize themselves to their assigned person, that question was now completely curb stomped. [Blood God¡¯s Markings (Mythical-Grade Female Thrall Enhancement): Apply to a female thrall for upgrades.] ¡®Female¡¯ thrall enhancement. Did this mean there were specific types for male as well? He shot Luke a hesitant glance, wondering what his options would have turned into if he¡¯d been the one to receive this kind of booster, and returned to staring at the swirling crimson symbols in the air. ¡°Huh. Well that¡¯s neat.¡± *** His fangs sank into Genua¡¯s neck while Len was distracted by Jenny and the others, and the elf woman¡¯s red eyes brightened even beyond her already abnormal light as a shudder and down her body. Her muscles spasmed, her bloodstream flowed with vampiric venom that Riven continued to pump into her, and her fingers clenched around his forearm while her mind began to temporarily fade away. [Final stage of Thrall Manifestation is now underway. Estimated time until completion: 56 minutes. Would you like to claim this thrall as your own?] [Genua has been claimed as your vampiric thrall, and now requires a certain amount of Willpower to sustain. Thralls will begin to mentally shut down if they lack the appropriate amount of Willpower.] [Due to unique internal circumstances and the presence of a vampiric child inside Genua¡¯s womb, the trait of Vampiric Thrall has been upgraded into Ascended Vampiric Thrall.] [Genua has acquired the following traits: Ascended Vampiric Thrall, Positive Vampiric Inclinations, Vampiric Subservience. Due to unique internal circumstances and the presence of a vampiric child inside Genua¡¯s womb, the Unholy Foundational Pillar and Blood Sub-Pillar have now replaced her previous pillars.] His eye only twitched slightly when the system itself confirmed Genua¡¯s pregnancy, and he felt a very odd influx of emotions when considering the woman fainting in his arms bore his child. Especially given their history, it certainly wasn¡¯t a match made in heaven. ¡°Will she be ok?¡± Tanya asked worriedly, blocking out Len¡¯s line of sight while her mother was gently placed with her head on a blanket. Riven nodded and stood up, turning around to look at all the other people assembled there. ¡°Yes she¡¯ll be fine, better than fine probably.¡± Athela and Tanya looked skeptical, Fay took it all in stride without a hint of doubt, Luke looked worried, while Azmoth seemed not to care. ¡°Uh¡­ While we wait¡­¡± Athela slid up next to him and prodded him in the ribs with a finger. ¡°Want to see what we¡¯ve got going on in terms of loot!?¡± She yanked out a rather gaudy headdress from behind her back made of jewels and gold, with massive dangling earring-like pieces coming off the sides. Smiling widely and placing it on her head over the black tiara she already wore, she began to wriggle her fingers Riven¡¯s way. ¡°NOW I¡¯M A REAL PRINCESS!¡± Chapter 233 Chapter 233 The room beyond the trapped door was something to be seen. Dim light reflected off thousands upon thousands of coins and jewels from a glow-stone embedded in the ceiling. A pile of weapons and armor with lesser enchantments were also stuff into a corner on the right hand side of the square room, while trinkets, baubles and low-grade artifacts were piled in the very front. It was the smaller pile to his left that caught his attention most, as it was the pile that was supposed to be things he¡¯d be interested in having for himself or for his minions. ¡°How much is this?¡± Riven waved around at the piles of bronze, silver, gold and platinum Elysium Coins higher than he was. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Athela held out both hands to either side. ¡°No idea. Put them in a storage bag and find out?¡± Riven rubbed his temple with two fingers. ¡°Rat boy, come hither.¡± The dungeon avatar popped into existence next to him with a scowl and folding its arms. ¡°What is it now, vampire!? Is it not enough that you¡¯re already robbing me?! Do you seriously expect me to-¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riven glared down at the avatar with a flare of his aura, holding out his bag of holding that Negrada had given him. ¡°And do it now. Those two piles over there as well.¡± Grumbling to himself and raising a hand, the dungeon avatar quickly made a series of gestures that saw the flood of coins rocket towards Riven¡¯s outstretched bag. Like a river of money and jewels, the bag guzzled it all down over the course of five minutes until the last of the coins was swallowed into the spatial abyss of Riven¡¯s item. ¡°Now get lost, you¡¯ve already ruined my day and I have lots to do.¡± The dungeon avatar humphed and vanished in another flash of light, leaving the demons and Riven to stand only in front of only a single, very small pile of stuff that he was quite keen on inspecting soon. Looking at his bag, he nodded in approval at the stacking numbers of coins that¡¯d appeared there with the monetary value added up. ¡°I had less than 63 million after spending some millions on keeping the population fed, but now I¡¯m back up to 82 million in Elysium Coin value. A couple dozen low grade artifacts, weapons and armor - along with a few spell scrolls and tomes in both the Fae Foundational Pillar and¡­ The Zodiac Sub-Pillar of the Harmony Foundation? I haven¡¯t seen that one yet. Interesting, but not applicable to any of us. Maybe some of the people in the other room will want these.¡± A splashing sound from Riven¡¯s left sounded, and when he turned to look - Athela was gone. Instead, only bloodstain remained. He furrowed his brows at Azmoth, who just shrugged, and then at Fay who also shrugged. ¡°What?¡± Fay asked innocently, blinking twice underneath her purple flat-brimmed witch¡¯s hat. ¡°Where did Athela go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°She was right there.¡± Fay giggled. ¡°She was, but now she¡¯s not.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°I see.¡± His eyelids half lowered, and his head swiveled back to the bloodstain on the floor. He saw it move slightly in his direction, and he reached out feelers to get a grasp on the inborn mana. That mana was not accessible to him, and he lifted an eyebrow. Intentionally ignoring the slowly moving blood puddle and guessing that this was very likely one of the two new martial arts she¡¯d been wanting to show him, he tried to hide his smile and pretended not to make the connection. ¡°Very well, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come back to us in time. I¡¯d probably smell her foul stench before she actually got close anyways. Now let¡¯s take a look at these gadgets.¡± He walked over to the small pile of stuff set out for him, internally chuckling when he noticed the puddle abruptly freeze at his words as if grievously offended, and got into a cross-legged sitting position on the floor. One item was a pair of flaming antlers stuck onto a ring of light, giving off an orange-yellow glow. The next item of interest was a large black grimoire, its pages yellowed, with a green viper set onto the front of the thick leather front. After that was a huge belt with a metal boar¡¯s head slightly protruding from the belt buckle, created from thick metal rings. There was a set of bone-made boots as well, plate armor with death mana that oozed out of them at a slow but steady rate. Then, lastly, there was a set of two red katanas that were rather long and slender for their make. ¡°Care to join me?¡± His minions did as asked, both of them sitting down next to each other and across from him on the other side of the pile. Meanwhile, the puddle of blood remained sitting there without doing much otherwise. ¡°So first things first,¡± Riven began, picking up the two red katanas and handing them to Azmoth. ¡°These were going to go to Athela, but I figure they can go to you since she¡¯s not here to claim them.¡± ¡°UNHAND THOSE SWORDS, VAGABOND!¡± Athela launched herself from the puddle of blood on the floor - or more accurately, warped her figure into her humanoid version and swiped the katanas out of Riven¡¯s hands while humphing loudly. ¡°And I do not smell! You snore when you sleep, ingrate.¡± ¡°I love you too Athela.¡± Riven gave her a wink, and she immediately blushed before clearing her throat to sit down next to him. Glancing his way just once and then averting her eyes again, she scooted in closer, twice, and gave him an embarrassed peck on the cheek. ¡°Love you too.¡± Fay looked a bit jealous, but otherwise didn¡¯t comment. ¡°These are what dungeon say best for us.¡± Azmoth commented, ignoring the interaction completely and pointing a clawed finger at the allotment of items in front of them. ¡°I not use your armor to identify yet, I wanted to wait. Like¡­ Like Christmas presents. We open!¡± ¡°Your wish is my command!¡± Riven bowed from his seated position. ¡°And just who told you about Christmas? Was it Allie? Anyways I have a vague idea of what they are so far after a quick chat with the dungeon to make sure the deal was right, but let¡¯s get the nitty gritty details shall we?¡± He picked up the burning antlers first, along with the ring of light they were attached to, and displayed the status page. [Ragar¡¯s Burning Antlers (Infernal Headgear): 82 average damage on strike. +143 additional defense to the outermost layer of your entire body once equipped, including but not limited to armor. +7% mana regeneration. +2% stamina regeneration. +3% to the Infernal Sub-Pillar¡¯s Affinity. Equipping this item fuses it to the wielder¡¯s head, and will not come off unless intentionally taken off by the wielder. Requires the Infernal Sub-Pillar Affiliation to use. Riven smiled and passed Azmoth the flaming horns. ¡°The mana regeneration won¡¯t help much, but everything else is rather good. ESPECIALLY that affinity boost! Never seen one of those before.¡± Azmoth grunted his appreciation and lifted the horns, allowing the circle of light connecting them to hover over his head before he placed it down. The horns shuddered slightly, and the circle of light they were attached to disappeared when the antlers fused to Azmoth¡¯s forehead a second later. They grew slightly, enlarging to fit Azmoth¡¯s proportions, and a shimmering barrier of cinder lit up across Azmoth¡¯s body as an additional layer of protection before fading away again across obsidian plates. ¡°That¡¯s badass.¡± Athela said bluntly. ¡°Really, really badass. Azmoth, you look like a stud. I bet you¡¯ll have all the brutalisk women chasing after you before long!¡± Azmoth¡¯s clawed fingers tapped on the horns gently, then gave them a good tug to make sure they were secure. The obsidian teeth of his smile clicked together and he gave Athela a nod. ¡°Thank you, Athela. For being nice.¡± ¡°No prob bud!¡± Ahtela swat him on the back. ¡°Maybe we can find some of those other set items sometime. We¡¯ll probably have to buy them from an offworld vendor but you never know, maybe Negrada has other matching pieces or even duplicates of the one you have.¡± ¡°If it does have duplicates, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s rather expensive.¡± Fay muttered, kicking out her long blue legs and tapping her feathered boots together. ¡°Set items are always pricey, even in the F grade, because you can¡¯t just make them. They¡¯re all system-spawned.¡± *THUD* ¡°Oof!¡± Fay grunted when the large black book with the green serpent on its front landed in her lap. Sticking her tongue out at a snickering Athela, then glared to Riven who¡¯d actually tossed the book her way. ¡°Is this one for me?¡± Riven nodded. ¡°It is indeed. It¡¯s probably the best item here, I think you¡¯ll be impressed. Take a look.¡± [Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes (Unholy Specialization Grimoire, Unique): +129% mana regeneration when held. +9% damage to all curses when held. Binding this grimoire and adding a single one of your curses to its pages, you will decrease the cooldown time on your chosen curse by 10% while simultaneously allowing for spontaneous evolution options of that curse with insights drawn from the Unholy Foundational Pillar and its related sub-pillars. Spontaneous evolutions will occur as the grimoire actively writes out different variations of the curse across its pages with random trial and error experiments in an internal, limited plane. Evolution options will occur in the form of insights once a breakthrough is made.] If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Blankly, Fay stared at the description of the Viper Grimoire in her lap. Then her jaw began to slowly drop to the floor, and she let out an audible gasp as her eyes went wide. ¡°Riven! Riven this is - this is incredible! And it¡¯s a UNIQUE item! Riven, do you know what this means!?¡± She continued staring down at the black and green book in her hands, still utterly shocked. ¡°This item is going to single-handedly improve my cultivation by¡­ by¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t find the words. ¡°By a fucking lot. It¡¯s certainly not a normal grimoire in the way I learned them to be.¡± Riven nodded in agreement. ¡°If you look at its pages, they¡¯re actually all blank and don¡¯t even have spells in them like most other grimoires do - because it¡¯s waiting for you to put in a spell yourself so it can start re-writing it in attempts to evolve your chosen curse. Very niche item as it only works with curses but it¡¯s perfect for you. Spontaneous evolution options? I can¡¯t think of a better prize to get from a dungeon like this. Not to mention the mana regen. Which curse are you going to bind to the grimoire first?¡± Fay¡¯s eyes lifted from the book, suddenly very distant. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to talk to my mother about this. Thank you so much, Riven.¡± Riven beamed. ¡°Glad you like it. Now, for the others.¡± The large metal belt with a carved boar¡¯s head as the belt buckle was handed to Azmoth next. It wasn''t anything special, but it did give some specs to Azmoth¡¯s strength - which was a small boon and certainly not unwanted. [The Tusken Rager (Heavy Armor, Belt): +266 defense. +58 Strength, +13% Strength.] After that were the bone-made boots, layers of thick ivory overlapping one another, which Riventook for himself. They were better than the ones he already had, and to boot they also changed the plate-leggings he had on - absorbing the ivory-painted steel without much issue until coming into contact with Messenger. When the boots met Messenger, they visibly retracted upon trying to absorb the Gluttonous armor as Messenger hissed a threat. Still, the boots rather easily upgraded his current lower-body armor and settled down into a new form when his plate-armor leggings simply became a part of the whole. The steel turned into a truly bone plate-mail too, not just painted, and it felt both heavier and sturdier after the change had taken hold. It wasn¡¯t anything near as good as Messenger¡¯s 1858 defense to plated areas, or even the 965 defense of bloodsilk inbetween the plates, but this was still far better armor than most things on Panu right now; or the 257 defense his plate leggins had prior to the merge. [Lich-Kin Boots and Leggings of the Cannibal (Death-Attuned Heavy Bone Armor): +788 Defense. Absorbs and nullifies up to 60% of any death attuned attacks. Requires the Death Sub-Pillar Affinity and 198 Strength to wield. Yup, it was a significant upgrade. Lastly were Athela¡¯s two red katanas, each of the blades magnificent in their own rights and likely taking a solid 2nd place behind Fay¡¯s grimoire in terms of prize value, and that was only because inherent dao visions built into an item was outright absurd. Carvings of birds in flight decorated each blade in their entirety all the way down to the hilts. Riven could already see Athela admiring the weapons while she held them, the quality of them evident, and the whispers coming from each of the blades even now permeating the air as she held them in her grip. He hadn¡¯t even been sure she¡¯d switch from using her clawed hands, but if anything was going to change her mind - these weapons would be the key. And frankly he didn¡¯t blame her, they weren¡¯t far behind Jackal in terms of quality. Jackal had actually started out at 894 damage before increasing to 1390 over time due to its ¡®Sacrificial Kill¡¯ trait which absorbed damage stat based on strong enemies killed, so in fact these weapons were stronger than Jackal¡¯s original form when only comparing base attack damage averages. [The Twin Red Doves (Awakened Weapons, Dual-Wielding Set. Blood Artifacts. Twin Katanas.): 899 average damage on strike with each physical strike on flesh adding a guaranteed stack of the ¡®Bleed¡¯ debuff for damage over time. Hidden strikes that land before an opponent is aware cause additional guaranteed damage of +5%. If the strike is a critical hit, deal an additional x2 critical modifier. These items, when bound to a wielder, may be stored in the heart of the wielder and withdrawn at will. These items are nearly indestructible while the bound wielder is still alive. Requires a Blood Affinity of over 51% to wield. Athela gave a giddy laugh as the whispers rose in pitch, and it didn¡¯t take very long for blood to begin pooling out of the blades and onto Athela¡¯s skin while she held them - merging with her flesh only momentarily before floating in the air before her. ¡°They''ve already accepted me.¡± Athela stated fondly, puffing out her chest and watching the two weapons shift into a stream of blood that slammed into where her heart should be - disappearing entirely in the next instant. A look of shock overcame her then, and she blinked curiously while scratching her head. ¡°Neat! These things don¡¯t really talk, but I can tell what the twin doves are thinking when they¡¯re inside my chest!¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± Riven asked. ¡°They want to kill stuff.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have even asked.¡± He shook his head, facepalming. ¡°What else would blood-attuned katanas want? Are you going to use them?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m going to use them!¡± ¡°Then you might want to start training at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s enclave for practice. You haven¡¯t had sword training back in the nether realms before in illusory bodies, have you?¡± Athela grimaced. ¡°Eh¡­ yes, but not much. When anticipating our change into humanoid forms of our arachnid bodies, future arshakai are given lessons. I¡¯d focused more on daggers and claws back then, or the blades from my back when using illusory versions of what I would likely become. Not a lot in swords unfortunately.¡± ¡°Would you mother and other kin of your demonic clan train you then?¡± ¡°Probably. It¡¯d also be easier to visit them than visit the vampiric enclave, so I¡¯ll probably just do that in my spare time whenever you¡¯re sleeping.¡± Riven nodded in approval and got up, happy to see that each of his demons had their own upgrades even aside from his bone-crafted boots and leg armor. Azmoth had the boar¡¯s-head belt and flaming antlers, Fay got the grimoire that¡¯d no doubt help her catch up to his other two demons - which was exactly what she needed right now, and Athela¡¯s new weapons were no joke either. It was a great haul, and it made him ask himself why he hadn¡¯t done more dungeon diving like this in the past. Then again, would the prizes have been as good if those asshole invaders hadn¡¯t shown up? He could only guess at that one. Speaking of which, it was probably time to check on Genua. He could feel her heartbeat in the next room begin to quicken, and although her transformation into thrallhood wasn¡¯t quite done - it was approaching the terminal. So getting up and motioning for the others to follow him out of the treasury room, he began to head for the new thrall he¡¯d acquired - excited to see just what class she¡¯d choose and how it would turn out when she was finally able to bind to the Blood God¡¯s Markings. *** Aksilias Bloodmare and his two sons, Rufus Bloodmare and Jakromi Bloodmare, had been rather relieved when Allie had told the native vampires of Panu that she¡¯d come see their city as requested. When she¡¯d agreed to speak to their coven¡¯s patriarch and matriarch to learn more about this vampiric elder-god world quest. They¡¯d left with smiles on their faces and apologies on their lips for the poor interaction they¡¯d had with Riven¡¯s thrall-to-be Genua as guests, and they¡¯d hurried off into the underdark after supplying Allie with a map to their underground city of Bernzee - self proclaimed home of ¡®The Hundred Covens.¡¯ What Allie had note expected to find, therefore, were the hundred covens all gone. Or better said, they¡¯d all been killed. Towering spires of blood-covered rock, shattered walls, and burning homes giving off plumes of smoke for sprawling miles in a vast underground cavern. Piles of rubble and scattered pieces of half-devoured corpses. This is what she found in their stead. Allie¡¯s footsteps echoed through a ruined city of the underdark that was devoid of any sound aside from the crackling of flames and the splash of her steps in pools of crimson fluids. Her red eyes scanned the tens of thousands of dead she passed by, building by building, street by street, in what was nothing less than an absolute genocide of the populace here. What was even weirder was that her vampiric senses couldn¡¯t pick up any heartbeats at all, meaning that not only could she not SEE anyone living - but it was very likely there wasn¡¯t anyone hiding here either. Weirder yet was that the blood mana that should be here, given the absolute carnage and splattered crimson streaks or pools of blood pretty much everywhere, was absolutely gone. There wasn¡¯t a hint of blood mana to be found, and she certainly wasn¡¯t the savant of the Blood Sub-Pillar like her brother was - nor did she even have the sub-pillar - but she was still a pureblooded vampire and she should have been able to identify it in any normal circumstances. Add another layer of oddity to it, and the ghosts, souls and wraiths that usually kept her company in the beyond had scattered - sensing the presence of something that she could not. Even when reaching out to them for answers they did not agree on what it was or how they knew it was dangerous, only sending her vague signals that she should not be here. That none of them should be here. This was not a place for the living or the dead, they whispered to her. This was not a place that she should remain. ¡°Finding anything?¡± Allie asked in a low tone, scanning their surroundings when they came to a crossroads filled with more of the same. Mara shook her head from underneath her black cowl, and the necromancers behind them all stood out at intervals with eyes seeking just as much as their scattered minions were. ¡°My shadow ravens aren¡¯t seeing any movement from above. It appears that the covens here have been completely wiped out, along with all of their slaves and all of their thralls. Be it vampire or mortal - it did not matter to whatever or whoever did this. Not a single ounce of life, even to my soul sense, is detectable. My skeletal assassins also report no movement as they go house to house, and I am at a loss for what could have caused this amount of carnage in what appears to be a very short amount of time given the way they all failed to escape.¡± "There were no bodies out in the tunnels leading here, so it must have happened fast." Nin nodded his agreement, stepping through the afterlife to appear next to Allie with the sound of a breath. ¡°This is wrong. There is a distinct lack of blood mana here where there should be just as much as the death mana permeating this city. I cannot fathom why that is, or where it would have gone in such quantities.¡± Allie frowned underneath her skull mask. ¡°You sensed it too then? I was thinking the same thing.¡± Then she realized: Why were there no bodies other than the populace? The creatures that¡¯d done this were monsters, without a doubt, because of the claw and teeth marks left in the innumerable corpses. Where were the bodies of these beasts? And why had the citizens all died in their homes? Had they not heard the carnage before it¡¯d happened? Not just once, but dozens of times now she¡¯d seen the bodies of children next to dolls and toys, or the corpses of their parents at tables attending to untouched dishes of food now gone cold. Gritting her teeth and taking another look down at the map, she decided on the only course of action she could take that may provide answers for her. ¡°We head to the Bloodmare estate. If Aksilias and his sons, or their clan, are all dead¡­ then we search it for clues. I have a feeling this butchery is related to the world quest and the fallen elder god, things just line up too perfectly for it to be otherwise. Something is very, very wrong here¡­ and I intend to find out what that is.¡± Chapter 234 Chapter 234 Genua came into consciousness with an absolutely enthralling sense of power coursing through her soul. The abrupt sensation caused her to gasp, and she felt the divinity channels rushing through her body explode with crimson radiance. Her vision went red as her eyes blazed with light, her skin flared with profane crimson sigils that buried themselves into her to remain as red tattoos across her otherwise tanned skin, and the shudder escaping her lips was one of ecstasy. Because she had already chosen which of the three classes she wanted, and immediately upon becoming a thrall she had been taken from Panu to be placed in the realm of gods. [You have successfully transitioned into an Ascended Vampiric Thrall. You have chosen Priestess of the Blood God as your next class, the lowest level of his clergy but an esteemed position nonetheless. Impulsions to guide and serve your vampiric master faithfully have been amplified. Vampires, Children of the Blood God, will not be able to harm you outside of regular feedings without receiving a Blasphemer¡¯s Curse. Your Blood God¡¯s Markings have been absorbed as a thrall upgrade. Access to the Blood God¡¯s Clergy Interface has been established and is accessible through your status page. The abilities Sanguine Smite, Blood Oath, Transfusion Zone, Body Fusion, and Sanguine Possession have been granted for your faith.] She wanted to stay in that state of power perfusing her very being forever, she didn¡¯t want to leave it, but the red light dulled its brightness within her eyes and allowed her to see only a minute later. She was kneeling, naked, red eyes shining bright to match the new tapestry of brilliant crimson tattoos covering her skin over much of her body. In front of her was the entrance to a grand, ominous temple of alien design, and overhead a sky of stars surrounding a bright red moon cast their light upon her. Five other women with calm smiles, red eyes and bright white hair stood just ahead of where she knelt, in front of a set of double doors that remained shut behind them. All of them wore the same kind of outfit, replicas of one another - but all were grand in design. Everything made from the base silk outfit was black, while all the additional embroideries and metal ornaments were red and gold. A black hood covered each of their heads, with thin sheets of red metal headdresses, gilded in gold, that flared out, up, and above the hoods along the middle of their heads. Pieces of the metal were carved out of the headdresses to form symbols and words in an ancient language she could not understand, but she could sense the meaning behind them: Power, dominance, and supremacy. The dresses were very form fitting but revealed little otherwise past where the hood cut off at a V-shape along their necks, clinging to each of the women like an extra layer of skin all the way down to their legs where the black silks spread out a bit before hitting the floor. The way the outfits were made, it caused the women to look almost like flowers by the way their silks spread out around their feet. Each of the five women also wore long red gloves that revealed their fingers just past the kuckles, but otherwise covered everything up to their mid-biceps - further distinguishing the gloves from the rest of the black silk of their form-fitting gowns by way of a gold trimming at the glove¡¯s proximal base. Two red crescent moons were also embroidered on the front of each of their chests, while a full moon was stitched into the very center between them. Words of that same ancient language she didn¡¯t understand were written in gold lettering along each side of the black silk covering their rib cages, and then again along the outer side of each thigh, but these had less impact on her innate understanding than the words carved into the red metal headdresses each woman wore. Without a word, and after the five of them had stared at her for more than what was comfortable, the middle of the five women walked forward from the shadow of the looming temple. Her footsteps were silent, and in her hands she carried a folded bundle of what was yet another uniform just like the one she was wearing - with the red metal headdress laid on top. And as she got closer to stand over Genua¡¯s kneeling figure, Genua could see that this woman with white hair had the same markings she now did - the same one she¡¯d felt bury themselves into her skin as permanent tattoos symbolizing who she was and her status. ¡°Sister.¡± The woman¡¯s voice came out as a fresh breeze on the cold night air. ¡°Stand.¡± Genua did as asked, shakily getting to her feet and meeting the woman¡¯s gaze eye to eye. Something about this person commanded her attention, and she dared not look away even in the presence of such a magnificent structure beyond them. The unknown woman nodded in approval, and held out the folded garments. ¡°These are for you.¡± Blinking, Genua hesitantly reached out and took the items from the unknown women without argument. ¡°Thank you¡­ Is this the realm of-¡± ¡°You already know it is.¡± The woman replied, smile widening in amusement. ¡°This is his realm, yes. I, along with the four others standing before you, are also clergy. We are greeters, welcoming our sisters into the fold. These are your clergy robes, keep them in good condition - for they are sacred treasures not to be lost. Should you do well in your duties, you will be given far more.¡± Windows displayed themselves unbidden, each of them telling Genua what it was she now grasped - items that were likely worth far more than her life by most people¡¯s standards. [Blood God Clergy Hood (Legendary Blood Artifact, Light armor): +330 Defense. +19% additional potency to any Blood Miracle. Must be one of the Blood God¡¯s Clergy or have a Blood Sub-Pillar Affinity of over 80% to use. [Blood God Clergy Gloves (Legendary Blood Artifact, Light armor): +380 Defense. +19% additional potency to any Blood Miracle. Must be one of the Blood God¡¯s Clergy or have a Blood Sub-Pillar Affinity of over 80% to use. [Blood God Clergy Robe (Legendary Blood Artifact, Light armor): +490 Defense. +19% additional potency to any Blood Miracle. Must be one of the Blood God¡¯s Clergy or have a Blood Sub-Pillar Affinity of over 80% to use. [Blood God Clergy Metal Headdress (Legendary Blood Artifact, Light armor): +600 Defense. +19% additional potency to any Blood Miracle. Must be one of the Blood God¡¯s Clergy or have a Blood Sub-Pillar Affinity of over 80% to use. Genua took in a sharp breath as a pulse of power echoed out from the clothes she now held in her hands, and blinked rapidly. ¡°Will I get to meet him?¡± ¡°The blood god?¡± The woman laughed softly, shaking her head. ¡°Oh no, he is too far above one such as us. Lowly priestesses in our position can one day get there if we find the right master to serve, or if you join the church and rise in the inner ranks like me after your master¡¯s death¡­ should such an unfortunate fate befall them. But those are the only two ways to go about it. Which brings me to the next topic¡­¡± The other priestess pulled out a sealed black letter, and handed it to Genua. ¡°Take this and open it as soon as you go back to Panu. It will destroy the letter, but its intended recipient will be granted the intended message in the form of inspiration. One of his children is in great peril, and doing this will likely save them from an otherwise violent end.¡± Genua¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Riven is fine though, isn¡¯t he? We just beat back the invaders¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. And the other priestess shook her head. ¡°I said nothing about your master Riven. Regardless, you cannot stay here long without significant soul decay due to your F-grade body. Remember that you are required to pray and worship the Blood God every night, and you will begin your study of his scripture during this time after prayers.¡± A small black book with the sigils of two red crescent moons surrounding a full moon was pulled from her pocket next and sat on top of the clothes. ¡°This will detail what is expected of you, and is the base scripture of the first writ. Once a week I will come to visit you to make sure you have been doing so. This is important, for reasons we will discuss later, but for now just focus on keeping your lord safe. He is an important part of the supreme one¡¯s plans, if he lives - but Riven is still only an infant gnat in the great scheme of things. He has potential, but only potential. Potential is not a promise, and he is still inconsequential as he is now. Should he die, your potential will likely die out with his. As will the life of your daughter. Do you understand?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Genua¡¯s frown deepened, worry clouding her mind as her spine went rigid under the threat of her daughter¡¯s safety. Yet without a doubt, she knew this woman wasn¡¯t bluffing - and it only deepened Genua¡¯s abnormally firm resolve to help Riven thrive. ¡°How am I supposed to keep Riven safe? He¡¯s far more powerful than I am, shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around?¡± The unknown priestess raised one eyebrow, then tisked. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to change that attitude of yours as well. One of many things to work on, I see. Even if you are pathetically weak, that does not mean your duties venture outside the norm of what it means to be a priestess. Now go, leave us, and we will speak more on your duties in a week¡¯s time when your soul has had the opportunity to recover from your travels here.¡± With a flick of her wrist, the priestess dismissed Genua¡¯s presence from the blood god¡¯s realm - casting her back into the world of Panu as the heavens closed around her in a blur of stars and space. *** Allie stared up at the mutilated corpse of Aksilias Bloodmare, where it¡¯d been impaled on a spike jutting from his compound¡¯s walls. One of many spikes where many other vampires were also impaled and left to rot, their corpses withered and shredded with silent screams being left behind as a memory of their last thoughts. They didn¡¯t even have any clothes on, so there was nothing to check, and the deep wounds left in their bodies spoke of torture that was far more exaggerated than many of the other bodies they¡¯d passed in the city. Which begged the question¡­ Why? ¡°We¡¯re on the right track.¡± Not sparing the corpses another look, she continued through the gate that¡¯d been ripped off its hinges and flung aside into a courtyard of flowers. Oddly enough much of the garden was still intact, though there were bodies of thralls, slaves and servants in abundance here - treated with far less hatred and malice than the vampires had been. The large manor behind the bloodied garden was in rough shape but overall intact, with an ugly dark-green paint covering the pillars leading into the house where the doors had been flung off their hinges too. There¡¯d been obvious fighting here, which was far different from the rest of the city that Allie had visited - but it also made her question just what other parts of Bernzee had put up a fight if this particular coven had been able to do so. Broken sculptures, paintings with blade and claw marks torn through them, felled tapestries and body parts were in abundance. A maid had been impaled with some kind of odd-looking spear, the back of her head nailed to a stone wall while her body dangled two feet off the floor - and a vampiric child lay halfway out of a closet where he¡¯d obviously tried to hide. Dark hallways to the left, right and center exited the receiving room, and Allie turned to the other necromancers behind her with a quick set of hand motions. Immediately the skeletons and zombies following them panned out to the right and left without a word, dispersing to search the large building without a single complaint. If one of them died, the necromancer controlling it would immediately know and they¡¯d notify her. In the meantime, she and the best of their minions filed through the central hallway that had the most obvious signs of conflict ramping up. She came upon more bodies, blasts of magic, and began combing through bedrooms and office spaces. More carnage, ripped bedsheets, a dead slave who¡¯d been killed while still shackled to a wall. Books torn apart, spilled ink on otherwise blank parchment, an opened safe with the money and jewels still left inside. So far nothing on the bodies of the men and women found contained anything significant that pointed them to what¡¯d happened here, or had any real connection to the world quest concerning the fallen vampiric elder god. Coming to the fifth room in her search halfway down the hall from where an overturned marble statue lay broken in the hallway, she noticed the door was locked. Using her vampiric strength to try and break the door with physical force - she found it unyielding, and infused a significant amount of death mana to fry a hidden enchantment that fizzled out under her grip. With a spark the handle flew off, and she easily pushed her way inside with Mara following closely behind her. Inside was just another office, though it was quite clean and devoid of any of the signs of fighting outside. A dim lantern remained flickering in one corner, almost out of oil by the looks of it, and bookshelves lined the walls in pristine condition with a large rectangular desk in the center of the room with a few hastily scribbled notes off to one side. Allie gestured left. ¡°Search the bookshelves.¡± Mara nodded and obeyed, looking for anything out of the ordinary that they may find to provide clues to what had happened. Allie came around the desk, sitting in the fine leather chair and checking the drawers one by one. Certainly there was a reason this room had been locked, right? The scribbled notes on the desktop she went through first. There were records of positions the house was hiring for, various types of trade done with other covens in the city of Bernzee, notes on various slave trading deals, and then finally at the very bottom of the stack - a poorly hidden note addressed to¡­ To her? Had she been expected to find this? Had it been placed underneath the other papers so that whatever had come rampaging through this manor wouldn¡¯t find it, should they have entered this room? ====================================== Allie Thane, Queen of the Thane Necropolis, it is in our darkest hour that I find myself putting pen to paper in a hasty attempt to relay to you what is happening in our city as I sit in this closed room amidst the dying screams of my people. I can only hope that you followed the map my servant supplied to you, and that you have come looking for answers here in our home. The labyrinth has been opened. It has been opened for some time now, but only recently did we press into the second layer after uncovering a sealed lock on what appears to be an ancient coven of vampires from another age. We didn¡¯t know what it meant, but the council of Bernzee insisted that we uncover the secrets in an attempt to save our world from devastation should Elysium¡¯s words be true. Destroying that sealed lock was a mistake, and the things we found there before tragedy struck were¡­ concerning. It appears that the Blood God we know and worship today as our forefather may not be as all encompassing for our kind as we once thought, if the records written on the walls of the labyrinth tell truths and not lies. Could there really have been an opposing pantheon, and more than one Blood God in the ancient past? I also fear that we have doomed our city for reading these taboo texts, or at the very least for unleashing the things that guarded them. The bodies of what we once thought to be an ancient coven, frozen in a time stasis, weren¡¯t vampires at all - but something else entirely. They are false, faked mockeries of our elder kin, a taboo of what we were meant to be and a blight upon the land. They are intelligent, monstrous things that hide in the skin of the slain. However they only seem to inhabit the bodies of the Blood God¡¯s children, we don¡¯t know how or why - but when you find our corpses¡­ burn them. Be wary of their trickery, we don¡¯t know how many there are - but should they remain here inside Bernzee and you find yourself reading this letter - you are in mortal peril. You have likely already passed by many who you thought perished, when in reality they were merely watching and waiting for an opportunity to corner you like a rat. If you do not have an army at your back to escort you into the depths, you need to run. And you should start running now. I have provided another map leading to the labyrinth in the second drawer on the right, there you will find the answers to the world quest you seek, and I hope you can use it to better effect than we did. I hear their drums beating in the depths even as I write, echoing through the streets paved with the dead of our kin, and my heart trembles for what is to come of myself when they find me. Leave this place. ====================================== A thudding boom of drums echoed through the streets and into the halls of the manor, causing Allie¡¯s head to slowly lift to stare out the door as she gripped the paper in her hands. Mara turned as well, unsure of what the noise was until it came again, and again, and again. Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Allie shifted to her right and pulled the second drawer out, revealing a thoroughly detailed map of the underdark passages leading out from the city of Bernzee and through a series of tunnels to what was labeled ¡®Labyrinth of the Elder God¡¯ on the map - symbolized by a fanged skull. Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­ She let out a sharp breath, picked the map up, and put it in her spatial bag before standing up. Already the other necromancers, skeletons and zombies were rushing through the hallways towards the front entrance as the sound of faint chanting was heard in the depths. ¡°This was a trap. Whatever killed all these people has been in the city this entire time, and they¡¯ve just made their move.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Mara asked, following Allie out into the main room when an unearthly wail sang through the air as the corpse of the vampiric child lurched and blasted from its position in the closet. The small body tore through one of the ghoul necromancers to Allie¡¯s right, three sets of vampiric fangs sprouting from the small monster¡¯s mouth as its skin turned into a very pale blue. Claws erupted from its hands, its eyes grew wide and pitch black, and within half a second the screaming necromancer was torn in half - causing the minions he was controlling to stagger and fall. Allie¡¯s wand whipped forward and blasted the devouring monster with strings of death mana that shredded it just as easily as it¡¯d torn apart the ghoul necromancer, and Allie quickly stabilized the groaning undead man with more strings of death mana. The eruption of battle sounded ahead and the drums began to pick up speed, with a resonating wave of roars from somewhere outside. Bodies of vampires that¡¯d been torn and dead, impaled or left half-eaten in their rooms, now gained new life as their bodies warped. Once red eyes turned dark black and became large, numerous sets of fangs shot out from their mouths, and their pale white skin turned a very pale shade of blue. [Ancient Vampiric Precursor, Blue Blood Heretic, Level 95] [Ancient Vampiric Precursor, Blue Blood Heretic, Level ???] [Ancient Vampiric Precursor, Blue Blood Heretic, Level 71] [World Quest 4, Blood of the Fallen God: An unnamed vampiric elder god has fallen from grace after having sinned against the Elysium Administrator. The elder god has been trapped within a hidden, guarded labyrinth in the deepest levels of the underdark, and you must stop him from awakening. Advanced details HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY UNLOCKED: ¡°There is no plan.¡± Allie said bluntly, stitching the ghoul necromancer back into fighting condition with a wave of her hand. ¡°We have no choice but to fight.¡± Fimrindle flickered into her peripheral vision with a bow, scythe held low. ¡°Master¡­ I believe we may have a problem. All routes of escape have been cut off, and tens of thousands of enemies have begun encroaching on our position along all four walls. We are completely surrounded, and I do not believe it is a fight we can win. We must find an alternative path.¡± As if on cue, a vision panned out in Allie¡¯s mind when an other-worldly entity reached out to touch her soul from some distant plane. A red moon in the background of a dark silhouette, a toppling pillar created from pale blue stone, and then finally a series of images of a time once past here in this very manor she now stood in. Children playing hide and go seek, opening a hidden compartment leading into a passage leading beneath the building, and then it was all gone in a flash. She stumbled, blinking rapidly and holding the side of her head as the visions faded away. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­ *BOOM* The wall cracked and tore as a muscular abomination of a pale, blue-shaded bald man barreled through - launching one of the skeletal knights in full armor crashing through two adjacent rooms into a piled heap at the far end. Immediately Fimrindle was upon it along with numerous skeletal assassins that¡¯d been laying in wait, and the enormous humanoid found itself quickly losing limb after limb that tried to regrow back at extreme rates similar if not equivalent to Allie¡¯s own. But when Fimrindle¡¯s scythe sank deep into its brain and flared with deathly light, the monster crashed to the ground in a heap. Meanwhile the sound of claw on blade and crazed screams of undead and vampiric precursors grew louder at the front gates outside where a battle was seen through the ruined walls and dust cloud. Beyond the gates and down the hill into the greater city beyond, thousands of mulling bodies were roaring and sprinting towards her position with huge mutated creatures in the back beating drums to the sound of her impending doom. Allie abruptly launched a series of flaming skulls that screamed forward - exploding along the nearby wall and destroying some of the precursor heretics swarming over the barriers. Then she turned to leave the minions behind. ¡°Necromancers, follow me. I don¡¯t know how, perhaps it was my malignant prophecy or something else entiryle, but I just had a vision. And if I''m right there may be a way out of here yet.¡± With complete trust in their queen, the twelve necromancers of the Thane Necropolis filed into line behind her with only their very best undead servants coming with them - all of the others being sent at the waves of enemies trying to rush the gated compound in a swarm of fangs, claws, bald heads, black eyes, and pale blue bodies with a vicious need to feed. Chapter 235 Chapter 235 The bloodsilk nest Athela had created had been converted into a multitude of hammocks in anticipation of Jarla¡¯s group to meet them before nightfall, with the previous idea of throwing a victory party being soured after having found numerous local groups to be slaughtered through the dungeon on the way down. Ones that¡¯d been caught by the invaders on their trek through the dungeon. Still, everyone else insisted that they should drink it off later that night - and who was Riven to tell them otherwise? ¡°You¡¯re still not going to tell me what that letter was about huh?¡± Riven asked again, eyebrow raised while he used a mallet and chisel to chip away at a stone while going over schematics for another attempt at runecrafting when the last three totems had utterly failed. He leaned over the bench outside of the cabin Tanya¡¯s family used and was intent on getting this one right. Genua shook her head, the new priestess attire already on and fitting her nicely. Red metal headdress, black hood, red gloves and a formfitting black-silk robe with two crescent moons surrounding a full moon on the front; and golden runes in an ancient language written along the sides. It was certainly stylish, if Riven had anything to say about it, and matched the style of her newly acquired tattoos and bright red eyes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that letter was not even meant for me.¡± Genua said with a frown. ¡°All I know is that when I opened the letter and it vaporized, I got the sensation that I should not talk about it again and that it was meant for someone else. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Riven tisked, then pleasantly smiled at Len who was watching him intently - kicking her small legs back and forth while he worked. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Hey Len, did you ever end up beating Azmoth in that arm wrestling contest?¡± He began chipping away at the stone again, making sure to carve the rune just right with microscopic adjustments. Len beamed and then began to giggle, holding up a small hand to her face while her mother warmly started fixing her hair. ¡°Yes! He had to use all four arms and even then he couldn¡¯t beat me! I¡¯m super strong for a girl you know!¡± She flexed, and Riven chuckled with a shake of his head. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re quite intimidating Len. You¡¯d probably beat me up too.¡± Len looked like she was going to retort with something feisty, but got a curious look about her and quieted down with her eyes downcast. ¡°How¡¯s the discussion going?¡± Riven asked, wincing when sunlight through the pine trees overhead hit him directly in the left eyeball with a backlash of discomfort. ¡°Ugh, sometimes I wonder why I¡¯m up and about during the day.¡± Genua¡¯s lips tugged upwards at the comment before she replied. ¡°Yes, well you are a vampire after all. As for the discussion, I assume you¡¯re talking about the others and your proposition to turn them as well?¡± ¡°Yes, Hakim¡¯s group.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not sure yet. It¡¯s a big decision to make, but I¡¯m certain they¡¯re more than willing to join your guild.¡± Riven nodded, wiped sweat off his forehead and moved some papers around to better look at what he needed to do next. Taking some odd looking yellow herbs and crushing them in a mortar and pestle, he began grinding them into a fine powder that he then stuffed into the runes he¡¯d just carved - using a glue-like paste to seal it in. Then, placing the rock inside a recently acquired human skull - he used crimson ice to seal it all together, and finally dipped the skull into a pool of black gunk on his left. The tiny voice of Len caught him off guard only a second later. ¡°Are you and mommy having a baby?¡± He choked and nearly fell over at the words. Quickly reorienting himself and blinking rapidly, he took a deep breath and put on a crooked smile while looking back at the little girl across the table from him. She had her arms folded, and she looked half accusing, and half worried, with her little blonde pigtails up to either side now that her mother had fixed her hair just a second ago. ¡°Uh¡­ Uhm¡­ Who told you that, exactly?¡± Riven asked curiously, raising an eyebrow Genua¡¯s way. The priestess, his thrall, just sat there unblinking and unphased. ¡°Mommy did.¡± Len replied somewhat hesitantly, looking between the two adults and then huffing loudly when Riven didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Are you or are you not? Mommy said if I wanted to know more I needed to ask you, so I¡¯m asking you now. But she says she¡¯s pregnant and that I¡¯m going to be a big sister! Is that true?¡± Riven saw Athela and Fay turn the corner just as Len repeated the question, and both of them quickly turned right around and headed off elsewhere after seeing the pleading look for help Riven gave them. He saw Fay mouth ¡®Good Luck¡¯, and Athela just laughed. Curse them to the depths of hell. ¡°Well¡­¡± Riven scratched the back of his head, feeling much less at ease right now than he¡¯d been numerous times before with his life on the line in battle. ¡°I¡­ Uh¡­ I suppose your mom is right. Genua and I¡­¡± He trailed off, looking to Genua for support. He got none. A mix of emotions overcame Len¡¯s features, many of which he couldn¡¯t pinpoint, but they settled on genuine curiosity when she leaned forward. ¡°So¡­ Do you and mommy love each other now?¡± Ugh. ¡°I¡¯ll let Genua answer that one.¡± Riven replied sheepishly. ¡°Hmm.¡± Len scratched her head in thought, staring at the table. ¡°Are you going to be my daddy then?¡± Riven paused at this, again getting no support from Genua, and set down his crafting materials to give his full attention to the little girl in front of him with his hands clasped. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Len hesitated, then avoided his gaze - shrugging as she did. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡± Riven asked curiously. ¡°You seemed afraid of me in the dungeon not long ago.¡± Len thought about it, then shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid of you. I was just afraid. But I¡­ I think Ethel would like it if you were my new daddy. Farrod wasn¡¯t very nice to us back then, and I¡¯ve always wondered what a nice daddy would be like.¡± Len shuffled awkwardly, briefly casting him a glance, and then twiddling her thumbs while Genua¡¯s lips became pursed on the sideline. Meanwhile, Riven¡¯s heart sank. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think Ethel liked me that much, Len.¡± ¡°Yes she did.¡± Len replied with a hesitant smile. ¡°I know she was supposed to hurt you, but that wasn¡¯t her choice. She just did what she was told, and before she died she wasn¡¯t sure if vampires were even bad anymore. At least that¡¯s what she told me.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Riven¡¯s heart sank further, and he felt a lump forming in his throat. ¡°Uhm¡­ You know she was supposed to hurt me then?¡± Len nodded sadly. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And if I may ask, who told her to hurt me?¡± Len glanced up at Genua, who nodded encouragingly. ¡°Daddy. Farrod.¡± Len replied solemnly. ¡°Mommy didn¡¯t tell me what happened exactly, and I know I¡¯m a kid. But I¡¯m a smart kid, and I know something happened between all of you when they tried to hurt you. That¡¯s when Ethel and daddy died.¡± The little girl yet again shot him a wary glance before avoiding eye contact yet again. ¡°So if you and mommy are having another kid, could I ask you a question?¡± Riven rigidly nodded. ¡°Of course you can, Len. Anything.¡± Len took in a deep breath, steeled herself, and looked at him straight in the eye while her lips began to tremble. ¡°Was it on purpose when Ethel died? Or was it an accident?¡± Silence. Silence reigned. Riven didn¡¯t know how to respond to that without shattering this little girl¡¯s world. It was his turn to avoid eye contact, and he stared down at the bench in front of him while reliving those memories - experiencing that guild one more time in a far worse way than he had ever before. But god damn it, if this little girl had the courage to ask him that kind of question - he wasn¡¯t going to pussy out now and not answer it. Slowly, he nodded his head and closed his eyes. ¡°What else has your mom told you about what happened?¡± Tears were beginning to trickle down Len¡¯s face, dripping off her quivering lips and chin onto the ground while glaring at him. ¡°She won¡¯t tell me.¡± Another pause, and Riven deeply inhaled. ¡°I did it on purpose. It is my fault they died.¡± Silence. Silence once again reigned. Len¡¯s eyes narrowed and the tears started flowing more freely now, with snot beginning to run down her flushed face with those tiny pigtails blowing in the wind behind her. She nodded, wiping away the snot with one arm but maintaining a gaze braver than he could muster. ¡°Now that you¡¯ and mommy are having another kid, are you going to make me go away too?¡± ¡°LEN!¡± Genua said, astounded and shocked that her daughter would ask such a question. She put her arms around her daughter, and hugged the upset little girl close. ¡°Len, that would never happen! Why would you even ask that!?¡± The question jolted Riven to his core, and he abruptly looked up to meet her eyes. ¡°No! Len, I would never hurt you!¡± ¡°Then why did you hurt Ethel?¡± Len asked, beginning to quietly sob with her small chest heaving up and down in contractions. ¡°Why did you kill my big sister? Even if she was told to hurt you, you were stronger. You were so strong! You could have run away or something!¡± And what, just what, was Riven supposed to say to that? The truth was that Ethel had been collateral damage. He wouldn¡¯t have blown that bomb Azmoth had carried into Greenstalk Village if everyone else hadn¡¯t been there, even despite her own damning actions in an attempt to set him up and kill him. He remembered the way she¡¯d come down on the person she¡¯d thought was Riven, but even so - he may have just walked away if Prophet and the village elders hadn¡¯t been there. Or perhaps, he¡¯d just been angry. Angry that he¡¯d been used, and wanted revenge for the absolute betrayal of Ethel and the others. A revenge that he now felt a supreme guilt for after essentially ruining Len¡¯s life. But he¡¯d thought Ethel was a friend. How wrong he had been. ¡°Can you tell me the truth please?¡± Len asked in a whisper, wiping more tears off her face by using her mother¡¯s silk outfit. ¡°Please? I want to understand.¡± That made up his mind. And so, Riven told her everything. By the end of it all, Len merely got up - staring at the ground - and walked away into the forest. Genua shortly followed her, leaving Riven alone at his table with all of his supplies in what now seemed like a very inconsequential task he¡¯d set out for himself. Some king of the necropolis he was. *** Lahn sat in his old wheelchair, on the back porch of his manor under a sunny sky sipping tea just like he¡¯d used to do when his body had been crippled by that parasite. Now it was his soul that was shattered after having used the angelic possession. It seemed ages ago now. Though in large part that was because he¡¯d done nothing but recover, as soul damage afflicted the body in various ways too - it just manifested differently. The frequent visit from his loving girlfriend Allie and the beaming presence of his mother Shovi were the two bright lights in his otherwise dark world. But at least now he had two, instead of just once like it¡¯d been in the past. Unfortunately for him, he was also now a central piece of gossip amongst his mother¡¯s inner circle and they were very aggressive with their probing questions. Questions about the videos circulating around the Thane Empire concerning him and his fight with a vampire at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s estate. Though those videos were all captured by outsiders and didn¡¯t show explicit details concerning what happened within the compound, the very fact that he¡¯d even been there had started a wildfire of rumors that were circulating rapidly as one of the hot-topics of the kingdom right now. These middle aged women sitting around the table beside him sipping their tea with his mother didn¡¯t necessarily know he was dating Allie Thane, Queen of the Thane Empire - or Thane Necropolis as some people called it - but they had suspicions about who he was connected to concerning the actions of recent events. And with the drastic change in very abrupt, respectful behavior from his sister, brother, and father who almost outright avoided him now - it made things all the more obvious that something was amiss. ¡°So young man¡­¡± One of his mother¡¯s peers stated slightly, tipping her feathered hat down and putting her teacup on a porcelain plate while steepling her fingers. ¡°When do you think our city will be receiving another shipment of supplies from Brightsville? Mandon is very much in need of more manpower too, and though the undead have been rather tireless in their efforts to help - we could always use more. I mean, just look at this place.¡± The blonde woman waved at the city down the hill from their estate, where nearly half of the top-most level of Mandon - previous capital of Dawn - was an absolute wreck. Lahn tried not to groan at the question, as it was yet another probe concerning things he honestly didn¡¯t know. ¡°And what, my Lady Rutair, makes you think that I¡¯d know such a thing?¡± The snarky woman grinned as many of the other well-dressed women of the court chuckled. ¡°Well after that rather dashing set of heroics we saw you make on the forums, it only begs the fact that you¡¯re rather well connected with someone high up enough in the Thane government to warrant a visit to the vampiric compound. Even my husband, who is friends with Dawn¡¯s king - if you can call him a king anymore despite the Thanes allowing him to keep his title - hasn¡¯t been able to get an invitation to Brightsville¡¯s important meetings or inner circles. The Blood Moon Requiem is supposed to be some kind of off-planet empire the Thanes are royalty of, and their trading commune is already selective enough as it is concerning who they let in. But you were inside, and it begs the question of why. So, I just assumed since you were so well connected that you¡¯d be able to tell us is all!¡± ¡°Oh stop it!¡± Shovi scolded her friend, getting another round of laughs from the cougars surrounding him as yet another woman laid a hand on Lahn¡¯s arm. ¡°You know, my daughter has always found you quite dashing.¡± the redheaded woman in a satin dress winked Lahn¡¯s way with an almost predatory smile. ¡°Perhaps at the upcoming ball at the academy, I could introduce you to her. Would you like that?¡± Shovi huffed, cutting off whatever Lahn was about to say with a loud clink of her glass on a porcelain plate of her own. ¡°Marcela! I told you, Lahn already has someone that he¡¯s courting and she¡¯s very pretty!¡± ¡°But does she have good standing in the court?¡± the woman named Marcela refuted with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d heard that ¡®Wraithtide¡¯ girl, whoever she is, was a country bumpkin. A talented one from the rumors, but still a bumpkin. Surely you wouldn¡¯t let your son marry a nobody like that, especially now that he has standing.¡± The women continued to bicker and gossip, and Lahn could only grimace and bear it. None of these people, nor their daughters, would have had any inkling of an interest in him before that video happened to appear on the feeds. No, the only one who had been interested was Allie¡­ God he loved that girl. He hadn¡¯t told her yet, and he¡¯d probably hold off on it so he wouldn¡¯t scare her away, but that¡¯s definitely how he felt. He was absolutely smitten, and a small smile crept along his lips while he overlooked the city and off into the blue horizon. She¡¯d sent word that she may be back late after dealing with some ratkin uprisings, and it bothered him a bit to think that she might be in danger, but she was ¡®The Butcher of Carnis¡¯ after all. She struck fear into the hearts of many, far more often than even Riven did despite Riven being the stronger of the two. So perhaps it was silly of him to worry. He just hoped that she really would be back in time for the ball, because his mother had already picked out a couple of dresses for her to try and the relationship between the two women he loved most - his girlfriend and his mother - was drastically improving each and every day they spent together. It was quite funny to him how excited his mom got on girl¡¯s nights out with Allie, and made him feel warm inside when they did do so. He just hoped his soul would eventually recover. Given the amount of rare dao treasures that Allie had piled up in his room to help him heal, there was a chance - even if it was a slim one, and it was actually about time to use yet another in an attempt to regain some of what he¡¯d lost. After all, he didn¡¯t want to be deadweight to her like he had been in the past. Not after having come so far, and having just been handed another chance at the life that¡¯d been stolen from him. He would persevere. Chapter 236 Chapter 236 Had the tunnel led out of Bernzee, likely saving Allie¡¯s life? Sure. But it certainly hadn¡¯t led to safety. They were traveling deeper into the underdark, and into a tunnel complex of twists and turns that were undocumented concerning the original map she¡¯d been provided to get to the vampiric city - or the map she¡¯d found in the partially destroyed Bloodmare estate. What was even worse, was that Fimrindle suspected this tunnel actually led directly to the labyrinth these vampires had spoken of. Why might he think that? He¡¯d already assassinated 12 of the vampire precursors, and the tunnels were changing by the second. Caverns were visibly being augmented, adapting to some unknown power¡¯s will, as the rock smoothed out into square and rectangular floors or ceilings. Stalagmites and stalactites had changed into pillars with ancient languages carved into their bodies, and ziggurats or other odd buildings were created before his very eyes from the natural earth of Panu¡¯s crust. And the feeling of the stone riddled with millions of diagrams and sigils he¡¯d confirmed to be blasphemous pre-system scripture was tainted with an alien presence. Better said, the tunnels likely hadn¡¯t originally been connected to the labyrinth. No, they didn¡¯t lead to the labyrinth at all, but rather the labyrinth had been building itself and expanding itself towards Bernzee; perhaps even in all directions. The labyrinth of the slumbering vampiric elder god was growing. Rapidly. Fimrindle watched from the shadows as another of the hulking, muscular abominations shambled past - the pale blue creature not sensing him at all - but picking up on the scent of his master and her necromancer companions. Its black eyes narrowed and its mouth full of fangs dripping saliva while it picked up speed, unnatural additional limbs supporting the large monster¡¯s trudging gait. It was marked for death, and the silently building affliction began to amass power on its soul. The scarecrow¡¯s metal body didn¡¯t even twitch, the carved X¡¯s for eyes in his metal head not showing any sign he was even observing the lumbering creature until he appeared behind it within the time it took to blink. Under the Tier 3 Death buff of ¡®Stalking Predator¡¯, alongside the affliction ¡®Mark Prey¡¯ and his assassination martial art ¡®Execution¡¯ flickering through the artifact scythe in his hands - the amount of stacked critical damage his strike would dish out could have killed a fully grown level 200 E-grade garsnapper. Not that he¡¯d even seen a garsnapper since having left the last planet he¡¯d been quarantined on, but the point still stood. [Ancient Vampiric Precursor Abomination, Blue Blood Heretic, Level 102] [You have landed a critical hit. Max Damage x17.] His scythe flashed through the higher-leveled monster like a knife through butter, as quiet as a night¡¯s breeze. There was no resistance in the target¡¯s body, the ancient scythe simply slipped through it from hip to ear - causing ripples of critical energy to silently tear across the beast as its innards splattered across the floor. One half of the body slid off the other, and a splat echoed through the terraforming room. The fledgling reaper stared down at his target, not feeling satisfied in his kill - but patience was something he was very good at. He knew what laid in wait at the end of this road, and getting there was just part of the job. It was just a shame that he¡¯d had to take a level-cut to bind to Allie, because it was something of a setback being forced to wait for her to catch up. He¡¯d even intentionally pushed her by holding back in numerous fights, such as the fight at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound - even at the risk of letting her die. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯d wanted her to die, in fact it was quite the opposite. He had high hopes for the child, but he¡¯d done his part to even the odds and then let her prove her worth. If she¡¯d been worthy of his contract, she would find a way to persist. If she was worthy of his contract, she wouldn¡¯t die. Unfortunately Riven had intervened before she¡¯d been able to truly push past the barrier holding her back¡­ but he had faith it would eventually give in nonetheless. He also had no intentions of holding her hand the entire way through, and would only give as much help as needed to put her into situations that allowed a hard but winnable fight. This was the best way to gain insights and leveling, and if she wasn¡¯t up to the task then someone else would be. Then again she¡¯d also been very lucky he was even able to accept her contract, using the Ritual Bonds of Blood and Soul - a multi-use utility skill that allowed him to artificially decrease his own parameters to trick Elysium into allowing their partnership despite a level gap. It made Fimrindle wonder just what the other, more advanced reapers of death in the S-grade could do with it; if he was able to create such a massive opportunity such as this with such a low amount of effort on his part. He was far, far away from understanding the machinations of those ancient beings though, and was unlikely to find out any time soon. He shut down that train of thought, compartmentalizing it for future meditation, and was just about to report back from his scouting mission when he heard a familiar noise. His passive buff ¡®Anticipate Movements¡¯ activated, and the scarecrow blurred. Eight whistling throwing stars empowered with discrete bursts of shadow energy were torn out of the air one by one - plucked like cherries from a tree with perfect precision. His clawed metal hands easily took what little damage the sharp edges dispersed, before the thrown projectiles disappeared into puffs of black. He stared down at his hand, comprehending the nature of the stamina that¡¯d been used to attack him, remaining completely still as he did so. Observing the room around him, he couldn¡¯t tell where the opponent was despite the direction of the attack. With an uncharacteristically slow motion - he brought a single metal claw with remnant power from one of the throwing stars up to his mouth, closing down with dagger-like teeth. Ah. How surprising. It was one of his kin. Why was there another reaper here, though? A contracted job, perhaps? But who would hire them? No one on Panu would even know of those kinds of merc contracts or the rituals to summon reapers for a long, long time from now. Even if they did, they¡¯d not be able to afford someone of that caliber without bankrupting entire empires. Or at least the probability of it was extremely low. That meant an off-planet entity had likely hired the assassin. An opposing faction inside The Blood Moon Requiem? Perhaps. Someone related to the vampiric elder god? A descendant? More likely. Otherwise the reaper would have targeted Allie and Riven both long before now. He nodded, it was the only thing that made sense. There was no other reason another reaper in the F-grade would be here, not on a tiny, remote planet like this. The thought exhilarated Fimrindle, who¡¯d been rather bored while waiting for Allie to make the building breakthrough he could feel coming, and his metal features instantaneously twisted into one of the most horrendous visages of sadistic glee ever seen upon the face of Panu. His mouth, which was usually set into a deadpan, interlocking set of metal jaws, had turned upwards at an unnatural angle - teeth elongating to twice their normal length and shifting in sharpness. The X¡¯s carved into his metallic face had abruptly doubled in size due to his excitement, and a rasping sound escaped his throat - letting out a low, cackling sound like the scratching of two rusty blades. His stick-thin body stood to its full height - senses now picking up a faint clicking sound at various points around him - and for the first time in centuries he equipped his ceremonial reaper¡¯s cloak. The shroud literally made from shadows encompassed his body, and he planted both clawed feet out to either side as the clicking sounds stopped. His malicious gaze settled on the figure before it made itself known, appearing out of thin air like a phantom with two small scythes fluidly dancing between the skeletal fingers of either hand - and swirling black throwing stars circling the figure that stared back at fimrindle through the dead eyes of a skull face. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Just like Fimrindle, the ceremonial shroud was equipped - flowing about his body like a writhing, living thing that merged and reformed from the very shadows around them - encompassing the other reaper¡¯s body in a cloud of black. [Skullborn, Initiate Reaper of Souls, Level 199. Elite.] Fimrindle¡¯s unnatural, excited smile grew even wider. This was a fight where his limits would truly be pushed to the test given his reduced sub-100 combat level as it stood now; while his opponent was at the peak of F-grade and almost into the E-grade. It was very likely this particular reaper had been chosen for exactly that reason, as Elysium probably wouldn¡¯t have allowed an outsider E-grade to enter an integration planet this early. The golden lettering of the enemy reaper¡¯s identification information also didn¡¯t come as a surprise, given that almost all reapers had that signifier at a minimum when they weren¡¯t hiding it like Fimrindle was. ¡°Brother.¡± The other reaper bowed low, briefly, his voice coming out like a cold wind. ¡°It is a fortunate test of fate for us, crossing paths as fellow children of The Scythe. Yet I must hold to my contract, and will not hold back. Your soul will be sent to the collector in due time.¡± Fimrindle responded with a pleased groan, the Ritual Bonds of Blood and Soul shifting to unlock some of the restraints he¡¯d placed on himself while in this form - originally meant to hide him from Elysium¡¯s gaze. He felt them snap, one by one, and though his level would need to remain at the poultry level of 91 since he couldn¡¯t go over his contracted master¡¯s own combat level - he still felt a flood of power insert itself into his soul apparatus. The enlarged X¡¯s across his face burst into neon teal flames, and a cold wave of energy began rising from his position. [Legendary status marker has been unveiled. Reaper of Souls Unique Title has been unveiled: Disciple of the Wailing Lake has been unveiled.] [3 additional skills have been unlocked. 2 additional traits have been unlocked. 709 stat points have been re-applied.] [You have gained the attention of Elysium. Beware, my child, for if you push yourself too far the system will recognize your deceit and void your contract with the chosen master you¡¯ve acquired until natural parameters have been met.] His mentor¡¯s warning voice echoed in his ears, and he lifted his scythe as it flared with the same neon-teal fires of the X¡¯s for eyes underneath his shifting, shadow-crafted hood. His status page identifiers abruptly changed from the normal lettering Elysium most often used to that of a deep crimson fire, indicating his legendary status when relatively compared to all other beings across the multiverse at his level - and he took a stance while his newfound enemy took a step back in surprise. To his knowledge, only he and twelve others on this planet had such an indicator - with Athela and Riven being two of the others. Fimrindle¡¯s head lowered, activating his Tier 3 domain with a brief expanding hand motion and the recited chant. ¡°Nekarakt Arts, Shadow Realms.¡± The terraforming cavern erupted with the howls of lost souls and a raging tidal wave of black shadow energy, encompassing the two combatants in an alternate reality that shattered the fabric of the world around them. He took a step single step forward as his enemy¡¯s body erupted in a red mist of blood - empowering a swarm of shadow-made throwing stars that ripped out of the enemy reaper¡¯s shroud in all directions. Fimrindle¡¯s scythe cut through an erected barrier enchantment with a single swipe, an arc piercing through time and space with a snap of noise and a blur of flaming steel. *WHUMPH* *BOOM* *CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH-CRASH* The storm of exploding blood-imbued throwing stars reminded Fimrindle very much of Riven''s own ¡®Bloody Blades¡¯, and he outwardly cackled in an echoing howl as he danced through the waves of oncoming blades before activating ¡®Flurry¡¯ and ¡®Tear Asunder¡¯. His body was naturally fast, but the combination of both martial arts ripped space apart in giant tears - causing his very soul to scream and leave an afterimage as the two reapers clashed with the ferocity of apex predators. *** [You have gained 9 levels. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] Allie stumbled to an abrupt stop when she got the notification. Blinking rapidly and scratching her head, she let out the only thing that came to her in that moment. ¡°Huh?¡± She¡¯d been following the trail of bodies left by Fimrindle, little X marks carved into their chests to signify it was his doing - with other X¡¯s carved into the walls when choosing between splits in the tunnels to sign which way he¡¯d gone. The notification had appeared just as she¡¯d turned left down another one of the tunnels - which was quickly being terraformed like much of the caverns they¡¯d already traversed, and she failed to understand why or how it¡¯d even happened. She¡¯d never had an influx of XP that large before. Not ever. Not a single time, even after slaughtering hundreds or thousands of people in the war against Prophet, and then again in the war against the conquered Tereen elves. The amounts of XP she¡¯d been getting from Fimrindle had been coming in time after time as well, with every kill he made concerning these strange vampiric precursors that wandered the underdark. But that¡¯d only granted her a single level so far, and the XP was split between them, so a 9 level jump just didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mara asked curiously, raising the corpse before them and causing it to stand with a gasp - dead eyes lighting up and adding the creature to her posse before turning to look at her best friend. ¡°You look stunned. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Allie replied, shaking herself out of her stupor and taking a look at her status page. There was no clue there, but she did apply the stat points to Willpower and Intelligence nonetheless. ¡°I just got a 9 level boost and I don¡¯t know why.¡± Mara blinked. ¡°9 combat levels?¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not seeing things?¡± Vin asked from the side, skipping to a stop and staring at the strange language written into the smoothing, shaping stone walls around them. ¡°Hells, I might be seeing things too. What¡¯s this language? Anyone know?¡± ¡°No idea.¡± one of the necromancer elites called from the back. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering too.¡± No one else said anything, but a roar and a scream was heard from the back when the sound of thundering feet caused them all to turn. Allie¡¯s red eyes narrowed and she equipped her skull mask again, body flaring with death mana as the entire horde of their undead began rushing the backline where dozens of pale, blue-skinned vampiric precursors were crashing into the ground from a steep drop off that Allie had just traversed not long ago. Unfortunately for the aggressing mob, they didn¡¯t have any ranged casters at the moment - and they were on a slope in a somewhat narrow passage for such a large group. ¡°FIRE!¡± Threads of black and teal, flaming skulls, death balls and green clouds of necrotic curses blasted into the rampaging swarm that was building like an avalanche. Body parts were torn, melted, and burned off in a violent display of destructive magic that wiped out much of the first wave before more of them surged out of the tunnel above. The skeletons and zombies made contact, clashing with black-eyed men and women of a lost race from another age. Weirdly enough not all of the precursors showed signs of absolute lunacy, many of them making smart and calculated decisions without a mob-mentality in their fighting. Martial arts were seen in some, others simply avoided fighting the undead altogether to go around on the outskirts of the tunnels, while others simply stayed back and watched so they¡¯d not cause a body-plug and crush their comrades; even calling back in an ancient language to make their compatriots slow the charge. That did not bode well in Allie¡¯s opinion, as the first impression she¡¯d had of these creatures was a mindless swarm - similar to many of the versions of lower tiered undead she often raised up. It was true that some of the ¡®mutant¡¯ variations, large lumbering things that looked like the Hulk on steroids, did maintain that basic mindset - but certainly not so with the others despite their ferocity in battle. It was almost as if these precursors weren¡¯t necessarily stupid, but instead they were just¡­ desperate? The thought disturbed her, but upon second evaluation she confirmed her theory. The looks these people had was one of desperation, without a doubt, and they were doing their utmost to try and bring her down before she entered the labyrinth and headed out towards their fallen god. ¡°FIRE!¡± Another volley of magics tore into the oncoming tide of pale blue, killing dozens more. She and the other necromancers continually moved back, cutting them down time after time as they came but being pushed by sheer numbers. They took time raising the dead to send back at the still-living precursors as well, and then would rinse and repeat with more showers of offensive magic while a couple of Mara¡¯s shadow-infused skeletal assassins kept the creatures at bay whenever they broke through the main line. [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] The ground thundered. Hundreds fell. Allie began to feel her mana waning, and she took numerous vials of blue mana potions to stave off absolute depletion. Even with all the remnant death mana from the environment acting as a stimulant to fuel her power, she was still struggling to maintain the fight as the swarm grew larger. It started to get really bad when enemy casters started appearing, wearing odd metal bracelets and feathered ornaments reminding her of Aztec attire from books she¡¯d read as a child. Enemy scepters flared brightly, and soon she found herself in an even worse pinch as her necromancers were pushed to the brink in an exchange of offensive and defensive magics over the melee battle in the middle. All she could do was continue to backpedal down the sloping path, following Fimrindle¡¯s markings in a battle of attrition as one, then two, and then three of her elite necromancers fell in battle - stemming the tide of their own minions and causing the brutal melee to sway in favor of the precursors. When the fourth necromancer fell, the tidal wave broke through the dam of undead shortly after - as even she with her swarm necromancer abilities could not raise the dead as fast as they were being cut down. She snarled, summoning a storm of ghosts that crashed into her enemies before erecting a wall of bones. Then, turning heel, she sprinted down the corridors in the opposite direction. The ghosts only had so much passive mana before they¡¯d be banished back into the nether, and the bone wall wouldn¡¯t hold very long. ¡°COME ON! LET¡¯S MOVE!¡± Chapter 237 Chapter 237 Drums. Drums echoed in the dark. A blast of strange, azure-blue colored mana with an unfamiliar origin in the Unholy Foundation tore through the halls. Her eyes went wide mid-sprint and she was sent blasting across the stone laden with ancient texts, crashing into a pillar and spinning rapidly in the air until she cratered into the opposite end. Coughing up blood and snapping one arm back into place, her body smoldered with wisps of that same azure blue - and she had to send a pulse of death through her body to clear it off her armor and skin. Her vision swayed, and she caught herself with another cough as a loud boom shook the halls amidst screams, roars, and the beating of drums. ¡°RRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± A large, salamander-like creature lacking eyes or a back set of legs tackled her to the ground, using huge black claws to pin her down while its open maw snapped shut on one arm. The bone armor underneath its grip held firm, and with a snarl Allie¡¯s left fist swung around and crashed into the monster¡¯s skull. An explosion of death mana radiated out from her fist, and two more snapping jabs ripped open the facial bones of the beast before it let out a gurgling hiss and fell to the side. ¡°Shit! Why are there so many of them!?¡± Wounds where she¡¯d been burned, cut, and bruised were still healing with her natural regenerative properties - the latest of which were two shallow gashes where the black fangs of the salamander had found a gap. Unclasping a small pouch along her hip and downing a vial of red liquid, she let the soothing concoction trickle down her throat. Energy flowed back into her, but the amount of potions she¡¯d taken now was building into what the alchemists called ¡®elixir toxicity¡¯. The effectiveness was going down, and a sickening feeling in her gut had begun to make her feel nauseated. Trying to stabilize herself as the hall shook around her yet again, she blinked rapidly when three pale blue figures broke through the frontline fighting and sprinted her way. Her wand let out a shrill scream as the soul within lit aflame, and her hand lifted - accompanied by dozens of deathly threads that ripped and tore the precursors down akin to a gatling gun. Pale blood sprayed from their bodies as they were hit numerous times, littered with holes until their legs gave out from underneath them one by one - splattering their corpses onto the floor. She whipped around, swinging her leg in a blurring horizontal kick. *CRUNCH* The mutant¡¯s face snapped left, but it staggered back to a standing position. One pale eye on its twisted, ugly face settled on her, and a monkey-like tail snapped around - sparking against her skull mask and knocking her backwards. Smacking hard into the stone wall, she summoned a deathball and lunged underneath a swing that shattered a portion of the wall behind her. Flipping over another tail swipe, she launched the death ball directly into the open maw of the screaming creature and ruptured its insides - causing the beast to explode in a shower of gore. Allie landed on her feet, stumbled, and created two more skeletal minions from nearby corpses before commanding them to the front where her allies were still battling the frontrunners of the oncoming hordes. Three of her necromancers were dead, one of their corpses being paraded in the back of enemy lines over their heads amidst loud chanting - while two more lay in ripped, crumpled mounds of mutilated flesh, bone and cloth nearby. To their front were building enemies. To their sides were stone hallways. And to their backs was a giant, black pit so deep that even Allie¡¯s own dark-attuned eyesight couldn¡¯t see the bottom. They were trapped. ¡°ALLIE! WE WON¡¯T BE ABLE TO HOLD FOR MUCH LONGER!¡± Mara yelled over the din of battle, summoning a flock of shadow-made crows that swarmed the oncoming enemy tide - adding to the skeletons, zombies and other undead creatures the necromancers of the necropolis were throwing into the fray. ¡°TELL US WHAT TO DO!¡± Tell us what to do? Allie could barely even hold herself up, and was only doing so through sheer force of will. Her mana was waning, only sustaining itself by drawing in on the sheer amount of death around her, and she wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Riven was in utilizing environmental mana anyways. They¡¯d killed hundreds of these creatures, she¡¯d blown all her major abilities including Miasmic Roar and Eye of the Scythe. Her minions were being cut down just as fast as they made them at a retreating pace, and they were being killed faster now that they had nowhere to retreat to. And where was Fimrindle during all of this? She took in a deep breath, staring down what had once been a tunnel, and closed her eyes. No. She could not give in to despair. Not here. Not ever. Her mind entered a state of tranquility, as the souls around her began to whisper in her ear. They told her it was going to be alright, and that they would help her overcome this obstacle. They were her friends, they were her protectors, and she need not worry. Her body lifted slightly off the ground, and the roar of battle grew louder as a huge bull-like creature with horns and dozens of curved, sharp teeth barreled through two zombies and tackled one of the robed ghoul necromancers - opening up the front line for the rest of the vampiric precursors to funnel in. Nin¡¯s hissing curse simultaneously let out as he snapped one of his skeletal fingers, causing three of his plague-ridden zombies to explode forward and blow back numerous enemies in a single go. Vin followed suit, doing the same thing and causing torrents of rapidly-spreading plague to settle on the hall ahead of them while the brothers continued throwing out orbs of dark green miasma. Mara¡¯s arm extended and blasted the creature trying to eat the ghoul underneath it, sending out a beam of black light that caused the monster to shrivel and die with an agonizing scream. ¡°ALLIE! ALLIE WH-¡± She turned her head, only to gawk at the sight behind her. Allie¡¯s figure was six feet off the floor in a meditative state, hands clasped together, eyes closed, legs pointed directly down, a billowing cloud of death mana being collected from their surroundings and building into a roaring storm that began to shake the underground complex more and more. Souls began leaking into Panu from the beyond, whispering in an audible wave of sound that soon turned into a shrill scream. A ghostly form unlike any other Mara had ever seen then stepped out of the ether, a pale naked woman with black eyes and giant unfolding wings. A halo burned over her head, and she whispered into Allie¡¯s ear in a language Mara couldn¡¯t understand. Despite Allie being her friend, Mara took an involuntary step back - wide eyed and staring. ¡°What in the hells?¡± Vin¡¯s scream of pain caused Mara to whirl back around, and her dead heart clenched when she saw his lower half torn off with the afterimage of a large axe trailing through the air. In front of her was the first of nearly two-dozen heavily armored warriors. Each of them had bronze-plate mail adorning their pale blue bodies. Blocky, Aztec-like decorations were carved into the ancient armor - and each of them had various types of axes and broadswords accompanied by bulky circular shields. Mara¡¯s teeth grit together, and with a ¡®Banshee¡¯s Wail¡¯ that echoed through the hallways in a radiating, bouncing storm of sound - she stunned the entire oncoming horde for a couple seconds and allowed herself to pull Vin¡¯s body backwards. Simultaneously her swarm of crows rapidly closed in on the gap in the front line - and two skeletal assassins writhing with black shadow energy snapped out of her shadow and sank daggers into the eye sockets and underarm weak spots of the warrior¡¯s armor. Then the battle reset, and the horde that¡¯d been pushed back due to her area of effect spell began regaining ground. *BOOM* An explosion of azure-blue wisps ripped through five skeletons and obliterated one of the necropolis necromancers, causing half his body to disintegrate on impact and not even allowing time for him to scream. ¡°ALLIE!¡± Mara screeched over the clammer of claws, bone, and metal crashing into one another - and prepared a barrier to intercept yet another of those azure orbs - sending shockwaves back into the oncoming horde with the repelling of their attack. ¡°ALLIE WE NEED YOU!!!¡± *** Fimrindle watched, awestruck and eager, as the breakthrough finally took hold. Allie¡¯s desperation had finally pushed the seed through into fruition, and he rasped out a wheezing cackle from the shadows above her. She fit all the requirements, he just knew she could do it! The world rumbled as The Scythe took notice of the once in a lifetime event, and Fimrindle felt the awe-inspiring presence of the lord of death settle his gaze upon the scene. The touch of death incarnate resonated within the reaper, and Fimrindle shuddered in ecstasy when he felt the mental acknowledgement and approval for forcing this set of events into place. After all, Fimrindle had been the one to lead Allie down this corridor. To a place where she had no choice but to finally push herself beyond her limits. It was that, or die - and Fimrindle¡¯s gamble had succeeded. He¡¯d actually done it. *WHOOM* The air turned stale, and Fimrindle felt the presence of yet another ancient being encircling the area. Only this time, its presence was hostile, overbearing, and he began to gasp - falling from his hiding spot and smashing into the ground where he began to silently spasm. ¡°You dare take one of my prized possessions from me¡­¡± The ancient being whispered into Fimrindle¡¯s mind with a deep, booming voice, and Fimrindle began to scream as the entity began crushing his soul bit by bit. ¡°You transgress¡­¡± The Scythe intervened, its own presence tearing the other entity off of Fimrindle¡¯s soul forcibly and causing the ether just outside of Panu¡¯s physical realm to quake as the titans clashed. ¡°The child¡­ is just as much mine¡­ as it is yours¡­¡± The Scythe¡¯s raspy echo replied while repairing the damage to Fimrindle¡¯s core in a split second. ¡°You may have helped create¡­ the vampire, as it is known¡­ in this era¡­ But you forget that it was within my outlines¡­ that you based your genesis¡­¡± Fimrindle watched, dumbstruck, having completely forgotten about Allie¡¯s transcendence upon witnessing the absolute domineering might of the two entities just a single reality away from his own - peering into the beyond as the presence of mounting titans bled through. ¡°All undead are mine to take¡­ Should they show themselves proper vessels¡­ to the path¡­¡± The Scythe stated in a tone that allowed no disagreement. ¡°You would do well to remember that¡­ for you too were once my child as well¡­¡± The other entity let out a shudder of angry rage, turning its ire to brush against Fimrindle¡¯s soul one more time. ¡°That may be, but this is not acceptable. She has my bloodline, she is mine by right.¡± The Scythe let out a long, raspy chuckle that dwindled away into nothingness - a laugh that only Fimrindle and The Blood God could hear. ¡°Is that so? Perhaps we should¡­ Let the girl¡­ decide for herself¡­¡± *** Allie saw Mara die. She saw Nin Die. Then Vin. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Each of her necromancers fell. Each of them screamed her name in hopes that she¡¯d save them. Finally, she saw herself die too - and it was a brutal, painful way to go. Allie¡¯s eyes snapped open with pale, unnatural light - far different from her regular crimson, and then her eyes dilated. The world around her abruptly calmed on the fifth replay, slowing down right before the killing blow had struck Mara down - the axe only an inch away from her friend¡¯s wide-eyed, frantic face. She¡¯d never seen Mara so afraid before. It fucking infuriated her. The land around them was tinged in shades of black, red, and gray, and the out-of-body experience halted space all around her as cold, resonating energy rippled across her skin. Her ethereal body, a replica of her own but without physical representation stood staring at the scene before them - blinking pale glowing eyes and looking down at her floating body with a mixture of mounting fury directed towards the precursors - and intense gratitude when looking at the souls around her. These souls¡­ They were her friends. They were her family. And they were going to stand with her until the end. Glancing left to where the only other being able to interact with this strange environment now floated beside her, peering into her out-of-body form, was a ghostly winged woman with pale gray eyes and a deathly halo hovered over her head. The woman smiled a very familiar smile, and Allie knew that - somehow - she was looking at a reflection of herself. [Malignant Prophecy has activated. Desired Action: Extremely High Tier Manipulation. Current Willpower stat: Incalculable due to potential mutation. Unable to determine if sufficient Willpower is applicable for desired action. Overridden. Performing this act will put your malignant prophecy on cooldown for significant amounts of time. Do you wish to proceed?] ¡°Of course.¡± [Desired action: Save yourself, Mara, Vin, Nin, and the remaining necromancers underneath your banner. Malignant Prophecy¡¯s two options are as follows: Allie¡¯s eyes drifted over the text twice, and out of the corner of her eye - she saw her phantom twin giggle. ¡°What¡¯s so funny? And who are you, exactly?¡± The phantom angel didn¡¯t reply, only continuing to smile as its warm energy permeated Allie¡¯s soul. Allie felt it then, the connection, the replica, the complete fit to her own - only better. This¡­ was her? A version of her that she could choose. There¡¯d been no notification given by the system outside her malignant prophecy. And yet¡­ what exactly was she supposed to do with it? Bind it? How? And did she even want to do so? Marring her relationship with The Blood Moon Requiem, a powerhouse of the multiverse and her extended family in the process? By marking herself as an apostate in the eyes of the Blood God? Her eyes searched the phantom angel¡¯s own, and she felt a pulse from her other half - calling out to her, telling her that she should reach out and grab it. Or¡­ was it even truly her? Had it been created as an opportunity by her bloodline? Or was this apparition something else entirely? A vision engulfed her mind, and suddenly she was high up in the air on wings as black as night, pale gray eyes glowing against a dark span of clouds underneath a black hood - while a deathly halo of similarly pale gray flames flickered over her head. In her hands, a giant sword as big as she was lifted to point at an opposing army of holy warriors settling down in trenches, waiting for her to descend - as her legions of the dead stormed the grounds underneath her in a mad rush of fury. Hundreds of thousands of the dead poured forward like a tidal wave, and out of the enemy ranks - another woman ascended to the skies. Brilliant golden flames billowed around her silk-laden body, and a sword of her own shattered the dark skies in a comet of brilliant fire - crashing into the ascending woman¡¯s hands as white wings erupted out of her back. Her golden eyes and similarly brilliant halo matched Allie¡¯s own in an opposite mirroring, and her long blonde hair trailed out behind her with a flare of power. Allie recognized this person from the forums. It was none other than the number 1 Apex ranker on the power forums. The woman Judith Marcina, Angelic Fallcaller. The vision ended abruptly as her brief glimpse of the future ended, a possibility of what was to come should she take this new class and ascend into higher ranks of power. Yet¡­ despite the dread she felt at making so many enemies in her potential ascension, a giddy smile began to combat that dread as excitement overcame her. Who were they to tell her what she could and could not do? Who were they to dictate her fate? Be it gods, mortals, or even her own extended family - no one was the master of her fate other than herself. ¡°I accept the risks.¡± [Desired action has been selected: Option 2: Accept your new calling as an Angel of Death and change your race. This act will both please The Scythe, and infuriate The Blood God. You will be marked as a fledgling Hero of Death by The Scythe for taking on this role, will irretrievably change the fate of Panu, and will be marked as an Apostate by The Blood God. This choice will negatively influence your relationship with The Blood Moon Requiem. Chance for success: Very High.] Immediately time unfroze and the colors of the world went back to more normal hues. Her ghostly, angelic replica crashed into her body just as her own soul did - igniting a chain reaction as the overlapping upgrade to her soul structure fused and merged. She screamed, and her Death Subpillar exploded into thousands of fragments as the storm of power around her launched itself forward into the oncoming swarm of vampiric precursors. The black and teal aura quickly changed to a third, pale gray coloring - and the river of energy swept through the enemy ranks so fast that the oncoming swing meant for Mara¡¯s head was incinerated along with the axe¡¯s wielder. The walls trembled. Flesh was torn from bone as thousands of precursors died like flies when the shockwave of pale gray flames engulfed them in a wave unlike anything Allie had conjured from the Death Subpillar before. Then, there was silence. Utter silence. Allie¡¯s mind blanked, and she continued to hover in the air above ground as her soul recreated itself under the guidance of some other-worldly force. Her bright crimson eyes flickered and died out, replaced by the same pale, glowing gray - as a similarly colored halo created itself over her head. That too sputtered out flames of its own before absorbing them and remaining as a glowing, metallic circle about a foot over her eyes. Black wings sprouted from her back, tearing through her bone armor and remodeling it to fit her new appendages as the angelic feathers briefly glittered in the darkness. The souls swirling around her quickly slowed, almost reverently, as a sigh escaped her lips - power oozing from her very voice and causing the underground passage to warp at the expulsion of excess energy. Her body flickered, as if a ghost, and Allie slowly raised her hand in the dead silence as her followers looked on in amazement - watching a phantasmal afterimage of herself follow her movements. Her fangs protruded when she smiled, and then - to her surprise - they entirely fell out, clattering to the floor beneath her when new teeth replaced them. A scream of rage came next from the beyond, causing the earth around her to tremble for only a split second - until it was abruptly gone, and an explosion of notifications berated her senses. [Worldwide Message: A new Hero of Death has been named, and her name is Allie Thane. For the first time in over 7000 years across the entirety of the multiverse, an Angel of Death has ascended. Requirements, including 100% affinity to the Death Sub-Pillar, the servitude of a Reaper of Souls, willing subservience and friendly terms with at least 3000 souls in the afterlife, and the status of Undead race have all been met. May the living tremble in fear upon her approach, for true death now stalks these lands.] [Worldwide Message: The Scythe has blessed a portion of Panu. The entire continent of Umbra, where Brightsville - Capital of the Thane Necropolis is located, has been terraformed in favor of the undead - giving all undead living on Umbra a potent bonus to all stats and passive upkeep while simultaneously debuffing any non-undead present there. Undead of various species will now randomly spawn on the continent of Umbra, and their ability to repopulate has tripled in efficiency. Potent miasma now oozes out of the land itself, and every living person or creature now inhabiting these lands has been changed into an undead version of themselves. They have had their pillars altered to reflect this, with each of them given a choice between the following options and their sub-variants based on original race: Ghoul, Skresh, Golem variants, Deathtouched Enlightened, Phantasmal, Abomination, Ravager, Skeletal, Zombie, Necrofisa, Ravenous, Hungerer, Blighted, Horror, and Neverlight. Other resident vampires have been unaffected by this change.] [Worldwide Message: New OPTIONAL World Quest (7): Eradicate the Angel of Death, Allie Thane. Your world has birthed an extremely rare variant of undead, an Angel of Death. Allowing her to reign throughout the integration will no doubt lead to further terraforming of this planet, and she represents a potent danger to all those who are living. This quest goes out to all other world quest antagonists as well. The prize for delivering a killing blow to Allie Thane before the 5 year integration time limit is up will inherit her fledgling divinity in a form of your choosing, allowing your own ascension and the start of a path into future godhood. Guild mercenary options will reflect an increased ability and lowered cost to acquire off-world holy warriors in the pursuit of this crusade, as long as the guild owner is not undead, and the intended target is perceived as truly being Allie Thane by Elysium¡¯s Administrator.] [57 combat levels partially gained and partially granted.] [You have obtained the Rank 1 Apex Position on the Power Ladder of Panu. The Legendary status marker has been applied to your identification information.] [You have been labeled an Apostate by The Blood God. All other worshipers of the Blood God will be notified of this when looking upon you.] [You have acquired the race Angel of Death, and have begun your transcendance into divine origins. +10,000 additional minion slots. Undead minions that are non-sentient now only cost 1 Willpower to control. Feral mindless undead will not attack you unless provoked, and may be commanded to do your bidding to a very limited extent even outside of your normal minion slots if they are masterless. Your affinity to the Death Sub-Pillar has been increased to 101%, and you are now able to increase it even further with each step of transcending divinity that you take. You gain the other traits: [You have been labeled a Hero of Death by The Scythe, in hopes that you will serve him. This title amplifies all Death abilities by 10% effectiveness, and empowers all undead under your control by 20% to all stats. An open branch of communication, directly linked to The Scythe, has been applied to your status page so that you may converse with him for more details. All followers of The Scythe will be notified of this title upon seeing you. With this title, he also grants you a relic E-grade Divine weapon.] [Blade of Soulcry (Divine Claymore, E-Grade, Death Attuned): ???] Allie paused her reading of the numerous notifications when a pale light illuminated the air in front of where she hovered. Her new wings instinctively extended, and the hundreds of souls slowly swarming around her reverently came closer to embrace her - almost tentatively - though their warm intentions bled through their thoughts when her mind embraced them back. A long claymore, shifting with pale light hovered in the air before her at a horizontal angle. Her gray eyes glowed just like the weapon did, taking in every detail of the claymore as her bone gauntlet reached out and touched it with a finger. It was exquisite, made from a dark gray metal with a single elongated rune alone the entirety of the blade¡¯s middle - twisting and turning but not breaking the lines creating it while glowing a bright neon teal. Her finger tapped the blade again, causing it to respond to her with another flare of energy, and the afterimage of her movements showed her phantasmal soul trailing behind. Her wings flexed and extended again, getting a feel for them and smiling at the way her soul trailed behind her physical body even there - with her hair flowing around her and underneath the glowing gray halo. Looking up and meeting the stares of her friends and allies, she saw each of them slowly take a knee - then bow - the effects of her new presence completely capturing their attention and instilling a sense of reverence in them. Hesitantly, Allie willed herself to move forward - and without more than a twitch of her black wings she flew ahead to where the three bodies of her necromancers now lay. Their remains were unscathed from her own eradication of the enemy, whereas the vampire precursors were now only piles of ash and bone, and she stared out at their still present souls that had yet to recede into the afterlife - hovering over their bodies as if asking to be let back in. They weren¡¯t quite yet sentient in this state, during this transition, not like the swarm of souls gently embracing her now - but it did not matter. The transitory phase was about to end, as she took each of them with extensions of her own soul and quietly pushed each of them back into their bodies. Pushing energy through her soul¡¯s newly acquired True Death Specialty Sub-Pillar, a mix of deep grays, blacks and teals - the power flowed into her halo next and started to rapidly mend the bodies underneath. Two ghouls and a skresh, necromancers of the necropolis, let out gasps and hissing sounds simultaneously while their bodies mended under the influence of her halo. ¡°The beginning of a new era¡­¡± Mara hissed under her breath while kneeling, reverence in her eyes while staring, star-struck, up at her best friend. ¡°Your excellency! I do not have the words to describe these feelings! You are¡­ majestic!¡± Allie shifted her gaze, and she took her skull mask off with a warm smile just when a final notification appeared ahead of her. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me like that Mara. You¡¯re my best friend, and I won¡¯t have my best friend treating me like I¡¯m above them.¡± [New system quest dispensed: Conquer Panu. You have been publicly denounced by the Blood God as an Apostate, have angered almost every vampiric faction in the entire multiverse, and have already been marked for death on the public forums by numerous other factions across your planet. Having instilled a deepest fear in the minds of the living, and having given hope to the sentient undead of your world, you are destined to be hunted down - or alternatively you will rise from the ashes of war as a hero to your people. Will you and your kind be eradicated from Panu¡¯s surface? Or will you conquer this planet and claim it for yourself? You have until the 5 year time limit of integration to take over at least 80% of this planet for yourself. If you accomplish this, you will gain Elysium¡¯s direct and absolute protection from outside invaders for an additional 100 years, will gain a shroud that stops other outside forces from scrying your planet¡¯s location for 500 years, and will allow you to reposition your newly conquered planet anywhere within the multiverse a single time at the end of integration.] Chapter 238 Chapter 238 Gaia looked out over the land from a mountain¡¯s peak. What had once been a world full of beauty and balance, with green pastures and lush forests full of life, had turned into a blighted black and gray version of itself with death and undeath in abundance. Only silver grasses and occasional trees of neon teal leaves, black bark, and occasional deep red shrubbery or vines stood out amidst the dreary sea around her. The blue skies overhead had darkened, and though she was able to comfort herself to a minor extent by knowing that these haunted woods did hold another form of ¡®life¡¯ beyond that which she was originally attuned to - she could not help but weep. For even she had become a thing of nightmares. *** Kathrine was scrambling to get things in order and worked with General Viku¡¯s soldiers alongside her own to help make the compound presentable. Representative thralls had just been made for each and every one of the high council, including the high queen, where they would be using ritual magic to eat away those poor souls in order to acquire only a mere hour or two of consciousness in this world. Devouring souls such as this even for vampires was something of a taboo, but that just went to show how angry the leadership of the Blood Moon Requiem was after Allie¡¯s ascension. ¡°Out of all the things you could have done after being responsible for the deaths of many high ranking young nobles, you went and became an apostate!¡± Kathine hissed under her breath, long brunette hair frazzled while frantically combing it in the mirror again before dropping the come into her cleavage and racing down the stairs after her favorite maid - Cherna. ¡°Cherna! Let me carry that for you!¡± She could tell the blonde vampire woman was struggling, and Kathrine lifted two of the many large, heavy bags off the maid¡¯s shoulders while urging the woman onwards. Cherna for her part didn¡¯t even argue, having nearly tripped in her descent down the stairs and being very on edge concerning who their guests were about to be. ¡°U-uhm, thank you princess!¡± ¡°No time for thank you¡¯s! Hurry!¡± The two women raced down the flights of stairs and into one of the halls where the equivalent of a beehive was swarming back and forth with various personnel, decorations, food, scented hookah displays, champaigns and only the best furnitures - many of which were being brought in by House Wraithtide and House Crushada from off planet as the two leading houses presiding over the compound right now. Frantic repairs were also underway concerning the last remnants of the battle concerning Allie¡¯s recent struggle against her previous ¡®fiance to be¡¯. The fortress wasn¡¯t completely done being built back up yet, and the mere thought of it not being presentable gave Kathrine very real palpitations. ¡°Riven!!!!! Riven where the hells are you!!! I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to say or tell ANY of them!¡± Kathrine muttered to herself in a high pitched voice with furrowed brows, and she started to hyperventilate when she saw a blonde vampire man of perfect posture in flowing white robes turning a corner to her left. He bore the sigil of an imperial messenger, locked eyes with her, and before he even made it halfway down the hall to where she was standing - Kathrine fainted out of panic. *** The stockyards. That¡¯s what this regional prison had been named, inferring things that the thousands of vampires captured here from the battle for Dawn didn¡¯t necessarily agree with or like. But at least they were fed. It was a large complex patrolled and held by the elites of the Thane Necropolis, with numerous electrified fences and high quality enchantments set along the floors, walls, and even domed barrier ceilings in the crevice between two mountains only a few miles from Brightsville itself. Normally the surrendered vampires got well enough along with their captors after having realized who the Thanes actually were. Many had even been planning on joining the necropolis and abandoning their homeland of Rippenvire entirely. Had - was the key word here. When the earth beneath them rumbled and the roar of the enraged Blood God was heard, and the ascension of Allie Thane was proclaimed - bright lights illuminated the city of Brightsville in the distance when people began to change. Evolutionary selections were given to some and forced upon others, and within mere seconds the lights had begun spreading the stockyards. The captors of Rippenvire¡¯s forces began to wail, scream, and lurch as their bodies went either minor or major mutations over the course of thirty seconds - breaking down components of other pillars and embracing the Unholy Foundation and Death Sub-Pillar by the grace of The Scythe. Yet, although it was a short-lived transition, the rage that the vampires were thrown into at the mention of their god being shunned and the absolute betrayal of one of their own sent them into a frenzy. Almost as one, and while their captors were preoccupied with the evolutionary changes, the captive vampires threw themselves into madness - clawing, hitting, biting and even expending their own life force to break those barriers down. Within minutes, carnage had spread throughout the prison. Within the hour, that carnage was headed towards Brightsville itself. *** General Bruner had seen riots and in-person combat before. He¡¯d served in the Middle East and had helped saved his people by battling Azag Hive Cluster forces, and had even been on missions for monster-culling purposes with other cyborgs after the integration. Yet the sight of thousands upon thousands of civilians and active military men alike screaming for rebellion right outside headquarters disturbed him. Bruner¡¯s orange, mechanical eyes swept over the crowd, watching as one of the erected barriers around a supposedly secure outer gate to the military HQ was torn down. There was infighting in the crowds, but was mostly located where those same crowds were pushing up against a line of military personnel holding them back from entering the three-story structure he now presided in along with all of his closest officers. News reports across the cortex were already flowing in, from both local and world-wide sources, and He put a hand over his face to close his eyes - squeezing his temple to try and relieve the stress of just what it was he was seeing. ¡°Sir.¡± A bald man in their new-age military uniform, a dark carbon shell decorated with officer tags of the necropolis, came in and saluted along with two lesser officers behind him. ¡°Reports show that anyone of ours that were beyond the wormhole have also been changed. In one case, one of our snipers on duty that¡¯d just been coming through Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole was lynched by a mob - even though he¡¯d only just arrived and was in a panic to seek guidance. He¡¯d been turned into what is called a ¡®Neverlight¡¯, some kind of shadow-attuned undead. He was still humanoid, but that didn¡¯t stop the mob from killing him and the eight other service members escorting him here.¡± General Bruner¡¯s weary eyes shifted to an explosion, and he shook his head while lowering his chin to his chest. Clasping his hands behind his back and staring out the bullet-proof glass windows, he could only guess at what he would need to do to contain this mess. ¡°Colonel, I want you to get the word out. We¡¯re prepping for martial law and will actively roll out units to contain the looting and riots within twenty minutes.¡± The colonel hesitated, coming to stand right behind the general with a wary posture. ¡°General? Are we really taking the side of an undead monster over our own people?¡± ¡°That monster is your queen, colonel. And you¡¯d best remember it.¡± Bruner glared back over his shoulder at the stiffening man only for a moment, before turning back around and lifting his head up to take in a long breath of air. ¡°Those undead across the wormhole are our own people too. Don¡¯t make this an us vs. them situation, talking like that is very dangerous.¡± The colonel silently thought over Bruner¡¯s words, then snorted. ¡°Sir. May I speak openly?¡± ¡°You may.¡± ¡°Thank you sir. It is in my opinion, and is the opinion of most of the other officers here in command, that continuing to follow a creature that will terraform our planet into a zone of undeath is very unwise. She is a tyrant and a monster, sir, this fact has only gotten worse with recent developments. If we don¡¯t do something now, we very well could be the last generation of humans on our planet. This is no longer a matter of political allegiance. This is a matter of racial genocide and survival. Even now we have other neighboring factions trying to contact us in a panic regarding the connection to the necropolis-¡± ¡°WE are the necropolis, colonel.¡± General Bruner gritted his teeth, and tried to contain his anger. After all, he had told the man to speak freely. Yet he still didn¡¯t turn around, and the only sign that he was mad came from the way his right fist clenched within the grasp of his left hand behind his back. ¡°Thank you for your opinion colonel. However, there will be no coup. Not today. Please lea-¡± *BANG* A high powered energy weapon erupted point blank into General Bruner¡¯s skull from the back, plastering his brains onto the window and melting a portion of the thick glass. The colonel watched as the general¡¯s body fell dead to the ground, and shakily dropped his hand - holstering his weapon while the other two officers beside him silently waited. Taking in a deep breath, the bald man turned around and marched out the door. ¡°Begin an evacuation of the civilians from Chicago in anticipation of a fight. Contact our neighbors down the coast for an emergency meeting. All of them, and close off access to the wormhole. No one goes in or out. This is no longer a matter of allegiance to a queen, king, or president - it is a fight for our children¡¯s future. This, gentlemen, is now a rebellion.¡± *** Snagger the ratkin warrior, his ratkin cousin Mesha, and Rashtalia - Broodmother of the ratkin Brood-Tarrow were all unceremoniously thrown into a prison cell over the enraged roars of their kin in the brood halls up above. Or at least, they had BEEN ratkin. Their entire civilization had been changed in the blink of an eye overnight, and these three had taken the fall for it under the Queen¡¯s rage as they were the ones who¡¯d been closest to the Thane Necropolis - especially as diplomats. Their failure had resulted not only in the loss of lands concerning the dwarven expedition, where the greedy vampire king had claimed the dwarvish cities as their own, but now their entire population was cursed - having become ¡®Blighted Ratkin¡¯. Blighted being a race of undead, instead of the normal ¡®Ratkin¡¯. Plague literally wafted off their bodies as faint green mists oozing out of their very pores. Some of them retained patches of fur, while others had lost theirs entirely. Their bodies had become leaner, more muscular, their eyes had developed a sickly vomit-green color, their skin had turned black and gray or had partially fallen off in certain circumstances, and all of their pillars and abilities had changed to reflect their undead status. They were walking bringers of disease. And their cries for renewed war roared in the caverns of their city while they butchered the resident Necropolis diplomats as a public display. Snagger grunted over the sound of a slamming door, bringing his muscular frame to a sitting position while staring, naked, at the ground in front of him. ¡°How-why this happen?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Mesha just sniffled from her own corner of the cell, not bothering to reply while curling up into her own misery. Rashtalia, on the other hand, remained calm and collected as the tall female ratkin - or blighted ratkin - stared up at the ceiling where the chants of war rang out throughout the caverns. ¡°The dwarf-devils will fall-die first. They are weak-raw from war with necropolis, and then queen-mother will take revenge-fight to the surface. This is a mistake-fail, and us-we will die because of it.¡± Snagger could only agree. He stared down at his clawed hand, where green plague continued to rise off is skin in a fog, and shook his head in dismay. He hadn¡¯t wanted this, certainly hadn¡¯t expected it, but he wasn¡¯t even sure if Allie herself had truly tried to do this. Knowing her only minimally, he still guessed that she hadn¡¯t. How would someone even attempt to do something like this? No, this was the work of gods and devils. Of greater powers beyond themselves. Elysium had proven itself to love and strive for conflict, and this one just one more step on the path to enlightenment - a path paved in the bodies of the dead and the clashing of weapons and glorious battles. Deepnest was to go to war, to cannibalize the undead dwarves and take their lands before turning on the ones Snagger¡¯s queen had once called allies. Whether or not that was wise was something else entirely. *** Lahn stood looking at himself in the mirror, staring blankly at his pale skin with mixed emotions. His neon-teal eyes dimly glowed, and his body¡­ His body was completely healed. His soul was repaired, and his body - for the very first time in his life - looked normal. Or, changed - perhaps - but for HIM it was more on the normal side than the shriveled husk he¡¯d been living in all his life. He had muscles now, defined ones, and his anatomy was on par with most athletes. He was now a ¡®Deathtouched Enlightened¡¯, and it was certainly better than becoming a skresh or golem. He actually looked really good. More or less he¡¯d kept his human appearance, though his hair had turned a bright silky white, his skin was a medium gray color, and his eyes were now a neon-teal that dimly glowed back at him. It was more or less the same for almost everyone in the manor, as the system had given them 60 seconds to choose a new race before choosing for them - and the choice recommended options given by the system were the three that allowed them to keep most of their human-like qualities when transitioning into an undead. They were: ¡®Deathtouched Enlightened¡¯ - which were supposed too be good casters and magical spellslingers, ¡®Neverlight¡¯ - which were shadow attuned undead that could manifest various inherent shadow abilities, or ¡®Ghoul¡¯ - which were well known and had a very high pain tolerance as well as regenerative properties. Only one other in the manor had chosen ghoul, while the rest had all gone with ¡®Deathtouched Enlightened¡¯ after the system screens had shown what they would look like after picking a selected race. Skresh were also an option to choose from, but it was ¡®Not Recommended¡¯ by the system due to anatomy differences and a heavy initial toll on the psyche in most cases. Or so the system claimed. Some of the maids were even rather excited about the change because, like vampires, Deathtouched Enlightened were physically appealing to look at. Oddly enough, a sigil was burned into his skin across his bare, muscular chest - a sigil he recognized very well. It was a bright white, burning with holy light against his undead body, and the confusion at seeing it there was more than a little off putting. Simultaneously, it was also encouraging. Just what was going on? And what had Allie done to do this? How was the king of Dawn going to react? Even as a subservient part of a greater necropolis in recent times, Dawn still had a deep set history and a sense of nationalism. Would this infuriate the populace? Lahn wasn¡¯t sure, but as the exclamations of surprise echoed throughout the manor - he flipped through the holy book Allie had once given him. Coming to a familiar page, he stopped and stared at the written rune inked onto glowing white pages with golden lettering. He looked up at the sigil on his chest, then back down to the page, and confirmed it. They were one and the same. The angelic summoning he¡¯d performed, the entity that he¡¯d called upon to save Allie¡¯s life, was still inside him. That, or a remnant of its power had imbedded itself within his soul aperture. How was that even possible? Especially now that he was undead. This shouldn¡¯t be possible, given Unholy and Holy were exact opposites of one another. He¡¯d heard examples in the past of different foundational pillars being maintained in certain individuals - but these are all extremely rare and had never once encompassed these two particular pillars before due to the polar opposite natures they had. And what exactly did that mean for him? *** [26 billion current participants have been analyzed. The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] [Current Top 10 Native Participants:
  1. Allie Thane, Level 160 Angel of Death, Apex Rank, Primary Class in Transitory state, Hero of Death
  2. Judith Marcina, Level 176 Divine Human, Apex Rank, Angelic Fallcaller, Light¡¯s Beacon
  3. Aren Hrall, Level 161 Snow Giant, Apex Rank, Frostmange Berserker
  4. Retesh Vorath, Level 199 Corpse Lord, Apex Rank, Elder Lich
  5. Riven Thane, Level 134 Pureblooded Vampire, Apex Rank, Warlock Devastator, Harbinger of Gluttony
  6. Netithi Bluskish, Level 129 Naga, Apex Rank, Champion of the Kraken
  7. Chitter Teh-Sneaker, Level 137 Ratman, Apex Rank, Dark-Blade Assassin, Poison Master, Sneaky Sneak Sneaker
  8. Nithkik Brutishvase, Level 140 Dark Elf, Apex Rank, Depthdweller
  9. Thorman Bame, Level 157 Human, Apex Rank, Hammer of the Mountain
  10. Sinthil Tuk¡¯tuk, Level 168 Lizardian, Apex Rank, Wind Storm]
Retesh Vorath, Corpse Lord and Elder Lich of the Black Mists, sat on a throne of bones and skulls while staring at a system screen in front of him. His bony hands clicked their clawed fingers onto the arm rests of his chair, while dozens of souls slowly moved about the room he dwelled in. Unnatural, fleshy organs curled around his exposed skeleton to create unnatural formations, and a black mist continually trailed out of the eye sockets of his baren skull. Out across his own zone of undeath in the far reaches of the northern Chaos Wastelands, far from the Thane Necropolis, his legions gathered for an assault on the living. He was the one named in World Quest 1 concerning ¡®The Lich King¡¯s Plague¡¯, and he¡¯d already had multiple crusades launched against him when the terrorized citizens of the enlightened world came into contact with what the quest actually involved. For most, they¡¯d just see this: [World Quest 1, The Lich King¡¯s Plague: In the far reaches of the northern Chaos Wastelands, an ancient lich begins to stir. Advanced details are locked until you come into contact with this quest.] But the quest itself was far more sinister when the advanced details were unlocked. His clicking fingers stopped moving when he heard a knock at the door, and continuing to stare out the window that was half the size of the room - out across his massing legions - he lifted one hand as a gesture. The door swung open, and in stepped a huge armored skresh - a death knight - that came to kneel in front of the lich with a reverent bow. ¡°Master¡­ the horde whispers¡­¡± Retesh chuckled in amusement. ¡°And what is it they whisper of, my child?¡± ¡°They wish to know what stance you have upon the new arrival of the angel, sire¡­ The Scythe has blessed the lands of Umbra, and it is within your power to forge a path. The generals wish to see an alliance, and they have sent me to ask you of this¡­¡± Retesh nodded his hooded head, beginning to click his clawed fingers against the bone throne again while turning his attention back to the legions. Three undead drakes and their death knight riders flew overhead - casting shadows on the land as one of the beasts roared out across the wastes. ¡°I agree with them.¡± Retesh slowly stood, the fleshy organs moving slightly and tightening around his skeleton with the attempt. ¡°We have waited long enough, and have endured much already. It is high time we finally stop enduring the attacks, and begin our own crusade. Having an ally in one such as Thane Necropolis will push us far out ahead of the others, even beyond that irritating fallcaller Judith Marcina. She nearly killed me last time we fought, and I¡¯ll not risk such an encounter again without insurance. Forge a path to the southern coast, convert all the living that reside there and take over the port city of Albakask. Then, when we have secured it, use their ships or build our own to set sail for the Thane Necropolis. Even if we can get to a point where our drakes can fly there after crossing half the ocean, establishing contact is of utmost priority.¡± The huge death knight hissed with excitement, standing up and slamming a fist in a salute onto his breastplate. ¡°Yes, sire! May I ask, what of the naga and merpeople? They pursue their own world quest for domination, and have already targeted our ships in the past when using the river deltas of the Pilgrim¡¯s Sea.¡± ¡°Do we still have some of their krakens?¡± ¡°We have three undead krakens at our disposal, the war effort against the sea dwellers has not been kind to us, but it would also take them two months to travel around the peninsula and out of the Pilgrim¡¯s Sea and into the ocean where Albakask resides.¡± Retesh waved a dismissive bony hand. ¡°Have it done. The lives of our people depend on it, for though we are strong - it is not a far off idea that the world of the living would soon ally against us when we show our hand. Having another undead faction on Panu with such powerful members such as Riven and Allie Thane is a complete change to the chess board, we cannot let such an opportunity go to waste.¡± *** He withdrew his fangs out of Genua¡¯s neck, licking blood off her neck and pushing off from where he¡¯d been pinning the elf thrall up against a tree. He blinked twice at the notification concerning Allie¡¯s ascension to Apex Rank #1, the third time it¡¯d been brought up to him since the initial world quest only half an hour ago, and shrugged. ¡°Yup, there goes the continent.¡± Genua let out an exasperated sigh, started putting her clothes back on, wiped some of the blood from her sternum and clasped her hands together in front of her face with worry. Her wounds shortly sealed themselves afterwards. ¡°Riven! This is very, very bad! I only just received the Blood God¡¯s blessing and-¡± ¡°And her choices have nothing to do with you.¡± Riven stated with a smile, patting the blonde elf woman on her head and fixing her hair right before adjusting her metal headdress. ¡°Don¡¯t think it does.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m worried that-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Riven stated, cutting her off again with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure that things are going to backfire to some extent. But there¡¯s no need to worry about it until we know what those things are. We already have enough to worry about that we¡¯re certain of as it is. None of the demons are concerned about it, right?¡± Her face shifted to watch Athela and Azmoth where they were playing beer pong against Jenny and Fay, the crimson tattoo markings along her skin shimmering in the shadow of her hood when she moved. ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m in a much different situation than they are. I¡¯m worried this is going to blow back on me and my child.¡± She paused, then let her hands fall down to her stomach. ¡°And our other child is coming soon.¡± His eyes followed her hands, and he had to shake himself out of the tunnel his thoughts were wandering down. ¡°What was it that those other priestesses said to you again?¡± Riven thoughtfully stated with a raised finger. ¡°That your rise to power is tied to me, or something like that? Unless you lose your master and join their temple directly? Well I haven¡¯t done anything that would get you in trouble, and I¡¯m sure that we can work something out. I mean think about it - how many vampires are out there?¡± ¡°Out where?¡± ¡°In the multiverse.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Billions?¡± Riven¡¯s look flattened, and he pulled his bag of holding to one side and started rummaging around for the completed totem he¡¯d finally managed to build. ¡°Probably more than that. Billions is in the realm of The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s capital planet by itself. My guess is that the number is far, far greater than that. So, theoretically, the Blood God has many trillions or hundreds of trillions of vampire followers. Right?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Yes? Maybe?¡± ¡°Assuming that¡¯s correct, why would he be so irritated about Allie¡¯s shift in allegiance? My guess is she¡¯s not worth as much to that god as we¡¯re thinking, and it¡¯s not like he outright proclaimed that she was to die or anything like that. She¡¯ll probably just be shunned from vampire society.¡± He paused thoughtfully. ¡°At least I hope so.¡± Genua nervously shifted, but then nodded and gave in. ¡°I suppose I haven¡¯t been contacted about it, so maybe you¡¯re right. I know they can reach out to me at will through the clergy system¡­ it¡¯s all silent.¡± ¡°See!? Nothing to be worried about.¡± Riven patted her shoulder and casually set his single floating totem - his work in progress - on a large stump before clicking his tongue thoughtfully. It was certainly not the best totem ever made, not even by a long shot, but to his knowledge not many people on this planet were using totems or able to build totems anyways. With the way rates on taxation using system stores throughout whatever Elysium Altars were present on Panu, it made a lot of sense to just make them himself. And to his knowledge there was an estimated two-dozen Elysium Altars at this current time anyways, the only one of which that had an affinity was controlled by him. As for the totem - it was an ¡®Icosahedron¡¯; essentially a 20-sided die, but much larger than the dice from board games. It had 20 triangular faces on the outer surface, each face holding a rune, and was about 1 by 1 by 1 feet in dimensions. He¡¯d gone through a grand total of 32 different totem attempts before finally selecting this as a temporary final product that he¡¯d probably expand upon at some later date, and had crafted it from metal while using his magic to slice into the steel plates on the outer skeleton. Inside he¡¯d placed ground bone to help house the soul, a couple of shadow-attuned plants, had reinforced the insides with crimson ice, and something called ¡®Black Norstone¡¯ that the locals actually mined here. He could have used better materials for a better outcome, as different materials were more or less potent concerning what runes and abilities he was infusing into the totem, but he worked with what he had. And the result was not bad, even if he only did have enough stuff to make just the single one of them. [Partially Constructed Totem of Bloodforged Rift Sparks: Status page is currently on standby. Soul Acquired, Affinity to Shadow Acquired, Sigils Acquired. Totem soul is currently absorbing the minor sigil of Black Lightning, and will reach comprehension sometime within the next week. Unable to bind at this time.] He turned the totem around on the settled stump, watching the different runes on each triangular face light up with a mixture of red and black energies across the otherwise flat metal surfaces. The soul inside it touched his own, and it shuddered when he sent a pulse of warm intentions into it. During the past couple days he¡¯d come to understand just one single thing that he¡¯d seemed to have missed during his previous studies of totems. It was that, despite some people using totems that were only controlled by soul shards - those that used entire souls actually created what was essentially a body or a vessel for that particular soul. How aware that soul was¡­ that was an entirely different question. He had no idea. He didn¡¯t even know if it was the soul itself or the brain of the organism that dictated awareness or thought patterns, and it was something he¡¯d have to ask Allie about later on in case she knew. Or perhaps Instructor Pladius from the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound¡­ Yeah. Actually that wasn¡¯t such a bad idea. Perhaps he¡¯d even go today. Heading back to Brightsville was probably a priority thing to do anyway given Allie¡¯s recent ascent, and he didn¡¯t know just how people of the necropolis would act concerning recent events. Especially all the elves, orcs, dwarves, goblins, ratkin, and humans that had been turned into undead variants of themselves. Not to mention the other cities or small countries that¡¯d started developing on what the system called ¡®Umbra¡¯ - as their continent. He might even have a riot on his hands by the time he got back. Chapter 239 Chapter 239 Colonel Landers slapped aside a rock that one of the civilians threw his way as the boos and roars of disapproval echoed in his ears. The press conference was not going well, and his strike against the Thanes by taking down General Bruner and the mayor of Chicago were being seen by a lot of the population as a power grab by a tyrant - even despite the world-ending potential the two Thanes had. Two of the news stations were even openly painting him as a villain without even attempting to hide their disgust - with calls for the people to rise up or wait for Riven to arrive and reclaim the city. What shortsightedness. It appeared that there were still just as many supporters of the Thanes as there were people scared enough to want this rebellion, and his orders to block off the wormhole had led to a bloodbath between groups of their own people as firefights erupted across dissenters and loyalists that still remembered how Riven had saved them all during the Azag Hive Cluster¡¯s attack. That same picture was being painted here to a lesser extent between people in the crowd and news stations, with many small fights happening within the crowds and guards needing to take many people away in handcuffs over the immense amount of angry shouting; smack dab in the middle of downtown Chicago. Many of these people also still had family on the other side that were now changed into undead themselves, who¡¯d even managed to contact their family one way or another, and the blockade had seen many of those same people trying to get home jailed or outright killed in the small battles or firefights at the wormhole¡¯s entrance. His plans were not unfolding as he¡¯d intended, but thankfully he¡¯d been planning for this moment a very long time. Rebellions were not born within hours, and Colonel Landers had been preparing this one ever since realizing his fellow citizens of Earth had been led down a spiraling, sinful path. A path led by monstrous vampires. By bloodsucking abominations, and his assumptions on the two Thane siblings had only been recognized by how brutal Allie¡¯s actions concerning the Tereen elves had been - or how Riven had taken the side of overgrown rats over the more human-like dwarves. Allie was even called ¡®The Butcher of Carnis¡¯ after wiping out an entire army of high elves, not taking any prisoners, torturing their officers, and burning down the entire town of Carnis as the elf civilians inside screamed and begged for mercy. She was evil, and back on Earth this kind of behavior never would have held water in any civilized country. She needed to be put down. The balding man turned around and left the stage without looking back, realizing that his attempts to calm the populace by public opinion weren¡¯t going to work - and that he¡¯d have to resort to more violent methods after all. Not that it mattered. He was doing this for the good of the planet, and for his children¡¯s children. He would not let Panu fall into the hands of treacherous monsters such as these, especially now that Allie had sped up that timeline of world-wide disaster to the 9th degree when she gained the ability to terraform the world. Adjusting his nano-tech armor suit that looked like it was straight out of a space-related sci-fi warrior mixup, Colonel Landers was flanked by four other cyborgs carrying guns - walking past a guarded perimeter and into one of the downtown buildings that he¡¯d been using as a base of operations to plan this rebellion. Others just like him, ones that¡¯d joined his cause over the past months, had been recruited to help organize what he¡¯d already known was coming. A woman in uniform saluted at his approach near an elevator going up as other military personnel walked back and forth or through the halls, adjusting her posture to be even more straight than it¡¯d been before. ¡°Sir! The Romanovs are waiting for you upstairs.¡± ¡°Thank you, private.¡± Colonel Landers didn¡¯t even look her way and continued onto the elevator with the five other people escorting him, before hitting the button and clasping his hands behind his back as the elevator doors shut. Ten stories later and with a ding, those same doors opened up into a long hallway leading directly to a set of double doors. Six of his own men were positioned on the left side, while six other figures dressed in familiar black sunglasses, trench coats, shortly cut uniform sets of hair and dark purple vests. None of them carried any weapons, or at least they didn¡¯t APPEAR to do so, but he knew better. These Russians weren¡¯t anything to mess around with. The doors swung open, and inside a pristine white room with silver furniture and a sky top view of the city were two more men and a woman wearing similar trench coats. They were some of the higher-ups of the Romanov Mafia family, one that¡¯d excelled in the integration and had landed them a solid foundation for a budding empire of their own further down the southern coast. They¡¯d conquered a small kingdom from one of the other two merged worlds already, and had two of their members in the Paragon¡¯s Top 1000 Ranker list - both of which were standing here in this very room. These were Colonel¡¯s insurance policy against the Thanes. He only needed to catch one of the Thane siblings alone and isolated, while the other was away. It was possible. [Vilari Romanov, Level 119 Arcane Assassin, Human. ELITE.] [Helena Romanov, Level 123 Arcane Assassin, Human. ELITE.] [Brutis Romanov, Level 108 Arcane Assassin, Human. ELITE.] Vilari had distinctly chiseled features and a scar running down his left cheek, sitting on a couch with arms folded in a leaned-back position. His sister Helena Romanov had long brown hair with a tight-lipped demeanor while sipping on a glass of vodka. Brutis remained hunched over, hooded, and appeared to be half-asleep - though Colonel Landers was pretty sure this was to put people off their guard rather than it truly being a case of exhaustion. ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± Helen muttered irritably in a heavy Russian accent, setting down her crystal glass of alcohol and spitting to the side. ¡°We¡¯ve prepared months for this and NOW you decide to become lazy? Do you realize what kind of prize Elysium will grant us if we¡¯re able to kill a Legendary Ranked World Boss? We don¡¯t know when Riven will teleport back in, but we can assume it will be astronomically good. Please do not jeopardize our plans by stalling because you want to maintain a good public image.¡± Colonel Landers glared at the woman, but then remembered who it was he was glaring at and quickly took a seat across from her. The eyes of the three Russians followed him, and his escort took up positions behind him on the back side of the silver couch. ¡°You were right, I should have made the call sooner. Be assured that before you leave here today, the men under my command will make quick work of whatever naysayers remain on this side of the portal.¡± ¡°And Brightsville?¡± Helena asked curiously, twirling a strand of her dark brown hair between two fingers while crossing her legs. ¡°It is already done.¡± Colonel Landers confirmed with a curt nod. ¡°The bombs all went off as expected, we massacred all of the undead around the opposite side of the wormhole. We also left Bruner¡¯s head as a warning with an attached message for whenever Riven¡¯s locked ability teleports him back. It should be enough to enrage him and force him to act, he¡¯ll be coming across soon enough.¡± ¡°Any VIP¡¯s killed?¡± ¡°By the blast? No one else in their leadership was confirmed dead outside of General Bruner when I shot him dead, but Allie is far underground at this point and has lost contact with anyone topside and Riven is sure to come barreling through that wormhole as soon as he figures out what happened.¡± Vilari Romanov chuckled in a deep, masculine growl. ¡°You are pretty brutal, Colonel Landers. I did not truly expect you to follow through on your end of the deal.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Colonel Landers gave the other, bigger man a deep set scowl. ¡°Unlike you three, who are in it for the power and treasures Elysium will grant you for the kill, I am in it to save our planet. I am fighting for the very right of our species to live on Panu. Of course I would hold up my end of the deal.¡± Helena rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve been playing this game of betrayal far too long to claim that, we¡¯ve been planning this for months now. I think you may just find vampires and undead as sub-human creatures not worthy of you, or perhaps it is the negative charisma everyone on the forums keeps talking about. But truthfully it doesn¡¯t matter to me, concerning the reasons why. Even if I do think you¡¯re just like us in many ways.¡± Colonel Landers flatly ignored the woman, turning his head to Vilari Romanov - the leader of their group and the other Paragon ranker aside from Helena. ¡°You guaranteed me that you¡¯d be able to finish Riven off whenever he comes through. Are you sticking by that?¡± The Russians all snorted simultaneously, and Vilari sat up straight from where he¡¯d been in a leaned-back position. ¡°Of course. We wouldn¡¯t be here if we didn¡¯t think we could do it, obviously. It is known that Riven is weak against rogues and assassins, and we are some of the very best. Do you have the wormhole locked down?¡± ¡°No, there is some infighting going on between my men and the loyalists, but they¡¯ll be crushed soon enough. Most of the ones standing in our way are either being dealt with now, or are already imprisoned or dead.¡± ¡°Will you be able to activate the seclusion rune to lock him down?¡± Helena asked, pulling out a silver-infused dagger the size of her forearm and licking one side of the blade with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯d rather he not try to run!¡± Chuckles from her two comrades echoed in the pristine white room around them, and Colonel Landers gave her a nod. ¡°We¡¯ve had it functional for a long time now, we integrated it into the defensive measures originally set up under the guise of additional monitoring enchantments. Some of our very best mechanics were in on the job. When he arrives, the trap will trigger. You¡¯ll be notified and you¡¯ll be able to take him out without much of a fight¡­¡± Colonel Landers narrowed his eyes in concern when he saw Helena¡¯s left eye begin to collect a tear of blood underneath the eyelid, before it dripped down her pale white cheek. Nothing else seemed amiss though, and she didn¡¯t even seem to notice. ¡°Helena, are you alright?¡± Helena¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, and another dagger flipped out of a sheath along her hip. ¡°Of course I¡¯m alright!¡± *CRUNCH* Simultaneously both of her arms swung back, crashing each dagger through the throats and into the cervical spines of both Vilari and Brutis with the activation of a piercing martial art. Both immediately went limp, wide eyed, and crumpled to the floor as the thuds of bodies hitting the floor behind Colonel Landers sounded out as he attempted to scramble back in shock. However, he didn¡¯t make it more than a couple of inches off the couch before a thin red thread was wrapped around his neck and yanked back - choking him, pulling him onto the couch, and cutting deep into his skin. He flailed, using his abnormally high strength to try and peel away from whatever assassin was attempting to strangle him - and his stamina channels flared while attempting to activate various abilities. Not only did he not succeed in peeling away from the massive amount of strength behind that abnormally reinforced red thread digging into his windpipe, but not a single one of his abilities activated before being snuffed out by a localized and overwhelming aura of dread. He coughed, choked, flailed and spluttered, as the room around him began to change. Instead of what had once been a pristine white room was now covered in blood. Tables at the far end were overturned, and the guards in the hallway that¡¯d been there earlier were now disemboweled, nailed to the walls, or hung from the ceiling in death. Along with the change in the red-splattered room came the figures of two very recognizable demons and a third woman Colonel Bruner did not recognize. On one side of the opposite couch was the blue-skinned succubus, Fay, who had a mischievous grin on her face while her slender black tail slapped against the cushions to the right of Vilari¡¯s twitching body like a dog¡¯s would. Behind her was Azmoth, who looked rather bored with all four arms folded in front of him. Then, lastly, there was a hooded blonde woman with crimson tattoos - wearing a red metal headdress over a formfitting black robe - sitting in a meditative pose further beyond the couch while some kind of blood-based ability was being channeled around her. The succubus whispered something into Helena¡¯s ear, and the woman responded in kind by answering her as more blood continued running out of her eyes - a wide smile plastered across her face. Fay and the arcane assassin continued speaking in hushed whispers for a couple minutes, until she eventually nodded and looked across the room to a hooded figure standing next to a window - looking out at the crowds far below where brawls and acts of unrest were continuing to break out. Colonel Landers wasn¡¯t being completely strangled yet, given that the person behind him was letting him gasp from time to time, but he was still in a state of panic. However he felt himself go absolutely cold upon seeing Riven Thane turn his gaze, and the colonel began to fight even harder to try and squirm out of what was essentially an unbreakable wire cutting into his neck. ¡°We¡¯re finished obtaining your requested information.¡± Fay stated, standing up and bowing to her master with an elegant swish of her long white hair. Riven didn¡¯t reply, but nodded and began walking their way. His bootsteps clicked against the white tile floor, before splashing in puddles of blood, until he came to a stop in front of Helena Romanov with a stoic expression. Raising one hand, claws of crystalized blood began to form over his fingers and he gripped the assassin¡¯s face while lifting her up off the floor. She continued to bleed from her eyes while her body hung limply in his grip, but Colonel Landers could tell she was now regaining some of her own functions back from whatever spell, ability or ritual these people were casting by the way her muscles started twitching and she began to hiss between bouts of seemingly random jerks. His eyes flicked towards the meditating woman channeling some kind of ability on the couch nearby, an elf by the looks of it, and then he went back to staring at the scene in front of him. Riven¡¯s single, clawed hand began to grip harder, and a loud whimper began to come out of Helena¡¯s lips when his fingers started digging into her skin. Cuts turned into deep gashes, and Helena let out a muffled sob while her body continued to jerk as something in her jaw-bone snapped. *CRUNCH* Helena¡¯s eyes went wide, and with a shriek her head exploded in a shower of gore. The assassin¡¯s body dropped to the ground like a rag doll, and joined the other two Romanov¡¯s to add to the dead bodies littering the room. ¡°Mr. Landers¡­¡± Riven stated calmly, taking a seat where Helena had been sitting only a minute ago - and scooting her carcass over to make way for his legs with a few pokes of his boot-covered toe. His red eyes calmly evaluated the partially asphyxiated military man while his fingers interlaced. ¡°It appears that we¡¯ve come to a conclusion concerning your attempted rebellion quite a bit faster than what General Bruner had anticipated. I must admit, I hadn¡¯t expected Allie to transcend like she did - but assumed whoever you were working with would likely take the opportunity to show themselves as soon as I saw the world-wide notification. It would be now or never, so to speak, because you wouldn¡¯t risk taking us both on at the same time after Allie¡¯s power up. Oh no, that¡¯d be too risky and you¡¯d all prepared for it for so, so long.¡± The door to the room opened up again, and the familiar form of General Bruner stepped inside - accompanied by a couple of the elites of the Necropolis. A couple cyborgs, death knights, deathtouched enlightened with gray skin and neon-teal eyes that¡¯d once been human, and necromancers flowed inside to silently wait on the sidelines while Colonel Landers just gawked. ¡°Look-alike zombies can be a tricky thing to distinguish from the real deal, if your necromancer is good enough. You never actually killed General Bruner to begin with.¡± Riven stated flatly, stifling a yawn and shaking his head. ¡°It really is a shame that people had to die for this, but your actions would have likely caused far more deaths if we¡¯d just killed you and didn¡¯t put this situation with the Romanovs down early. They were very sneaky bastards. Even when they arrived here and fell into our own trap it took quite a bit of time for Genua to possess the woman. Fay had to work extra hard to keep the hallucinations around all of you going, and the combination of Fay¡¯s silvertongue plus Genua¡¯s possession allowed us to dig through Helena¡¯s mind quite easily. Thank you though, for delivering them right to us. Now that they¡¯re out of the way, I think I¡¯ll be paying the rest of their mafia family a little visit as a reminder to the world that I am not above killing thousands of people to get a point across. Not anymore, anyways. Now¡­¡± Riven gestured the Colonel¡¯s way, and strings of blood snaked their way through the air before tightening around Colonel Landers¡¯ phone. The threads plucked the phone right out of the man¡¯s pocket, and it was set on the table inbetween the two couches where Helena¡¯s half-finished glass of vodka still rested. With a single finger, Riven pressed the button to turn the phone on - and he turned it around for Colonel Landers to get a good look at the screen. ¡°Call off your men, and publicly surrender. People are dying needlessly right now. Athela, you can let up on the string.¡± Immediately Colonel Landers gasped and began coughing violently when Athela¡¯s thread retracted, and the archdemon lowered her head to whisper a chuckle into the pale man¡¯s ear. ¡°I will do no such thing!¡± Colonel Landers hissed, shaking in his seat. ¡°You are an abomination! Your sister will lead us into disaster! We cannot-¡± Riven interrupted him with a flick of his wrist, and a spike of crimson ice tore through Colonel Laner¡¯s right knee. The man screamed, dropping to the ground and writhing in pain while Riven stared emotionlessly down at the man. Riven glanced down at the time displayed on the other man¡¯s phone, then let out a soft, slow exhale. ¡°General Bruner, bring his wife in here. I¡¯m sure once we start prying off her fingers one by one with pliers, he might be more willing to cooperate with us.¡± Chapter 240 Chapter 240 Gaia stood atop hills of vampire corpses, remnants of the Rippenvire forces that¡¯d come from their imprisonment in the stockyards. The transformed demigoddess was already incredibly displeased at the change she¡¯d undergone, and she¡¯d been even more angry that they¡¯d targeted harmless civilians on the outskirts of Brightsville when finally encountering resistance. Bodies could be repaired and evolved, shaped into what she¡¯d want after time had passed, but the loss of life from people she had promised to protect could not so easily be forgiven. And her arrival at the scene had led to a very swift and brutal end for all those involved. Instead of the small child-like figure she¡¯d once worn, her new body was now that of an enormous, carnivorous tree. Her roots buried themselves into the mounds of drying-up flesh as they sucked in the lifeblood of the vampires she stood on. Her dark gray bark had pulsing red veins running up along her body all over, running into bright red leaves. Spiked vines trailed off her branches and trunk, and dragged the few vampires who were still alive towards her. The vines sucked their bodily fluids up and drained them just as easily as they drained mortals - leaving only withered husks behind before smashing them into dust. Her gray skin, her bark - snapped and crunched while she moved, arms swaying at her sides, taking her step by step over the battlefield and smashing corpses underneath her weight. Slowly, monotonously, she and the other turned dryads that¡¯d become unholy treants alongside her were juggernauts of destruction shambling towards their enemies. Each step they took shook the earth underneath. And all the while, her pitch black eyes were deadset - staring out her wooden face carved into the front of her mid-trunk while the vampires gathered up again for a counter attack. So enraged the vampires were at having their god shunned by Allie Thane, so firm was their belief, that they¡¯d become fanatical - disregarding their own lives in an attempt to wreak havoc and pain on the offending team. But Gaia had her own anger to dish out, and it was her rage that would overcome. She did not blame Allie for what had happened, but she needed an outlet to vent her wrath. The leaves in her canopy rustled and billowed, whipping up and tearing off her branches in a storm of red leaves that was soon joined by the numerous others of her newly born kin. The sky was soon filled, and - sharpening - the raging storm of leaves bore down on Gaia¡¯s enemies. *** Allie gently glided down, farther and farther she went, until her bone-made boots lightly touched on the surface of an exquisite mosaic made out of stone. The souls of the dead were leading her through the passages at a fast pace, many of which had actually been the precursors she¡¯d only recently killed that she¡¯d forced into submission. Unfortunately their minds were mostly jumbled, and she felt like the touch of some foreign entity had made it so that she¡¯d be unable to access any valuable information they may have. And yet, that foreign entity had still allowed her to access the path down. That troubled her, but she had nothing else to go on and the labyrinth was enormous. Aztec-like designs similar to the jewelry and armbands the precursors wore decorated the flat, perfectly circular art piece that spanned many hundreds of yards across - depicting various kinds of worship to an ancient deity long forgotten. The creature they worshiped, prayed to, and sacrificed victims to was a one-eyed, fanged creature of pale blue skin with four humanoid arms and feathered wings as black as hers. Behind her, and carried by ghosts and phantoms under her command, were all the other necromancers she¡¯d brought with her; alongside Fimrindle, who looked uncharacteristically sheepish after the hard glare she¡¯d given him earlier. They hadn¡¯t talked yet, but that was certainly going to happen after she¡¯d learned of his actions from the spirits. Allie continued over to the far wall, her silver-gray halo lightly glowing the same color of her eyes while her footsteps clicked against the mosaic underneath. Ahead of her was another tunnel entrance ripped from the side of the deep shaft they¡¯d floated down - and beside it on two large spikes were a set of impaled naked bodies she didn¡¯t recognize. However, these were vampire bodies - and not the precursor type. Gingerly touching the silent scream of one¡¯s face, she closed her eyes and reached into the void. The soul still attached to it flickered in her mind¡¯s eye, only brief images lighting up in her mind of the previous life it''d had, and soon the transfer of knowledge was over with. She was lucky it hadn¡¯t been lost to the beyond yet, and smiled while retracting her hand. It was too damaged to salvage, so she bid it farewell and let the little soul drift into the darkness. ¡°Survivors of the Bernzee covens came this way.¡± Allie confidently stated, folding her wings tightly behind her and started down the tunnel. ¡°We¡¯re on the right path after all. Follow me.¡± Twists and turns, signs of recent battle, and dried bloodstains plastering the ancient scripts of the hallways the labyrinth was building. Leading out into large caves, the tunnels soon disappeared entirely - letting Allie¡¯s group bask in the amazing sight of an entirely new world underneath the top layer of Panu¡¯s crust. And it almost truly was an entirely new world. A false sun of some sort radiated light down into the world, though it was far dimmer from the real version and was partially obscured by clouds and mists that also blocked off most of the ceiling. The cavern before them was so wide she couldn¡¯t see the opposite end, having numerous dips and mountains within it that hinted at more landscapes being blocked from view, so Allie had no real measure of just what size it was. She stood at the edge of a cliff, the ground at least a solid mile below. There were stone steps leading downwards across the cliff edge and into a marsh where an entire ecosystem was brilliantly colored with a tapestry of yellows, reds, blacks, greens, oranges, or any other she could think of. And there, far in the distance, was a flat-topped pyramid that dwarfed even the tallest skyscrapers from Brightsville. This was not what she¡¯d been expecting, but it was certainly beautiful. [You have entered the Fallen Vampiric Elder God¡¯s Realm. World Quest 4 Update Available.] [World Quest 4, Blood of the Fallen God: An unnamed vampiric elder god has fallen from grace after having sinned against the Elysium Administrator. The elder god has been trapped within a hidden, guarded labyrinth in the deepest levels of the underdark, and you must stop him from awakening. Advanced details HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY UNLOCKED: ¡°Fimrindle.¡± Her head turned, glowing gray eyes shifting to the reaper with a stoic expression as he bowed. The irritation in her built just by looking at him, but then her eyes fell upon his status screen - and then hers¡­ and she let the tension in her shoulders relax slightly. [Fimrindle, Level 159 Reaper of Souls Initiate, Demon-Undead Hybrid, Unique: The Iron Scarecrow. LEGENDARY.] [Allie Thane, Level 160 Angel of Death, Primary Class in Transitory State, Hero of Death, Lost Princess of the Blood Moon Requiem, Apostate of the Blood God. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS FOR WORLD QUEST 7.] ¡°Yes, mistress?¡± The reaper asked, black cloak made from shadows billowing around him like a living thing. His metal hands gripped his scythe and he got onto his knees in a bowing position, head lowered subserviently ¡°What is it that you ask of me?¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Allie gestured to the temple in the distance as roars echoed far from down below. She kept her eyes locked on the distant building even despite the swarming hundreds and then thousands of precursors tearing through the forests and marshlands in her direction. ¡°Find out what resides there, and if you can - find the Bernzee refugees. Do not die, Fimrindle, for even though your contract is unique and you are a partially demonic entity - I am not sure I¡¯d be able to summon you back upon death if I am not present to take your soul back. Have you ever died under contract before?¡± ¡°I have not, mistress.¡± ¡°Then you do not know either?¡± ¡°I believe I¡¯d be able to come back unless skewered with a blade blessed by the commandments, similar to how Athela was killed previously.¡± ¡°I see. Regardless, be careful. We will talk more about your scheming later¡­ I am still not pleased that you put my life in danger so flippantly - even despite the outcomes.¡± Fimrindle abruptly nodded, then turned and vanished in the blink of an eye. The other necromancers were now gathered along the cliff¡¯s edge as well. They all watched the incoming swarm of angry, desperate, and crazed people of another age racing towards them up the stone steps in the cliff¡¯s face; or watched them literally claw their way up the side of the steep drop by tearing their claws into stone. ¡°They are like rabid animals¡­¡± Mara muttered under her breath as the howls drew nearer. ¡°I have only seen this kind of fanaticism in mindless undead, not in those who are still sentient.¡± Allie opened her spatial sack, and pulled out the weapon that The Scythe had given her. The long, gray blade flared with neon teal runes as she held it aloft - and she admired the wicked edge on either side that came down to a handle engraved with depictions of hooded wraiths and skeletons. [Blade of Soulcry (Divine Claymore, E-Grade, Death Attuned): ???] ¡°I believe they are desperate.¡± Allie eventually said, after getting a feel for the weight of the weapon - allowing the energies inside the claymore merge with her own in a wave of energy that almost shocked her system. She blinked a couple times to regain her composure, then shuddered as she felt the weapon¡¯s energy stabilize with intertwining mana channels that were somehow built into the blade connect to hers. Mara, Nin, Vin, and two of the other necromancers curiously glanced her way while the others continued peering over the ledge at the oncoming horde. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mara asked. ¡°Why desperate?¡± ¡°Those are the remnant emotions their souls leave behind.¡± Allie stated sadly, sinking the blade into the stone floor rather easily by a foot deep before turning to look at the others who¡¯d followed her here. ¡°They may have a quest of their own, such as to keep their elder god safe until he awakens in five years. That¡¯s only a guess, but it¡¯s certainly a possibility. What happens if they don¡¯t? Will they be hunted down, or completely wiped out by Elysium itself? Are they tied to him somehow? Whatever the reason, they certainly aren¡¯t going to talk to us about it - but that doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t fight back. It is us, or them, until proven otherwise.¡± Allie pulled up another notification screen under her status page, and grinned at the information on display. Forming one of these would increase their XP share, and if she was about to wipe the floor with thousands of enemies, she wanted to make sure her loyalists ascended with her climb. It was hard to find good employees, or good friends. [You must create a guild with the ¡®Create Guild¡¯ command prior to utilizing this page. You must have at least 3 people to create a guild.] Mentally she selected all twelve of the necromancers standing nearby. Each of them whipped their heads around to stare at her as they got their own notifications, then eagerly selected the option to agree to the terms. ¡°Create Guild - Fallen Wings.¡± [Guild Name: Fallen Wings Guild World Rank: 5 Current World Registered: Panu Guild Roster: 13/20 Faction: None, Link to a Faction Network of guilds for this feature to become available Current Guild Bonuses: [With creation of your guild ¡®Fallen Wings¡¯, the World Quest 4, Blood of the Fallen God has been applied to your guild information. All XP will now have a bonus of 5% to total original XP and will be distributed across all guild members that are involved in the battle to at least a small degree.] Allie reviewed the information twice over and gave a satisfactory nod. Now that she was sure her efforts would benefit her friends too, she took her wand in her left hand and gripped the handle of her sword in her right. ¡°Hold the top of the cliff, I will be supporting you from the skies.¡± With a blur of motion she bent her knees, spread her wings, and launched herself off the cliff¡¯s edge - soaring into the air and reveling in the feeling of her newfound power of flight. It was even better than riding Tyranus, but she did wish the drake could have fit down here in the tunnels of the underdark - he¡¯d certainly have been a massive help. Turning in the air and raising her wand, strings of death mana exploded from her position and ripped downwards into the oncoming swarm that were racing up the cliff face. The necromancers on the ledge began to conjure magics of their own, pouring clouds of green, noxious fumes over the side while flares of neon teal fire, bone spikes, and clouds of shadow-made crows came over the edge like an avalanche. Area-of-effect magics came soon after, with black diagrams and pentagrams drawing themselves in the air over the necromancers¡¯ defensive position that empowered them and created one-way barriers at various stages down the cliff - making it harder for the swarm to climb up. Allie continued to carve out huge swaths of the incoming enemies, dragging the strings of death from her wand across the cliff face that sprayed rubble and body parts - somewhat akin to carving open a watermelon with a chainsaw. Screams erupted from the abnormally fast precursors and soon she found herself bombarded with various magics of a deep blue color, similar to the strange blood attacks she¡¯d experienced the day before. She merely shrugged them off, deflecting one blue orb after the other with a swipe of her claymore. The blade shattered the spells when not absolutely bouncing them off into another direction, and took zero damage despite dispelling so much energy. And as they became more numerous, enemies pouring out of the woods to race upwards or fire mana-infused projectiles her way while she dodged and weaved in the air while continuing to blast those climbing up the cavern towards her friends - she began muttering the incantation for her Tier 3 spell ¡°Eye of the Scythe.¡± Her arms and hands made the proper movements, and a tear in space overhead covered the land in teal light as the eye of some malevolent god looked down at the incoming horde with disgust. Bodies withered, precursors screamed, and the land underneath them shattered under the force of her newly empowered mana channels that flooded the skill with everything she had. The Blade of Soulcry in her hand responded as well, simmering with the power of True Death, as an explosion of gray engulfed a mile-wide area in an immense aura of power. *** Karlita gagged and coughed, spitting bile and nearly tripping over her own feet while desperately trying to claw at the door for some kind of latch or switch. Her red eyes were producing streams of tears that glistened against her pale cheeks, and her heartbeat thudded in her chest over the deep gasps she made while the screams of her friends and family echoed in the chamber beyond. ¡°Please! By the Blood God, there has to be something here!!! We¡¯ve come so far!¡± Her nails scratched against an ancient, rusted lock - catching and pulling out dirt from what was obviously a keyhole. Her eyes brightened, and with a strangulated, terrified laugh she fumbled the key in her hands to bring it towards the lock. It fit. ¡°YESSSS!!!¡± Karlita screamed in victory, and she heard the mechanism click when she turned it in her hand. The huge door groaned, then swung open in a showering spray of dust and debris. She only backed up a moment, but one look over her shoulder told her that she needed to move now and fast. ¡°KARLITA, WAIT FOR ME!¡± Her elder sister called back to her - scrambling through the small hallway and shoving another of their coven to the side; but the precursors were on her heels. Karlita couldn¡¯t wait. Otherwise, they¡¯d both die. With a look of shame and stifling a sob, Karlita only held the door open the briefest moment to see her sister¡¯s heel get caught by a diving, pale blue abomination that quickly started dragging her back. Her sister screamed in horror as a jagged claw cut into her calf muscle. ¡°KARLITA, HELP ME!!!¡± Karlita¡¯s heart clenched, and with a sob - she slammed the door behind her. The mechanism locked back into place, and through the thick stone slab she could hear her sister¡¯s horrified screams, sobs, and begging echo through the chamber until the sounds of crunching, muffled gags, and gurgles came next. Soon the battle had stopped, leaving Karlita as the very last living vampire of the Bernzee covens on the face of Panu. Shaking violently and pulling herself into a fetal position, she continued to cry for the next few hours until she managed to finally fall into a light sleep¡­ One full of only nightmares, regrets, and horrors. Chapter 241 Chapter 241 Riven sat in a chair overlooking the city, while a bloodied Colonel Landers lay curled in the fetal position not far off. The mental toll of having watched a fake illusionary replica of his wife undergo brutal torture for over twenty minutes had done him a real number, though he¡¯d somewhat recovered after realizing it was faked just to get him to call off his men. ¡°The last remnants of rebellions in Chicago are nearly put down, it will be completed within the hour.¡± General Bruner stated plainly, hands clasped behind his back and standing next to Riven¡¯s chair. ¡°Gaia has crushed an uprising stemming from where we kept all those Rippenvire soldiers. A few of them held back, but all other vampires were killed. Gaia wishes to speak with Allie about her changes when the queen gets back, your majesty. I do not believe she is happy, but I don¡¯t think she holds animosity towards your sister for what happened either.¡± ¡°What of Deepnest?¡± Riven asked, not taking his eyes off the city streets below where hundreds of rebels had been chained up in lines - more adding to their number as the hour passed. General Bruner cleared his throat uncomfortably. ¡°Communication lines have gone absolutely silent from our forces in the underdark. Both from the diplomats stationed in Deepnest right after they sent that final message, and from our forces occupying the two dwarvish cities we conquered not long ago.¡± Riven clicked his tongue in irritation, standing slowly and holding out both arms. Messenger vaporized behind him and opened up wide, clamping down along his upper body and sealing his head shut in the ivory helmet. Jackal came next, jumping up from its squatting position on the floor and changing from canine to spear-staff form in an instant. The metal greaves came last, and Riven turned around to eye the general with a calm and collected gaze behind the metal encasing his face. ¡°Repeat the last message those diplomats sent, just one more time for me. I¡¯d like to make sure I wasn¡¯t hearing things.¡± General Bruner grimaced, but kept himself composed and his posture straight. ¡°I believe it was ¡®The ratkin queen seeks vengeance.¡¯ That was the last relayed message before all coms were cut.¡± Riven took in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, turning back to the window one final time. ¡°I see. Are there any other rebellions or betrayals I need to know about?¡± General Bruner shook his head. ¡°No, my king. Dawn and Tereen remain in a state of shock but have had no uprisings or social problems occurring, outside of a few pockets of very upset priests from one of Dawn¡¯s temples. The elves were more or less beaten into submission a while ago and have caused us no problems.¡± Riven nodded then created a portal through Jackle¡¯s perk. ¡°I¡¯ll be back later. Keep things under control in my absence. Contact Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass if you need any help, though I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re rather busy themselves at the moment.¡± ¡°May I start things off with a retaliatory strike first, my king?¡± ¡°I do believe that¡¯s in order as long as we keep our losses to a minimum. Those Russian mafia guys have it coming, you have my full permission to utilize whatever forces you desire to accomplish this - but don¡¯t get too aggressive without me. That¡¯d just result in needless casualties, and they¡¯ve built up a small empire of their own from the reports you sent me. In fact¡­¡± Riven gestured to Athela. ¡°She¡¯ll be staying with you to help. That way I¡¯ll be sure your men have a real siege breaker in my absence. Crush them into dust.¡± Athela grinned widely with a clap of her hands and a giggle - and General Bruner nodded in appreciation. With a snap of Riven¡¯s fingers, his two other demons and Genua all filed through the portal - leaving General Bruner behind in the tower with Athela, a few officers and necromancers of the necropolis, and the sobbing colonel turned traitor. Bruner snorted the colonel¡¯s way only after a half minute of staring, then gestured to one of the guards. ¡°Get him in a cell, and make sure he doesn¡¯t ever see the light of day. Prepare the pilots for all able jets and helicopters. Have the drone fleets activated. Set up a perimeter around our lands on this side of Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole. Get me King Arthur Brix of Dawn on the line - I¡¯ll need to borrow some of his airships, rocs, and drake riders.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± The man replied, confused at the last statement the general made - but starting to pull Colonel Landers across the room with the help of one other man. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t my place - but do you intend to bring the entire armada? We¡¯re still recovering from our battle against Rippenvire.¡± General Bruner raised an eyebrow, and then nodded. ¡°We are declaring war, Captain Blare. Of course we¡¯re using the entire fleet, those Romanovs have it coming. Who was it that said - and I quote: ¡®I know not what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones¡¯?¡± ¡°It was Albert Einstein, sir. And I believe we¡¯re about to find out what World War 3 is finally capable of given our Queen¡¯s recent ascent.¡± ¡°That was a rhetorical question you imbecile. Now get that traitorous bastard in a cell and get me Arthur Brix!¡± *** Over the tunnel¡¯s usually guarded entrance leading into deepnest¡¯s main cavern swung two ghoul bodies, hung from the ceiling where they¡¯d been mutilated beyond recognition. Their skin was also marked with some kind of disease, almost like boils and pockmarks, aside from the deep cuts where they¡¯d obviously been stabbed numerous times. But the signet rings Allie had given them symbolizing a winged vampire skull each were worn on their otherwise stripped bodies - sending the message that these were indeed the diplomats of the Thane Necropolis. It was one of many symbols that Allie had been considering as a potential flag for their budding empire, but she hadn¡¯t decided yet and Riven honestly didn¡¯t care what she chose. Of more concern at the moment was the fact that they¡¯d killed the two diplomats. No other words needed to be spoken, he knew what it meant. The other thing that bothered him was that this tunnel was absolutely deserted. Usually it was bustling with trading caravans or at least had people posted here to make sure the traffic in and out of Deepnest kept a certain pace. But there were no guards, no signs of conflict, and only a few signs of recent passage. Moving further into the cavern that Deepnest resided in - the underground city that¡¯d once been absolutely bustling with activity was dead silent and without activity. Not a single thing moved down there, with the tunnel-littered mounds, buildings, scaffold roadways, lakes and streams all having been completely abandoned. ¡°They could have at least talked to us first instead of killing our people and abandoning the place¡­¡± Riven muttered under his breath, moving through what was obviously a hasty, scrambling removal of all valuables from the brood nests - one after the other. Scattered baskets of spilled food, broken crates of alchemy ingredients and textiles, and a few trampled bodies lay broken in the streets. He knelt down with Azmoth, Fay, and Genua at his back - waiting in silence. The body of the ratkin was half-skeletal, half flesh, with smoke-like tendrils of green wafting off its body. It smelled horrid, and when Riven got close enough to reach out and touch the broken creature¡¯s corpse - his skin started crackling upon making contact with the green gaseous cloud. Riven¡¯s eyebrows furrowed, watching his vampiric regeneration battle the fumes. At one point even a bubbling abscess took form and burst, before healing itself over and draining away. It was very minimal damage, and quite disgusting, to the point that it was very likely other undead that weren¡¯t vampires could likely survive in the presence of the fumes for a while, but long amounts of exposure would no doubt kill the average person¡­ His mind drifted back to the two diplomats hung over the tunnel¡¯s entrance into this abandoned ratkin city, and his eyes widened. ¡°Those ghouls back there¡­ the bodies - they were afflicted with whatever is coming off this corpse.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Blight.¡± Fay stated, promptly nodding in agreement as Riven stood up. ¡°It¡¯s a rare type of undead, spreads plague. But because you¡¯re undead, if you expose yourself to enough of it you¡¯ll become immune. It won¡¯t actually kill you though. Even people with the Unholy Pillar can become immune to it, but that¡¯s a bit harder to do than being completely undead.¡± ¡°Those two ghouls looked pretty dead to me, and they definitely were affected by this.¡± Fay shook her head. ¡°They had a reaction to the blight but they were certainly immune to any lethal damage from it. Those ghouls were doubtlessly killed by something else, like the dozens of poisoned stab wounds. I promise you, your people have nothing to fear from the blight itself other than discomfort. Think of it like¡­ like having a mild allergic reaction.¡± ¡°Mild?¡± Riven mused, grinning slightly. He held his hand out over the wafting green cloud oozing off the corpse, and made a gesture to his exposed hand as another boil burst pus and re-healed itself. ¡°That¡¯s pretty painful.¡± Fay rolled her eyes and adjusted her witch¡¯s hat. ¡°Yes, mild! Because no matter how long you or any other undead sits in it, that blight isn¡¯t going to kill you! Those reactions to the blight will go away after you expose yourself more and more. And the reactions that living people have in its presence are FAR more volatile than what you¡¯re experiencing right now. It¡¯s believed, theoretically, that World Quest 1 - ¡®The Lich King¡¯s Plague¡¯ - is referring to this exact thing: Blight. The forums talk about how people on the outskirts of the lich¡¯s territory have sent in scouts and spies, and they think he¡¯s preparing some kind of weapon or army related to blight.¡± Riven¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Does Blight really make such an impact that he¡¯d try to spread it like a plague?¡± ¡°It IS a plague.¡± Fay corrected, booping him on the head with a finger and giving him a playful wink. ¡°The plague of undeath, created by followers of The Scythe back in the 2nd era far before this universe was ever created - with The Scythe being the first ever god of death. And yes, because when mortals die to blight they have a high chance of self-spawning as undead soon after. It¡¯s also highly contagious, and can be cured but it takes a significant amount of healers, priests or shamans to cleanse it from the population when it starts spreading.¡± ¡°Wait, hold on. You¡¯re saying that humans will not only die from it, but then spawn as undead too? Are you being serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m absolutely serious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very seriously not good.¡± ¡°Not good for the rest of the world! But your population is undead now!¡± ¡°No, MOST of my population is undead now. But we have three entire cities on the other side of Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole that are human-based. This could pose a very serious problem. ¡° Genua raised a hand to get their attention. ¡°Not to mention you need mortal people to feed on, along with the other vampires of Rippenvire who have not abandoned their pact of non aggression. If this blight kills all the living mortal races, then vampires in particular will be starved.¡± Riven froze at the thought. ¡°Yeah there¡¯s that too, though I doubt we have many vampires left after Gaia reported in with her slaughter right outside Brightsville¡¯s borders. And what about Genua? Is she going to have a problem by being here?¡± Fay shook her head. ¡°No, she¡¯s a thrall and is partially undead as it is by technical standards. She¡¯d likely have a more severe and painful reaction than you do, but would still not die from it after prolonged exposure.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Riven rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking around at the abandoned city with growing concern. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe they just got up and left though. Why would they kill our people and just move on? And for what? Because they were mad about Allie¡¯s change to the world so the took it out on us by murdering the diplomats? Our men talked about how they were seeking vengeance before they were strung up - but I don¡¯t see them anywhere and we¡¯d have seen them coming if they were aiming for Brightsville through known tunnels. And the dwarvish outposts went radio silent¡­ Do you really think they did it?¡± ¡°Attacked Charathigog and Reathian, the dwarvish cities?¡± Fay shook her head. ¡°Possibly, but they¡¯d have lost a lot of people doing it. The communications were probably cut off because it¡¯s so far underground and we don¡¯t have access to the communication crystal network we¡¯d set up through Deepnest¡¯s territory. We had large garrisons in each dwarvish city to maintain the peace and Allie had doubled it recently because of unauthorized raids on dwarvish civilians by hostile ratkin. My guess is that the ratkin just cut their ties and ran.¡± ¡°Because they know they can¡¯t win in an all out fight against us?¡± ¡°Yes. They knew it would be suicidal to fight out youright, and the same can probably be said for Allie too now since she just took the number 1 power ranking.¡± ¡°That still doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Riven argued. ¡°Why abandon everything you¡¯ve ever known? Where would they even go? I wasn¡¯t going to attack them to begin with until they murdered our men and hung their bodies as a sign. Their behavior is very rash, especially without any chance for diplomacy.¡± ¡°They were just turned into plagued abominations.¡± Genua stated with her hands clasped in front of her, red eyes staring at the broken corpse on the ground. ¡°Of course they¡¯re angry. Angry people to irrational things, and though Allie may not have been the direct source of their dilemma - she is certainly the cause of it. They want someone to blame for their misfortune.¡± Azmoth, who¡¯d remained silent up until now, abruptly shifted his stance and pointed to a bright ball of light hovering over a nearby building. ¡°What is that?¡± A blinding brilliance lit up the miles-wide cavern in an instant, and the entire city of Deepnest exploded with a shuddering boom. *** Genua managed to get the incantation and knelt in prayer just in time for Riven to accept it before the shockwave of raging energy crashed into their party like a tidal wave. Azmoth¡¯s hellfire barrier held for only a brief two seconds before being crushed underneath the absolute magnitude of a city-destroying blast that tore the cavern¡¯s ceiling and floor apart like wood into a grinder. Her body immediately burned a bright red and she stood helplessly rooted in place as Riven, Azmoth, and Fay were swept away. Genua saw Fay scream before her body was ripped apart - no doubt being banished to the nether realms a split second later. Azmoth got lost in the swirling storm of debris and thundering energy only a moment later, and Riven was flung into a similar direction so fast that it looked like he¡¯d been shot out of a cannon. Then, she was alone. Genua¡¯s heart thundered in her chest, and she remained in her position of prayer, head bowed and blood mana swirling about her in an impassible, protective layer that covered her entire body. The ground underneath her tore and ripped, the winds about her howled, and hundreds of thousands of pieces of rubble collided with her in a maelstrom that lasted for nearly twelve seconds without pause. She¡¯d been only a split second away from death, and both she and her unborn child had barely managed to come out alive. That thought alone had her adrenaline spiking, and she honestly couldn¡¯t thank Riven enough. This power was on the magnitude of his own when he¡¯d destroyed Daskus. He¡¯d knowingly taken the hit to save her life at the risk of his own due to the miracle increasing his own damage taken by an unknown amount. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, and soon the storm had passed - leaving a smoldering crater twice the size the cavern had originally been in place of what had once been Deepnest. The floor beneath her boiled with magma from the sheer heat of the energy used, every single building was long gone, and both Riven and Azmoth were nowhere to be seen. She was alone, in a hellscape created by magic of some variety in a likely attempt to assassinate Riven or his sister. Genua could only hope that the Ratkin hadn¡¯t succeeded, and not knowing where to even start looking in this vast sea of smoldering, melted rock - she began to call out Riven¡¯s name when she quickly stopped and dropped to the floor from her floating position. Hiding behind a cooling mound of raised stone and gritting her teeth while her flesh began to burn, she watched in horror as dozens of figures started racing out over the edge of a hill that¡¯d somehow been protected from the blast - and if she was right, was also the likely origin of said blast. There were too many for her to handle, and she was at a loss for what to do. *** Gluttony began to stir in Riven¡¯s soul. The primal hunger it experienced at all times began to rise up as it watched its host have high quality, mana-suppressing shackles placed along his wrists and ankles; before Riven was dragged off by a warband of blighted ratkin in a rush of scampering feet. Clouds of plague left trails in their wake, and the undead creatures soon took to the tunnels with their prisoner being dragged unceremoniously along with them. The great maw may be weakened by an indescribable amount by what he was about to do, but such was the price of freedom. Too long had Gluttony and his brethren been trapped, shut away from the light. Too long had he fed off nothing but hope that one day, one day he would finally find the vessel to bring him back. Back from being a mere shadow of the monster that had once terrorized the cosmos, the monster that had once devoured entire pantheons of gods. Back when the sins and commandments had been free. The multiverse would once more know fear. Gluttony stared at the last piece of Riven¡¯s fragmented soul, the last shard that had yet to be placed, and gingerly held it with building glee. This was merely a reset button, that was all. Per Elysium¡¯s contract, Gluttony would lose most of his power and knowledge while inhabiting a host and would have to level up through the ranks just like everyone else. But it was worth it. It was oh, so worth it! It was a new chance at life. ¡°Take me to your leader¡­ My unwitting servants¡­¡± Gluttony whispered into the abyss while watching the ratkin who were unknowingly delivering a catastrophe in the form of a prisoner to their people, finally placing that very last piece into place - finally having finished rebuilding the damage Elysium¡¯s tribulation had done. ¡°Take me to your people¡­ For it has been too long that I have truly tasted flesh. One day, far into the future, it will be marked down in the history books that it was this day, here on Panu, that Gluttony finally returned. That it was Gluttony who was the first of the original sins to claw his way back out of the abyss. And that it was here in the underdark of the world that he finally feasted after millenia of starving, the first meal of many to satiate his hunger!¡± Chapter 242 Chapter 242 Sweat dripped down her skin. The molten cavern radiated hot energies even twenty minutes after the ratkin¡¯s ambush, and it¡¯d taken that entire time to find Azmoth even despite the connection they shared as co-minions under Riven¡¯s control. If not for that connection, she¡¯d never had found him in the vast desolation of what had once been the city of Deepnest. Genua¡¯s head remained bowed, hands steepled in front of her and only occasionally shifting at intervals for necessary hand gestures while chanting the rites of her Transfusion Zone miracle. Blood divinity swirled around her like a thick mist of red, and the crimson runes along her skin flared brightly while her eyes remained locked on the broken body of Azmoth in front of her. Slowly but steadily, the demon¡¯s large frame began to repair itself. Bones snapped back into place, metal plates that¡¯d been torn off now refused themselves to his musculature, the breathing became less ragged, and the caved in left side of his skull shifted into a more natural form while her healing miracle took hold. The huge maul on his left was shattered and embedded into the smoldering cavern wall, the enchantments on it broken, as was the shield that he¡¯d take the brunt of the initial blow with. She could barely make out the remnants of his items after they¡¯d been so thoroughly destroyed, with much of the molten rock behind the demon having even melted over some of the fragments. ¡°Little priestess¡­¡± Azmoth muttered in a guttural growl, prying himself out of the crater he¡¯d been flung into with a shower of orange-hot rocks as his fires flared to life around him. He shook his huge head, and gave Genua a nod of appreciation when she stopped her chants and let out a long huff of exhaustion. ¡°Thank you.¡± A clawed finger lifted and tapped the elf thrall on the metal headdress she wore, and he turned around to gingerly lift up the broken fragments of his maul with a sad groan. ¡°This is first item Azmoth ever receive. It present from Riven, and makes me sad to see gone.¡± Genua, who was still heaving from exhaustion and taking in slow, deep breaths, shot a glance towards the tunnel that lead out of the cavern far, far away from where they now stood. ¡°Azmoth! We need to save him! He was taken by the-¡± ¡°He not need saving.¡± Azmoth stated with a shake of his head, finishing picking up the pieces of his stone weapon - or at least what he could salvage from it - and chuckling with his head turned her way. ¡°He is fine.¡± Genua¡¯s eyes widened, and she took a step forward to point towards the way Riven had gone. ¡°NO! NO Azmoth he is NOT fine! He was captured!¡± If Azmoth could roll his eyes, he would have. ¡°Little priestess¡­ You have soul bond to master. You can feel how and where he is if try hard.¡± Genua furrowed her brows, hissing when she stepped forward again onto another hot piece of molten rock that nearly burned through the boot she was wearing. Sweat continued pouring down her face, dampening her clothes, and she wiped her forehead with a sleeve and threw her hands out to either side. ¡°What in all the hells are you even talking about!?¡± Azmoth looked confused. ¡°You really not know?¡± ¡°Know what!?¡± ¡°Focusing on soul bond allow to feel master¡¯s presence. Not as strong as Athela¡¯s bond where she talks through mind with telepathy, but still strong enough to know he fine. He is awake, his soul very strong, and he that way.¡± Azmoth pointed downwards through the floor of the cavern and slightly towards the outer wall where the blighted ratkin had taken Riven¡¯s bound body. ¡°If he need us, he can summon Athela and me. But he not do that. He likely want me stay with you to protect you and unborn child.¡± ¡°They bound him with anti-magic! That¡¯s why he¡¯s not summoning you! I will NOT be left to take care of yet another child ALONE!¡± She stomped her foot into the ground, fists clenched. ¡°I can¡¯t. I just¡­ can¡¯t. I¡¯m already drowning as it is with Len. I¡¯m a failure, and I can¡¯t provide the kind of support they¡¯ll need by myself.¡± Azmoth tilted his head to the side. The large four-armed demon opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it shut again. ¡°If Riven not ok, why his power growing? I can feel from here. No, he summon through portal if he need me - Riven is one of strongest on planet. So we will go to surface, to make you and child safe.¡± With that, the large demon picked Genua up and flung her over one shoulder - much to the protests of the priestess, before walking out the opposite way they¡¯d come. It hadn¡¯t been anticipated that the ratkin could or would blow up their entire capital city just to strike out at Riven or Allie, but Azmoth was confident based on the connection he had that Riven would be fine. Though¡­ the feeling he was getting from that connection was certainly a little more sinister than the one Riven usually had. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world at that very moment: Kenji, the last man of the cultist group who¡¯d killed Athela, looked up from where he was carving runes into corpses with a grin. The dim light of the hidden cave barely illuminated the newly formed tattoos of the profane that littered his body, or the new limbs he¡¯d taken from recent victims to build himself up. While Nora Lang, the asian woman Riven had met all those months ago on the ascension of the pyramid in Chalgathi¡¯s Starter Quest, pulled a rapier out of her victim and pried the amulet from his quickly cooling hands in the snow. She saw the quest update in front of her as the five artifact pieces meshed together into a new combined item set of her own. It was almost time. [The Apocalypse Beasts, Chalgathi, Quest Update: Blithe Fullhandle has fallen in battle to Nora Lang. Nora Lang has acquired 5 of 5 set pieces for Chalgathi¡¯s Inheritance.] [All 10 sets for Chalgathi¡¯s Inheritance have been completed.] [World Quest 2, The Apocalypse Beasts: The death of this world approaches. Neckra, the Skeletal Devourer, churns in his sandy tomb amidst a sea of the unliving. Chalgathi, the Plague Dragon, awaits those that would free him from his skyward prison above the clouds. Chubin, the Glass Kraken, seeks an escape from the abyss beneath the ocean. The cults of the end times gather their strength and resources to try and find the lairs of their chosen apocalypse beasts. Should they succeed, your world is doomed. As one of the 3 Apocalypse Beasts born for this cycle of ascension, Chalgathi is destined for carnage. It is a creature of nightmarish power, a beast born of hate and malice. 5 years after the beginning of this integration a wave of destruction will spread across all the world on wings of decay. Empires will fall, billions will die, and the very ground you tread upon will rot and wither - for the plague dragon has finally awakened. However, there is an alternative to this fate: Stop the cultists from raising the plague dragon to his adult form, find Chalgathi¡¯s incubation chamber, and destroy or claim his egg for yourself before the 5 year period is done. You, Nora Lang, are one of his chosen ones, a final contender. You have acquired all of his artifacts: the amulet, claws, mask, pauldrons, and breastplate. It falls on you to act. In the beginning, there were 1672 with an unholy bloodline. There were then only 50 chosen ones to leave Chalgathi¡¯s Trials. There are now 16 originals remaining, 10 of which have collected all needed pieces to enter the next phase of this world quest. The chosen ones are divided into 2 categories: Cultists, and Non-Cultists, and you are all competing against one another regardless of what category you fall into. Depending on which of the chosen reaches Chalgathi¡¯s lair to successfully claim his egg, each outcome could have drastically different consequences with salvation or damnation of Panu. ] [Chalgathi, The Apocalypse Beasts World Quest, Panu, sub-event has been unlocked: The Altars of Despair and Hope. Chalgathi, the Plague Dragon, is the final of the 3 apocalypse beast to have his 10 item sets collected. Due to the unexpected and early acquisition of all 30 item sets across all 3 apocalypse beasts, including Chalgathi, the Plague Dragon, Chubin, the glass Kraken, and Neckra, the Skeletal Devourer - The Altars of Despair and Hope event has been expedited. You will arrive at your designated starting point for World Quest 2 within 3 hours from now. When arriving at your designated starting spot, you will gain the locations and access to Chalgathi¡¯s Altars. You will be required to visit all 4 Chalgathi altar sites and activate the shrines before acquiring knowledge of the location of Chalgahti¡¯s Temple where Chalgathi¡¯s incubation chamber has been hidden. There is 1 Altar of Hope where all Non-Cultists will arrive. There is 1 Altar of Despair where all Cultists will arrive for this event. There are 4 additional altars for each of the 3 apocalypse beasts for a total of 12 additional altars. The Altars of Despair and Hope are exclusive areas designated by the Elysium Administrator, where only the chosen of the apocalypse beasts who¡¯ve acquired the 5 needed artifacts, as well as abducted participants from across the multiverse, may enter. This applies to all apocalypse beasts, not only Chalgathi. Here at the Altars of Despair and Hope you will be divided into two groups: Cultists and Non-Cultists. There are 21 registered Cultists. There are 9 registered Non-Cultists entering this event. As previously described, the outcomes of this world quest differ greatly depending on which of the chosen acquire the prizes for these quests. Thus, cultists will be pitted against non-cultists when reaching these altars. Non-Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Hope, and Cultists across all three apocalypse beast categories will arrive at the Altar of Despair. It will be highly incentivized to work together with your given team upon arrival, and severe punishments will be handed down to those who intentionally harm any others within your own category while involving yourself in this sub-event of the questline. However, despite these punishments, killing your own teammates may be needed in different scenarios in order to make sure that it is you who gets to the temple first - rather than your peers. Here are the rules: Upon opening the altars in 3 hours from now: the next phase of World Quest 2, The Apocalypse Beasts will begin. You can expect to enter an alternate pocket realm at that time along with other various people, places, artifacts, and events drawn in from around the multiverse; and can be expected to be gone for approximately 1 year¡¯s time.] Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! *** The Amphitheater. An enormous place deep, deep down in the underdark that had once only been a refuge for the most devout worshipers of the old world¡¯s gods - ones that she¡¯d had hoped to escape with the arrival of the system, due to how brutal and bloodthirsty they were. She¡¯d even thrown the priests out of the city when she¡¯d realized their connection to the old world¡¯s gods were no longer as solid, and that they had limited power here in the new multiverse. And yet here she was, Queen Bez - a once rotund leader of what had once been Deepnest, matriarch of the blighted ratkin clans, having led them here in their time of need. Having led them in an attempt to restore to the old gods what had been lost - as a trade. She was desperate, as were all of her kin, to get their old bodies back. To remove the stain of undeath, the stain of blight, that would mark them as outcasts from the other ratkin of this world forever. Simultaneously she was eager to have revenge on the one who¡¯d caused them to turn into abominations. Even if it wasn¡¯t a direct strike against Allie, even if it was her brother instead. There would be vengeance for what had been done to the broods of Deepnest, for the agony of knowing what they¡¯d been cursed with. Forever they would be outcasts amongst their own kind, never again able to return to the swarms and homelands of the deep. For this: Queen Bez would have been happier if it had been Allie that¡¯d walked into that trap, but Riven was a very close second best. Many hundreds of thousands of their kin - potentially over a million; both those who had been outcast in the past, and those who¡¯d lived in the very center of the prosperous Deepnest she¡¯d taken decades to cultivate, were present on the large stone steps that stretched for miles. The enormous amphitheater had been a thing of wonders in the past, being built by an unknown race in an unknown time - a wonder of the world. A relic of ancient history long lost to the record books. No one knew who or why it was built, or how they¡¯d created such a large hollowed out structure such as this, but the fact remained that miracles cast here were always of higher quality; leading many of the ratkin scholars to believe it was the site of some great ritual once upon a time. That, or it¡¯d once been a place of ceremonial and sacred value - which in turn had been utilized to produce worship sites for their own faithful even prior to knowing how miracles actually worked by system standards. Hundreds of huge stone pillars held the cavern ceiling up, and packed crowds of murmuring undead ratkin whispered to one another as lines of hooded priests with metal staves continued preparing the ritual ceremonies at the bottom. Dozens of huge stairways leading from the top down to different flat platforms big enough to house small communities were present at a couple intervals, and at the very bottom in the distant depths at the very bottom of those stairs was a very large, singular, circular platform where the queen now sat next to some of the hooded ratkin priests she¡¯d once thrown out of her society. She had once been very large, very fat, and a black-furred beauty in her own right - but now she¡¯d been reduced to nothing but literal skin and bones with vomit-green eyes; with fumes that rose off her body as wisps of blighted plague. Yet, the priests promised they could bring about salvation if she just gave them this one chance to prove themselves. A chance to repent. The priests claimed they¡¯d finally made contact with their old gods, and that - if given proper sacrifice - they¡¯d be able to summon those gods back to Panu and into the Elysium system - so that they may bring about an end to the blight that afflicted all their bodies. She would see whether or not this was true. Silence overtook all the crowds as the bishop Prek bade Queen Bez to enter the pool of blood - directly in front of the large blessed ziggurat where sacrifices of their own kin were set in a row on spikes. Only this blood had a green tint to it, and it smelled like¡­ infection. A byproduct of their new bodies. Two hooded ratkin priests went to remove her cloak, and moments afterward Queen Bez felt her right skeletal foot enter the crimson bowl of liquid. The warm fluid engulfed her leg, and as she waded further in it engulfed her up to waist height. Chunks of coagulated cells floated about in a rather grotesque reminder that many had been sacrificed to perform this ritual, and she would not let those people go to waste. The bishop raised a hand skyward. With a flick of his wrist his scrying ability took hold and displayed a large magnified vision overhead focused on the ceremony so that all could witness the proceeding events. Candles burned around the perimeter of the ritual circles, along the blood pool, under the sacrificed bodies where the priests stood, and all along the low stone walls at the very back of the amphitheater next to the ziggurat. Head bowed, Bishop Prek too began to strip and stepped into the large pool of sickly fluids. He stopped short of Queen Bez leaving a six to seven foot space between them. He spread his hands out wide, as if to embrace her, and called loudly for all to hear through the scrying ability broadcasting the event across this amphitheater. ¡°Bez, Queen-leader of the Brood-Clans of Deepnest. It is me-my sacred-holy duty to serve-honor the one bonded to our ancient-long lineages. What is it that you-we wish to do here-now today?!¡± Queen Bez did not hesitate, and her sinewy, bony body bowed in reverence - hope beginning to build while the sprawling crowds of her people watched nervously from above. ¡°I wish to speak-converse with Rashi, the Great Winged Rat! I seek-find advice to cure-save our people-kin from undeath-fate! I seek vengeance on bat-kin fiends who curse-wound us!¡± Murmurs of unease and hope filled the amphitheater, but were soon silenced with a wave of Prek¡¯s hands. Bishop Prek held up both arms to the sky and lifted his eyes to the ceiling above. The beating of drums began to thunder out from the priests and priestesses of the temple at an increased tempo. ¡°It is known-seen that Rashi smile-grins upon us, and that he-he forgives. He has spoken-told me of his sadness-anger that we abandoned-left him in the darkened days-times of the integration, but is pleased-happy to see us come back! But a price-toll must be paid-given. Us-we must solidify our pact-deal with the great winged rat before he all-fully embraces us as the new chosen people! Are you sure-certain you wish to proceed?¡± Prek was genuine in his question. There would be no going back from this. ¡°Bringing old-world god will make you-you many enemies of new gods and pantheons. You must be solid-stone in your resolve, and must be willing-eager to pay the toll-fee of the blood sacrament.¡± Bez¡¯s eyes narrowed. She had no other choice but to pursue forgiveness, not if she wished to remain as a true ratkin instead of this new species they¡¯d all been transformed into. She didn¡¯t even know if the priest was telling her the truth, there was a chance he was completely making this up. There was a chance that this priest could be doing something else entirely rather than summoning an old god that many of their kin had decided was nothing but a farce - but her desperation to regain what had been lost was a counterweight to reason. She had to at least try. ¡°I am ready-certain.¡± Prek excitedly clapped his undead hands twice and pointed to the back end of the temple with a spit-laced shriek. ¡°BRING FORTH THE FINAL-LAST SACRIFICES! BRING FORTH THE FINAL-LAST VESSELS SO THAT THE FATHER-KIN, THE GREAT WINGED RAT, MAY SEEK THE CREATION OF HIS BODY-VESSEL!¡± The drums doubled in speed and the clergy began to chant in rhythm with the beat. Ancient words and phrases that even Bez didn¡¯t entirely understand the meaning of were hummed, chanted and sang by all of the blighted clergy present. And one by one, the blighted hordes of onlookers joined in. Their mouths moved as the words came to them, gifted to them from some otherworldly, foreign power, as the pool of blood tinted with green began to swirl with the intense and vulgar ritual. Four priests and priestesses exited from a hallway leading and built into the stone of the ziggurat¡¯s main hall. The four undead ratkin had long slender ropes in their hands and were pulling objects out of sight beyond them. Seconds later the pulling and yanking of the clergy produced four captives: Rashtalia - the tall broodmother of Brood Tarrow who¡¯d acted as diplomat to the Thanes. Snagger - the ratkin warrior who¡¯d first befriended Riven in the underdark. Mesha - Snagger¡¯s cousin and the smallest of the three. Then, finally, Riven - who was bound with multiples of suppression collars, shackles,and trinkets that would offset his absurd mana access. He was awake, though seemingly only barely - and he in particular another mana suppression rune carved into his forehead that wasn¡¯t healing. ¡°THE FIRST!!!¡± Bishop Prek screamed, slapping his hands into the pool around him while the chanting of the priests and priestesses grew louder - their metal staves beating into the cavern floor under the candlelight and shadows of the sacrificed ratkin held up on spikes. He pointed to Rashtalia, and the broodmother began to scream through her gag while she was irreverently dragged across the ground - kicking, sobbing and bound - towards the pool. Her body too had undergone the change, but she was still hyperventilating. Queen Bez couldn¡¯t tell what she was saying over the enthusiastic chanting and beating of drums, but she did note many of Brood Tarrow in the front lines of onlookers turn their eyes away in shame or revulsion. She knew that many of Rashtalia¡¯s friends disagreed with this, just as they had when they had sacrificed those now up on spikes during the first ritual, but Queen Bez also knew that it must be done. The gods of the old world demanded blood, so they would get it. ¡°THIS WOMAN-WHORE TURNED HER BACK-TAIL ON US-WE! BEFRIENDED BATKIN QUEEN-LEADER TO STAB US IN BACK!¡± Prek screamed as the woman was dragged across the platform towards the pool. The crowds that weren¡¯t chanting, roared in anger like a thunderous storm. Prek nodded his approval. ¡°SHE HAS FAIL-FAILED AS A DIPLOMAT-SPEAKER AND SHOWN-LED US INTO DISASTER WHEN OUR LEADER-QUEEN BEZ TRUSTED HER!!¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t entirely true. Queen Bez knew this, but she had to pin the blame on someone. She had to give focus to the anger and rage her people were feeling, the calls for war needed to be heard, and Rashtalia was one of a few targets she would pin this entire problem on in order to let her people vent their rage. Allie would eventually come after that, but only when they grew stronger with the help of their old-world gods. Until then the unrest needed a focus point. Two priestesses, one on each side of the temple platform, bent down with candles and lit a stream of oil that had been poured onto the ground. Yellow flame ignited, burned, and continued to burn a semi-circle tapestry of intricate runes, symbols, and diagrams that had been placed around the pool of blood. The firelight glistened off the naked bodies in the pool and blood they stood in. Four more priestesses all stepped forward simultaneously and waited along the edge of the pool while their individual servants took the liberty of taking their clothes off, revealing patches of fur on exposed muscle that occasionally lacked skin - or even bone protrusions that were sometimes not even part of the previously normal anatomy. After each of the four priestesses stood barren along the edge, they again simultaneously took a step into the shimmering liquid - tails flowing behind them. Ripples of blood moved along the otherwise flat silky surface as the undead ratkin women waded into the center to surround Prek and Bez at four corners. And just as the clergy pulled their violently struggling captive between two erupting pillars of flame to enter the centerpiece of the ritual, the four servants along the pool¡¯s edge at spaced out intervals to prostrate themselves. One of the clergy coming from the ziggurat ripped out Rashtalia¡¯s gag with a knife, while taking her forward, and she began to beg. ¡°PLEASE NO-NO!!! I¡¯LL DO ANY-MANY THINGS, JUST DON¡¯T KILL-SACRIFICE ME-ME! PLEASE DON¡¯T QUEEN-LEADER BEZ, WE ARE FRIENDS-KIN!!!¡± Rashtalia flailed along the ground, absolutely horrified, as her captors pulled her forward. Her hands and feet clawed at the ground inbetween the yanking of the cords around her limbs. Her heart was pounding wildly and the poor terrified ratkin woman shrieked, begging them to let her live. Then, as she was brought up violently and forced to kneel at the edge of the red fluids, her eyes met Queen Bez¡¯s own. ¡°Bez! Bez-kin please, please-please¡­!!!¡± The sobbing ratkin woman clutched at her pale, hairless stomach as she tried to contain her terror. She sniffled and choked on her own saliva amidst the heaving of her breasts. ¡°I¡¯ll be a good servant-kin slave! I am sorry-sad that I fail-failed to stop Allie-queen batkin from cursing us-we, but I did not know-see this could happen! Please-please, just let me live-go!¡± Chapter 243 Chapter 243 Queen Bez looked upon the ratkin woman she¡¯d once called friend with only a mild amount of guilt, but that did not stop her from what needed to be done. Even despite Rasthalia¡¯s begging sobs, and fully knowing she was using Rashtalia as a scapegoat and focal point for her people¡¯s rage, to maintain order over the angry masses. She stretched out a blood covered hand from the crimson pool, cutting the ropes binding Rashtalia with a slim clawed finger. The brood mother flinched but waited, hopeful, for her queen¡¯s final decision. ¡°I¡¯m going to think-miss on our time-places together, but your time-life has come to an end. Be quiet-silent.¡± Bez lifted her hand and engaged her magic, and Rashtalia immediately snapped her mouth shut as the rest of her body went rigid - muffling her sounds to a silent, shaking sob. Her lips still quivered and water continued to stream down her face from wide terrified eyes. Bez turned to the bishop Prek. ¡°You may start-proceed.¡± The bishop across from her in the blood pool nodded just once, as Bez¡¯s hand fell to her side, and Prek¡¯s came up. Rashtalia stiffened and was lifted into the air face up while her body became flat as a board and hovered over them, before settling down just a foot over the bloody bath. Strands of her remaining brown patches of hair drifted down gently around her, her breasts rose and fell faster and faster, and her eyes flickered back and forth to the six people looking down on her. The other priestesses around the pool drew themselves in closer. ¡°Begin the ritual-rite.¡± Prek said without looking up. The four priestesses all began to chant new verses in ancient tongues that they had memorized by heart, shifting their bodies forward in the waist-deep waters of the red and green bath under the light of numerous candles. Each held their hands up and out above their heads as the verses continued rhythmically, and their dead, green eyes soon began to burn with unholy flames. ¡°The sacrifice-slaves, and all others-kin who call on the great winged rat, must be bathe-bathed in blood.¡± Prek stated, and the naked bishop flipped the palms of his skeletal, clawed hands over. Rashtalia was immediately dropped into the pool and then brought back up via psychic power to hover a foot over the bath again. Turning to look at Bez, he walked around Rashtalia and put a hand on the queen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°May I have-take the honor of bathing-baptizing you, my queen-leader?¡± The bishop was reverent as he addressed her, and the sincerity of his reverence was apparent. ¡°You may-may.¡± Prek let out a low hum, ignoring the gagged exclamations and sobs from Snagger and Mesha, and dunked Bez beneath the blood¡¯s surface. He let the warm bodily fluid engulf both of them completely for a couple of seconds before bringing Bez back up. One by one Prek went to each of the priestesses and did the same with them. Each time the woman would come up and begin the chant again as if she had never stopped. Before long Prek submerged himself in the pool as well and came up dripping in the fine red liquid. ¡°THE SECOND! THE THIRD! AND THE FOURTH!¡± The drums continued to boom. The fire-drawn tapestry of flickering symbols about them rose several feet in height. The same ritual baptism was then performed on each of the other captives, each of them going rigid and floating above the blood-filled bath to be dunked and taken back out. Bishop Prek positioned each of them in a line, with Rashtalia first, Snagger second, Mesha third, and finally Riven as last. Prek gave another signal over the thundering drums, and each of the four priestesses chose one of the victims - starting to carve sigils into their chests while three of the four started to whimper and scream through the magics restraining them. The fourth though, he didn¡¯t react at all. Riven remained naked, hovering over the bath as the ratkin priestess cut deep into his ribcage and sternum with a jagged, rusty knife - not even blinking as blood continued to drip from the mana-suppression shackles, collar, and sigil already etched into his forehead. His red eyes seemed unusually dull, as if his mind was somewhere else, and if anyone had been paying close attention to the metal bands that were supposed to be keeping his mana restrained - they would have seen the faint, deep purple cracks creeping along the metal. ¡°GREAT WINGED ONE, CHOSEN FATHER-KIN OF US-WE!¡± Bishop Prek screamed into the air as the priestesses finished carving the necessary sigils into the bodies of all four victims - each of the clergy coming back to the first of the four live sacrifices and surrounding Rashtalia while muttering chants under their breaths. ¡°WE ASK-SAY THAT YOU COME BLESS-HELP US WITH YOUR GIFT-POWER! WE TAKE LIFE-LIVES FROM THE WORLD, FROM PANU-WORLD OF ELYSIUM, AND SAY-SAY THAT YOU COME-TRAVEL BACK THROUGH THE GATE-DOOR THAT BARS-STOPS YOUR GLORIOUS SPIRIT-SOUL! WITH THESE SACRIFICE-SLAVES, WE GIVE YOU THE GIFT-POWER AND VESSEL-BODY TO POSSESS! FIND US, OH GREAT WINGED RAT, COME-TRAVEL TO AID YOUR CHILDREN-KIN!¡± Prek made an upwards motion with his fingers as he spoke and six ceremonial knives slowly rose out of the pool, blades down. A blade went to himself, to Queen bez, and one to each of the four assisting priestesses. Each of them grabbed the knife by the hilt, following Prek¡¯s example and keeping the blades down against their chests with all of the women reciting the chant of the ritual outside of Prek¡¯s own personalized call to the old-world god. Bez chanted too, the words coming unbidden as a flare of unnatural, foggy green light erupted over the pool with dark brown eyes that glared through the veil of space and time. She shuddered under that gaze, even if she could not fully see the god¡¯s body yet, but the presence was certainly that of the divine. The aura boomed and crashed down upon everyone present, and the roars for blood became weeping cries for salvation as the masses lifted their hands and began to worship the divine being. But the ritual was not yet complete. Bez just stood and watched amidst her chants, dagger against his bare chest, as a terrified, blood-covered Rashtalia shook uncontrollably under silent sobbing while she hovered in the air between the six dagger-holding participants. ¡°HEAR ME WINGED ONE!¡± Continued Prek enthusiastically, throwing his arms up towards the giant green cloud overhead where a figure of a huge, demonic rodent was taking a spiritual form ever so slowly. Bat-like wings spread out far, taloned claws ripped out of its hands, and the torso elongated to unusual levels as the deep brown eyes grew wider and wider. The chanting of the clergy matched that of the five women in the pool of blood and soon the entirety of the blighted crowds, spectators of the ceremony, were doing the same and shouting out the chants in a synchronous, excited, thundering roar. ¡°Come speak-talk with your chosen ratkin and deliver us-we into your power-cold embrace! Let it be seen-known that I, Prek Zrof, bishop-kin and humble servant-worshiper to the old-world gods, am the one-kin the calls-summons you to me!¡± The bishop lifted his dagger high above his head and looked down at the stiff ratkin woman laying flat over the pool. The others followed suit, including Queen Bez, closing in to form a close circle around Rashtalia who quivered wide-eyed but could not speak under their gaze. ¡°Take this soul-slave as a sacrifice in your great-wonderous name, and let-see the calling be deemed-judged worthy-able of your presence! TO ME, GREAT WINGED RAT, TO ME!¡± Prek paused only a moment to let the queen speak the final words. ¡°To me.¡± Repeated Queen Bez. Prek let out a shrill high pitched wail, spit flying in all directions, and the six daggers swiftly descended to pierce Rashtalia¡¯s flesh. Rashtalia gasped involuntarily, her fingers balled up into clenched fists and her lips curled in a silent scream. Bez felt the woman¡¯s rib cage catch on the dagger before she withdrew it and stabbed her again. He and the five others savagely tore or stabbed into her thighs, abdomen, breasts and face with a flurry of dozens of brutal strokes. Prek was particularly boorish in his approach as he ripped into Rashtalia¡¯s gut and pulled out her intestines in pieces and chunks. Rashtalia¡¯s mouth opened and closed and she coughed up blood just once before daggers pierced her lungs. Her right bicep was carved off the bone and then her left cheek. Then with her last dying, horrified and pain-ridden gasps she saw one of the priestesses cleave open her entire rib cage and pull out her heart with a wicked set of claws to hold it over their heads on display. Then the brood-mother¡¯s vision went black, and Rashtalia¡¯s suffering finally ended. Prek reached out at the moment of death amidst the cheers and chants of the demon hordes, plucking Rashtalia¡¯s soul from her body as the limp corpse dropped unceremoniously - a destroyed bag of flesh, plunging into the blood pool. The tiny light pulsed in his hand and he lifted it up to the level of the sacrifice¡¯s heart, holding it there. Waiting. Yet, the visage of the god above them did not move. Prek soon whirled on the priestesses with a snarl. ¡°THE SECOND AND THIRD MUST BE TAKEN!¡± Without even a hint of reluctance the clergy all moved on, alongside Queen Bez, and began carving into Snagger next. His body purged and his huge muscles spasmed while he was held in place over the bloody pool. Tears streamed down his face and he gagged as his innards were ripped out, and his heart was eventually carved from his chest. Mesha came next, and the small, petite ratkin woman didn¡¯t last nearly as long as the other two of her friends had. She died quite fast, and her limp body dropped into the pool with the two other corpses - their souls being plucked alongside Rashtalia¡¯s own, with three little balls of light held in Prek¡¯s hands. Meanwhile the priestesses held up the three still-beating hearts of the undead they¡¯d so recently sacrificed - bowing before the visage overhead while it stared down at them, contemplating. The god¡¯s visage stretched out a clawed hand, and the bat-like wings extended. The visage moved its mouth as if speaking, but none but the bishop could hear the words it was trying to convey through whatever veil had kept it from traveling into Elysium¡¯s multiverse since the integration. Moments passed and the three souls suddenly shattered into a million pieces, soaring skyward. The hearts each burst into flames. A shudder, a ripple of power cascaded outwards from the place of sacrifices across the crowds. An extreme sense of dread overcame all of them just as a large black hole opened up far above the ziggurat in the cavern¡¯s sky. It was so black that even in the dark of the cave - it was a stark contrast to the background. More ripples of power commenced in quick succession and dark magic spiraled out of the black hole in a swirling mist of animosity that then settled upon the ground for the miles of space containing the amphitheater. The energy shook Queen Bez to her very bones and it was all she could do to stay calm while he remained in place. For the first time in a long time, she felt fear. Then all was deathly silent. Not even the splashing blood around her as she turned made any noise. She tried to speak and nothing came out. The wind, the chanting, the sound of drums were all gone. It was as if she had gone deaf, and the confused looks of the others clarified that they were experiencing something similar. ¡°Hello, mother of Deepnest. I have been expecting you.¡± The voice was crystal clear, masculine, and drenched in confidence. It rang out like a bell amidst the otherwise perfect silence and caused Queen Bez to whirl around to seek the source. But she didn¡¯t find it. ¡°Queen¡­ Bez¡­¡± continued the chime as she felt a chill upon her skin. ¡°I am glad my bishop found such a willing leader to finally call me back from the grave Elysium had sentenced me to, as this strange system had deemed me as¡­ unwanted. How peculiar, I must say¡­ but breaking through into this new multiverse was easier than I¡¯d thought - given the help of my clergy. And the help of yourself, for bringing such an amazing specimen to bind to, in the form of this vampire¡¯s body¡­ He will be the perfect vessel for me to possess after I devour his soul.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The candles all winked out. A tower of green flames then exploded downwards from the black hole overhead and condensed as it hit the platform right beside the pool of blood. The heat was tremendous and Bez had to shield her face, though thankfully it only lasted for a brief moment as the god¡¯s winged figure took a more solid form. He stood tall, just like all the statues of old she¡¯d witnessed in temples as a child. Two large horns, one behind the other along his snout, protruded like daggers. Long claws, a twin-set of tails, bright green fur and dark brown eyes. The ten-foot tall ghostly apparition seemed unstable though, as if the god was battling¡­ something¡­ in order to remain in this realm. He looked at his hand, bringing it up close to his face as all of the clergy around them prostrated themselves in reverence. ¡°I am the great winged rat, and I hear your plea.¡± His aura exploded again and toppled many of the onlookers throwing some head over heels by the sheer blast of force - and his black wings lifted upwards to either side as he flexed his muscles. ¡°My body will not last long in this form, Elysium does not want me here. It had left me as junk to be discarded¡­ along with the rest of my pantheon. But with this body¡­¡± The god gestured to Riven, and the vampire¡¯s bloodied, carved body shot upright and came to hover in front of the ratkin god¡¯s spirit. ¡°With this man¡¯s body¡­ I will be able to scoop out the essence of his soul and replace it with my own. After that¡­ after I bring my brothers and sisters from beyond this realm into the new multiverse, I will work to alleviate and dispel the curse you have been afflicted with - my children. You have all done well. Prek¡­ bring me the sacrificial dagger.¡± The bishop immediately scurried out of the bloody bath and knelt before the visage, outstretching his clawed hands to present a wicked, curved blade that the god¡¯s spirit picked up with one hand. Bringing the blade up to Riven¡¯s neck, and tracing the carved sigils and runes in Riven¡¯s chest with his other hand, the great winged rat¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Your name¡­ tell it to me, so that I may know the name of the man I have consumed. So that I will remember it, as an honor to your memory.¡± Riven¡¯s crimson eyes began to dull, the light fading from them to the point that they didn¡¯t glow at all any longer - and the god¡¯s spirit frowned at the otherwise lack of response. ¡°His name-identity is Riven Thane! He is king-leader of the undead-kin up above!¡± Prek quickly stated after realizing how the great winged rat was becoming irritated. The god slowly nodded. ¡°Riven Thane¡­ May your passing be as painless as possible, for the gift you are giving me - willing or not.¡± The god sunk the knife blade first, and very slowly, deep into Riven¡¯s sternum between a set of two pentagrams representing Athela and Azmoth. Blood began trickling down Riven¡¯s chest while he remained motionless and emotionless up until the point that the blade was buried all the way to the hilt - and then Riven''s eyes turned from dull to a pitch black. The god¡¯s frown deepened, and it tilted its head to the side in confusion - matching Riven¡¯s limp posture to meet the man¡¯s eyes when Riven¡¯s face began to smile. ¡°Do you find the end of your life to be¡­ funny?¡± The smile only spread further, and ends of Riven¡¯s cheeks split open to make it even wider as it literally came around from ear to ear. Musculature and bones were exposed and peeled back, and his vampiric fangs were joined by rows upon rows of similar teeth that began growing out of his jaws. Then, Riven began to chuckle - still remaining as a limp doll in the grasp of the god¡¯s power. The chuckle turned into a laugh, and the laugh turned into a screeching, crazed cackle - defying the god¡¯s spirit in front of him like there was not a care in the world. Riven¡¯s body abruptly shifted positions in space - closing the small distance between himself and the winged ratkin god by only an inch apart as blood began streaming out of his eyes and dripping down onto the floor below. ¡°Riven isn¡¯t home right now! But thanks for delivering yourself unto me so quickly, I¡¯d been concerned you wouldn¡¯t arrive in person!¡± The vampire¡¯s chest tore open into a huge, vertical maw as tendrils of darkness ripped out of his flesh - carving into the god¡¯s spirit and beginning to pull it in as the great winged rat screamed in confusion and horror. Riven¡¯s shackles burned away as his Mark of the Sinner tattoo expanded to cover his entire body within a split second - inking etched, black, unholy tattoos into his pale skin while two enormous auras crashed in front of the ziggurat. Queen Bez and the nearby clergy, including bishop Prek, were eradicated in an instant as the two powerhouses tore into one another. The ratkin god struggled and flailed, using its ethereal claws to cut away dozens of tendrils while Gluttony continued to cackle. Hundreds and then thousands of black tendrils crashed into the god¡¯s spirit, digging and burying themselves into the ethereal body and burning, tearing, and ripping the ratkin deity¡¯s soul apart while consuming it bit by bit. Gluttony was eating the god alive, and he shuddered with ecstasy as the ascended spirit was eaten before the very eyes of its ratkin worshipers. Ratkin that¡¯d been on the periphery of the initial blast came racing ahead, horror and fury engulfing them as they tried to assist their would-be savior with screams of desperation, but these too were swept away with a mere flick of Riven¡¯s hand - Gluttony¡¯s tendrils ripping out of maws in the floor that devoured the ratkin in moments - killing them in audible crunches that left them squealing before abrupt and bloody ends as their bodies disappeared into the abyss behind each of those ravenous mouths. Gluttony¡¯s black eyes then turned upon the masses before him, growing a third, vertical eye of similar black down the center of his forehead, and the unnaturally large grin on Riven¡¯s face ripped again as half of his head tore itself backwards to unleash a swarm of hungry insects that began tearing into the undead ratkin hordes. Carnage erupted across the amphitheater. The ratkin began to panic and scream as they began to drop like flies. Their bodies were being eaten and torn apart in bloody displays like corpses through a grinder while still alive, in the most undead-sense of the word, and soon the entire amphitheater for miles saw more and more maws tearing through space to devour even more of the creatures. Blood and bile sprayed. Bodies were devoured. Crowds trampled over their own as the blighted ratkin escaped through tunnels at the top or sides of the place of worship, or died trying to escape. And the snapping, gurgling sounds coming from the semi-solid spirit body of the ratkin god ended with a loud *CRACK* when one of Gluttony¡¯s tendrils found the soul core he¡¯d been searching for. The minor god shuddered, its form going limp, until it ceased resisting and was dragged into Gluttony¡¯s maw with a series of crunching sounds. Gluttony shuddered yet again as his swarms and maws continued devouring the fleeing creatures before him, and he reveled in the sense of being alive once again. [System Notice: Elysium¡¯s contractual agreement has been met. As one of the seven Original Sins, you are being allowed another chance at life. Per the contract: [Multiversal System Notice: To all creatures across Elysium, let it be known that the return of the Sins and Commandments is at hand. The first of the seven original sins, Gluttony, has been unleashed from the abyss. Other sins and commandments will be released from the abyss over the course of the next ten years as long as they are willing to abide by Elysium¡¯s terms. Let the Eternal War between the hells and heavens begin again, as the origins of angels and demons clash in the cosmos - unshackled, and unrestrained, seeking to return to the power they once had.] [Your level has been set to equal the symbiote partner you¡¯ve bonded to, and you now share a body with the symbiote host Riven Thane. Experience needed to level up simultaneously with your host has doubled. Your host has gained the title: Incarnation of Gluttony, Original Sin. Your skills have been reset to 5: Hungering Clone Maws, Tendrils of Sin, Devouring Swarm, Devour Energy, and Banshee¡¯s Wail. All of your previously banished servants will start at level 1.] [Both you and your symbiote host have grown to level 200, and have been stopped from progressing further into the E-grade until you each reach enlightenment.] [Your symbiote host has taken the Number 1 Apex Rank on the Power Ladder of Panu.] Gluttony immediately felt the presence of The Scythe, then The Blood God, and soon a plethora of other gods that numbered in the dozens, then hundreds, then thousands as the eyes of the multiverse shifted their attention to his position. What vultures they were, feeding off the accomplishments and worshiping of those lesser than they. Gluttony was nothing like them, and this ¡®great winged rat¡¯ - though only a lesser god - would not be the last of his kind that Gluttony devoured. Licking the last remnants of the ratkin god¡¯s semi-solid spirit off his chest, Gluttony banished their presences with a flick of his wrist. He abruptly felt the change in his memories as Elysium forcibly tore knowledge of rituals, spells, miracles, and lore from his mind - causing gluttony¡¯s face - or Riven¡¯s face - to scrunch up in pain¡­ but he let out an audible sigh of relief when it was done. He was not angry. He had been gone too long to be angry. Gluttony could only be¡­ excited, that he¡¯d found someone as compatible as Riven to host him - and groaned with pleasure when shards of his soul began slamming into his soul aperture that was intertwined with Riven¡¯s own. He was going to be whole again, and it was only a matter of time before he and his symbiote grew into a power like he¡¯d been once upon a time - long, long ago. He could almost taste the fear of the angels even from here, in the dark depths of this backwater planet, and another low chuckle erupted from his lips as his massive soul encompassed Riven¡¯s - beginning to feed Riven power with checks and balances on Elysium¡¯s end coming into play. One by one, portals began to form. Those who¡¯d been the strongest of his worshippers, his strongest minions, his strongest followers - they¡¯d been banished with him during the War of Eternum. They¡¯d all been reset to level 1, but levels certainly weren¡¯t everything when each of them had hundreds of body enhancements, perks, inherent buffs, titles, extremely high affinities, and natural strengths based on their racial aspects. Dozens, and then hundreds of demons that¡¯d once been banished to the abyss began walking through black gates and into the realm of the living. They breathed their first breaths for eons, opening their eyes with hints of excitement and glee as they turned to face the one they called master. ¡°What are your orders, Gluttony?¡± a slender, multi-horned woman asked through a veil of shadows that encompassed her body - white eyes lighting up through the darkness as she bowed low - setting an example for all the others as they did the same. ¡°We are willing and able to serve, and are excited to be of use once more. All hail the great maw.¡± ¡°ALL HAIL THE GREAT MAW!¡± The simultaneous chant from the hundreds of demons surrounding him called out in unison, from those big and small alike. Gluttony was pleased. He had nowhere near the amount of legions he¡¯d previously controlled when seeking conquest over entire galaxies, or when invading the heavens in the sixth era, but the ones in front of him represented some of the brightest talents he¡¯d ever had the pleasure of lording over. He stepped forward, and placed a hand on the shadowy woman¡¯s horned head. ¡°There is another by the name of Allie Thane¡­ She has a quest gifted to her by the system, that guarantees Elysium¡¯s protection from outside invaders. The catch is that we will need to conquer 80% of the planet in her name by the time the system integration finishes¡­ and I will be preoccupied with another world quest within the hour.¡± He summoned Allie¡¯s quest status information, but how and why he knew what her quest was¡­ was now unattainable to him. He¡¯d received the information prior to having his mind stripped by Elysium, and was doubtful he¡¯d be able to acquire personal quest information like this again anytime soon. [New system quest dispensed: Conquer Panu. You have been publicly denounced by the Blood God as an Apostate, have angered almost every vampiric faction in the entire multiverse, and have already been marked for death on the public forums by numerous other factions across your planet. Having instilled a deepest fear in the minds of the living, and having given hope to the sentient undead of your world, you are destined to be hunted down - or alternatively you will rise from the ashes of war as a hero to your people. Will you and your kind be eradicated from Panu¡¯s surface? Or will you conquer this planet and claim it for yourself? You have until the 5 year time limit of integration to take over at least 80% of this planet for yourself. If you accomplish this, you will gain Elysium¡¯s direct and absolute protection from outside invaders for an additional 100 years, will gain a shroud that stops other outside forces from scrying your planet¡¯s location for 500 years, and will allow you to reposition your newly conquered planet anywhere within the multiverse a single time at the end of integration.] The woman kept her head bowed. ¡°You wish for us to help her?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Gluttony stated simply, withdrawing his hand and allowing the woman¡¯s bright white eyes to look up at him in admiration. ¡°Find this Allie Thane, help her accomplish her goals, and wait for my return. Do not let her die, she is the sister of my symbiote host, and what pains him will also pain me. There is also a dungeon called Negrada that we will assist to establish a foothold back in the hells... Allie will have more information on the matter when you find her. Do this, and you will serve me well.¡± The black tattoos covering his body flickered with black lightning for a moment, sparking twice more, then his three black eyes began to form crimson centers moments later. Gluttony sensed Riven¡¯s presence begin to settle in from the slumber he¡¯d been placed in, and soon each of his eyes had a black sclera background with glowing crimson pupils. The maw along his chest began to fade, and messenger was extracted from his soul aperture - along with Jackal. A sigil of the great maw then appeared in a pentagram on his sternum, right underneath the pentagram sigils for Azmoth, Athela, and Fay. He equipped both Messenger and Jackal next as Riven began to form consciousness, and then looked down at his bare legs with a frown. ¡°One last thing before I go. Find me... some pants.¡± ¡°Some¡­ pants, my lord?¡± ¡°... Yes. Some pants.¡± [1 minute until World Quest 2 proceeds with the sub event: The Altars of Despair and Hope. Prepare yourself.] Chapter 244 Chapter 244 Porcelain masks, red flowing robes, and a swirling vortex of crimson that reached the sky. Seven monsters of ancient power. The seven elders of the Bloom Moon Requiem sat while floating meditative poses in a circular formation, facing inwards toward a globe of blood that was drawing from each of the thrall bodies their spirits possessed here on Panu. Each of these thrall bodies were slowly withering away, and the original souls to inhabit each of them were now long gone. Elder Thune and High Queen Nephridi glared at each other through the slits in the masks their vessels wore, the remnant soul fragments of each thrall rapidly deteriorating as the seconds ticked by - sitting almost opposite one another with other elders between them on either side. The tension had been high ever since Allie had killed Lord Justo Barimont, and it¡¯d almost led to a civil war. That fracture line in the empire was still there, but at least the background assassinations had come to a halt. And now with the introduction of Allie¡¯s new changes, it appeared that Queen Nephridi had bet on the wrong horse. Kathrine stood wide eyed in the trading compound¡¯s center, watching awestruck as fractal lines shattered the clouds overhead with red, crystalline patterns that bloomed and grew as the vortex continued to pour power into the ritual. She simply didn¡¯t know what to do or how to stop it, and when it was a unanimous decision of all seven¡­ There was just no stopping it on her end. Riven and Allie were both going to be very angry. It made Kathrine worry about her upcoming engagement, about whether or not he¡¯d blame her for not being able to stop it. ¡°You seem bothered, princess.¡± Elder Thune called from his floating position under the fortress¡¯s shadow. He turned his burning crimson eyes to Kathrine, and she nearly stumbled when his aura slammed into her. It wasn¡¯t that he was intentionally doing it either. It was just that, even despite his real body being back in another universe past multiversal boundaries, he was simply that strong - and he had to keep the gates to his soul open in order to maintain this part of the ritual. Thus, a passive glance could even kill mere F-grades such as herself if he really put intent behind it. Thankfully he wasn¡¯t doing so. ¡°I¡­¡± Kathrine righted herself, sweat beading down her face, and she shook her head while straightening and smoothing out her form fitting black dress. ¡°Y-Your excellency, I am merely concerned about the wellbeing of my fiance. I am certain he won¡¯t like what is about to happen to his sister-¡± ¡°She deserves what is going to happen. She was the one that so blatantly refused the Blood God¡¯s will.¡± Elder Thune interrupted her with an uncaring, almost demeaning snort. ¡°Pathetic really. To think one of our own would so flippantly discard what it means to be one of the blood.¡± Queen Nephridi, who¡¯d been glaring at the man opposite her this entire time, finally tore her red eyes off of him and turned to look at Kathrine with a little more grace than the other elder vampire elder. ¡°Child¡­ It is not something I enjoy thinking about either. But it is not as if we have a choice, and we aren¡¯t killing her. That in itself is a mercy, considering what she has done. Even if it angers The Scythe, our bloodline - Malignant Prophecy - is the most valuable treasure our empire has. It is what made us who we are today, it is what carried us throughout the hundreds of millenia to become a powerhouse of the multiverse, and it is simply not negotiable. We have committed genocides five times over and waged war on civilizations far more powerful than ourselves to prove to the multiverse that we will not tolerate others to lay hands on what is ours by birthright. We cannot allow our bloodline to fall into the hands of the Phantom Legions now that she has turned, or even the Reapers, and I have no doubt that both organizations are going to be digging in their heels to get to her no matter the cost if we allow this planet to exit integration without some means of a safeguard. Stripping her soul, even at the temporary cost of our own power, is a necessary risk we must take.¡± The sky above them exploded in a storm of red as two fractal patterns connected and merged, sending red shockwaves over Brightsville and causing the image of a blood moon to slowly take form over the stars in the sky. It began slowly, but began to grow in size and brightness as seconds and then minutes ticked by. ¡°And the Blood God wills it.¡± Queen Nephridi muttered under her breath, turning back around to face inwards towards the globe of red wicking away energy from the seven thralls each of the elders now possessed. Another messenger ran in, whispering into Kathrine¡¯s ear about Dr. Brass¡¯s repeated requests for information on just what was going on - but again she told the messenger to tell the necropolis it was nothing to be concerned about. It wasn¡¯t as if anyone currently present in Brightsville could stop what was going on anyways, and the sinking feeling she was getting in her gut only grew as- [Multiversal System Notice: To all creatures across Elysium, let it be known that the return of the Sins and Commandments is at hand. The first of the seven original sins, Gluttony, has been unleashed from the abyss. Other sins and commandments will be released from the abyss over the course of the next ten years as long as they are willing to abide by Elysium¡¯s terms. Let the Eternal War between the hells and heavens begin again, as the origins of angels and demons clash in the cosmos - unshackled, and unrestrained, seeking to return to the power they once had.] The system notification burned itself into the air in front of her with a shattering, screaming howl. The usual blue hologram text was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the gold lettering of Elite notifications, or the red of Legendary notifications. Instead, it was a deep black that seemed to suck in the very light around her like some kind of black hole ripped in space. Overhead and across the sky, the flash of a giant black maw screamed in triumph as the very planet rumbled around them. The air quaked, a cold wave of dread overtook them, and the sky flickered - even changing the blood moon¡¯s image in favor of a vast abyss where six other faded entities resided; each of them holding a unique but vastly powerful essence themselves. Just staring up at the maw and the six caged entities caused Kathrine to start seizing, hitting the floor while the floodgates of dark inspiration crashed through her mind and soul. The dark truths of the universe came and went as a fire hydrant trying to be forced down a straw, and it took everything inside her not to cry out as her soul aperture cracked and reorganized itself under the massive weight of an eons-old but mostly forgotten path. Then the maw, the abyss, and the presence of the six other original sins were all gone - fading away and leaving the world as it had been only minutes before. The elders all sat in stunned silence, and it was one of the others - a woman by the name of Elder Istiva, who spoke first. ¡°Did we just witness¡­¡± ¡°We did.¡± Queen Nephridi confirmed with a whisper, still staring up at the place the vision had presented itself while their ritual continued building. One of the other masked elders began swearing under his breath, and as the seconds ticked by - he voiced the one question that everyone else was thinking, but not saying. ¡°Why would it present itself here?¡± The clearing fell into silence. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡­¡± Elder Istiva said slowly, nervously cracking one knuckle with a cocked head, as yet another man began to cackle gleefully at the very idea that it might be right. ¡°Impossible.¡± Elder Thune promptly stated. ¡°The chances of that are-¡± He was cut off and stopped short of what he was going to say, when a tear in space ripped open before them. All seven of the stunned vampire elders watched in dead silence as a very famous figure from eons past that they all recognized from the recorded histories stepped through, closing the black gate of the abyss behind her. She was a demonic woman wreathed in shadow that covered her entire body, though somewhat tall for a humanoid, with indistinguishable facial features other than the seven horns around her head that formed a pseudo-crown. The bright white eyes lacked pupils, remaining drooped in a calm and collected manner - as if bored, and the deep-purple pentagram with Gluttony¡¯s maw sigil that drew itself onto her chest was a tell-tale confirmation of just who she was. She raised herself off the ground to hover up and then over the seven elder vampires, looking down on them and clasping her hands behind her with a satisfied nod. Large black wings spread out from her back, as if stretching them after a long time of misuse - and a long black tail sprouted from her backside to whip about in the air behind her. ¡°Yes¡­ This is where our eyes should meet. With me looking down¡­ on the rest of you.¡± No one said a word, each of the seven elders remaining in a stunned state of silence, while her bright white eyes continued to glow - radiating out as two beacons amidst the pool of shadows that created her body. Her identification information, etched in black flames, was mostly unidentifiable. [Lillith, Level 1 Archdemon: Unique ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. Commander of the Gluttonous Legions. MYTHIC.] She gestured to the ritual above them, and the sky shattered. The visage of the blood moon evaporated, and another shockwave radiated across the heavens as the seven elders each snapped out of their surprised trances to abruptly stand. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°YOU DARE!¡± Elder Thune snarled, reaching up with the thrall he now possessed - only to evaporate into a spray of blood and viscera when Lillith¡¯s tail snapped forward to make contact. ¡°Now, now.¡± Lillith cooed, turning her calm gaze upon the others with wings still outstretched. ¡°I know you are all quite powerful in your own right, I can sense it¡­ S-grade monsters or higher, the lot of you. But none of you are able to impose your true strength here and now, not on this planet, not under the watch of Elysium while Panu is still undergoing integration. There is nothing you can do here now that I have come, so it would be in your best interest to talk - rather than to attempt a poor and petty revenge. Because you see¡­ That girl you were trying to stripmine the soul of - she is now my charge. It may take another ten thousand years before I¡¯m able to match your raw strength as I regain my power, but if you know what¡¯s good for you - you¡¯ll all stay out of my way as I get there.¡± *** Riven sat before the great maw, a mouth that swallowed the universe as billions begged, screamed, and died. Planets burned, legions marched on the heavens, and angels were eaten alive by enormous, titanic demons and creatures of nightmare. "All is as it should be..." Riven heard the great maw whisper into his mind. "This is what our future holds..." The vision cut off, falling back into the black tattoos that covered his otherwise pale white body - becoming accessible for later. Notifications flashed through his mind, but they then quickly settled into the background of his status page for him to check later - as ones specific to the quest he''d been assigned popped up as priority messages. [Chalgathi, The Apocalypse Beasts World Quest, Panu, sub-event has been INITIATED: The Altars of Despair and Hope. A temporary pocket world for this event has been created. The Chosen finalists of Chalgathi, the Plague Dragon, Chubin, the glass Kraken, and Neckra, the Skeletal Devourer - Have all been sent to this pocket world to compete. Locations of Chalgathi¡¯s Altars have been marked for you. You will be required to visit all 4 Chalgathi altar sites and activate each of the shrines, as well as acquire 10,000 event points before being allowed to leave this event. Doing so will also give you knowledge of the location of Chalgahti¡¯s Temple, where Chalgathi¡¯s incubation chamber has been hidden. There are 21 registered Cultists. There are 9 registered Non-Cultists entering this event. You have arrived at the Altar of Hope, and are now registered as a Non-Culist. Killing other Non-Cultists will result in a decrease in your Event Points. Each participant will have their own set of unique quests that allow them to gain points and level up, only quests will allow level ups and XP gains during this event. Other rules will be reviewed again and in more detail after your first quest is completed.] [Chalgathi Cowl (Non-Cultist) has been added to your inventory. This is a soulbound item only you can wear for the remainder of this event, it gives you no stats or bonuses, but it marks you as a Chalgathi Non-Cultist to friend and enemy alike.] [Riven¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Other F-grade participants have been either voluntarily or involuntarily dragged into this event from across the multiverse. Unlike the chosen of this trial, they do not respawn 24 hours after death. You have been given the task of defending one of these populations. Your first quest is to travel to the marked quest location and save as many people as you can. Each person that dies counts towards a -1 Event Point. Successfully defending the town from the monster wave will result in +30 Event Points. >>> Time until monster wave: 15 hours.] Riven opened his red and black eyes, including the vertical one stationed on his forehead, with a deep inhale of fresh air. The crisp cold flooded his lungs and invigorated him, and it was with a shuddering breath that he let it all out with a slump to his shoulders. Just what had happened to him? No¡­ he remembered now. The memories etched themselves into his thoughts one by one, and a deep sadness overcame him when he thought of Snagger¡¯s recent death. That sadness turned to anger when he realized that Gluttony had intentionally let the ratkin die in order to get closer to the lesser god, and he turned his ire upon the symbiotic presence in his soul only a split second later. ¡°Do not be angry with me, Riven¡­ If I had not done so, if I had not gained the element of surprise and been in such close proximity to the overly confident god, we would have died too. This was the best, and only way.¡± A soothing sensation washed over him, and it was as if Gluttony had imposed his will on Riven to calm him down. Despite knowing this, Riven decided this was a conversation to be had at a later time - and he let that soothing sensation continue to massage his anger away while considering just what he wanted to say about all that''d happened. He had a lot of questions. ¡°Riven?¡± Genua¡¯s voice pulled him out of his stupor, and Riven blinked while coming back to reality. He stood on a large flat-topped tower that overlooked a forested landscape that spread out in all directions for as far as the eye could see. The sun beat down on him, though his gluttonous ivory armor kept him from taking passive sunlight damage, and he noted that his helmet had been modified to allow his third eye to see through from his forehead. A thin but very well-made cowl made from a smooth black material also covered his helmet, with a dark green trimming and little holes having been custom-made by the system to let his spined central ridge of red feathers from his helmet through. Jackal remained in its canine form at his side, and he had a different, unfamiliar set of metal greaves on. Beside him were Azmoth, Genua, Athela, and Luke - his other thrall who¡¯d been watching over Len in Brightsville. Fay was nowhere to be seen, but she¡¯d also just died in Deepnest¡¯s explosion and he did a quick set of actions to pay Elysium for her return in 24 hours. Aside from his minions, there were also 8 other people (some of which had their own minions) standing on top of the flat roof of the tower - with a spiral stairway leading downwards in the very center of the tall building. They all looked sketchy as fuck in his oppinion, a mix-and-mash of wary stares shared between the lot of them - and a good number of them wearing masks or hoods to obscure their faces. Some wore heavy armor, others wore leathers or robes, and one guy wore nothing but a set of boxers with two orange, metal katanas in either hand. Weird choice of a getup, in Riven¡¯s opinion. But they all had one thing in common. Each of them had a cowl on their heads, over the original outfits they¡¯d put on. The 3 Chalgathi Non-Cultists -who were all humans - wore black hoods with green trimming, and had circular dragon symbols etched into the tops. This included the living fashion-statement bearing two orange katanas. The 4 Chubin Non-Cultists wore cowls made of silver material with blue trimmings, and had the visage of a kraken etched into their tops. These particular people weren¡¯t humans at all, but rather three of them were actually lizard-like Naga - with blue-green scales and frills along their necks and heads. They had webbed hands, the upper bodies were humanoid, and their lower bodies were that of a snake or sea-serpent. The fourth Chubin Non-Cultist was actually a mermaid with short green hair and a getup made of stitched scales and seaweed - who quickly changed her lower fish-half into legs and stood upright when Riven¡¯s eyes fell upon her. The 2 Nekra Non-Culstists wore sandy-brown hoods with teal trimming and an etched scorpion sigil, one being a short dwarf woman wearing half a dozen skulls around her waist with multiple undead golems positioned around her - while the second person was actually a dark elf with a black robe and a white skull tattoo covering half his face. The dark elf in particular held two well-crafted wooden wands out to either side, and had a single large phantom hovering behind him protectively. Dual-wielding wands wasn¡¯t something Riven had seen before, and he found the concept rather interesting. ¡°Riven!¡± Genua hissed, coming over to tug on his arm frantically with eyes wide. ¡°Len was left behind! Where is my daughter!?¡± This snapped Riven out of his musings, but they were all quickly calmed down when Luke held up a placating hand. The old elf thrall cleared his throat. ¡°Len is fine, she¡¯s at the manor now and was being taken care of by myself, Tupper, and all the other elf staff on duty. I must say that your daughter is getting along very well with all of the other deathtouched elf children we brought in from the orphanage today - but she doesn¡¯t seem to understand why she wasn¡¯t turned like the rest of them. Keeps asking me about why everyone on that side of the portal, and all the friends she¡¯d made at school previously now have gray skin and neon-teal eyes. I think she¡¯s jealous of them.¡± Len had been on the other side of Panu when Allie¡¯s event had taken hold, and the elves of Tereen or the children who¡¯d been orphaned had in many cases become ¡®Deathtouched Enlightened¡¯ versions of themselves. They¡¯d kept most of their physical attributes in terms of how they looked, but the coloring was often off and their death-affinities had skyrocketed across the board due to their now technically undead heritage. ¡°Are you sure she¡¯s in good hands?¡± Genua whirled around on Luke, tears in her eyes, clasping her hands together in front of her. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to tell her goodbye! I¡¯m going to be gone for a year or more and I didn¡¯t get to see her off!¡± The others on the tower were staring slack-jawed, wary, or even outright scared as they stared Riven¡¯s group down - with Azmoth and Athela¡¯s drider form both making very large and intimidating presences near the tower¡¯s edge. ¡°Len will be fine, Genua. Tupper is there and I¡¯ll let Fay know to pass along the message to her family, so her brother can then tell Len what happened.¡± Riven assured her with a firm and comforting hand on his thrall¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We can even have them give us updates that way.¡± Athela, who was covered in blood and standing at the height of a small building, turned her large frame around and groaned in irritation. ¡°I was just about to finish wiping out that Russian mafia family before being teleported here! You do realize I was in the middle of an operation with General Bruner from Chicago, right? RIGHT RIVEN!?¡± Athela abruptly changed forms into her blood-weaver form, the dog-sized spider jumping up into Riven¡¯s arms and rapidly swatting him on the armored forehead. ¡°BAD RIVEN! SEND ME BACK! BAD-BAD!¡± Riven immediately encased her entire body in crimson ice, walked over to the edge as she continued to screech muffled insults through the magic, and dropped the frozen block of spider off the edge while giving her a salute and a chuckle. Azmoth joined in on the laughter, waving at the disappearing spider as she went. Her screams faded away and he turned back to the others, before his eyes settled on a single familiar figure wearing another Chalgathi hood nearby. Slowly he lifted an eyebrow, tilted his head, and his jaw began to drop as the woman meekly waved back. She wore a black leather outfit, with her own Chalgathi-items set having turned into something of a rogue¡¯s outfit with spiked-knuckle leather gloves that went up to her shoulders. Her dragon amulet had remained the same as it¡¯d originally been, her headdress poked out the front of her cowl and looked very native-american-like with the feathers pulsing green energy, while a variety of different small blades were strapped to her upper body and thighs. He pointed her way. ¡°You¡¯re that Asian lady from the pyramid back in the pre-integration Chalgathi quest. Aren¡¯t you? The one who helped me get up to the top?¡± Her smile grew a bit, and she hesitantly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, though you helped me more than I helped you back then. It was a pretty brutal initiation back then, and if you¡¯d told me that you were going to become the most powerful person on this planet by the next time we¡¯d meet - I¡¯d have laughed in your face and called you crazy; Mr. Riven Thane.¡± Chapter 245 Chapter 245 The other Non-Cultists had quickly left, setting out from the tower towards their own destinations where their own quest markers were taking them. No one wanted to talk to Riven¡¯s group with the one exception of the asian woman who¡¯d helped him up the pyramid in the very first day of integration, no doubt due to the terrible reputation he had on the forums and the power he had to back it up. Riven, to them, was an absolute monster. He was a genocidal maniac. He was a mass murderer in every sense of the word - and they did everything in their power to even avoid eye contact when he caught them staring in the early seconds of having transitioned into this new Apocalypse Beasts event. ¡°My name is Nora. It¡¯s nice to finally greet you like this.¡± Nora, the asian woman stated with a smile underneath the headdress and hood she now wore. He took her hand when she extended it, and they shook firmly before releasing. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see a familiar face here, one that I don¡¯t want to kill.¡± Riven stated with a laugh while the last people left filed down the central staircase of the altar¡¯s insides. ¡°I¡¯d introduce myself, but it appears you know my name already!¡± ¡°Hard to miss with everything you¡¯ve done.¡± Nora said wryly in response. ¡°You¡¯re one of the most hated and feared people on the planet, and you have one of the largest cult followings too.¡± ¡°Cult followings? Are you being serious or is it a figure of speech? Like with Chalgathi?¡± ¡°No, not literally, but people on the forums are either die-hard against you or die-hard for you. There isn¡¯t much of an inbetween. Hey, what¡¯s your first quest? I think we may have the same one.¡± Riven chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s rather confident¡­ What makes you say that?¡± He pulled up his quest notification and showed it to her, only causing her to pooch her lips while reading. [Riven¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Other F-grade participants have been either voluntarily or involuntarily dragged into this event from across the multiverse. Unlike the chosen of this trial, they do not respawn 24 hours after death. You have been given the task of defending one of these populations. Your first quest is to travel to the marked quest location and save as many people as you can. Each person that dies counts towards a -1 Event Point. Successfully defending the town from the monster wave will result in +30 Event Points. >>> Time until monster wave: 15 hours.] Nora then pulled up her own quest notification, and a wide grin spread across her face. ¡°So¡­ What do you think? Partners for now? We can walk and talk to catch up on just what happened to us, and how we got here.¡± [Nora¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Tag along with any other Non-Cultist to defend their town for the upcoming monster waves. Your job is to successfully assassinate the enemy leader, as well as any enemy cultists that may appear with the monster wave. +30 Event Points for assassinating the enemy leader. Extra Event Points (+3 total) for any enemy cultist slain.] This time, Riven¡¯s eyebrows both rose -and he looked off into the distance where his own quest marker in the form of a bright light continued pinging him with flashing signals. Then he laughed. ¡°There¡¯ll be enemy cultists!? That sounds absolutely great. It appears we¡¯re already being pitted against the other side, and yes I¡¯d love to have you along. Let¡¯s get a move on shall we?¡± *** Gragle the gnome stared absentmindedly at the reflection looking back at him, little waves rippling in the cold amber liquid in his mug while people in the bar walked by. Two long scars across his upper right face only narrowly missed his right eye, but left ugly gashes of cursed energy that even to this day still hurt at random times. The once lively and joyous features he¡¯d had were long gone after having lost so many friends over the years to disease and system-spawned monsters here on the barren planet of Mesini, and not a day went by that he didn¡¯t curse the decision to come to this hellhole. The corporation he¡¯d worked for had gone under when the lead on ancient artifacts had been a bust. His way off the planet had been barred, given he hadn¡¯t found some other way to pay back the people who¡¯d given him a lift - and interstellar travel was not cheap. Not only that, but he was more of a magical artificer at heart and his skills had very quickly been deemed a need - rather than a want - for one very violent group of thugs called the Scrags Mafia. He had a very unique class, one that he¡¯d never heard of anyone else having before. One that let him see the most basic concepts of how skills worked. A way to cast abilities as something called: Graphics. Graphics were, simply put, a way to formulate the magic of thought into physical concepts by utilizing the base code of the system. They were how Elysium itself performed feats, they were how Elysium itself created all the rules, and were what some called the ¡®skeleton¡¯ of all other magics because they could be used to combine and alter spells to interact with one another in odd, and sometimes otherwise unheard of ways. They were most often found in high grade crafts, such as the applications he used for totem-crafting, but they could theoretically be used for combat as well. Gragle hadn¡¯t ever mastered the latter part as he was something of a coward, because graphics were generally a well kept secret amongst most of the multiverse factions who had even a hint of knowledge about them, and the amount of magic it¡¯d take to effectively use graphics in combat would have to be astronomical; but his skill in utilizing these graphics in his inventions had eventually led to his capture and pseudo-slavery here on Mesini. He let out a long and high-pitched sigh, given his small size, and the human barkeeper snorted in derision at the depressed gnome before heading off to get more drink for another of the scavengers who frequented this pub. The only joy Gragle found nowadays was deep in a glass of cold, amber ale like the one in front of him. Even the love he¡¯d once had for the crafting of totems, trinkets, magical weapons and armor were long gone. He¡¯d attempted to find something else to sway his wandering mind, something that he could grasp and find a love and passion for again - but he¡¯d been stumped on what exactly that could be. Not that he could stop working for the Scrags, they¡¯d kill him if he didn¡¯t produce for their outfit and had already tortured him brutally twice since knowing him. However he otherwise had the freedom of choice, as long as he kept up with the demands of Ronnie - the Scrags Mafia leader. He took another sip of the amber liquid, his short black beard dripping the liquid onto gray pants stained with charcoal and ash. There was a bit of blood there too, after having needed to sacrifice a few farm animals in order to properly create the two blood-attuned graphics that were now hovering as 3-dimensional objects over the scratched wooden counter. The graphics would occasionally shift shape, changing from one polygon form into another or sprouting branches here or there to retract them upon the next shift - but they each meant the same thing: Power in Blood. A man¡¯s grunt sounded out and the chair next to Gragle was pulled back, with a thickly built man in full silver plate armor - trimmed in gold - sitting down in it with a loud thud. Gragle didn¡¯t even bother looking up, ignoring the silent stare from underneath the visor. He gestured to the two graphics over the bar. ¡°There you go Ronnie. As you requested.¡± The armored man looked down at the two floating polygons, then to Gragle, then back to the polygons before taking them and putting them into a spatial sack. ¡°I told you not to bring these things out in public. You could be killed for the knowledge you possess, gnome - and I don¡¯t want you dead quite yet.¡± ¡°Feigning worry, are we?¡± Gragle laughed, this time chugging the entire mug of ale in five large gulps before slamming the metal cup back down onto the old wood and pushing it away with a belch. ¡°I would welcome death at this point. The life of a slave is no life at all.¡± ¡°If that were true, you¡¯d stop trying to find a way off this planet.¡± Ronnie observed casually. ¡°You¡¯d just kill yourself.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Gragle stiffened in his seat, and for the first time since the armored man had arrived - the gnome looked back up at him through squinted lids. ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡± *WHAM* Gragle felt his skull crack onto the wooden boards of the countertop, and many of the pub¡¯s patrons came to a standstill while watching Ronnie grind Gragle¡¯s skin against the rough wood. ¡°Remember your place, halfling.¡± Ronnie stated coolly as a group of men behind him chuckled with folded arms, all of them bearing the sigil of the Scrags on their armor or vests. ¡°Or I¡¯ll bring you down to the ringer and we¡¯ll go for a round three - hot irons included. Wouldn¡¯t want to shit those finely made pants of yours yet again, now would we?¡± The malice in Ronnie¡¯s words caused Gragle to flinch almost as much as the pain, and the halfling grunted when Ronnie¡¯s large, human hand removed itself with another violent shove. Gragle spit blood, and then a tooth as some of the Scrags¡¯ members laughed - only for a system notification to appear in front of everyone present. [Criteria met: Insignificant, lacking in Fate, high potential for re-route of Fate, and all below E-grade. Your Town, Mesini Outpost #84, has been taken by Elysium for an integration event on the frontier of the newly born Universe 62.] *CRASH* The sky rumbled and the entire building shook. People and animals from outside began to scream and yell, with many of the scavengers dropping their drinks to hide under desks - while the more practical ones took their drinks with them until the earthquake stopped a few minutes later. Ronnie, who¡¯d been holding on hard with both gauntleted hands to the bar, looked around at his four men and whispered something to them before shouts from outside caused him to bolt for the door. When the gang leader got there - he immediately froze and gawked at the sky above them. Gragle could already tell why, because he was looking out one of the dirty glass windows himself. Orange skies had turned into a pristine blue, and in the distance there were trees growing on hills surrounding their position on the outskirts of town. Trees? Gragle hadn¡¯t seen trees in over a decade! ¡°Wha¡­ What just happened?¡± One of the men further down the bar called out, his getup that of a typical scavenger with a gray cloak, various small weapons and a few packs strapped to his hip. The barkeep was the first to blink. ¡°I think we were just pulled into an integration event¡­ Read the text bloke. Elysium is at its games again.¡± ¡°Integration events are fucking dangerous!¡± The man hissed back, a little bit of fear in his words while walking out to stand next to the still-gawking Ronnie. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this! SEND ME BACK!¡± [Outpost #84 Quest 1: Survive the monster wave. Time remaining: 9 hours.] There was deadpan silence for a couple second safer than, and then an uproar took hold of the small town as hundreds of people began to panic simultaneously. Gragle on the other hand was a little less enthusiastic, remaining interested but less concerned about his own bodily safety. This was the most interesting thing he¡¯d had happen to him almost¡­ ever? ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Ronnie stated, sitting back down at the bar as another of his men in rat-skin furs sat down next to him. ¡°Shit! Shit-shit-shit-shit-SHIT! I cannot BELIEVE we were taken off Mesini for a life and death INTEGRATION event of all things! What are the chances!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what your sister kept saying when - OW!¡± Ronnie smacked the man as the others of his gang laughed. And then the door to swing open and all the room to go abruptly silent. The laughter stopped, Ronnie¡¯s head swiveled left and froze in place, and people all over the pub stopped drinking just to stare. ¡°That¡¯s an odd kind of magic you have there. Or¡­ is it even really magic? I¡¯m quite curious.¡± The man¡¯s voice was calm and confident, and when Gragle looked up - still clutching his bruised face from where Ronnie had smashed it - he saw an armored, hooded man in the doorway surrounded by a variety of other figures. The stranger gave off an aura of dread, not subtle at all given what was likely a very low or even negative Charisma stat, with two humanoid eyes and a vertical one along the forehead - all of them with deep black sclera and bright crimson centers. Spiked knuckle gauntlets of ivory metal, possibly even bone, covered his hands and led up to large, horned, vampiric skulls for pauldrons that also glowed a bright red in the eye sockets. The chestplate had a long vertical maw of shifting teeth, with red silk of some kind covering the neck up to where a thick helmet created from interlocking teeth at the front were also present around the head - along with the three eye sockets that allowed the man to see forward. Red feathers down the central ridge created something like a mohawk, while a black hood with green trimmings and a circular dragon sigil along the top covered much of his helmet - allowing the feathers to pierce through the central row through numerous small holes. [Chalgathi Cowl (Non-Cultist): This is a soulbound item only you can wear for the remainder of this event, it gives you no stats or bonuses, but it marks you as a Chalgathi Non-Cultist to friend and enemy alike.] Strange - the notification appeared immediately upon looking at the cowl without even attempting to identify it. What was Chalgathi? Gragle couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Was this man one of the participants for the integration trial? He had to be. Right? No one here had that high quality kind of gear otherwise. A dog created from shadows sat at his side, with a black and red arachnid on his opposite shoulder. A huge, hulking, four-armed behemoth of a demon stood behind the man - no doubt a very powerful summon by the looks of it. Especially in this area of the multiverse - Er, on Mesini, where only low-quality scavengers scrounging for scraps on the ruins of dead civilizations could be found. Another woman in a black leather outfit with spiked leather gloves, a dragon amulet, and a headdress with a similar cowl stood beside the man who¡¯d originally spoken - daggers strapped all over her body. Meanwhile, an old elf with red eyes and thin linens had one hand on a mace strapped to a basic-looking belt. Even with this odd mix-and-mash of strangers, it was the last figure that had made everyone in the room freeze the most: She was also a beautiful elf, but Gragle could only barely tell considering one of her ears was hidden under the locks of blonde hair she had. More than that, she was a thrall if his identification read wasn¡¯t being tampered with. She wore a very form-fitting black silk robe that almost looked like a long dress, with red fingerless gloves that came up her forearms and golden lettering on her ribcage. Two red half moons and a central full moon were sewn into the front of the fabric, with shimmering crimson tattoos obvious in the dull light of the grungy pub. She wore a very recognizable red headdress made from metal over the black silk hood of her robes, and Gragle could see people even outside on the street had stopped to stare at her in particular with a mixture of both awe and fear. What in the hells and heavens was a Priestess of the Blood God doing here in an integration event? Things were getting stranger and stranger by the minute. Gragle openly gaped, just like many of the others did, and then blinked rapidly when the armored man at the forefront took a step inside. Gragle¡¯s eyes shifted to him, watching the stranger casually and slowly walk up to him, before sitting down on the opposite side from Ronnie. Again, Gragle¡¯s eyes glanced back at the Blood Priestess, a cold sweat forming over his skin as his eyes darted around the room to settle on the man who¡¯d just taken a seat nearby - and his blood ran cold when the priestess followed in to take a submissive position behind the man in ivory armor. It didn¡¯t take much longer for the pieces to click together, even if Gragle¡¯s identification information couldn¡¯t piece much from the man¡¯s equipment or status information. It only gave him question marks when attempting, aside from that blasted hood, and the creepy three eyes the man had were certainly off-putting. ¡°M-master vampire¡­ B-blood Priestess¡­¡± Gragle said with a stutter, bowing his head low in respect to both of them and catching his breath while the sweat continued to accumulate on his forehead and palms. ¡°W-What an honor it is that a p-priestess and her charge wish to s-speak with me! What c-can this humble gn-gnome do for y-you?¡± His small body was literally shaking. And Ronnie - who¡¯d previously had his hand on Gragle¡¯s head, now had a firm, tight grip on the longsword at his waist. But from the rattling of his weapon in its sheath, and the wide-eyed stare at the priestess, it was obvious that even he was terrified. That didn¡¯t even account for the huge hulking demon in the background. [Genua, Level ??? Priestess of the Blood God, High Elf Thrall, ???.] The man in front of him seemed confused, and his central eye closed entirely as the helmet shut the vertical slit with ivory metal. A living suit of armor?! Gragle had tried creating one before, but it¡¯d ended in absolute failure. If he could get some time to spend with this newcomer so he could study it¡­ ¡°As I said¡­¡± The armored man stated before leaning right onto the bar¡¯s dirty, old, wooden ledge. ¡°You have an odd ability to craft¡­ whatever those polygon energy constructs were. Would you mind showing me again?¡± The barkeeper, a scrawny human man in his late 40¡¯s who was already showing signs of balding, adjusted his glasses and nervously shuffled back to grasp something from underneath the bar. ¡°Vampire¡­ We don¡¯t wish to have any bloodshed here. There is no need to-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend to kill anyone here unless they attack me first.¡± The armored man stated, continuing to stare Gragle down with a curious intent. He then held out a hand, and deposited a small fortune of Elysium coins on the counter - immediately shifting much of the attention off the priestess and onto the pile of coins. That kind of money could feed any man here and his family for months¡­ ¡°Drinks and food for my friends and I.¡± The stranger stated, looking up to where Ronnie was clutching his sword and hesitating on what to do. ¡°If you¡¯re going to take that sword out and attack, then get it over with. I¡¯m tired of waiting.¡± The modified hellscape brutalisk was already looming over four other men who¡¯d accompanied Ronnie, and each of them had backed up a bit from the ring leader with wavering breaths and magic flaring in one¡¯s hands. Ronnie shuddered, stood up, and took his hand off his weapon. He took one last look at the blood priestess, and left out the doors without a word - all of his crew in tow. Leaving Gragle all by himself, with a bruised face - and the attention of a blood sucker scion of some coven. A scion that, by some massive stroke of misfortune, had chosen to single out Gragle for the graphics he¡¯d had on display. Chapter 246 Chapter 246 Outside the small scavenger town was an absolute riot, with people coming out of their homes onto the streets and gathering at the walls to look out beyond the high stone barricade. Gragle nervously glanced at the blanching barkeeper, who only shook his head as if telling the scarred gnome not to antagonize the vampire, and he let out a shuddering breath when his eyes again landed on the blood priestess. The bar was clearing out, and half the people had already left to either get away from the bad omen in human form - or to see what exactly was going on outside with the integration event they¡¯d been transported to. Things like this were rare, very rare, but they did happen - and sometimes the moves were permanent. Most likely this would lead to a choice on whether to go back home or not at the end of the event should they survive, based on the history books, but there was no guarantee Gragle would even get back to Mesini after this. There was no guarantee he¡¯d live at all. ¡°Those polygons you saw are called graphics¡­ Have you heard of them?¡± Gragle asked, noticing the quest timer in the top-right corner of his vision that was counting down to the moment the apparent monster wave would hit. 8 hours and 42 minutes¡­ Gragle had a lot of questions when turning back to the strange armored vampire, but he wasn¡¯t about to be the one that asked. Who were these people and why were they here? There was no doubt the system event somehow involved them, vampires didn¡¯t exist on Mesini, so what were the details of this overall quest? Surely it wasn¡¯t just a simple monster wave, there¡¯d be no reason to transport Outpost #84 off world if that¡¯d been the case. Nevertheless and even despite his building curiosity, Gragle twidled his thumbs and gulped nervously when the vampire¡¯s companions all took seats at the bar as well - with the spider even transforming into a very attractive but deadly looking arshakai. ¡°He looks like he¡¯s about to piss himself.¡± The demonic woman said with a wink, throwing a sleek black arm around the vampire¡¯s shoulders and pulling herself in to sit on his lap. ¡°Poor little guy.¡± The man in armor blinked, took a cup of amber ale from the shaking bartender on the opposite side of the counter, and shoved the pile of coins forward towards the man insistently when he saw the paling human hesitate. ¡°Take it.¡± There was a pause as the barkeeper seriously considered doing so, it was an absolute fortune in Elysium Coins compared to what usually circulated around these parts, but he objected with a shake of the head. ¡°It¡¯s on the house, I don¡¯t want to offend a young master of-¡± ¡°Take it.¡± The armored man stated, smacking his hand onto the counter more forcefully this time. The barkeeper took in a deep breath, closed his eyes shut tight, and prayed to the gods that he wasn¡¯t being tricked into some kind of foul, malicious prank. He slowly reached forward and scooped the gold into a sack, sweat starting to appear on his forehead and along his neck. He gave the vampire a quick glance to confirm it was still ok, and then gingerly put the sack of money on a back counter before continuing to pass out drinks to the others. Meanwhile, the few people who¡¯d stayed in the pub with them all just simply stared in absolute silence. It was like a grave, with the aura of dread so palpable now that Gragle was beginning to have a hard time breathing. Just what was this man¡¯s charisma level at to be building up to such potent levels? He¡¯d only been sitting less than two minutes. ¡°My name is Riven.¡± The vampire stated casually, and took off his helmet - revealing a very handsome face with short brown hair. He had the typical pale skin that most would see on vampires, and the eyes were bright enough to be a greater vampire if Gragle had to guess - but those strange black tattoos¡­ There was something very wrong about them. Something evil, ancient, even malicious, and he didn¡¯t recognize the script. Gragle prized himself in having learned many of the ancient languages pre-dating the system in order to craft better totems, enchantments, and graphics. He was even specialized in unholy magics, and his affinity told him that these tattoos were something related to the unholy foundation. So it confused him that this script eluded him, and he outwardly cringed when the third eye on Riven¡¯s forehead flashed open to glare directly at him - opposite of where Riven¡¯s other eyes currently were locked onto the amber liquid at his lips. The third eye blinked, flashed purple for a moment, and the action made the gnome involuntary shudder. He felt exposed, undressed, bare before whatever that eye had just done - as if it was seeing into his soul to expose all the lies he¡¯d ever told over his life. ¡°Are you part of the integration quest, Riven?¡± Gragle hesitantly asked, needing to take in deep breaths while in Riven¡¯s presence. ¡°I hate to overstep, and if I am - I dare say I can be quiet, I just am rather concerned about being¡­ transported¡­ across the cosmos¡­¡± His words trailed off slowly and fearfully when Riven¡¯s face turned his way, and he flinched again when the blood priestess got up. He even held up his hands pleadingly when she approached, and quickly bowed his head in a display of submission when she stopped beside the vampire. ¡°Please don¡¯t sacrifice me! P-Please! I didn¡¯t m-mean to offend if I d-did anything wrong!¡± He began to outwardly shake, tears starting to form under his eyes that were squeezed shut, and Riven shared a curious glance with the others at his reaction. ¡°Little man?¡± Athela asked, knocking her knuckles on the top of his head and getting him to scream and flail out of his chair - smacking the back of his head onto the floor. He groaned, began to pick himself up, and then fell back down with a patch of blood underneath the contact point. *** ¡°That was an overreaction.¡± Riven blinked twice, and Gluttony¡¯s eye did the same before the great maw began to cackle good naturedly in his mind. ¡°Right, well we have a little less than 9 hours to shoot the shit while he wakes up - but keep an eye on him. I want to know what that ability was, it felt very unique.¡± ¡°I keep eye on little man.¡± Azmoth stated sagely, getting off his stool and picking the gnome up before setting him down on a bench nearby. ¡°I not get drunk from this anyway, not strong enough.¡± ¡°Azmoth I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you drunk before.¡± ¡°I get drunk with Allie once.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Ask her when get back.¡± Riven pooched his lips and took another sip as Nora laughed, and Genua took a seat next to him before clearing her throat to get his attention. ¡°Riven, would it be alright if I left for a while?¡± He stopped sipping his drink, which had a rather smooth taste if he had to describe it, and gave her a wary glance. ¡°Left for a while? What are you talking about?¡± Genua cleared her throat, and pulled up a status screen that was described as an ¡®Invitation¡¯ to the blood god¡¯s temple. ¡°I believe I¡¯m supposed to take some of my very first lessons soon with other, older clergy¡­ once a week I¡¯m supposed to arrive there. I also think they¡¯re wanting to talk to me about your sister¡¯s actions¡­ at least that¡¯s what the invitation implies.¡± [Invitation to the Blood God¡¯s Temple: Your weekly session of worship, combat training, and scripture has come about. Please access the clergy system and teleport in so that we may start. We would also like to discuss recent events involving a particular angel on your planet, and hope that you can discuss the things we show you with Riven after the fact.] It seemed pretty straightforward to Riven as well, and he waved Genua off with a nod. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Are you going to need me for this quest? Do I need to be back before the timer runs out?¡± ¡°No. Not unless things change. More than anything, you¡¯re probably going to benefit from their combat training rather than being here. I hope you can do some damage control on Allie¡¯s behalf.¡± Genua gave him a half smile and a nod, before pulling up another screen for the clergy she was now a part of. ¡°I will try. It will take a while to channel the teleport, so please don¡¯t let anyone bother me while I do it.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± With a click, she started to glow a dull red - and she entered a meditative state a moment later after sitting down on the floor in a cross legged position. Profane sigils related to the Blood Sub-Pillar lit up on the floor around her, and she remained absolutely still with her eyes closed while other patrons of the bar immediately got up to leave - casting her terrified glances. Riven found it a bit weird, but didn¡¯t know much about the outside multiverse beyond Panu and some of the Bloom Moon Requiem. It didn¡¯t appear that anyone wanted to converse much with him or his party, so he turned his attention to Nora after giving Athela a firm kiss with her fingers intertwined around his own. ¡°So Nora, tell me about what you¡¯ve been through! And everything else too! I don¡¯t know anything about you really, other than our brief time on the pyramid together.¡± ¡°That was a hellish time.¡± Nora stated, nodding sagely and taking a big swig of her own drink. The metal cup slammed down a moment later, and she gasped before gesturing to the barkeeper to refill it. ¡°Hits the spot. After you and I were separated, I was eventually given the ¡®Rogue¡¯ Class. Then it upgraded twice after I got out of the Chalgathi starter trials and my tutorial dungeon, and now I have a class labeled ¡®Viper Blade¡¯. I can imbue any weapon I have with poison from the Unholy Foundational Pillar, gain critical amplifiers from the Shadow Sub-Pillar, and am pretty mobile. I¡¯d ask you about your abilities, but I¡¯ve seen enough of you wiping armies off the face of the planet to know enough. Chicago where you wiped out the Azag, and then Daskus¡­¡± She gave him an almost accusing look, ignoring the other people in the room catching their breath at her words. He didn¡¯t even flinch, pulling Athela in tightly. ¡°I did what had to be done, and I¡¯d do it again.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes softened at the look of love Athela granted him, and she chuckled before taking the barkeeper¡¯s refilled cup. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t care. I¡¯m no saint either.¡± She took another sip, but Riven could tell she was only half-invested in the words she¡¯d spoken. ¡°You don¡¯t have to dumb it down for me. I know what it looks like, but the ones I love come first.¡± Riven gave her a sad smile, and then laughed out loud when the third eye on his forehead blinked - exchanging a quick set of words with Gluttony. ¡°You know, I¡¯m also the one that last system prompt was about. Maybe I am evil after all.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He gave her a wink. ¡°Last system prompt?¡± Nora repeated, swirling the amber liquid in her cup and glancing over her shoulder at Genua - who was still enveloped in a red runic circle in a cross-legged position. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific than that.¡± ¡°Are you able to identify me?¡± She looked up from her glass. ¡°No. Other than your name, and the red flames outlining it indicating your Legendary status. It¡¯s probably what everyone else here sees too, considering they¡¯re all lower level than we are.¡± He opened his mouth to speak, then thought about it. ¡°Check the rankings and tell me what¡¯s changed about my class.¡± ¡°About your class?¡± She did as asked, and clicked a few options before coming to rest her eyes on the screen. [26 billion current participants have been analyzed. The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] [Current Top 10 Native Participants:
  1. Riven Thane, Level 200 Pureblooded Vampire, Apex Rank, Warlock Devastator, Incarnation of Gluttony
  2. Allie Thane, Level 162 Angel of Death, Apex Rank, Primary Class in Transitory state, Hero of Death
  3. Judith Marcina, Level 180 Divine Human, Apex Rank, Angelic Fallcaller, Light¡¯s Beacon
  4. Aren Hrall, Level 163 Snow Giant, Apex Rank, Frostmange Berserker
  5. Retesh Vorath, Level 199 Corpse Lord, Apex Rank, Elder Lich
  6. Netithi Bluskish, Level 130 Naga, Apex Rank, Champion of the Kraken
  7. Chitter Teh-Sneaker, Level 137 Ratman, Apex Rank, Dark-Blade Assassin, Poison Master, Sneaky Sneak Sneaker
  8. Nithkik Brutishvase, Level 140 Dark Elf, Apex Rank, Depthdweller
  9. Thorman Bame, Level 158 Human, Apex Rank, Hammer of the Mountain
  10. Sinthil Tuk¡¯tuk, Level 168 Lizardian, Apex Rank, Wind Storm]
¡°Your class¡­¡± She muttered, then her eyes widened. It then clicked. ¡°Oh. Your second class changed. Wow, that was you?¡± Again Riven laughed, and he gave a nod. ¡°That was me. So yeah, perhaps I¡¯m just destined to be evil after all.¡± Azmoth and Athela exchanged a look, and Athela hesitantly scratched the back of her head before taking the gnome¡¯s old spot on the stool beside riven. She placed a hand on his own. ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize how big of a deal this really is. Either of you.¡± Riven, who was still smiling, raised an eyebrow while panicked people continued to run around outside like a turned-up ant colony - preparing defenses along the walls and shouting at one another or trying to organize. ¡°I can safely say that - No, I do not realize how big of a deal it is. I have no idea, frankly, and I¡¯m tired of larger-than-life things happening to me.¡± He held out a hand to count them down as the barkeeper nervously stood by, listening in on their conversation while polishing a glass and not wanting to keep them waiting if they needed a new drink. ¡°First came Chalgathi.¡± Riven stated, holding up one finger. ¡°I found out that actually - YES - magic is real! And was told about my unholy bloodline and my 100% affinity to the Blood Subpillar.¡± The barkeeper abruptly choked and two other people spat out their drinks before hastily going back to pretending that they weren¡¯t listening. Riven didn¡¯t mind. What could they do? And if all went as planned, Panu would be in a hidden state from the rest of the multiverse for many years to come should Allie succeed in planetary domination. That thought¡­ gave him pause. He¡¯d really changed since first stepping out of hell. He¡¯d become different, more than just jaded - but he just¡­ didn¡¯t have the same values anymore. He shook his head and held out his second gauntlet-encased finger - ivory metal over the top leading to spiked knuckles, and bloodsilk on the bottom half leading to his palm. ¡°Then I learn that I¡¯m a lost prince of the Blood Moon Requiem, a bunch of space vampires from another part of the multiverse.¡± More stares, this time - blatant. Many of them disbelieving, and others outwardly horrified - but no one daring to leave their seats this time. He held up fingers 3, 4, and 5. ¡°I am potentially granted visions multiple times from both the Blood God, and obtain a shard of Gluttony. I am told that the world is going to end of certain world quests that I am involved in aren¡¯t completed properly. Then my sister ascends, becoming an angel of death right before I become the incarnation of some ancient hungry mouth that won¡¯t shut the fuck up in my head.¡± The eye on Riven¡¯s forehead widened and pulsed purple at his words, and Gluttony exchanged a few sentences with Riven internally - getting him to laugh good naturedly while Gluttony shot him insults. Athela, on the other hand, looked abruptly horrified that he¡¯d say something like that - even moreso than the people around the room who were overhearing all of this. ¡°Not to mention I have Luteski, my inherited world to run where slave rebellions are rampantly killing other citizens - along with a bunch of greedy bastards for extended family that are making life hard as I¡¯m trying to better the lives of said slaves. I¡¯m technically engaged to a vampire princess that I barely know who¡¯s supposed to be working with me to make new bio-weapon children for the BMR with the gift of Malignant Prophecy. Speaking of which I¡¯ve accidentally knocked Genua up and have a kid on the way that I¡¯m not prepared for AT ALL! And what about Len? She basically hates me now because she knows I killed her older sister. Meanwhile MY sister is on a mission to conquer our planet, which has - from what I¡¯ve been told - basically made us priority target number 1 after or potentially even during the world quests. Oh wait, Allie IS a world quest now - isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s the target for world quest 7! So that¡¯s another thing I have to worry about. I also have to worry about a bunch of angry vampires across all of time and space tearing us a new asshole after Allie shunned the Blood God like a real genius - for which I¡¯m sure my lovely grandmother the queen is oh so happy about. Gaia is a thing out of legend back on Earth but - oh wait - she¡¯s real too! Angels are real. Demons are real - and it just so happens that I¡¯m actually dating two of them, with you specifically being an archdemon. Which I STILL don¡¯t understand completely. I mean, what makes a demon an archdemon anyways? I¡¯ve never been told so I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been so busy that I haven¡¯t even had time to think about, or even want, to re-fill my last demonic minion slot after Yattazi left when she thought I was crippled. Do I even want another demonic familiar after that? It left such a bad taste in my mouth that I really am not sure. Not that I¡¯d ever abandon Fay, you, or Azmoth - y¡¯all are great and I¡¯d die for any of you after all you¡¯ve done for me, but I¡¯ve been very hesitant to even attempt another contract since then. And if I DO fill it, what about Chalgathi? Isn¡¯t he, if I win this thing, supposed to be a wee-baby dragon that I can contract with? Won¡¯t I need that slot for him? Or does he not count as a demon? And if I don¡¯t succeed in this set of trials, then what? Will a cultist do it and lay waste to the world with a fully grown apocalypse beast? Will it be my fault then? What about all of the otherworldly invaders I have yet to kill? Even Rippenvire isn¡¯t completely wiped out and they¡¯re still hiding somewhere which is a problem because I¡¯m supposed to deal with them before they can call for reinforcements at the end of integration in 4 and a half years. I¡¯m stuck in F-grade at the bottleneck and Gluttony says his mind was selectively wiped when he connected with me for a new chance at life, so he doesn¡¯t even remember what kind of enlightenment the system is actually talking about for the E-grade bottleneck. So am I stuck at level 200 until then? What if that crazy rank 3 fallcaller bitch who¡¯s named us public enemy number 1 beats us to it and figures it out before me - then comes for us? Will the Blood Moon Requiem tell me how to do it or are they going to snub me after what Allie did? There are SO many problems and SO many question that I-¡± Athela smashed her pointer finger up against Riven¡¯s lips, sternly, getting him to shut up while leaning in to have her nose graze his own. She frowned for a moment, thinking of how to phrase what she was going to say, and gave him a sad smile. ¡°I know. I know you¡¯re overwhelmed, and I¡¯m sorry. But you shouldn¡¯t talk about Gluttony like that. Gluttony is¡­ he¡¯s one of the demonic origins. The 7 original sins are what birthed all demonkind, just like the commandments birthed the angels. I know that Fay, Azmoth and I have all been a little bit nonchalant about your communication with Gluttony, but please try to be respectful about him. You being the Incarnation of Gluttony is an astronomically important thing, and it appears that you and Gluttony have a somewhat friendly relationship from what I¡¯ve felt and seen¡­ but please. It would mean a lot to me not to talk about Gluttony in such a way that insults him.¡± Gluttony¡¯s vertical eye expanded its aura, sending out another layer of absolute dread on the nearby populace that caused many to gasp or fall to the ground in discomfort and panic. Athela shot the third eye, which was now flaring purple again, a brief and submissive look - before staring back into Riven¡¯s other eyes with a sweet smile. She put both slender hands on his cheeks, leaned forward, and pushed her soft lips against his with a gentle touch of her tongue on his. Pulling back, she pushed some of the hair from his eyes and grew her smile wider. ¡°It¡¯s a far bigger deal than you know, and I¡¯m proud that he chose you. But know that being the incarnation of one of the 7 original sins is a title that you and even I cannot truly fathom right now, and it¡¯ll be both a blessing and a curse as people across the multiverse try to protect or kill you simply for what you are.¡± Riven snorted, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and yanking her onto his lap - straddling him and getting him to grin teasingly. ¡°Is that so? Not much has changed then. It isn¡¯t like competitors in the Blood Moon Requiem didn¡¯t already try to kill me a couple times now. What I¡¯m trying to say is that when you say I don¡¯t realize how big of a deal this is, well - everything is a big deal. There are too many big deals to deal with, and I¡¯m tired of making a big deal about it all. Capeesh?¡± Athela hesitated, then snorted a giggle and slapped his hand away when he reached for her backside. ¡°Stop it. A princess can¡¯t be seen being groped in public!¡± ¡°That makes me sad.¡± ¡°I bet it does you pervert. Just because you¡¯re a vampire prince and Gluttony¡¯s vessel doesn¡¯t mean you get to get handsy with me.¡± She said that, but Riven could tell that she liked the attention by the way she was blushing and the avoidant smile while continuing to straddle him. Nora, who¡¯d been watching and listening this entire time, sighed in envy and put her chin in her hands. ¡°I wish I had someone to feel that way about me. Oh look! The gnome stopped pretending to be asleep.¡± Indeed, the two lovebirds on the stool turned and tried not to laugh at the small, three-foot tall man on the floor who was staring up at Riven like he had seen a ghost. His face was colorless, his chest was heaving up and down, and his entire body shook. ¡°No¡­ No, no, NO-NO-NOOOO!!!¡± Gragle got up to run, not even bothering to hold the back of his wounded head, and sprinted out the door before Athela¡¯s flick of the wrist sent a thin thread of bloodsilk his way. The red string latched onto Gragle¡¯s neck and yanked him back, pulling the gnome across the floorboards as he screamed and pleaded for mercy while bursting into tears. When the aura of dread from Riven¡¯s third eye increased, it hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by only Gragle; and what Riven was conversing about openly didn¡¯t help the situation either. Three other people had jumped out a nearby window and started running, the barkeeper had literally wet himself in a state of shock, two men had passed out from the pressure of his charisma and Gluttony¡¯s passive state of observation, and a woman was vomiting in the corner while shaking violently. The eye on Riven¡¯s forehead continued to blaze a deep purple, and the black tattoos along Riven¡¯s body began to shift and move as Gluttony made sure none of them were going to be a problem - even urging Riven to just eat them now to be safe. Yes¡­ Eat them. Riven nearly lunged out of his chair as a pang of extreme hunger overcame him, and his fangs whipped out - only for his own consciousness to pull him back to reality a split second later. He gasped, pushing Gluttony back down and internally scowling at the sin before a series of quick exchanges were made between them. Gluttony wanted to feed, and the hunger spike was so ravenous that it was all Riven could do to keep himself from getting up and ripping off the bartender¡¯s head to gorge himself. To eat the man alive. His vampiric hunger simultaneously kicked in, and his hand smashed into the bar - shattering a piece of it off in a shower of splinters while Athela looked on in concern. ¡°Riven are you alright?¡± Riven was not alright, but he focused on the woman in his lap - looking over her curves and athletic figure to offset the internal battle. To distract him. The tug of war between himself and Gluttony reached a climax seconds later, his heart rate until they settled on a singular thing: He would compromise, and he knew Athela was sturdy enough to handle it. His mind connected with hers telepathically only a fraction of a moment before his fangs slammed into her neck, and she gasped - clutching at his arm and shuddering in a mix of pain and pleasure before she was violently flung to the floor with the crash of wood. The sensations Gluttony was sending through him were too much to handle, and if he didn¡¯t do this now - he¡¯d end up killing and eating everyone nearby. Athela on the other hand seemed excited at the thoughts connecting the two of them - and she started rapidly removing her exoskeleton to expose bare skin along her body only a moment before her hands were pinned above her head; and Riven¡¯s form descended on her with his fangs sinking into her neck again. Her lifeblood pulsed out, and she winced as Messenger began to remove itself from Riven¡¯s torso while he entered a crazed, ravenous state of mind. Azmoth, who was now holding the sobbing gnome by his head with one hand, shot Nora an apologetic look when Athela let out a feminine grunt. ¡°I not know them. I sorry.¡± Nora¡¯s eyebrows had climbed to the ceiling, and sipping on her drink - watched unapologetically while the two bodies on the floor repeatedly connected with one another. ¡°I¡­ Uh¡­ I don¡¯t mind at all. This has actually¡­ turned out to be a lot more exciting that I¡¯d originally thought it would be. Drinks and a show, who would have guessed.¡± Chapter 247 Chapter 247 The compromise Gluttony and Riven had come to was that - yes - Riven would feed on something. Anything, really, and given Athela¡¯s incredibly high vitality along with her passive trait that required all three of her forms to die before she was only banished back to the nether realms - it made her an easy target for them to settle on. Even if it didn¡¯t necessarily fit the requirement for ¡®mortal blood¡¯ his vampiric side needed, it still satiated Gluttony¡¯s cravings when Riven began draining his lover - and it¡¯d very quickly escalated when Athela had mentally agreed to it on one condition. She, of course, wanted to make it kinky. Riven was already in a ravenous state at that point and he¡¯d satisfied both Gluttony and Athela at the same time, having literally thrown Athela into a nearby rental room for privacy during a moment of clarity between urges. After fifteen minutes of very rough and loud sex on a previously semi-clean bed, after having drank what seemed to be gallons of demonic blood, with a lot of hair-pulling from Riven and screaming on Athela¡¯s part; Riven found himself having finished and on top of her while she dug her nails deep into his back. Blood was everywhere. It was all over his face, her body, and the bed they were on. There were also bite marks all along her neck, arms and torso from where he¡¯d been draining her, but by the way she was shuddering in orgasm she¡¯d very much liked what had happened. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were into that kind of stuff¡­¡± Riven said, panting, only to get a forceful kiss after she groaned. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it!¡± She gave him a ¡®Duh¡¯ look. ¡°Please let¡¯s do that again.¡± Athela said, huffing herself with deep breaths of air and occasional shudders. ¡°I¡¯m serious. Super cereal.¡± Super cereal? Had she been watching Earth-based TV shows on Comedy Central somehow? He merely chuckled at the reference that he had no idea how she knew, and began spooning her - wrapping an arm over her shoulder and wincing at his own wounds that she¡¯d inflicted on him during the epic battle they¡¯d undertaken. Riven looked around at the mattress drenched in red, and let out a content sigh while watching the wounds on her body fade away - as if his fangs had never even been there. She put one hand on his, smiling and glancing over her shoulder with raised eyebrows - still breathing deeply to catch her breath. ¡°Fay¡¯s going to be jealous about this one when I tell her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Ooooooh definitely. Let¡¯s include her in the next bout.¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯d be able to take that kind of damage though?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ not that much, but to a lesser extent she¡¯d certainly like it. Plus we have some things to show you from our own time experimenting whenever you¡¯re not around you know - we have¡­ a plan!¡± ¡°That sounds ominous.¡± ¡°Very much so! Damn, I wish she were here and not still banished! She needs to stop dying!¡± They laughed and Athela snuggled up next to him, turning over and putting her head against his chest with an amused expression. ¡°How much time do we have left until we fight for the town? If the locals don¡¯t attack you first, anyway¡­¡± Riven pulled up the timer. ¡°A little over 8 hours.¡± ¡°Hmmm. Want to try again? You¡¯ll have to tell Azmoth that we¡¯re going to be busy. But we NEVER get time to do this because you¡¯re always getting into trouble!¡± She pounded a fist into his chest with a playful but simultaneously menacing glare. ¡°I want more Riven time! And that picnic was nice, but you never actually took me on a SOLO date like Fay had!¡± Riven clicked his tongue, and brushed away some of her black hair to put a hand on her cheek. ¡°You know what? You¡¯re right. How about we go get another drink, have another romp, and then find a good date spot here in town before the monster wave. Surely there¡¯s something here like a good restaurant, or a petting zoo, or something like that. Or we can just go explore together and buy you some new clothes!¡± ¡°Like the time we went clothes shopping in Brightsville!?¡± Athela¡¯s eyes widened in excitement, and she clapped her hands together before cackling mischievously. ¡°That was when I started crushing on you, you know.¡± ¡°Oh stop!¡± ¡°WHAT!? It was! I told my mom and the rest of my clan about how kind you were when you said I¡¯d look good in that dress¡­ It made me very happy to hear.¡± She booped him on the head with a finger. ¡°You¡¯re pretty cute, you know. I¡¯m a lucky girl, and my mom really, REALLY thinks so now that you¡¯re Gluttony¡¯s chosen. They want to worship you, or something. Don¡¯t give me that look, I''m being cereal! Do you know just how many system messages my clan has paid for to expedite communication outside the normal nether realm visits? And they¡¯re all useless messages too! Ones like ¡®Athela you a lucky, hot, crazy bitch!¡¯¡± ¡°There is zero chance your demonic clan sent that message to you.¡± ¡°I swear it on my princess tiara!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°Nope! That was my mom.¡± ¡°Doubtful.¡± ¡°Well, ask her when you see her next then!¡± Athela humphed and snorted, angrily slamming a long pitch-black leg over his own. She tucked it inbetween his knees to pull her body against his. ¡°Now shut up and accept it! And give me more snuggle time before we get another drink; like I said - I don¡¯t get enough!¡± *** Fay hadn¡¯t been happy, being blown up in the underdark in a painful and unexpected explosion that¡¯d blasted her back into the nether realms. Deepnests¡¯s detonation wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d seen coming. However upon arrival and after realizing that Riven was, in fact, ok¡­ she¡¯d first-hand witnessed through her connection alongside with the rest of her entire clan what was akin to a miracle. And not the type of skill, but a genuine miracle in the way one talked about when a one in a five-hundred-trillion chance happened right in front of you. Gluttony had been reborn, opening the way for all of the other sins and commandments to come out with it. The eternal war was at hand yet again as Elysium let out the trapped beings that¡¯d helped create existence before the multiverse had even been formed. The ancient armies of the hells were gathering their strength as excited waves of religious fervor crashed across the underbelly of existence, and the great maw responsible for it all had chosen Fay¡¯s own boyfriend as its vessel. The zeal once known across the great demonic factions that¡¯d made them so feared once upon a time was now at hand within hours, and her clan was immediately bombarded with requests for audiences from factions so far above their own that her mother Saemi had called for a complete lockdown of their nether realm. She¡¯d immediately banned any and all foreign entities from entering their home, fearing for their safety in a communal nether realm such as this, and had recalled all free-floating succubi and incubi belonging to the Sajovi Clan minutes later. First came shock, then came awe, and then an emotion Fay really couldn¡¯t place that washed over her like a flood as she sobbed and cried with tears that weren¡¯t necessarily happy, nor sad - but nevertheless came. Inside their castles, ziggurats and stone dwellings in the jungle existence the Sojavi Clan had created for themselves in this small pocket reality, the low to mid-tier information broker faction was already receiving bribes and threats for entry from other demonic forces that far surpassed their own power. Entities eons old with world-ending strength that would have never given the Sojavi Clan the time of day before, were now competing with one another for HER attention and leverage with her family. That, or they had more sinister intentions for one reason or another. Messages sent from Athela¡¯s own family painted a similar picture on their end, and they¡¯d already had to kill a forced invasion of their nether realm when one of their own had accidentally let in a parasitic ripclaw that¡¯d opened up their home to unwanted guests. Thankfully Athela¡¯s own clan was far more attuned to violence than Fay¡¯s was, so they¡¯d rather easily massacred the interlopers while offering the Sojavi Clan assistance if need ever arose. Most notably, the Church of Gluttony specifically had called upon her - by name - to make an appearance before them. The churches of sin were what most of her kind had considered fanatics up until now, attempting to piece together the long lost shards of the sins tiny fragment by tiny fragment over a never-ending expanse of multiverse that would have taken untold billions of years to complete. And yet those harbingers who¡¯d been touched by Gluttony now found themselves without their divine fragments, stripped of the opportunity to ascend with the great maw when it¡¯d chosen another, and she simply didn¡¯t know what to do. Was going to greet them wise? Would it be considered an offense if she didn¡¯t go? Or was it some jealous and enraged follower or group of followers who¡¯d taken it upon themselves to strike her down for her master stealing their opportunity - as a way of petty revenge? It was too early to tell. ¡°Fay!¡± Saemi, her beautiful mother called out to her with a frustrated and simultaneously exhausted scowl. Her shoulders were slumped, and she¡¯d just finished barking orders at some of the other blue-skinned clan members concerning protocols on outside communication networks which had been compromised. ¡°Fay, I realize this is a lot to take in - but you need to get ahold of yourself. It would be a bad look for us if other demon clans knew that one of Riven¡¯s - and thereby Gluttony¡¯s - bonded familiars and concubines was sobbing on our library floor in the arms of her sister! We need to maintain face!¡± Tupper, who¡¯d briefly left the elf child Len in the care of Gurth¡¯Rok back on Panu, glaring in conjunction with his sister Nitidi while Nitidi held the sobbing fay next to a couch between enormous bookshelves reaching far above. ¡°Mother-¡± Tupper began, but he was cut off with a sharp return glare from Saemi. ¡°Don¡¯t even start, you¡¯re already on thin ice with your father and the rest of the clan.¡± Saemi stated, rubbing her temple and waving off another group of incubi and succubi - letting her body fall into the ornate chair behind her. ¡°The only reason you¡¯re even being allowed back without issue is because you¡¯re also on good terms with Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation. You¡¯re still both my children and you will do as I say.¡± Nitidi was taller and slightly bigger than Fay, and she got up from the floor - unfolding her wings - and helped Fay up to her feet while the shorter woman sniffled and shook uncontrollably. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be this upset hun! This is a good thing! An amazing thing - even! Why are you crying?¡± Fay blubbered something unintelligible. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Saemi sighed while her two daughters and son took seats across from her. Then her face lit up with a wide but tired grin. ¡°She¡¯s likely in a state of shock. Not that I necessarily blame her¡­ The chances of this happening are nearing the margin of impossibility. To think that Elysium would let them out¡­ and that my daughter would be so close to the reincarnation! This goes far, far beyond being a prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. This is the difference between royalty and¡­ and I don¡¯t even know what. I cannot think of anything that would so equally compare! To say that I am pleased is an incredible understatement, but I am still trying to wrap my own head around what this will mean for us going forward as a clan and family.¡± ¡°Do you intend to let anyone inside to talk?¡± Nitidi asked, frowning in worry while keeping Fay¡¯s head buried in her side on the sofa. ¡°We¡¯re being requested by-¡± ¡°Do not think I don¡¯t know who and how many are requesting audiences with us!¡± Saemi snapped irritably, groaning, and leaning forward to put her hands on her forehead with fingers massaging her temple. She closed her eyes and let out a deep, slow, shuddering breath. ¡°Aside from Clan Razok, there is only one other I will allow access to this place. At least for now, until we are certain of who is truly on our side and who is trying to set up a power grab. Or worse.¡± There was an extended silence after that, all four of them staring into the ground amidst Fay¡¯s continued whimpers. ¡°Stop your sniveling, Fay. I love you, but stop it.¡± Saemi snapped eventually, but then regretted it immediately when she saw the hurt look in her daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°Eh¡­ Sorry. I¡¯m just on edge, I apologize. I should be thanking you for raising our clan¡¯s name, rather than lecturing you.¡± Tupper cleared his throat and clasped his hands in front of him. ¡°Clan Razok, being Athela¡¯s Clan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then who is the other?¡± Saemi¡¯s black eyes slowly raised off the ground. ¡°Lillith, of course.¡± Another long, drawn out silence overtook them. Tupper gulped, and he had to wipe his sweaty hands on his sides. ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯ll come here do you?¡± ¡°Why else would she request to do so, if she had no intent?¡± Saemi asked a little shakily. ¡°Of course she intends to come, and I will not deny her.¡± Nitidi hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be a problem¡­ do you?¡± Saemi shook her head. ¡°No¡­ No I don¡¯t. If anything, she¡¯ll be a deterrent. Even at¡­ what level is she now since arriving on Panu?¡± Nitidi pulled up a screen and scoffed in disbelief. ¡°Level 39. Didn¡¯t she just arrive on Panu less than a day ago at level 1? How is that even possible?¡± Saemi grinned, then laughed out loud while shaking her head and flopping back into her chair. ¡°It¡¯s possible because she¡¯s a MYTHIC tier creature. She¡¯s an absolute monster, a literal figure of legends passed down through the eons, and she¡¯s killed hundreds of beasts and enemies above her combat level on her path through the underdark towards Allie¡¯s location. Things will slow down when she hits the E-grade again, when it¡¯s less about numbers of kills and more about quality and insight, but even then I¡¯m sure her growth will be explosive. She and the others that were banished to the abyss, like the other generals and officers of Gluttony¡¯s legions, were some of the brightest minds of their time. All of their levels have been reset, along with many of their skills, and much of their knowledge was wiped - but what they do remember in conjunction with the system titles, attributes, and everything else means they¡¯re all walking calamities. I¡¯d be surprised if Elysium doesn¡¯t entirely change the world quests of their integration to incorporate it somehow. Or if it doesn¡¯t do that, it¡¯ll balance out their appearance some other way - as Elysium doesn¡¯t like things to be so lopsided as this.¡± ¡°Well, if she¡¯s on her way down to find Allie in the underdark¡­ Why would she request an audience with us now?¡± ¡°Because it won¡¯t take her long to find the newly ascended angel of death. That¡¯s why. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll only be another day before they meet, and Lillith is trying to play damage control for her lord on Panu while Riven is swept up in system events for the Challgathi quests. The Blood Moon Requiem is full of devout followers of The Blood God, Riven even has a thrall who is one of their esteemed priestesses, and Lillith just eradicated the ritual meant to strip Allie¡¯s soul of Malignant Prophecy from the highest ranking members of the vampiric empire. Lilith has to simultaneously try not to anger The Blood Moon Requiem because she knows that even if she can defeat their thrall forms on a newly integrating planet, even she would be crushed if they were to find her or her master in the realms of the multiverse given their current rank disparity. Meanwhile she also doesn¡¯t want to anger a potential ally, and despite Gluttony not being in any way subservient to The Blood God, Riven himself has not dismissed the priestess and even had her embrace the position. This complicates things. So does the involvement of the reapers, and The Scythe. Lilith will have to play a very political game here, maintaining Allie¡¯s safety from the blood suckers while trying to make sure she doesn¡¯t fall too far under the influence of of the reapers. At least, this is what I am guessing to be the case, as they¡¯ll likely use Allie¡¯s quest to conquer Panu and maintain a safe haven for themselves while Gluttony¡¯s core forces rebuild.¡± Tupper nodded in agreement. ¡°Makes sense. What about the Church of Gluttony? Have they made contact with Lillith? Or are they even able to do so?¡± Saemi shrugged in almost a defeated manner. ¡°We are not sure. It may be why the Church of Gluttony is attempting to contact us in the first place, they may be trying to use us to speak with Lillith or Gluttony itself. Fay, how long do you have before you head back to be with Riven?¡± Fay, who¡¯d calmed down and was shakily wiping her eyes, quickly went over her status screen. ¡°A little over 17 hours.¡± A knock at the door came, and the four of them turned their heads to see one of the lower-ranking clan members give a swift bow. The succubus was obviously nervous at being there, and specifically tried not to stare in admiration at Fay - given Fay¡¯s new standing as one of two romantic interests the Reincarnation of Gluttony had. ¡°Lady Saemi! Nitidi! Tupper!¡± She hesitantly glanced at Fay, not sure how to address her now with the new dynamic changes of the clan. ¡°Uhm¡­ Lady Fay! I am sorry to interrupt all of you, but some of our guests from Clan Razok have arrived.¡± The four of them abruptly stood, and Saemi summoned two more large couches when dark figures shifted into the nether realm around them from shadows on the floor. Clan Razok was entirely full of arachnid variant demons, of which it had a good number of different types - but they were all related to spiders in some form or another. Athela¡¯s mother, Vorindi, was strangely beautiful in a very sinister way. It was very close to how Athela looked - only slightly more menacing in her humanoid form. She had three pairs of mandibles coming out of the sides of her throat along a slit that likely opened up into an additional mouth, had smaller red markings across her otherwise pitch black and patchy white skin, and had four red eyes instead of two. Otherwise the athletic outline and the six blade-like arachnoid legs sticking out of her back were the same. Vorindi was also accompanied by four others: two very high-level enforcers that took the form of enormous, red, spined spiders which shifted in and out of existence; sometimes even in multiple spots at once using the same body. The other and last of their clan was the Clan Razok patriarch, a male dryder of dark gray skin - having the upper body of a very handsome drow man and the lower body of a large black widow. Vorindi looked to the patriarch amidst the awkward silence, and the patriarch nodded to Athela¡¯s mother to give her the stage with the clicking of mandibles. Vorindi then took a step forward, with the lower ranking succubus leaving the private area of the library, and shut the door behind her on the way out. ¡°Saemi of the Sojavi Clan, Fay of the Sojavi Clan. We of Clan Razok greet you.¡± Vorindi bowed low in a customary manner to both Saemi and Fay - no doubt taking the lead and being granted the first chance to speak here by their patriarch due to her abruptly heightened standing; considering she was Athela¡¯s mother, and Athela was the other one of two love interests concerning Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation. Fay was surprised by the immense respect shown her by the direct address of a demoness far above her own stature, still not used to the idea of what her position as a girlfriend - or in her mother¡¯s words, ¡®Concubine¡¯ - of Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation really meant. She in turn bowed low while matching her mother¡¯s own bow, but let her mother do the talking. ¡°We greet Clan Razok as friends, and hope you find yourselves comfortable within the nether realm we have built for ourselves.¡± Saemi finished her own bow and smiled warmly. ¡°It is good to finally meet you in person, Vorindi. I hope the incursion into your home was met with brutal and swift death.¡± The arshakai shook her head with a sly smile of her own, following Saemi¡¯s gesture and sitting along the couch while the three others of her clan remained in the back for now. ¡°The incursion was swiftly dealt with, indeed. Invading a nest of assassins wasn¡¯t the brightest idea those firebrands had, but they were also extremists from the Church of Wrath; so it wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. And the pleasure is surely mine. Do we know when Lillith will be arriving?¡± The others in the room shifted nervously as they thought about it, and Saemi retook her seat - motioning for the others to do the same while shaking her head. ¡°Unfortunately I am not sure. I believe she will be here within the day, but that is just a guess and I am entirely unsure as to an exact time. Would you like refreshments meanwhile? I¡¯ve been wanting to discuss our shared daughter¡¯s man long before he became such a prominent figure, you know how it is with us old gossipers!¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Fay hissed under her breath, to the amusement of her sister Nitidi and her brother Tupper. To Saemi¡¯s relief, Athela¡¯s mother Vorindi only paused for a moment to consider her words before chuckling good naturedly. ¡°Indeed you¡¯re right.¡± Vorindi stated, amused - clicking her mandibles thoughtfully while putting a finger up to her chin. ¡°I¡¯m glad our daughters worked out their differences the way they did, and it pleases me that they found such a unique summoner. As you said yourself, I¡¯ve been rather curious about the opposite perspective even before Riven became the reincarnation of the great maw¡­ I would have no qualms with sharing in some gossip while we await Lillith¡¯s arrival. So let us speak on it!¡± *** Outside the pub and on the streets of Outpost #84, Gragle the scarred gnome had been more than happy to get the hell out of there and away from the vampire who was a self proclaimed vampire prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. What was worse was that he¡¯d claimed to be the host of Gluttony, a universe-ending entity that many demons literally worshiped. If not for the presence of the blood priestess, if not for the ancient unfamiliar tattoos on Riven¡¯s body that gave off extremely potent negative energy, Gragle may have just blown them off. But when they were both present, and having been accompanied by a very recent multiverse-wide announcement about Gluttony¡¯s return, Gragle could only pray that the vampire was just playing some kind of sick joke on him. Because even as immensely unlikely as it was that the vampire was telling the truth, even as preposterous as the idea was, if Riven was the real deal¡­ Gragle and everyone here were in very real danger. That was even putting aside the fact that a blood priestess was here that would no doubt sacrifice him for bonus points to their god given a chance. So he¡¯d taken up the offer to lead Azmoth and Nora around town when they¡¯d asked to leave, none of them wanting to listen to the two extremely loud lovebirds in the other room. This was even despite the fact that Azmoth himself was incredibly scary to the gnome, and the reputation of Hellscape Brutalisks was not one to be scoffed at. Though after Azmoth had paid the barkeeper three times what he¡¯d been given earlier as an apology for Riven¡¯s actions, the large demon had - oddly enough - very politely taken his leave and followed Gragle out to explore the town. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Nora asked, ignoring the swarms of panicking people who were actively constructing barricades along doors, windows or streets in anticipation of a monster wave possibly clearing the stone walls surrounding Outpost #84. Gragle¡¯s head swiveled, ignoring the looks he was getting parading around a huge demon as well as a woman with an odd hood very likely related to the integration questline they¡¯d all been flung into. ¡°That? The thing with pipes coming out of the ground? It¡¯s a well.¡± ¡°For water?¡± ¡°Yes, we use magic to pump water out of it and into the four basins surrounding it. We just keep the basins covered to stop air pollution or soot from getting in, something that may not be needed as much now that we¡¯re not actually on Mesini anymore¡­¡± ¡°Mesini being¡­ what?¡± ¡°The planet we were abducted from for this stupid event.¡± ¡°YOU THERE!¡± A husky voice bellowed out over the crowds, and to Gragle¡¯s immense relief - a squadron of armed guards in leather armor wielding spears pushed through the crowds to stand in front of the gnome¡¯s two companions. It appeared that either Azmoth had drawn their attention, people escaping from the pub had alerted the authorities, or both had happened. Though Gragle had to admit, the feeling of relief and safety quickly vanished when reality set in. These guards wouldn''t stand a chance against a hellscape brutalisk, there was almost literally a 0% chance of success in a fight, but at least if a fight did happen - it¡¯d give Gragle a chance to escape during the carnage that followed. The guards seemed to be very aware of this too, but their eyes kept flitting towards Nora¡¯s hood that identified her as a system quest participant and a Chalgathi Non-Cultist. ¡°Ahem, sorry to bother you - but we have some questions that need to be answered.¡± The forefront man stated, likely a guard captain, while nervously eyeing Azmoth up and down. He turned his gaze on Nora. ¡°Is this your summon?¡± ¡°You betchya.¡± Nora lied. The captain accepted it readily, not willing to dig further into the matter as Azmoth hadn¡¯t started killing everyone on sight. For him, the equivalent would be like an average Earthling watching hungry tigers parading down a pre-school cafeteria while not eating all the inhabitants. ¡°I¡¯ve been told by the warden of this town to fetch you, along with the blood priestess we heard about, after reports from a nearby pub suggested you¡¯d know more about what is going on here.¡± The captain stated - regaining a bit of his resolve in the process. ¡°Where is this Priestess of the Blood God, if you don''t mind me asking? Is she still at the pub? And if it¡¯s ok, could you and your familiar accompany my men and I to talk to the warden? We don¡¯t have long before the monster wave of this system event hits, and we need to know all the details you can give us if we¡¯re to prepare for the worst.¡± Chapter 248 Chapter 248 [Judith Marcina, Level 180 Divine Human, Apex Rank, Angelic Fallcaller, Light¡¯s Beacon] The white dress clung to her skin like smooth porcelain, and the cold air filled each breath she took - her lungs expanding ever so slowly. She twirled a finger around her long blonde hair, glaring white-hot daggers at her Apex rank 3 position on the ladder with growing fury at having lost her position. Wings of golden light lifted up off her back while sitting in a cross-legged position amidst the rays of dawn - scattering brilliant orange-yellow lights across the tufts of white puffs she sat amongst. Far below her from her position in the sky, the bells for worship began to ring - echoing across the landscape. Thriving communities of those she¡¯d saved began to wake up, heading to the cathedrals all across the medieval streets - where the pantheon of light she¡¯d devoted herself to would receive their prayers. Fuel for growth. The gods were originally a strange concept to her after being faithless for so long, and it¡¯d taken a lot to wrap her head around them actually being real. Back on Zazir before the merger, she¡¯d only been a peasant girl working on her father¡¯s farm who¡¯d always blown off clergy from various sects as money-grubbers that sputtered nonsense in an attempt to deceive people via imaginary benefits. Now though¡­ things were more complicated. And she would use these newly born ¡®gods¡¯ as tools to her own end. They were in many ways both weaker and stronger than mortals. Weaker, because they depended upon prayer to survive - especially at this stage in their cultivation. At least that¡¯s how most of them survived, through prayer, but that also wasn¡¯t always the case. Already there¡¯d been countless new gods born on Panu, only for them to be snuffed out within weeks due to a lack of faith or worship. They were no more than spirits that couldn¡¯t survive without their followers fueling them. But those that did find worship, that were cultivated and grown, they were the ones that could change worlds. There were even stories of gods that gained bodies, or mortals ascending into godhood while maintaining bodies that did not need worship - but she didn¡¯t necessarily know all of the details between these different types of gods; and the newborn deities didn¡¯t know either. They had their own leveling and cultivation system to progress through before those kinds of secrets were revealed. Regardless she¡¯d collected three of them, three of these gods, all of them subservient to her. They blessed her land with bountiful crops, staved off the spread of the blight into the southlands, and had given boons to her warriors to speed up their growth. What a strange thought that was, being served by lesser spirit deities. But realistically it made sense, because she was the one with all the power - and with a mere flick of her wrist she could annihilate their cathedrals and banish their worship from her empire. It made them a far more convenient tool to use than the already established deities across the multiverse that had, in some places, seen fit to try and contact her. But even the gods of old were held back by Elysium¡¯s might, and had little to no real effect here on Panu just yet. Even if that weren¡¯t the case, gods had less power in places they did not have worshipers - and she was confident that she¡¯d come out as a dominant player in this world to force others into worship of her chosen three. Or at least she had been confident. Now though¡­ Now she had to find some other way to regain the top. The new addition of the world quest painting Allie as a target was certainly tempting too¡­ but the number 5 Apex ranker on the power ladder - Retesh Vorath, the Lich King - had been waging a war upon Judith¡¯s forces in the north for quite some time now. She¡¯d been expanding south and west, but had met solid resistance to her progression at Claw¡¯s Canyons on the northern borderlands where undead legions were controlled by that old undead bag of bones. Past that canyon lay a cold, desolate wasteland of snow, barrens, and tundra changed by the curse of undead where even she had a hard time surviving due to the building amounts of blight Retesh had created there. Even the animal and plant life had begun to change, morpho, and warp into grotesque versions of what they¡¯d once been. She knew full well too that he planned to unleash the plague onto the lands of the living through some unknown means, and she was already prepared to deal with it in kind with methods of her own make. However, trying to push further into already desecrated lands where the undead spawned like rats was a fool¡¯s errand¡­ at least for now at her current stage of power. She had tried to kill that damnable lich a few times over already, all of which had ended in a stalemate with the lich on the back foot - but each time he¡¯d survived long enough to cause her to retreat when the blight became too much or when the numbers of his minions simply stacked against her. This in part was why news of Retesh claiming lands on the peninsula of Nune was concerning. It was south of most of the lich king¡¯s kingdom, and an odd place to attack considering the vast swath of land both east and west of the territory grab he¡¯d made. In the past he¡¯d always took the slow and steady route to ensure his blight further infected the land and made it all the harder for the living to stay there. He¡¯d also gone out of his way to massacre populations to create new undead with, such as one of her cities two months ago that¡¯d been absolutely sacked and burned to the ground, but usually he left and brought the spoils of bodies back to the northlands with him. At least that¡¯d been the trend since his initial appearance. Here though, on the Nune Peninsula, he¡¯d conquered and stayed. He¡¯d also been putting massive amounts of resources into securing the land strip between mortal empires on either side ever since. Given the geography, there was only one real reason for that - and it made her insides roil with fury. The peninsula was pointed right at the continent of Umbra after all¡­ where the only other major undead players in the world currently resided; and they happened to be #1 and #2 on the power ladder list. It was where the Thane Necropolis was located, if one didn¡¯t count the extension into the place called Chicago she¡¯d learned about. But she was nowhere near Chicago if her spymasters and scholars were correct, thank the gods, she didn¡¯t want to have to deal with another massive undead state on her doorstep just yet. She pondered this, putting a finger to her slim lips with a frown - still staring at the city waking up underneath her thousands of feet below. One of her angelic summons, a large brilliant eyeball crafted from gold and silver metal, flew towards her on shimmering white wings resembling her own golden ones. She gave it a smile and patted its head, shooing it away while contemplating just what to do with the current change of the political stage. Allie Thane reaching #1 first after becoming an Angel of Death and converting an entire continent into the undead was, frankly, horrifying to Judith. Not because she was afraid, but because she found it repulsive and disgusting to warp people and the planet like that. And to think that Allie could terraform even more of the planet¡­ the bitch had to be eliminated. Meanwhile Riven hadn¡¯t had any video feed of how or why he¡¯d become the Incarnation of Gluttony, but the multiverse-wide statement did not bode well for her or her people when he¡¯d hit spot #1 - replacing his sister and shoving Allie down to the #2 spot while putting Judith at #3. She didn¡¯t really know what Gluttony was but the reaction of her angelic summons had undergone at the announcement had been extremely violent - and thinking about it like that was an understatement. All four of them had gone mad with fear, rage, or hate upon realizing that Gluttony had come back - and it¡¯d only gotten worse after they realized it was here on their very own planet. One of her summons, an angelic paladin of hers in particular, was still having a very hard time processing it at all. The large angel had secluded himself in a cathedral tower to consult his family elders in the Heavens, and he¡¯d been by far the most upset out of all of them - which was saying something considering her other summons had reacted so poorly. From brief conversations with them, she¡¯d determined that it had to do with the renewed frenzy of what they called ¡®the eternal war¡¯, which in turn would lead to a new age of carnage throughout existence as the hells and heavens clashed like in the times of old. Judith had originally hoped to maintain decent relations with the vampires as well, or at least until the end of integration when she¡¯d be able to slaughter them after other more important world quests were dealt with, but it appeared the Thane siblings were too much of a risk to leave alone. Especially with the lich Retash attempting to contact them, based on his recent military movements. She wouldn¡¯t make a direct move against them yet, but perhaps she could disrupt their activities enough to slow them down¡­ or, if possible, she would attempt to intercept any messages sent from the Lich King¡¯s faction. Clicking her tongue and cracking her knuckles she spread her wings - stretched her legs - and launched herself further up into the sky before diving into the southwest. She had a particular person to visit today, a potential ally, before she decided to make any more major plays on the world stage. *** Chandeliers sparkled overhead, servants in sleek black and white outfits passed out refreshments on tiny silver plates or glass wine cups, and a musician¡¯s group was playing live on stage in a corner while people in elegant ballroom attire mingled with one another. It was as if they were all trying to catch a glimpse of what was still normal, like they were trying to convince themselves that they hadn¡¯t all been turned into ¡®Deathtouched¡¯ versions of themselves - that they weren¡¯t all undead. Dawn¡¯s Royal Ball had begun, and Lahn found himself sitting alone at a table. Without Allie. All around him he saw familiar faces, now shades of very pale or gray skin with white or silver hair. All of them had black or neon teal eyes, colors of the Death Subpillar¡¯s manifested mana, but otherwise most people looked very similar to how they¡¯d been prior to the change. Dr. Brass was there, the vampire with steel-rimmed glasses, an advisor to the Chancellor Mara Tovane who was also missing on Allie¡¯s expedition. King Arthur Brix of Dawn was in deep and merry conversation with him, obviously trying to put on a show of not being concerned given the new changes that¡¯d so quickly happened to their country - now a vassal state of the Thane Necropolis. The family of Gleetus Nefrand was there as well, though Gleetus himself had been killed by Allie for bullying Lahn a while ago and they¡¯d never found out the true cause of his death. Lahn¡¯s mother, Lady Shovi Lucio, sat next to his father Lord Nikola Lucio - though the rift between his parents had widened significantly ever since his father had shown little regard for the actions of Lahn¡¯s siblings. Speaking of his siblings, his sister Lineal and his brother Parius were mixing in the crowd - avoiding both Lahn and their mother, while trying to act as if everything was absolutely normal. As if Allie Thane, Queen of the Thane Necropolis, didn¡¯t have a personal death wish for the both of them that was only being held at bay by Lahn himself. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lahn took a sip of his own wine, downing it in a single go while sitting at a round table by himself in the corner of the ballroom. Waving down a server he took three more slender glasses and thanked the man, downing two more before holding on the third while closing his eyes in worry. He hoped Allie was ok. But she had to be ok. She was still on the leaderboard, still in 2nd place, so there was no reason to worry. She¡¯d be back¡­ even if she had missed the Royal Ball. This ball was a three-day event anyways, maybe she¡¯d be back by tomorrow or the next day¡­ He¡¯d really wanted to- -His thoughts were interrupted and he blinked as the chair beside him was pulled to the side by a manservant, letting Marsia Bortrost of all people sit next to him. This irritating woman had been following him around all night trying to get his attention, even despite obvious signs that he wasn¡¯t interested in her anymore like he¡¯d once been. She¡¯d blown her chance, and the irritation inside him was growing. She wasn¡¯t an incredibly attractive person - but she was somewhat pretty. She¡¯d been what he¡¯d set his sights on when he¡¯d been crippled at the prodding of his mother. Marsia had shot him down though, hard, and in a very mean way back before he¡¯d even enrolled in the academy. Back when his mother Shovi Lucio and the Bortrost family had attempted to pair them together, only for Lahn to hear Marsia state the following: ¡°I will now allow myself to marry a cripple. Maybe your family status will be enough to land you a peasant girl. Maybe one of your maids. But you need to leave me alone - and that is the end of it. Good day, sir.¡± He still remembered those words vividly, and even now felt ashamed at the look of disgust she¡¯d given him before walking away. Lahn¡¯s neon teal eyes glanced up to the pale woman with a passive nod, then turned his gaze to the ground between his well-made boots to stare at the floor. ¡°I was wondering where you¡¯d run off to! And I must say, you¡¯re looking rather good, Lahn!¡± Marsia stated with a chipper tone, pulling down her cleavage just slightly to emphasize her figure and smoothing out the blue ball gown with a large smile. ¡°The way your body repaired itself looks very good, and your musculature fills in your clothes is easy to look upon. I must say you¡¯ve filled in quite nicely - that purple vest suits you well.¡± He didn¡¯t even bother looking up. Her flirting had lost all attempts at hiding her intentions, and she was growing ever more aggressive in her attempts to woo him the more she drank. ¡°Thank you, Marsia. It is appreciated.¡± Laughter echoed from where King Arthur Brix, his spymaster Kassius, and Dr. Brass all laughed with nobles of the courts jostling for position with fake smiles and fake laughs. Marsia frowned slightly at Lahn¡¯s lack of reciprocation, but cleared her throat and tried again for the seventh time that night. ¡°Will you be participate in the dances this evening?¡± She asked curiously, clasping her hands in front of her and retaining another smile. ¡°Or do you intend to stay back here? I do think it¡¯d be rather fun to witness your first real ballroom dance, now that you¡¯re no longer in a wheelchair.¡± Lahn finally smiled and lifted his eyes. His mind went back to just a few nights before Allie¡¯s trek into the underdark, where they¡¯d talked so excitedly about this exact topic. Before he¡¯d even gained the use of his left side entirely, before he¡¯d become undead, and before the restructuring of his pillars and soul. It was then, in Allie¡¯s room, that she¡¯d promised to help keep him standing as they were to go dancing together - and she¡¯d only kissed him and patted him on the head when he had asked her if holding up someone like him on the dance floor would be embarrassing for her. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to pass today.¡± Lahn replied, laying one of his hands on the round table and crossing his legs. ¡°I do not feel like it suits me much. I¡¯m sure not many would want to be my partner anyways.¡± ¡°Does not suit you?¡± Marsia laughed playfully. ¡°Oh come now! Your display at the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound show that not only are you hiding some kind of position in the empire, but that you also have true power. That angelic possession you had was rather fearsome! And I would personally be delighted if you were to be my own dance partner when the first tunes begin!¡± Another winning smile flashed his way. Thankfully Lahn was saved a moment later by King Arthur Brix, his father Lord Nikola Luicio who was a personal friend of the king, and Dr. Brass - some of the only other people in the room who knew exactly what or who Lahn was concerning social standing. Trailing behind them was a small crowd of other well dressed nobles, who all stopped a short distance away given the cramped corner Lahn had placed himself in. ¡°My boy!¡± The good natured king laughed, slapping Lahn on the shoulder while Lahn got an uncomfortable half smile from his father. ¡°How are you doing this evening!? Aside from the change across the continent and the war on the other side of Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole against the Romanovs, you¡¯re the talk of the kingdom so to speak! Lots of rumors going on about who you are, boy!¡± The king was half drunk, and winked Lahn¡¯s way - getting a laugh from Dr. Brass and a nervous chuckle from Lahn¡¯s father. ¡°You forget the coming war in the hells and guild restructuring here. People are talking quite a lot about that too.¡± Lahn replied with a grin, not bothering to stand up when Marsia Bortrost hastily stood and curtsied with a look of horror directed Lahn¡¯s way. ¡°Lahn! You should stand!¡± She hissed, getting nods of agreement or frowns of disapproval from others nearby. Lahn blinked, only now realizing the social mistake he was making after having for years been refined to a chair. Hastily he got up and made a slight bow of respect. ¡°I apologize, I am so used to sitting in my wheelchair that I¡¯d completely forgotten. No disrespect was intended.¡± King Arthur Brix raised one eyebrow, shared a look with Dr. Brass the vampire, and they both burst out laughing. ¡°My boy!¡± The king stated with another hardy laugh, slapping Lahn on the back again and downing another drink from a passing servant while grabbing others for his friends. He finished handing out the drinks, then leaned over so that only the people immediately nearby could hear. ¡°If anything, it should be me paying respects to you!¡± He winked at Lahn again good naturedly, implying that Lahn¡¯s position as lover to Allie was significant enough to bear weight even over his own influence. That got a flat look from Lahn¡¯s father, and a stare of confusion from Marsia. Lahn internally sighed at the comment but took it in stride and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but I appreciate the sentiment. I¡¯m nothing special.¡± ¡°Nothing special he says!¡± King Arthur Brix guffawed. Dr. Brass also shook his head, wiping his glasses and placing them back on his face. Even now he still wore a white coat around, it¡¯d become his signature that most people identified him by in public, and the deathtouched elf woman clinging to his left arm whispered something in his ear. ¡°We all know that isn¡¯t true Lahn, not many could tame the fires of that inferno you¡¯ve got on your hands. It¡¯s quite the feat.¡± Dr. Brass said this good naturedly with both Lahn and the king laughing loudly at the comparison to Allie, though nobody else knew what he was talking about. ¡°Inferno?¡± Marsia asked, using the opportunity of proximity to attempt her hand at joining the conversation. ¡°What is it you speak of? Dr. Brass hesitated at this, the empire advisor not wanting to give off too much or any information, but then turned with a rare expression of anticipation when an announcement from the main double doors leading outside was announced. ¡°LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!¡± The announcer, a young man using magic to emphasize his voice over the classical music playing in the background and the soft rumblings of talk and laughter. ¡°IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE TO YOU NEW ALLIES OF THE EMPIRE! FIRST, WE HAVE THE GOLDEN BULL SECT FROM FAR TO THE NORTH OF BRIGHTSVILLE ON OUR SHARED CONTINENT OF UMBRA! I PRESENT TO HEAD MONK, FATHER PEN! YOU PLEASE WELCOME THEM WITH A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!¡± The crowds immediately began clapping politely as three monks in golden robes, all bald deathtouched enlightened who¡¯d once been humans, came to stand at the front with low bows of respect. They immediately caught sight of Dr. Brass and the king, making a b-line for the small group and throwing wary glances back over their shoulders as the announcer cleared his throat for a second time. ¡°LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT IS NOT ALL!¡± The young announcer called out - raising a hand to gain their attention once more. ¡°I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL VERY AWARE BY NOW THAT OUR ESTEEMED HIGH KING AND EMPEROR, RIVEN THANE, HAS BEEN UNMASKED AS THE NEW REINCARNATION OF GLUTTONY! I AM ALSO SURE THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF THE DEMONS THAT WERE UNLEASHED ONTO OUR PLANET TO SERVE HIM! I DO NOT THINK I NEED TO EMPHASIZE ON JUST HOW UNBELIEVABLY SPECIAL THAT IS, OR WHAT IT MEANS FOR OUR PEOPLE NOW THAT WE ARE UNDER HIS PROTECTION!¡± Uncertainty rippled across the crowds of onlookers with hushed, nervous whispers in abundance. Despite their undead transition and the unholy affiliation they all now possessed, Gluttony and the other original sins were still something of a taboo amongst many in the vassalized Kingdom of Dawn. There were certainly mixed feelings on the matter, but at the end of the day Riven, Allie, and the forces of the necropolis had been what saved their lives and city - so most had set aside the inherent fear of the great maw and had put their trust in the two siblings. The announcer waited for the whispers to die down, giving the three monks in golden robes to reach Dr. Brass and the king with low bows, whispers of greeting, and handshakes before turning back to the man at the double doors leading out. ¡°IT IS THEREFORE MY GREATEST PLEASURE, TO INTRODUCE TO YOU ONE OF GLUTTONY¡¯S OFFICERS AND A MOUTHPIECE FOR THEIR GRAND GENERAL LILLITH! I GIVE TO YOU THE ARCHDEMON TRE¡¯ZIX - WARRIOR OF THE PURPLE CLAW!¡± Immediately the room hushed when the form of a hulking creature akin to that of a mutated deep-red and purple praying mantis lacking antennae silently stalked into the room. It was over ten feet tall, with a pincer-like mouth and a set of long, retracted blade arms against its insectoid chest. The face was similar to that of a praying mantis but thinner, with narrow, yellow, catlike eyes and three horns sticking out of its head. It turned, casually observing, until those yellow eyes stopped on Lahn¡¯s position. The four thick, armored insectoid legs of the creature retracted into its body and it shifted - becoming more humanoid in form and rearranging its body. Within a second, a purple and dark red man covered in chitin was staring in Lahn¡¯s direction, smiling wickedly with a thin mouth of razor sharp teeth, three horns protruding from his head, and pincers coming out of either cheek. Wings along his back were also present and long purple blades jutted out of the extensor side of his arms, but the demon slowly headed in Lahn¡¯s direction with its intent pinpointed like a palpable will. The music started playing up again after a short stop, and people either tried to get out of the way of the demon entirely - or pretended to ignore the strange creature entirely if they were far enough away. The question marks and red flames outlining its identification box indicated that it was of legendary status, but didn¡¯t give any information to anyone present as it came to a slow halt in front of Lahn¡¯s figure. Ignoring everyone else present, the demon raised its wings up into the air behind it - each wing starting to flash with beautiful multi-colored light, and got on one knee - bowing to Lahn with one clawed hand down against the ground. ¡°Lahn Lucio¡­ My name is Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw, archdemon of the Klinac¡¯Tal Clan, an officer in Gluttony¡¯s Legions, and Slayer of Archangel Sinpha of the High Celestial Magistrates.¡± The insectoid demon¡¯s voice was very sharp, cut, and dry. It turned its face upwards, mashing its mandibles together and spreading an unnatural smile wide across its face. Clicking sound emanated from deep inside its throat, and its head turned sideways unnaturally to get another view of the young undead man. ¡°It is my pleasure and pride to meet you. Lillith has told me that you are in¡­ a unique situation. I am here to personally oversee your safety, regarding the angelic creature residing within you.¡± Safety? It was odd enough for many of the onlookers to see that the demon had directly addressed him, rather than Dr. Brass of the king. It was even weirder that the demon was speaking about things they simply didn¡¯t understand. Looks were shared and whispers began, but Lahn¡¯s creased brows and growing frown indicated that he didn¡¯t know what the demon was talking about either. ¡°Are you indicating that I am in danger?¡± Lahn asked, gesturing for the demon to stand. The insectoid demon did so, withdrawing its large wings and folding them behind his back, coming to a modified height of seven feet tall with purple blades along the extensor side of his arms flashing with energy. ¡°Not a certainty, but possible. I wish to converse with you and the angelic entity dwelling within your body in private about such matters, before discussing other matters such as plans for world domination with your subordinates. There is much to do.¡± The demon gestured to Dr. Brass and King Arthur Brix, getting more furrowed brows and confused gawking from the nobles and servants around them. Lahn didn¡¯t really know how to respond to that. He¡¯d guessed the angel hadn¡¯t left entirely, perhaps forming some kind of karmic link, but he had an angel dwelling inside him? He opened, closed, and reopened his mouth to reply. ¡°That angel saved Allie¡¯s life, as it did mine. If there is an angel of the heavens dwelling inside me somehow, I don¡¯t wish it harm.¡± The demon¡¯s grin only widened, a sharp cackle erupting from its throat while its yellow eyes narrowed. ¡°I would not dare if that is what you wish, but I will still need to speak to it - and I will discuss with you the details on why when we retain some privacy. Please, show me to a more secluded area so that we may speak more on this subject.¡± Chapter 249 (June 25 is the stub date for the Book 3 chapters on RR. Just so yall know!) Chapter 249 The balcony Lahn chose was secluded enough for his liking, and at the demon¡¯s request he took a seat overlooking a large part of the academy here on the top city floor - some of which had been rebuilt after Rippenvire¡¯s attack. The gardens had all been regrown too with the help of nature-based mages, but to Lahn¡¯s distress - the small animal sanctuary he¡¯d made in those gardens was no more. Not after the bombardments from the fleet up high had happened. ¡°It¡¯s quite strange that one of Gluttony¡¯s own came to seek me out.¡± Lahn stated with a grunt, letting his backside melt into the cushioned chair underneath him that was abnormally comfortable if he had to say so. ¡°Strange that you¡¯d even know about the angel to begin with since you were stuck in whatever void-prison Elysium put you in. Tre¡¯Zix, was it?¡± The demon gave a nod, retracting the purple blades along his extensor arms just slightly to avoid cutting into the fabric of the chair. Yellow eyes shifted across to where guards were posted further back at the entrances leading onto the balcony and many others elsewhere, and he snapped his fingers as a translucent sound barrier erected itself around himself and Lahn. ¡°Gluttony keeps tabs on many things you¡¯d not expect.¡± Tre¡¯Zix smiled - steepling his fingers and staring across the flower gardens that spanned for miles beyond campus grounds. ¡°Tell me. What do you know of Gluttony?¡± Lahn cocked an eyebrow. It wasn¡¯t a question he¡¯d thought the demon would ask, or even care about. ¡°Anything at all?¡± ¡°Anything at all.¡± Lahn contemplated this, scrunching up his brows and folding his arms while deep in thought. ¡°I know it¡¯s one of the seven original sins, I¡¯d even heard about it before Panu was formed and the integration happened. According to legend it is one of the seven origins of demonkind, and that it¡¯s supposed to be hunger incarnate. It is said that it feeds on the souls of mortal men to grant itself power, and that it is evil beyond measure. That is what I was taught growing up.¡± Tre¡¯Zix blinked, then chuckled with a widening smile that put on display all the sharp teeth behind his pincers. The smile looked alien, but it wasn¡¯t a hostile one either. ¡°Ah I see¡­ So even before the integration into Elysium, there must have been angels or demons that contacted your world or dwelt upon it. Otherwise you would not know such things. Let me ask you another question then. Do you think all demons are evil - and that all angels are of good will?¡± Tre¡¯Zix turned his yellow eyes upon Lahn¡¯s figure curiously. Lahn, for his part, flinched just slightly under some unseen pressure. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think so. No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Tre¡¯Zix asked, cocking his head. Lahn blinked. ¡°Because Athela, Azmoth, and Fay aren¡¯t evil. They were all incredibly nice to me, especially Fay.¡± ¡°The lucky three bound to Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation?¡± Tre¡¯Zix laughed loudly, even throwing his head back in sharp, defined cackles. ¡°How amazingly fortunate they are! But this is good to hear. Tell me then, do you think that I am evil? That Gluttony is evil?¡± Lahn furrowed his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I would assume¡­ Well I would have assumed that being bound to the Unholy Foundational Pillar, you¡¯d be evil by nature. But I am bound to the Unholy Foundational Pillar¡­ and I¡¯m not. And Fay isn¡¯t. And I know that you can acquire the Unholy Foundational Pillar by doing evil things¡­ but that is just one of many ways to get it. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Tre¡¯Zix narrowed his yellow eyes, then slowly nodded. ¡°Yes. There is a very big misconception across the multiverse at large about those who follow the Unholy Foundational Pillar as a means to ascension¡¯s gates. And truthfully, there are stereotypes for a reason - but it isn''t absolute. I will be the first to admit that I am no saint, that you truly would consider me what most consider ¡®evil¡¯ if you knew me in truth. I have killed for hunger, for pleasure, and for no reason at all time after time after time. Yet I would even go as far to say that Gluttony is more akin to a predator¡¯s spirit, rather than truly evil. He does kill indiscriminately at times, but not because he wants to inflict pain. Rather, Gluttony kills and feeds because it is in his nature to do so. Whether or not that makes him evil is up to one¡¯s opinion. Yet there are shades of morality that we all must decide on for ourselves, as finding oneself is half the journey on the transition into the higher realms of being. Should you ever make it past C-grade, you¡¯ll do well to remember these words.¡± There was a pause as Lahn digested the information. Was this reborn archdemon really giving him the secrets of ascension? ¡°I thought you¡¯d lost all your memories.¡± Lahn stated. This got a laugh from Tre¡¯Zix. ¡°Oh no. The vast majority of my power was reduced and it is true that I have pockets and gaps in my knowledge that I once had. But not everything was lost, and we were once some of the greatest of our kind¡­ we had means of preserving small tidbits that even Elysium could not find.¡± Tre¡¯Zix winked. ¡°Regardless, I have a point to make amongst all of this talk - and it is this: We demons, and Gluttony, by default, are not evil. Many of us have done evil things, but we treat our friends with kindness just as anyone else would. Even though our cultures may be what the angels often consider barbaric and excessively murderous, you must remember that there are shades of morality that even the worst of us hold close to our souls. It is an unfortunate and direct side effect of Charisma¡¯s battle that has propagated the images of our kind being evil, specifically to mortal races such as humans who were born aligned with positive charisma instead of our negative charisma. In many ways we are destined to seek conflict with those of different charisma affiliations, with only those at the absolute neutral truly being safe from influence.¡± He pointed at Lahn¡¯s chest, and the sigil there imprinted into Lahn¡¯s skin, underneath his clothes, began to flare a hot white. ¡°The same concepts can be applied to the angel that resides inside you.¡± Tre¡¯Zix stopped pointing, and the sigil on Lahn¡¯s chest began to fade and dim. The demon shook his head. ¡°It makes me wonder how things would have been if Charisma had never existed in the framework of creation to begin with. If this eternal war between the Commandments and Sins was to never happen. But if I were to guess, it is likely that whoever or whatever created the fabric of existence created us this way intentionally, with polar opposites destined to war against one another until the end of time while we crawled our way to the peaks of power. After all, conflict breeds growth.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Elysium create this multiverse?¡± ¡°Yes, but only in the sense that it stitched together other universes - or cannibalized them. Angels and demons existed long before Elysium did. Elysium is an enigma, creating its own multiverse within a multiverse, but it is just a piece of the greater whole. Even Charisma, though not seen on the outside of Elysium¡¯s Multiverse by status page, was still a very real thing before Elysium came to be. Elysium just gave us a means of physically seeing it by way of status screen, but there were other ways to do so even before it descended.¡± Lahn¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°A multiverse within a multiverse? There is more than one?¡± ¡°Certainly. Riven¡¯s parents fled from this one into the next, did they not?¡± Tre¡¯Zix chuckled at the shocked expression Lahn had on display. ¡°Though it is all so vast that no one can truly be certain just how far it all goes. What we do know is that there is a realm beyond the SSS grade, and should you ever reach it, you gain access to it. Should that ever happen and you fight through tribulations even beyond Elysium¡¯s own, you vanish¡­ never to return. At least, none have chosen to do so if they could. But there have been two documented instances in history where demons managed to break through, and one of the ordeals was actually recorded.¡± Another pause. ¡°That¡¯s incredibly interesting.¡± Lahn said with a thoughtful frown. ¡°What rank were you before all this?¡± ¡°Me? I was a peak A-grade, on the verge of S-grade. A being that could destroy entire civilizations! A true monster to be feared!¡± Tre¡¯Zix laughed again, a gleeful glint to his eye. ¡°It is a realm even many gods do not enter, even despite their vast advantages when compared to other beings of the multiverse.¡± ¡°What about Lillith?¡± ¡°She was mid SSS grade. That crazy bitch is something else, but I love her - as we all do.¡± ¡°And Gluttony?¡± Tre¡¯Zix paused. ¡°Intentionally peak SSS grade without ever attempting to transcend. Gluttony and the other sins though¡­ they have compulsions to remain in that state. As if by design. Gluttony once told me that he had the opportunity to try and surpass his limits, but that some kind of limiter would have made it all the harder to do, made him not want to do it even. He didn¡¯t go into much detail after that, other than to say there is another kind of system in the beyond that he once touched upon. Strange to think about. Perhaps this time around, one of us from Gluttony¡¯s ranks will finally make the jump¡­ as long as we aren¡¯t hunted down and killed first. Ancient enemies will no doubt be coming out of meditative seclusion in an attempt to kill us all before we make it back to where we were, long standing grudges to be had when we are at our weakest. Many of us will doubtless die in our climb back to the peak. But the same can be said for all of the other sins, and all of the commandments and their followers that were banished along with us back when the eternal war had gotten out of hand.¡± Lahn was about to ask another question when Tre¡¯Zix shut him down with a wave of his hand. ¡°History lessons can wait. For now, I need to speak to the angel that so proudly announced himself as Denaskus, Arbiter of the Celestial Prax, when killing that baby blood sucker at The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound. Would you mind bringing him out for me?¡± Tre¡¯Zix grinned. ¡°I promise to play nice. I just want to make a few things very clear to him should we permit him to stay. After that I¡¯ve been instructed to speak to King Arthur Brix about our plans for world domination. Then I am to go power-level with my demonic brethren, before we take a mercenary guild contract to help fight Negrada¡¯s war. It¡¯s a lot to do and has been a long time since I¡¯ve let loose in the hells, so let¡¯s get this over with. I have a blood bath to attend to and an ascension into E-grade to acquire.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. *** Gragle the gnome, Nora and Azmoth were led through town behind the guards of Mesini¡¯s Outpost #84 without much fanfare. There were certainly wary or even scared looks shot Azmoth¡¯s way as they walked, but they were for the most part still rushing around trying to form barricades and set up defensive lines all around the stone wall perimeter. Health, mana, stamina, and divinity potions were all being passed around - and long-lasting miracle or spell buffs were being applied even hours before the monster wave hit in order to give the casters enough time for their cooldowns to reset over and over again. The architecture here varied, and most of the people here wore various leather and fur gear or plain fabric; either being human or gnome in origin with a mix tilting in favor of humans by 2 to 1. Nora could tell just by looking at the place that whatever this planet ¡®Mesini¡¯ was, or at least the area this outpost had been in, it¡¯d likely been a barren rocky wasteland without much plant life. There was wood present, and even a few very scrappy-looking gray trees, but not much. The houses and buildings were a mix-and-mash of metal plating, clay patchwork, stone walls and even tar. She wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say it was dirty, but the most colorful aspects of the town were orange and yellow paintings found on some of the walls. Otherwise it was very brown and very gray wherever she looked. Eventually after a few twists and turns, Nora and Azmoth were led into a moderately sized two-story building, the largest one around, and told to wait below while two of the guards jostled up the stairway with bounding steps. There was a small commotion up at the top, three scantily clad human women covering themselves up with various blankets clambered down the stairs and rushed out the door with embarrassed flushing to their faces, and a gnome about two and a half feet tall was quick to jump down each of the stairs one by one moments later. He landed in a cloud of green dust when his hands smashed two green vials of sparkly powder into the floor, theatrically so, and waved his small hands around as if it was supposed to be impressive. He had a pointy wizard¡¯s hat on, or the equivalent of one anyways, and had a tobacco pipe in his mouth that he continued to puff on while the green cloud of powder around him dissipated. ¡°Welcome to Outpost #84! I am Warden Zuk of this fine town, wizard extraordinaire! You may prostrate yourselves now!¡± Nora gave the incredibly short man a flat look, then shot a glance at the guards who each shamefully glanced away when her eyes met theirs. Azmoth just scratched the back of his metallic, spiked head with a single claw - but didn¡¯t move otherwise as he towered over not only the gnome; but all the human men as well. ¡°Warden Zuk.¡± The captain of the guards sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°Take it from one drinking buddy to another, but this is not the time to be playing silly games. We have a monster wave induced by Elysium itself on its way in about 6 hours from now and we could very well all die if we don¡¯t figure out what exactly is going on, or if there are any rules and obligations towards this event that we need to know.¡± Warden Zuk snorted, lowering his hands and taking the smoking pipe out of his mouth to put it into a spatial sack on his side. ¡°Fine, fine. You there - Gragle, as a fellow gnome would you say that these people are upstanding citizens to be - or should we be wary of them?¡± Gragle, for his part, had been trying to escape on the outskirts of the room with the warden¡¯s flamboyant entrance. His scarred features scrunched up in irritation and he swore under his breath before sighing and walking back into the room with a defeated glower. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s not very helpful! Were you not taking them on a tour of the town just now!?¡± The warden raised an eyebrow and tipped his gray wizard¡¯s hat to one side. Gragle put both small hands to either side of his head, began rubbing his temple, and groaned. ¡°It was more than I would have liked to do.¡± Nora watched the small man glance up at her, and then at Azmoth, amusement edging itself into the back of her mind. She could tell that he was considering talking about Riven and the others, as well as their open talk back in the pub, but she wasn¡¯t concerned. Each of these guards were easily below level 50, and she¡¯d be able to kill all of them by herself even without Azmoth¡¯s help should the time come. That of course was opposite of what she wanted to do, given the quest she had was to save the town from this monster wave. She wouldn¡¯t necessarily lose Event Points if only a few of these people died, but she did know that Riven would. Though they were technically still competitors for Chalgathi¡¯s inheritance even if they were both non-cultists, Riven had still helped her up those pyramid steps and had likely saved her life. She would not undermine his attempts here. [Nora¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Tag along with any other Non-Cultist to defend their town for the upcoming monster waves. Your job is to successfully assassinate the enemy leader, as well as any enemy cultists that may appear with the monster wave. +30 Event Points for assassinating the enemy leader. Extra Event Points (+3 total) for any enemy cultist slane.] [Tagged Quest: Riven¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Other F-grade participants have been either voluntarily or involuntarily dragged into this event from across the multiverse. Unlike the chosen of this trial, they do not respawn 24 hours after death. You have been given the task of defending one of these populations. Your first quest is to travel to the marked quest location and save as many people as you can. Each person that dies counts towards a -1 Event Point. Successfully defending the town from the monster wave will result in +30 Event Points. >>> Time until monster wave: 6 hours, 29 minutes.] ¡°That¡¯s a funny feathered hat you¡¯ve got there lass.¡± The gnome warden stated with a finger pointing up to her green-and-black headdress sticking out from the green-and-black Chalgathi Cowl, labeling her as a non-cultist. ¡°What¡¯s a non-cultist?¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Nora asked curiously, folding her arms. ¡°What exactly were you all told when you got here?¡± ¡°Not much. That we were supposed to fight a monster wave and survive, and that we¡¯d be provided more details if we did.¡± ¡°Huh. I can see why you asked me to come here then.¡± She looked around, then spotted another nearby room full of pastries set up on a kitchen display - and a large smile spread across her face. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll have to get going soon to scout out the area, but I can give you a rundown of what¡¯s going on if you treat me to that food over there. How¡¯s that for a deal?¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Azmoth nodded, surprising many of the people there who hadn¡¯t heard the deep, demonic voice of the brutalisk up until now. ¡°Your hellish ape can talk!?¡± the gnome wizard gawked - only for the captain of the guard to nearly choke at the unintentional insult while quickly ushering both Azmoth and Nora into the kitchen. ¡°We¡¯ll provide you with whatever food we have¡­¡± The guard captain glared over his shoulder at the warden. ¡°Please forgive our resident idiot in charge, he means well - he¡¯s just thoroughly stupid.¡± *** Grakzee¡¯s gills flared while water magic cycled through them to moisturize his insides. The silver cowl with blue trimmings with the sigil of a kraken stitched into its top was irritating to wear, but every time he¡¯d tried taking it off the damn thing would appear back on his head again seconds later. This hadn¡¯t been the case earlier when he¡¯d only been in the presence of other cultists at the Altar of Despair, but the notification of ¡®While in the Presence of Non-Cultists, you must retain your Chubin Cowl at all times¡¯ was now plaguing him. [Chubin Cowl (Cultist): This is a soulbound item only you can wear for the remainder of this event, it gives you no stats or bonuses, but it marks you as a Chubin Cultist to friend and enemy alike.] At least this would act as a kind of radar to detect nearby enemies, but he didn¡¯t know what the radius on this effect was or how many of them there were. As for his side, he¡¯d already met with the other five cultists who¡¯d been assigned to this mission. Two of them were Chubin-affiliated naga cultists like himself, blue-green scales adorning their reptilian bodies with the lower halves of serpents and the upper halves of humanoid lizards. The other three were all Nekra cultists - two being dark elf females that hid whatever equipment they had underneath thick black robes; while the third was a male chaos dwarf barbarian. He was an axe-wielder that was littered in Chaos-derived sigils all over his body. This species of dwarf was a rarity to see even from dwarf standards, and their sigils were supposed to actually be present at birth rather than created or tattooed, with the story being that once upon a time many millennia ago - one of their ancestors made a pact with some kind of demonic god to acquire such power for his people. Unfortunately Grakzee was the only one of the group of 6 that had a stealth-based class, so he¡¯d been put at the forefront of the scouting mission while the other five were delegated to other things. They chose to either sit and wait, chose to speak to the monster swarm leader on tactics until it was unchained by the system event, or they were applying buffs to some of the stronger monsters in anticipation of the fight to come. He just wished that this was more swamp, or ocean, rather than the thick forest he found himself in. He wasn¡¯t used to being on dry land, and his ¡®Waterspear Ambusher¡¯ class wasn¡¯t as good when out of the water as it was while swimming. And why was the system delegating 6 of the 21 cultists to a single quest anyways? Unlike all of the other cultists who had their own individual quests, the six of them had been assigned a ¡®group quest¡¯ for ¡®enhanced difficulty¡¯. The prize had also been escalated when compared to others he¡¯d talked to or those who¡¯d compared quest logs with him, and he didn¡¯t know whether or not he¡¯d been given a gift by the system - or whether this was a cursed quest destined to fail. [Grakzee¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: Other F-grade participants have been either voluntarily or involuntarily dragged into this event from across the multiverse. Unlike the chosen of this trial, they do not respawn 24 hours after death. You have been given the task of attacking one of these populations. Your first quest is to travel to the marked quest location and kill as many people as you can. Each person that dies counts towards a +1 Event Point. Successfully destroying the town alongside the monster wave will result in +30 Event Points. This quest is at an enhanced difficulty, killing either of the two Non-Cultists present here, only while during the active quest, will reward you with an additional +280 Event Points per kill. >>> Time until monster wave: 6 hours, 19 minutes.] His eyes narrowed on the +280 quest points. Killing these non-cultists would result in far more points than the actual quest itself gave. That was quite a lot, when compared to any of the other quests the other cultists got, but it didn¡¯t take a lot of thought to cycle through possible options for why that would be. It was just a guess, but as he slithered through the underbrush with both short water-made spears in either hand, Grakzee could only hope that he was wrong about his theory. Why six would be pitted against two, and why the system would grant such a large boon for success. Because though the cultists had the numbers, and all of them were in the S rankings and Paragon rankings on the Panu power ladder, there was one that stood out above all the rest. Grakzee could only hope that he wouldn¡¯t have to fight that monstrous warlock ranked at the very top, because from what he¡¯d seen of Riven Thane so far on the world forums - he was a walking catastrophe waiting to happen. The pureblooded vampire was also a known Chalgathi chosen after he¡¯d wiped out an entire city with the proclamation to massacre the Chalgathi cultists who¡¯d wronged him. There was at least a chance that Grakzee was about to pit himself against the most powerful man Panu had to offer by Elysium¡¯s rating standards, and if so - Grakzee would need to devise a scheme of some kind that would give him an advantage. He did have the skeleton of a plan so far, but he just hoped he¡¯d not have to try and use it - because even with his schemes, the odds would not be in his favor. [Chubin, The Apocalypse Beasts World Quest, Panu, sub-event has been INITIATED: The Altars of Despair and Hope. A temporary pocket world for this event has been created. The Chosen finalists of Chalgathi, the Plague Dragon, Chubin, the glass Kraken, and Neckra, the Skeletal Devourer - Have all been sent to this pocket world to compete. Locations of Chubin¡¯s Altars have been marked for you. You will be required to visit all 4 Chubin altar sites and activate each of the shrines, as well as acquire 10,000 event points before being allowed to leave this event. Doing so will also give you knowledge of the location of Chubin¡¯s Sea-bottom Lair, where Chalgathi¡¯s incubation chamber has been hidden. There are 21 registered Cultists. There are 9 registered Non-Cultists entering this event. You have arrived at the Altar of Despair, and are now registered as a Culist. Killing other Cultists will result in a decrease in your Event Points. Each participant will have their own set of unique quests that allow them to gain points and level up, only quests will allow level ups and XP gains during this event. Other rules will be reviewed again and in more detail after your first quest is completed.] Chapter 250 Chapter 250 Nearly 300 Years Ago¡­ Sheline sat meditating upon an ocean of blood, her vampiric heritage roaring about her while her ancient, spunky grandmother - Nephridi - went on and on about how annoying her most recent suitors were. The beautiful, pale vampire rolled her eyes - but a smirk still played at her lips. ¡°Grandmother, can you just settle down and pick one already? You¡¯re going to give yourself another headache. And that¡¯s on top of the one you¡¯re already giving me!¡± Nephridi humphed, scowling down at the woman who would no doubt claim the throne to the Blood Moon Requiem when Nephridi handed the reins to a successor. Her long white robe flowed out around her, a stark contrast to the blood red and black dress her granddaughter had on, but their features and long brown hair that shifted like silk in the wind were one and the same. ¡°Oh let an old woman gossip, will you!?¡± The high queen laughed sitting down on their chosen cultivation spot and sending ripples across the otherwise perfectly smooth ocean beneath them. Flipping her hair over one shoulder and snorting at her granddaughter''s expression, she raised a hand. ¡°Fine! Fine. Let¡¯s get on with the plan then. Are you ready?¡± ¡°As ready as I¡¯ll ever be!¡± Sheline muttered under her breath, calming her beating heart and clasping her hands tightly around one another before closing her eyes. She was still young and hadn¡¯t fully grasped the concept of forcing her malignant prophecy to activate, but she could prod and poke at it until it did something. Whether or not it did what she wanted to was something else entirely, but Nephridi had faith in her and Sheline didn¡¯t want to disappoint her grandmother. Plus if anything happened, Sheline¡¯s grandmother was strong enough that she¡¯d be able to fix whatever it was that went wrong. Sheline searched, tugging at the little filaments of soul particles that swirled around her constructing sin core - with each piece of sin having cost the royal family sums of money beyond imagination. The Sin of Wrath raged inside her, constantly screaming at her to get up and kill without reason or direction - but she¡¯d already gotten used to the nagging sensation and was well on her way to clamping it down altogether. That would likely change for the worse when the core finished though, and that was why they were doing it the safe way. The world began to turn gray around her, and unlike the thin clouds overhead that stopped in their tracks amidst the shifting winds: Sheline found herself staring down at her body from a phantasmal form. She looked right to where her grandmother, also a holder of the gift, stared back at her - waving in the eerie gray. A black door formed in front of her on the ocean of blood, and despite the time freeze - it slowly began to etch runs of gold into the black backdrop. The symbol of three dragons, each eating the next to form a circle, took form in front of her eyes. The phantasmal figure of her grandmother came to stand beside her, one of only a handful of people across the cosmos that could enter Sherine¡¯s malignant zone. She turned to look at her concentrating grandaughter, smiling in appreciation and approval while the three dragons began to spin faster, and faster, and faster. ¡°Have I ever told you the legend of the Temple of Three, dear granddaughter?¡± Nephridi asked with a slight cock of her head. Sheline grunted while continuing to channel her sin energy into the door, manipulating it and simultaneously forcing malignant prophecy to activate outside the bounds of normalcy. ¡°You know you haven¡¯t grandmother. You always keep that information close to the chest. Why? Now that we¡¯re finally here, you¡¯re going to spill the secrets? Is that it?¡± An amused chuckle followed that, and the high queen sagged her shoulders into a more relaxed posture while the golden circle of devouring dragons began to blur - sending sparks of mana across the black door as the barrier between their world and the abyss began to crack. ¡°Well let me tell it to you now then. Once, in the age before this one, long before the cycle of nirvana had come to fruition to destroy the old and replace it with the new, three dragons were born. One was imbued with the power to manipulate the past, one was imbued with the power to manipulate the present, and one was imbued with the power to manipulate the future.¡± There was a long pause as the high queen considered her words, and eventually her granddaughter gave another huff of irritation and glared up at the older woman. ¡°Don¡¯t just stop there! Tell me damn you! You¡¯re doing that on purpose!¡± ¡°I would never!¡± High Queen Nephridi said, aghast at the accusation, but winked with another laugh and clasped her hands behind her back. ¡°So the first of these dragons, that which could control the past, was named Steadfast. For steadfast was the nature of the past, it was set in stone outside the manipulations of this dragon and could not be changed otherwise. The second of these dragons, that which could control the present, was named Balance. For it would balance out the actions between past and present, and manipulations of the past needed to be controlled in order to not let the future run rampant with shifting possibilities. As time spreads out from the past and into the present, the possibilities begin to shift into a spiraling network of more and more futures. Which leads us to the dragon of the future - the last of these dragons. This dragon that could control the future, was named Malignancy¡­ for it is the nature of the future to be malignant - to have an ever spiraling growth of possibilities. Each of the three dragons grew so powerful that they even surpassed the death of the old multiverse, and were birthed here into the new. But they were too weak to continue on their own, and their heritages were split amongst the most powerful of bloodlines that they deemed worthy.¡± The golden cracks spreading out from the sigil of the three dragons began to break down, and the door now began to crumble - revealing a never ending sea of black behind its doorways that opened up into the resting place of the elder gods. The resting place of the birth of creation and chaos. Sheline¡¯s eyes widened at her grandmother¡¯s words, and her gaze shifted through the world of gray to stare at the high queen with mouth ajar. A look of understanding crossed over her, and she slowly nodded. ¡°I think¡­ I think I¡¯m beginning to understand.¡± Nephridi chuckled. ¡°Yes. Our bloodline, that of Malignant Prophecy, is that of the dragon of the future. One day, Sheline, your children will embark on a journey into the Abyss. And when that day comes, we need to have prepared keys for them to find. That of Past, and that of Present, and perhaps then - finally - after untold millenia - we will finally be able to claim the ultimate prize.¡± Sheline¡¯s eyes were like saucers now, and the rest of the door faded away as dust in the wind. ¡°My¡­ children?¡± Her smile softened, and a blush overcame her. ¡°What will I name them? Have you seen it? Who will the father be? To think myself a mother¡­ it is insanity.¡± ¡°Telling you such things would only ruin the surprise and potentially change the timeline.¡± Nephridi replied with a ghostly pat on the shoulder. Then she turned to look at the approaching figure, and gestured for Sheline to get up. ¡°We have a visitor. Come child, stand, and meet the Keeper.¡± *** The green of the leaves here were turning into autumn colors, mixed with reds and oranges that crunched underfoot due to their passing. The change had been rather abrupt and had happened over the course of ten minutes, making Riven wonder if weather patterns like this would so sporadically change throughout the entire time living here for the next year. ¡°Cultivation isn¡¯t something I¡¯ve really understood much of whenever I do it.¡± Riven replied, walking alongside Athela through the forest while holding hands. The unholy tattoos along his body abruptly shifted when the third eye appeared again, focused on a point further into the woods, and then disappeared with Gluttony¡¯s whisper calling out to him. Riven chuckled underneath his Chalgathi hood, acknowledging the sin¡¯s words with a nod in his full plate armor. ¡°I¡¯ve received visions of inspiration that I glean meaning from, usually in battle, but otherwise have not sat down to truly comprehend the meaning of what it is I am able to do. Nor have I spent time dwelling on where my path leads. Rather, my path has been one of forced brutality¡­ action and reaction. It is a flaw I must correct, and having tried forging totems recently has shed light on my misgivings.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Jackal looked up from where it trot behind them when Riven¡¯s left free hand opened palm-up. A flash of light, and his most recent totem-in-the-making appeared to hover there. The Icosahedron had 20 triangular faces on the outer surface, each face holding a black or crimson rune, and was about 1 by 1 by 1 feet in dimensions with the outer skeleton being made of metal. [Partially Constructed Totem of Bloodforged Rift Sparks: Status page is currently on standby. Soul Acquired, Affinity to Shadow Acquired, Sigils Acquired. Totem soul is currently absorbing the minor sigil of Black Lightning, and will reach comprehension sometime within the next hour. Unable to bind at this time.] ¡°Having created even this half-baked totem of mine, it made me realize that there¡¯s a lot of the intricacies of my magics that I do by instinct rather than by knowledge.¡± Riven gave her a sideways smile and shrugged. ¡°But it is good to identify my weaknesses now, rather than never.¡± Athela eyed the creation with a raised eyebrow, licking her lips from the rather romantic picnic they¡¯d just been on and still gushing while riding the coattails of the date he¡¯d finally provided her. ¡°I think you¡¯ve come a long way in a short time concerning your totem making skills! But you definitely have a long way to go. I also agree that you could improve your performance with cultivating your power and upgrading the abilities you have by doing so, but so could I. From what mother says, cultivation is more important in the E-grade and beyond than it is in the F-grade. So now that you¡¯re about to transcend into the E-grade, this is the perfect time to start thinking about such things. That¡¯s actually why I brought it up. In order to break into the E-grade, you¡¯re going to have to form a soul core lattice, or just ¡®Lattice'' is what most people call it. It is the key to transcending into the next state of being, and Gluttony will need to be incorporated into it from what my mother says because you two have a symbiotic relationship. You¡¯re going to be stunted from growing past level 200 until you do so, and when you finally do create your lattice - leveling is going to rely a lot less heavily on just killing things, with a lot more emphasis on actual cultivation.¡± She squeezed his hand encouragingly. ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m excited to see what your new totem can do when it finishes! Just an hour or less left!¡± Riven glanced into the forest, through the falling leaves and into the shade of shrubbery and trees northwards of here - if north could still be judged by the way the sun was moving in the sky here. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to use it by the time our fight rolls around with the monster wave. By the way, you never did show me your last martial art. The one you recently told me about. I¡¯m thinking that maybe now would be a good time, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± There was a pause, and she began putting on her gear from a small spatial sack she¡¯d been recently gifted. ¡°If we¡¯re going to do that, then I need to get appropriately dressed! Hold one moment!¡± First came a pair of red boots, then red pants, a red vest, a black cloak with a red underside, and her black ruby-studded tiara. [Tiara of Silent Killing (Blood / Shadow Trinket): After successfully killing a target without being noticed by anyone else, gain a charge of critical strike. Your next unseen attack has a 100% chance to be a 2x - 8x critical hit, with multiplied damage coming in the form of kinetic burst energy from the strike site. Requires a 26% or higher Blood or Shadow Pillar Affinity to wield, and the wearer must be female.] All of them fit her perfectly and emphasized her more feminine qualities, with tiny sleeves in the cloak for her arms to go through and holes in the back that her arachnid limbs could also fit into. She giggled at Riven¡¯s simultaneously amused yet intrigued expression while she dressed, then held out her hands in front of her and slammed them into her chest. Drawing out two long katanas from her heart, completely made of red metal aside from parts of the redwood handles with intricate carvings of doves decorating the blades - the weapons began to whisper in ominous tones. Spinning each of them around in a flurry of motion, she gave Riven an evil smile. ¡°I¡¯ve been practicing with these ever since I got them as a dungeon prize! Every time I visit mother!¡± [The Twin Red Doves (Awakened Weapons, Dual-Wielding Set. Blood Artifacts. Twin Katanas.): 899 average damage on strike with each physical strike on flesh adding a guaranteed stack of the ¡®Bleed¡¯ debuff for damage over time. Hidden strikes that land before an opponent is aware cause additional guaranteed damage of +5%. If the strike is a critical hit, deal an additional x2 critical modifier. These items, when bound to a wielder, may be stored in the heart of the wielder and withdrawn at will. These items are nearly indestructible while the bound wielder is still alive. Requires a Blood Affinity of over 51% to wield. Riven smiled at how excited she was to show it all off, and he gave her a nod of approval and clapped with a laugh. ¡°You look great, as always. Why don¡¯t I see Azmoth wearing his antlers or belt? Does he not like them?¡± Athela tossed one of the long red katanas up into the air in a spinning flick of the wrist, then caught the twirling blade effortlessly before giving Riven a side-eye. ¡°Riven, you¡¯re his first and only master. You¡¯re also his friend. Unlike Fay and I, Azmoth also doesn¡¯t have a family to go back to in the nether realms¡­ Hellscape brutalisks are very solitary by nature, or at least they usually are. So your gifts to him have a very deep-set meaning, and he hoards them as sentimental treasures rather than risk breaking them.¡± Riven didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so instead he just put on a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad he feels that way. But you should probably use that ability of yours and take him down before he leaves, we don¡¯t know how long he¡¯ll stay and I can only pinpoint the general direction through smell.¡± Athela laughed and closed her eyes. Walking over and pushing his helmet back while wickedly grinning - she kissed Riven¡¯s lips with both hands on either cheek. ¡°Blood Art - Mark of the Hunted.¡± The world around her abruptly changed to various shades of red, and further into the distance - a single hulking figure lit up along a ledge where it lay hidden and watching. A naga. The demoness growled as the mark targeted and highlighted her prey. The whispers of the red katanas in either hand grew into a storming howl. Her eyes grew to twice her normal size and her arachnid limbs tore out of her back as she screamed with a primal and frenzied glee - before tearing through the forest with blinding speed that caused trees she passed by to upend themselves with the current of air that followed her. *** Grakzee stalked the vampire at a distance under the cover of thick plant life, trying to find an opening for a quick, lethal strike. Two of his skills allowed him to use piercing ranged attacks focused on critical energy if unseen, and he could often strike down enemies at a distance without ever being noticed because of it. Water based abilities were, in his opinion, very underrated by the land dwellers. The naga¡¯s gills flared, and his sharp teeth bared themselves into a grin when the sky suddenly went red. The air around him grew cold. His heart began to thud in his chest. And amidst it all, he saw two sets of red eyes turned in his direction, before a feral scream tore out of the demoness Athela - who was famous across Panu in her own right - before she tore through the forest like a tornado of vengeance. ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Grakzee¡¯s eyes went wide and he let out a shriek, only barely vaulting out of the way before Athela¡¯s red blades tore into the ground with a double-handed slash that sent debris flying into the air. Grakzee didn¡¯t even have time to think, whirling and deflecting three follow up strikes that lashed out at him so fast he could barely even think. His arms acted in reflex, his water-based stamina surged, and within seconds he found himself in a fight for his life against one of the two world-boss enemies in this trial. He¡¯d somehow completely lost the element of surprise. The ground tore apart and energetic exchanges of stamina infused strikes blasted into each other with resounding booms. He activated an agility buff and grew faster, lunging backwards and to the side over and over again while being hard pressed onto a retreat. ¡°WATER DANCER¡¯S RAGE!¡± Grakzee screamed, his body blooming with swirling arcs of streaming water that acted as trailing blades behind the two spears he wielded - clashing them against the red katanas of the cackling she-demon. He dodged, rolled, and exploded into a cloud of mist before rematerializing only to find her upon him in an instant with a flurry of jabs, slashes and cuts that made him curse under his breath. Gragzee was no pushover, he was a paragon rank himself at number 960 on the power ladder, but this demoness was incredibly agile even when compared to him. With a roar he sent out illusionary bodies made of water to match his own, narrowly dogging a spray of red needles that came by the thousands over the course of a single second - with the cloud of red needles leveling dozens of trees in an instant explosion of shrapnel-like wood while the demoness giggled and lunged for his throat. ¡°HAVE YOU COME TO PLAY!?¡± Athela screeched with wide-eyed glee, turning into a puddle of blood to avoid one of Grakzee¡¯s counter swipes only to appear on his other side - crashing the sharm end of one blade through his left elbow. The limb spun off, and Grakzee screamed in outrage and pain before he exploded yet again in a spray of mist - reforming his arm a second later while heaving and huffing twenty yards away. His reptilian eyes narrowed when the demoness turned to look at him with a scowl, and his heartbeat thumped in his chest when he heard the sound of leaves cracking underneath feet directly behind him. He turned to- *BOOM* The ground shook, and Grakzee¡¯s dual-spears collided with a black halberd flowing with blood. The naga felt bones in his arms snap under the strain, and he began to panic as he tried to think of a way out. Grakzee was an assassin, not a duelist. Not a fighter or a tank. With the loss of surprise he was as good as dead if he didn¡¯t make it out of here soon. He needed to get out, he needed to get away, and he needed to do it now. Chapter 251 Chapter 251 Riven watched with interest as the naga assassin took another one of his strikes, the earth shattering and erupting underneath them under the impact with the sin energy flowing out of his body. The naga¡¯s scream of pain was accompanied by another flash of power when he regenerated and vaulted away in a swirling river of water, only to be intercepted by Athela¡¯s own blood-form as her river of red crashed into his river of clear-blue. The two entangled figures slammed into the ground, Athela laughing madly while their blows sent loud shockwaves that eradicated nearby trees - while Riven continued to observe the dark fractals coming out from his skin to encase the Gluttony-based armor he now wore. ¡°Interesting.¡± Riven muttered under his breath, feeling the great maw itself leak out of his soul and into both Messenger and Jackal - empowering them both as dark black energies flared to life. Without looking up, Riven stepped to the left in a blur of speed. *BOOM* The ground beside him erupted with a thin, sharp, solid wall of water that cut through the forest for a mile, creating a solid trench in the ground for the entirety of the mile-long attack that caused the ground underneath to explode with debris. The naga flashed forward, empowered with another water-based martial art only for Riven to look up with a flick of his wrist. A dozen spinning blades of black and red erupted around him and slammed into the naga - splitting him open in multiple spots and then exploding. However the naga¡¯s agility and regenerative properties let him off with only another pained scream - and he teleported back a few dozen feet breathing heavily with ragged breaths. Riven went back to inspecting the runes traveling out from his body that were still embedding themselves into his weapon and armor, fusing with it, and giving him a more innate sense of control over the items as they responded in kind. ¡°Gluttony, what is it you¡¯re doing?¡± The great maw only laughed inside his soul, the third eye emerging from his forehead to stare out at the naga with terrorizing hunger pulsing out from it. The very grass beneath their feet shriveled and died under the gaze of the sin, and the sky above them darkened with a malevolent laugh that echoed throughout the landscape. That was when Riven realized this wasn¡¯t a skill at all. Rather, this was actually Gluttony¡¯s aura - similar to how Riven¡¯s aura of red frost was akin to Crimson Ice, but didn¡¯t actually involve any skill activation. It was just a pure flex of raw, semi-directed power. The sight of the eye caused the naga to freeze mid-stride, true fear giving it pause right as Athela caught up to it and impaled the assassin with both of her red blades. ¡°It¡¯s not fun when you stop moving!¡± Athela hissed over the screech of the cultist, tearing her blades out from his body - headbutting him mid scream - and with a blur, kicked the man in the chest to launch him like a cannonball across the canopy under the snap of bones. She looked over her shoulder, to the dying plant life that was quickly drying up all around them at exponentially rapid speed, then up to the sky overhead - confused. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Energy began ripping from all life around them, feeding into Messenger and Jackal alike. The dark runes pulsed various shades of black, red and purple - sparking with power; shifting and churning. The ground began to turn gray, and without warning - a pulse of sin vaporized all the forest around them for hundreds of meters. The darkening sky overhead screamed as the figure of the maw appeared to open wide, and Riven reached out a hand as a bolt of sin crashed down onto his position. Riven felt electrified in both a figurative and literal sense, coursing with power as his mana channels rearranged themselves and inserted themselves into the two sin-affiliated items. The eyes of the horned, vampiric pauldrons burned bright and the flowing rivers of blood encompassing Jackal roared to life like an ocean - their volumes increasing. He felt his pillars react, and the sin core orbiting his soul core reached out to form a pillar of its own. Now, instead of being disconnected from one another, Gluttony had fused the sin core as a newly born pillar - placing it directly beside his Blood Sub-Pillar and enlarging his soul-core by three times the size as it pulsed and waned over and over again. Riven let out a shudder, and as the sin pillar solidified - he felt a strong sense of one-ness when his mind linked with Gluttony, his Mythic tier upper body armor, and his Ascended Legendary tier weapon. The spiked knuckles on his gauntlets crackled, the four plates on his back expanded with torrents of fire as ¡®Launch¡¯ began to activate, and the replica maw of Gluttony along his front began to open. God he needed new pants, especially after his Lich-Kin Boots had been destroyed by the blast in Deepnest. His three-eyes fixated on Athela, and he smiled. ¡°Gluttony, Messenger, Jackal and I were just having a bonding moment is all. Now¡­ Let him flee for a while. Hopefully he¡¯ll lead us to the others, so that we can finish this quest ahead of schedule.¡± Athela blankly stared, then chuckled and turned - flashing forward as she morphed into a stream of blood that crossed the desolate landscape he¡¯d created; further flowing inbetween the trees to advance out of sight. With Mark of the Hunted still tracking her fleeing naga friend, Riven was sure she¡¯d be on him soon enough. Grinning and feeding Messenger a pulse of mana, he forced his armor to explode with power - shooting him skywards in an arc before disappearing into the clouds. [Launch: The back of your suit can open up, creating a blast of sin energy that damages enemies and acts as a propulsion method to blast you in a given direction at speeds dependent on how much energy you drain from the stored reservoir of your pauldrons.] *** The forest erupted all around him as the crazy she-demon unleashed swaths of red crescents from her blades, alongside storms of needles that showered the land. It was like watching a hurricane of destruction running after him, and despite being a speed and agility based fighter in the Paragon tier - Grakzee was having a very hard time getting away from her. The naga assassin cursed and swore, dodging more of those red needle threads while they rang out like the bullets of a gatling gun to mow down animals, plants, and even boulders alike while the demoness gave chase. He¡¯d nearly died eight times by now, and that was considering the fact that Riven Thane hadn¡¯t done more than half-heartedly attack him three times; twice with his spear-staff and once with a relatively small amount of magic at close range. Time dragged on, and he gained more and more wounds - but none of them were lethal. He felt like a rat being toyed with by a cat amidst sprays of bloody, painful hits that he took along his extremities every couple seconds. It seemed like this Athela bitch was playing with him, as if she was intentionally letting him live just to cause him more pain and suffering, and the more he thought about it - he had a good idea why. They were wanting him to lead them to the others in his flight. Looking over his shoulder at the manic grin on Athela¡¯s face only twenty yards away, he would be more than happy to oblige. *CRACK* The air thundered and he felt his knee explode as he screamed again, but yet again - the attack wasn¡¯t aimed at his vital points. He vaporized and then reappeared to heal himself, almost drained of a third of his energy now and cursing the ability that was allowing her to keep a perfect target on his back. No matter whether he backpedaled, used stealth skills, or dashed far ahead - it was like she had a radar that honed in on his soul - and he had the odd sensation that the very heavens were watching him as he tried to avoid their unceasing gaze. He thought about it, inwardly groaning when blood sprayed from his shoulder and he had to reform the limb amidst Athela¡¯s cackling, howling laughter. Truthfully there was no reason why he WOULDN¡¯T lead these two into the fray of other hostile cultists. Not only was their monster swarm there and just unable to leave a particular area at this time, but Riven would have received reinforcements from the town if they¡¯d attacked like originally planned. If the vampire was willing to fight without those reinforcements, then all the better. Not only that, but that other unnamed non-cultists also wasn¡¯t here¡­ and his other minions aside from Athela were also absent. The two elves, the succubus, and the hellscape brutalisk were all eerily gone. This bade the question ¡®Why¡¯? Were they setting up an ambush for the others by not showing themselves? But Grakzee wasn¡¯t in much of a situation to question things and would take what he could get. He was also pretty sure that Riven could summon his demonic minions to him by using the unholy pentagrams on his chest that he¡¯d seen in previous videos on the cortex, but he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure about it. Regardless, lacking the other non-cultist who was no doubt at bare minimum S-tier to get here, as well as forgo his reinforcements from the town and the two elves of unknown threat level - that was more than ok with him. *** Riven watched Athela¡¯s game of cat and mouse from high up in the clouds as his armor kept him aloft; though he was able to use his own mana to do so at a less viable level even if he didn¡¯t have messenger on at this point. It wasn¡¯t as pure as air or storm based mana, but by fluctuating it and using it to propel him in certain directions - he was able to shift his body¡¯s placement above ground without physically moving it. Albeit poorly. He still had a long way to go, so until he perfected the art he¡¯d be sure to only utilize messenger unless absolutely necessity called for other plans. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Gluttony whispered into his mind, focusing on the threads of light only he and Riven could see. Threads that connected them to one another, that combined and meshed the shattered pieces of Riven¡¯s soul with Gluttony¡¯s own - making them almost inseparable even by the standards of what the system had intended for them to be. It was more than just a symbiotic relationship, but the way it felt¡­ Riven wasn¡¯t just ok with it. He LIKED it, and even better - he was still the one primarily in control. Having Gluttony there and meshing his thoughts with the great maw on this level gave him an understanding of the creature he now shared a vessel with on a deeper level than any other being had ever been able to grasp, and it made him look at Gluttony in a new light. Gluttony wasn¡¯t necessarily evil at all, rather he was just a machine - a being bred for war, bred to kill, and bred to devour. Gluttony was the very essence of genocide itself, put into spiritual and physical form alike. There was no greater truth Gluttony strived for other than to become THE apex predator above all others, devouring his way to the top, and for the first time in a while - Riven felt a sense of meaning integrate and resonate with his own desires. It was as if Riven had been lost in the ocean, adrift amidst the waves and not having true direction. But now - he was given that direction. He too wanted to become great. He too wanted to reach the apex. ¡°I do feel it¡­¡± Riven replied, feeling Gluttony¡¯s abilities mesh into his own status page while Gluttony pushed their intertwining souls together - the maw¡¯s sigil radiating sin energy across the new pillar he¡¯d acquired. ¡°I feel everything that you are, as you too feel me¡­¡± Riven¡¯s attention turned from the threads of their souls onto other such connections that were external, rather than internal. He followed one to his lover, Athela - where it pulsed the brightest of all the other external threads he now had. He could read her thoughts when focusing on it, and chuckled to himself at the mirth she felt while chasing the naga far below. Poor guy. The other threads varied in size and length, and crossed time and space to lengths that he could not physically see - but following them allowed Riven to peer beyond physical space. He followed one to Fay, who was sitting on a couch - rather upset - in her mother¡¯s nether realm while talking to her clan. He felt her swirling emotions that bubbled up from deep inside her mind - thoughts of inadequacy, doubt, fear, and a longing for him. He reached out through the thread, touching her consciousness with a feeling of warmth, and lovingly smiled as she received the message with a surprised jerk of her head. The next thread led to Azmoth, who was in the town right at this very moment gorging himself on pastries back in town. The large demon felt his presence immediately, and Riven couldn¡¯t help but explode into laughter when he saw Azmoth give him the middle finger. Only a deep sense of playful trust and admiration resonated from that bond, and it was directed solely at Riven. It was the kind of trust one would have in their family, and it made Riven remember that Azmoth was still just a kid. Despite his maturity and size, Azmoth was supposed to be an infant without any other blood-related family he kept in contact with - though truth be told he didn¡¯t know what age range demon infants were considered to be. He¡¯d have to ask Azmoth sometime just how old he really was. After all, Athela was over 200 years old - and she¡¯d said that was very young for a demon. Luke Blissfallen, the Stormrazor Battle Priest thrall, had a far weaker link than any of the others. It was still there, and pulling on it found Riven¡¯s sight to be¡­ Riven immediately withdrew his vision when he found the old man was visiting a brothel. He¡¯d touch up on that one later, and he couldn¡¯t necessarily blame the guy - Luke didn¡¯t have anyone special that Riven knew about and they had a good while until the monster wave actually hit. Maybe it was even a method of stress relief. Lastly, Genua¡¯s thread between their souls was the one that fluctuated most. One moment it was rather strong and firm, the next it was weak and wavering. Fixating on it and following it out, Riven found himself viewing the inside of a temple. High marble pillars held up an immaculately carved ceiling depicting creatures and artifacts he did not recognize, alongside vampires and a huge red moon carved from stone at the very back end of the- His vision changed, and he found himself looking directly out of Genua¡¯s eyes into the face of a very old but pretty priestess. The woman had the same formal clergy robes Genua had on, as well as the glowing crimson tattoos littering her skin, and she tisked his way before the vision ended. Riven let out a snort, coming back into his own body while scratching his neck. ¡°I guess they don¡¯t want me looking into the Blood God¡¯s realm just yet. Gluttony, what¡¯s your opinion on the Blood God?¡± ¡°Neutral.¡± Gluttony immediately replied with a hiss, his black soul clone visage appearing in the air beside Riven. ¡°I have never had many interactions with him in the past, from what memories I do retain. I suggest you decide on how to proceed, and I will support you in whichever way you choose to go about it.¡± Riven nodded, glancing at the slowly twisting maws that leaked the essence of the abyss itself. ¡°I see. What about The Scythe?¡± ¡°I have had minimal interactions with that one. They were overall positive, but we did fight two wars against one another in the past.¡± ¡°Two wars? And your interactions were positive?¡± ¡°Wars breed conflict, conflict breeds ascension. It is creation¡¯s will, and we were competing for supreme treasures. I needed to display my dominance.¡± Riven smiled, then chuckled. ¡°Not so dominant now, eh?¡± Gluttony hissed. ¡°If The Scythe had been as powerful as I and the other sins back then, he¡¯d have been banished too. My banishment and reincarnation are only testaments to the strength I once had, and to the strength that I will one day reclaim. Do not goad me, child.¡± Riven kept his smirk but didn¡¯t push the matter. He could tell by the way their souls were intertwined that Gluttony wasn¡¯t actually mad, but he would be respectful to his new playmate nevertheless. Meanwhile, the connections inside his soul apparatus were only condensing, growing thicker, and being tied together in odd formations and web-like patterns like a lattice. Two more connections formed shortly after as he watched, one to Messenger - and one to Jackal, though these threads looked a little bit different than the other ones to his minions did. They were semi translucent when focusing on them, and Riven could only guess that it was a change due to them actually being items rather than people? He was about to ask Gluttony about it after briefly reviewing Athela¡¯s progress in her chasing game below when a flash notification appeared ahead of him, and his mind briefly turned black. His body went numb and he shuddered as the Mark of the Sinner lit up across his skin, messenger, and Jackal all at once - with a hungering, gnawing sensation carving itself into his gut. A sensation of hunger that was bottomless, without end, that spurred him onwards to feed. The markings on the black and deep-purple pillar of sin in his soul apparatus finally stopped moving, the new mana channels etching themselves into it and solidifying, and he gasped alongside Gluttony as they exchanged abilities and traits with one another. Just as Gluttony gained access to many of Riven¡¯s own inherited skills as their souls intertwined, so too did Riven gain access to Gluttony¡¯s. [Congratulations, Host and Reincarnation of Gluttony. You have acquired the following abilities and traits from Gluttony now that your symbiosis has reached its height: Riven¡¯s red and black eyes widened when focusing on the ¡®Gluttonous¡¯ trait in particular. The abilities were nice to have, but needing to feed on at least 1 enlightened being every week¡­ did that include monsters? Sentient monsters, maybe? Perhaps he needed to really take that vampiric heritage of his to the next level as he upped his game to feed on more people, though he¡¯d have to find targets that weren¡¯t so innocent. He was sure there¡¯d be more than enough to go around. Beyond all of that though, was a sense of competence and assuredness in himself that flooded through his mind like a tidal wave. It was Gluttony¡¯s presence, one that had been around for eons, and even despite the loss of much of his knowledge and skills - Gluttony still had a lot of memories pertaining to combat. Pertaining to the hunt. Riven¡¯s mouth twitched, and he gave an involuntary, malicious sneer that focused on the fleeing form of the naga far below. Hunger built up inside him, and his stomach ached as he began to salivate. He shuddered, and Gluttony¡¯s voice rang clearly beside him to bring Riven back to the present. ¡°We will feed shortly, my friend¡­¡± Gluttony stated - disappearing from his soul clone form and re-entering Riven¡¯s body with a flash of darkness. ¡°But these opponents of ours are some of the best your planet has to offer. It would be a waste to merely eat them outright. Instead, we should use this as an opportunity to find one-ness.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed, still following the naga through the trees before he disappeared into a shimmering wall of illusion in the forest below. Athela followed the cultist through the illusory wall shortly after, and Riven¡¯s grip around Jackal tightened as the weapon in his hand howled for blood. ¡°You want to use them as a whetstone, to test our skills now that we have joined.¡± ¡°You are correct.¡± Gluttony stated as a matter of fact. ¡°Such opportunities to truly struggle against and fight competent opponents, before leaving your world to travel into the greater multiverse, will not come often. They will respawn here in this trial, it is true, but we can use every opportunity to push ourselves; even by self imposed restrictions if need be. But for now, I do believe that there are multiple S-grade and Paragon-grade enemies beyond that shimmering wall. Perhaps it is time to join Athela and to hone our skills, so that you may for the very first time truly pursue the Path of Gluttony, while I pursue the unfamiliar path of Red and Black you have so recently gifted me. We will be two halves fighting as one, and we will need to know each other thoroughly before we perfect the dance of a dual soul in combat. We will become a single predator, two parts of one beast. Only then will we be able to start our next step into ascending towards the E-grade.¡± Riven paused, his focus being skewed by the building hunger - a hunger that until now, he¡¯d not even known was possible - even when he¡¯d been starved of blood prior to getting Luke and Genua as thralls to feed on. He let out a gasp, and his red eyes began to burn with power. ¡°Afterwards, we will eat them together.¡± Gluttony seemed to internally grin. ¡°That, my dearest friend, is a certainty. We will gorge on their bodies as they still take breaths, so that they remember what it means to oppose our will and might.¡± Chapter 252 Chapter 252 Despite his sister¡¯s choice to abandon the Blood God as a path to take to power, Riven wasn¡¯t so sure doing so would be a good idea for himself. He was relatively certain that, over the course of his climb so far, the Blood God had been the man in his visions multiple times under the light of the blood moon. The shrouded man over an ocean of red. If that was the case, this entity had gone out of its way - or his way - to help Riven without being asked. Shouldn¡¯t Riven reciprocate if chance allowed? Riven did know that gods acquired power from the strength and worship of their followers. More followers meant more power, but better quality candidates could make up for dozens, hundreds, or who knows how many less powerful worshipers. Perhaps this is why the entity had been so angry for Allie leaving? Due to the loss of what she could potentially come? Perhaps this was why Gluttony didn¡¯t have a direct conflict of interest with Riven pursuing the good will of this Blood God? Due to Gluttony not truly being a god - but something else entirely? At least, Gluttony hadn¡¯t said anything about it so far. Thus, he would need to talk to Genua when she got back about how to go about fixing whatever damage Allie had caused. Not only was it a likely good path to progression, but it was also probably important in getting the Blood Moon Requiem off Allie¡¯s back since she¡¯d probably pissed them off to the tenth degree. The reason he was even thinking about the Blood God as he flew forwards in the direction of the illusory wall down below in the forest was because of the last significant vision he¡¯d had concerning the entity. ¡°Blood, shadow, and death. These are the three pillars the vampires were created from.¡± The hooded figure said, turning his red gaze and forcing Riven¡¯s own with it towards the piles upon piles of dead far below them. You have taken the first step by converging the paths of shadow and blood, but you lack the trio in its entirety. Descendant, you show promise¡­ otherwise Gluttony would not involve itself so directly in you. But you need to broaden your horizons now and before you hit the E-grade, or you will fall short of what you could otherwise become. Death is a sister component to blood in more ways than one. Why do you neglect it so?¡± That vision had empowered Riven with the gift of insight pertaining to the Death Sub-pillar, and had allowed Riven to call upon eight skeletal champions of the Blood God¡¯s realm to temporarily fight for him. The symbol of a scythe, a symbol of a red teardrop, and the symbol of a black sun - even now they reached out to him from their individual sub-pillars across his soul, but now alongside them the visage of Gluttony¡¯s maw joined the trio to make a quartet. How was he supposed to solidify his foundations with these four pillar ideologies? What about his path of Red and Black? Was the path of Gluttony the same thing as his Sin Pillar? Riven was on the cusp of E-grade, and needed to figure out how to ascend. Gluttony gave vague notions of what to do, and had hinted at it a couple times now - but Riven got the feeling that it wasn¡¯t a 1+1+1+1=4 situation. More than likely and based on all the context clues he¡¯d received from multiple people on the outside now - it was probably semi-unique for each person to at least a small extent. Or, based on what the Blood God had said, being :¡®you will fall short of what you could otherwise become¡¯ - there were likely things Riven could do that would make his ascension into E-grade far better than if he just ascended immediately. He didn¡¯t really know yet. What he DID know was that no one had outright come to tell him, and he hadn¡¯t asked - but again there¡¯d been more than a few subtle hints on what needed to be done. Perhaps he¡¯d have that conversation with the Great Maw after this little fiasco he was about to participate in. Because right now, he had some cultists to kill. The air about him screamed as he kicked his mana channeling up to the next notch, and a torrent of roaring power exploded behind him to launch him into the distance towards where Athela had disappeared. *** Six cultists in total. Three reptilian naga of the Chubin cult, and three others of the Nekra Cult - two dark elf females and a chaos dwarf. They¡¯d made camp together on the outskirts of their system-given horde, with Grakzee going ahead to scout the area, but just because they were technically on the same team for this specific mission didn¡¯t mean they were friends. Nor did it mean they were on the same team at all as soon as this subsection of the world quest ended. No, they were all in it for themselves. Each apocalypse beast could only have one winner, one to claim the egg - or to use it to create an item of supreme power. In the end, the chosen would all be at odds with one another - cultist or not, and that went doubly true for those within their same bracket of apocalypse beasts; who¡¯d have to kill one another in order to get what they wanted. And thus the uneasy alliance had been formed, with three big reasons keeping them in check from ripping into one another at a moment¡¯s notice. First was that every one of the chosen would respawn here in this sub-event until they left in a year or so by the system¡¯s estimation. They would continue to respawn until they got the necessary points needed to leave, and that could only be done by completing quests or killing non-cultists. Second was that if they DID kill one another, they¡¯d get negative points for it - so an attempt on one another¡¯s lives would need to have bigger rewards than repercussions, they¡¯d have to have a good reason to do it. The third and last reason was that, just as Grakzee had already deduced, it was very likely they were up against a harder obstacle than any of the other cultists here. There were only two non-cultists defending this town based on the system quests they each got, with a much larger potential for points should they kill either one of them. +280 points for a single kill would net them far, far, far more than any of the others got for their non-cultist kills. Only +3 points were being awarded to other people at other questlines for killing non-cultists, but everyone had a pretty damn good idea as to what having 93 times the normal points for a kill meant. It was likely they were up against Riven Thane. Each of them was a cold blooded killer, each of them in the S and Paragon rankings on Panu, but that fucking vampire was nearly unkillable and had the equivalent power of a meteor strike. Videos of him wiping out Daskus, fighting the Azag Hive Cluster in Chicago, wiping the floor with Rippenvire invaders in Dawn alongside the Harbingers of Gluttony, and then killing the elites of the Empire of Dying Suns invading force alongside a dungeon boss had circulated numerous times over - along with some other less-well-known videos too. He may not be as ruthless as his batshit crazy sister, but he was even more dangerous in actual combat. It also didn¡¯t help that he had demonic familiars that were also incredibly strong in their own ways, and that he may or may not have somehow ascended by absorbing something related to Gluttony based on system messages and the titles on the ranking ladder for Panu. So that was the third and final reason they didn¡¯t kill one another in their sleep, and avoided antagonizing one another. They needed to work together if they wanted to beat him, and in a worst case scenario they¡¯d agreed to try and have one of their own sneak around him to destroy the town so they could claim the 30 points bare minimum. To do this, the others would need to distract the vampiric warlock and his demons when the monster wave was unleashed in a few hours from now. Other than Grakzee, who was the only stealth-type fighter their group had, the five remaining cultists were a mix of warrior and caster types. The remaining 2 aquatic naga, who were lizard-like Chubin cultists, were both mages specializing in Glacial and Storm sub-pillars respectively. Of the 3 Nekra cultists, the chaos-dwarf was an axe-wielding barbarian with a long black beard and chaos-attuned runes he¡¯d been born with - enabling him to utilize the power of the Chaos Sub-pillar at an astounding affinity of 73%. One of the two drow or dark-elf women, the larger of the two, was a death knight who kept a large black cloak covering the armor she wore - which was made completely from bone. She also had a large bone-made claymore, and her eyes glowed a neon-teal light. Meanwhile the last of the Nekra cultists, another and smaller drow woman, was an affliction caster that specialized in plagues and debuffs which rotted, corrupted, and ate away at her enemies rapidly over time. Currently these remnant 5 cultists sat around a campfire, either looking into the flames contemplating what they would do when the fight finally came - or glancing over their shoulders at the huge swath of roaming monsters nearby. One in particular stood out above all the rest, the monster swarm¡¯s ¡®boss¡¯ unit, and it was no less impressive than many of the dungeon bosses any of them had seen up until this point. It was a large level 180 ELITE monster. More specifically it was a winged tomb-cobra, with the largest difference other than size being it had two large clawed arms like a dragon. It was so large that it could swallow a small house, with lightning coursing over its golden scales and white feathered wings; and bright orange eyes that surveyed its smaller kin from the center of the swarm. It¡¯d already spoken to them once, after having been dragged from its own world along with its brood to participate in these integration trials - and was more than excited to be given a town of humanoids to eat for its mission. ¡°How long will your lizard friend be gone, you think?¡± Chasindir, the cloaked and armored death knight stated while leaning forward and brushing a long braided lock of white hair from her face. Her helmet rested at her side on the log she was sitting on, and he neon teal eyes flickered while souls danced around one of her hands. Merris scoffed irritably, glaring out from his silver-blue hood - his reptilian features contorting into a sneer as the lightning mage crackled dangerously as if a threat. He pointed a clawed hand at the deathknight and rose up slightly from his coiled position with a hiss to his words. ¡°I have told you numerous times, drow. Grakzee is not my friend. You insult me by asking this, as my tribe is by far superior to his.¡± Chasindir grinned slightly underneath her own sandy-brown hood trimmed with teal coloring, that of the Nekra Cult, and head bobbed over to where the large winged tomb cobra remained coiled like a giant hill amongst her writhing swarm. ¡°What about your cousin¡¯s tribe? How does yours compare to hers?¡± ¡°That is of a different species, you ingrate!¡± Merris snarled, causing his aura to explode - but none of the others bothered getting up from their spots or even acknowledging his tantrum. Merris was by far the easiest to rile up, and Chasindir the death knight had been doing so time and time again just out of boredom - and because she thought it was funny. The chaos dwarf, who was sharpening the large obsidian axe across his lap, just sighed and grumbled something to himself while rolling his eyes at the duo again. Chasindir snickered, loving that she¡¯d hit a sore spot for the naga and prodded it verbally again with her eyes flaring brightly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not of the same species!? You both have scales, you both control lightning, you both have clawed humanoid hands yet have the lower bodies of snakes. If I didn¡¯t know any better, I¡¯d think you naga were beasts rather than enlightened creatures like myself. It pains me, actually, to even consider you as more than a fish!¡± The naga mage bolted upright with another clap of thunder roaring from overhead, and he quivered with rage. But he dared not strike, even despite his temper he knew that infighting was stupid - and he settled back down into a coiled position while the drow woman in bone armor started loudly laughing at his expense. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°You fall too easily for her jabs.¡± The larger glacial naga mage from further down the campfire line stated simply, not opening his eyes and remaining in a meditative state. ¡°A weak mind brings about ruin, it would do you well to sharpen yours. If you did not react, she would no longer find it fun to annoy you.¡± Merris audibly scoffed again, snapping his jaws in Chasindir¡¯s direction while the death knight continued to howl in amusement, but he managed to not reply to the next two quips she had either. Instead, he began focusing on one of his internal lightning braids - one of multiple soul-space creations he wanted to use in his ascent into the E-grade later. The unknown plaguebringer and afflictions remained staring at the flames without speaking a word to anyone despite multiple attempts to get her attention, and with Merris not playing by Chasindir¡¯s goading any longer - the camp fell eerily silent minutes later. Only the hissing of the monster swarm and rustling of their wings and scales interrupted the silence, but even they were unusually quiet - considering most of them were the size of a fully grown human or bigger. ¡°I grow bored of this, and we still have another five hours to wait.¡± Chasindir stated grumpily, putting her bone helmet on and adjusting her hood back over the top again. ¡°That Grakzee is taking way too long. Do you think he got lost, with that little pee-sized reptilian brain of his? I bet you he did.¡± Fortunately for Chasindir, none of them had to wait long before things got a lot more exciting. The illusory wall separating themselves and the horde of monsters from the outer world shimmered and exploded as - off in the distance along a large tree-spotted hill - Grakzee came barreling out of the mirage covered in blood. He was moving fast, far faster than any of the others could due to his agility-based class, and hot on his heels was a cackling demoness that all of them were very familiar with. It seemed that Athela had arrived at the scene, and without a word - the others sprang into action. *** Athela¡¯s evil smile widened at the sight of the monster swarm before her. And ¡®swarm¡¯ was putting it lightly. There were man-sized, winged serpents of golden scales and white feathers that stretched out for two or three square miles - some of them even having taken to the air to fly around. And at the center was a monster even larger and longer than her drider form. This was going to be a fun time. Maybe, just maybe, after killing everything in sight - she might finally catch up to Riven and join him on his quest to pursue E-grade! The thought made her giggle, and she stopped playing around with the naga she¡¯d been chasing this entire time. Pulling on Mark of the Hunted that¡¯d lodged itself into the naga¡¯s soul and causing him to freeze up only for a moment - her eyes blazed red. Her body exploded into a wave of crimson blood, and like ten thousand tiny rivers of death, she crashed into and through the naga in a motion so fast that a sonic boom resounded behind her. The naga screamed, and only barely managed to get away by means she wasn¡¯t entirely clear on. She found herself staring at the spot he¡¯d been in only a second later, and he was somehow a hundred feet away. He turned around, looking at the hole in his chest in astonishment, and then stared back at her with incomprehension in his eyes. ¡°You¡­ You took it? How? I didn¡¯t¡­ didn¡¯t see¡­¡± The assassin flopped forward onto his face, bleeding out onto the ground and going into shock, unable to regrow the beating heart that was spasming - impaled - by Athela¡¯s two red katanas. She¡¯d cut it out and wrenched before he¡¯d been able to completely move, but she still frowned in dissatisfaction with her own performance after being unable to take his head too. ¡°I¡¯m losing my touch.¡± Athela spit with irritation, grumbling to herself about how he¡¯d managed to step away - because if that¡¯d been anyone else with better regenerative properties, such as Riven had, then taking out the heart wouldn¡¯t have been all that was needed to kill the man. *CRACK* *SNAP* The earth shuddered as lightning ruptured the ground beneath her feet. A storm of wails accompanied it just as she dodged the bus-sized lightning bolt, and she narrowly missed an arcing swing of soulfire that ripped out of a bone claymore only a couple feet away. Her arachnid limbs and red katanas clashed furiously with sparks flying as meticulous footwork created a dance between herself, a death knight''s claymore, and a huge obsidian battle axe. The ground beneath her feet shattered when the dwarf barbarian smashed a martial art infused strike into her position - which she managed to deflect to the side in a spray of debris. A storm of ice-made blades roared from high up in the sky and thundered downwards by the thousands, and her arachnid blades tore them out from the air with movements that blurred while she kept the two frontline warriors at bay with her katanas. She had to admit, whoever these cultists were - they were good. Individually she¡¯d have an easy time, but together they were putting her just barely on the back foot - forcing her to play defense rather than offense. A lightning strike tore into her leg, and she cursed as blood sprayed out of it - only for her body to twirl around and spray red, lacerating needles in all directions with a high pitched laugh. ¡°YOU ARE NOT AS WEAK AS I¡¯D ANTICIPATED, THIS IS GOOD!¡± The clang of her blade on a pauldron sent the death knight spinning from the impact, causing the drow women to smash into a nearby stone and shatter it from the high speed impact. The dwarf let out a bellowing roar, lowering himself into a battle stance as the illusory figure of a spirit bull formed behind him. The bull was made from chaos energy, a dark gray that shattered the ground the bull walked upon, and then it charged when it overlapped the dwarf¡¯s own body as the two entities tore across the ground. Athela blocked, axe and horns met with katanas and sharpened spider limbs. The resulting shockwave from her many blades against the charging chaos dwarf and his bull caused the land out to either side of them to explode in a cataclysmic typhoon of expelled energies. It was enough to garner the attention of the nearby swarm, who¡¯d mostly stopped to watch the ongoing battle without interfering just yet - but some of them were beginning to inch closer. Leaning in to be within a few inches of the snarling dwarf, Athela sneered down at the shorter man with true killing intent pumping into the aura around her as the world gained a sanguine hue. ¡°I will enjoy cutting your heart out next!¡± But then the dwarf smiled, and the ground underneath her shifted - hands created from gray stone tearing up from the earth to latch onto her feet and legs. Athela felt something odd come crashing down onto her position right after that. It wasn¡¯t necessarily forceful, but it was certainly potent. The feeling was akin to drowning in a lake far beneath the surface, being compressed by the pressure around her, rather than being outright crushed instantaneously. She felt her muscles begin to weaken, and pinpricks of pain began to spring up all over her body as a cloud of dark green energies crackled to life around her. She looked up, and there in the sky was the floating figure of a drow woman with short white hair in dark robes. She carried a severed, rotting head, dangling from one hand, that had necromantic and unholy runes inscribed onto the head¡¯s surface - where torrents of energies were cycling through it and being amplified before she cast them down on Athela¡¯s position like a judge sentencing one to a slow and painful death. The drow caster cackled at Athela¡¯s grimacing while the ice and storm mages got into positions to charge up building attacks on the outskirts of the cloud, and the death knight snapped her shoulder into position with a backwards glare before getting up next. ¡°Finding it hard to move?¡± The dwarf snickered, his body pulsing with chaos energy that continued to wind up he legs. ¡°And those little rot spots seem to be spreading fast! Overconfidence killed the cat, you know!¡± Athela glanced back down at her legs, which were held in position rather solidly at this point while open ulcers began to form across her skin, and wondered if she should take it up a notch and transform into her drider aspect. The drider wasn¡¯t as fast and agile as her humanoid form, nor was it as stealthy as her tiny arachnid form, but it did have the additional strength, sturdiness, and mana output that would be needed to free herself from this position. But she felt another wave of oppressive intent bear down on her as another set of runes flashed overhead in the sky, creating an intricate circle of unholy sigils that expanded into a dome over her position. She felt even weaker, and gasped as the curse leeched her strength away while making her arms barely able to hold back the axe from tearing into her. The dwarf edged forward, the storms of swirling ice and sparking thunderclouds from either naga on both sides grew to extreme proportions while the world shook, and the afflictionist overhead called down to her with a shrill laugh. ¡°I WONDER WHAT IT IS WE WILL GET FOR KILLING A WORLD BOSS IN HERE!¡± The drow woman floating in the sky cackled, waving her hands around to perform a tier 2 spell of some variation while the severed head flailed around with her. ¡°OR PERHAPS IT WON¡¯T COUNT DUE TO RESPAWN AND WE¡¯LL JUST HAVE TO FIND YOU ON THE OUTSIDE TO TRULY GET THE PRIZE! LET¡¯S FIND OUT!¡± The woman let out another shrill fit of laughter, her body lit up bright green with curse energy, and the sky above her tore open with a pillar of unholy flames that- The caster¡¯s laughing fit was abruptly cut off. There was a quick flash-snap of a crimson and black, of a projectile that eradicated the woman from existence instantaneously, coming from somewhere far, far off behind her. The movement was so fast that Athela couldn¡¯t even follow it with her eyes, but remnant pieces of the drow¡¯s body fell slowly to the ground from up on high as the spells she¡¯d been channeling vanished in an instant. She recognized the ability that¡¯d killed her as Riven¡¯s blood lance enhanced with ¡®snipe.¡¯ The lightning storm to her right was launched like a cannonball by the storm mage, and the blizzard on her left was launched from the frost mage like an avalanche. They both tore towards her with the sound of a thunderclap, colliding with two thick walls of crimson ice that rose up from the ground around Athela akin to the protective hands of a god. The ground shook, the backlash causing both of the naga casters to dash backwards while red crystalized blood shattered on the outer layers of each wall - but held firm enough to deflect each of the elemental storms to the front and back of Athela¡¯s position. The death knight, who¡¯d been waiting for the exchange to happen so she could rush in for the second kill after Athela¡¯s first form was taken care of, gawked at the exchanged as another sonic boom echoed out from somewhere high up in the clouds. Another flash of crimson-black light bore down from the heavenly clouds above and sent the dwarf spinning end over end, causing the barbarian to lose his grip entirely on his battle axe while he screamed out in pain. He was akin to a smoldering stone being skipped across a lake. However, unlike the afflictionist who¡¯d been absolutely eradicated by the snipe, the dwarf warrior was far sturdier and managed to roll to a coughing stop while sealing shut a deep wound that sparked with black lightning in his chest. All four of the remaining cultists: the dwarf barbarian, the drow death knight, and the two naga elemental wizards turned their eyes upwards as a figure descended from the clouds in a swath of black, red, and deep purple energies. Then the figure abruptly accelerated and crashed into the ground, creating a crater out in front of him as the four cultists backpedaled again for positioning to ready themselves. Through the cloud of dust, debris, and swirling energies - Riven thane stepped out in full plate armor - the flaps on his armor underneath his thrusters billowing with the torrent of energy encompassing his form. The monster swarm roared and charged, and without looking their way - the warlock raised his free hand to summon thousands of spinning storm blades; blades that rushed the oncoming wave of enemies in a series of explosions that lit up the sky in black and red lights. ¡°Athela.¡± Riven stated calmly, turning to look at his minion who¡¯d picked herself up from out of the barbarian¡¯s holding martial art - kicking at the gray stone hands that¡¯d somehow kept her in place. ¡°Take care of the monster swarm. Gluttony and I are wanting to test out metal with these ones, a little bit of¡­ experimentation. Would you mind?¡± Athela huffed, glaring daggers at the cultists in turn, but gave Riven¡¯s helmet a kiss and began skipping out towards the oncoming horde that was still reeling from Riven¡¯s attack. ¡°Fine! I guess being designated to small fry cleanup is ok this time, but not next time. Got it!? I¡¯m not just your cute little side-piece spider princess that you can use for your carnal desires, I¡¯m an independent woman that needs to level up too! And I GET THE BOSS MONSTER!¡± Riven chuckled, shaking his head and looking her way while she skipped beyond the wall of crimson he¡¯d constructed to block the elemental blizzard. ¡°You can have it. Be safe, dear.¡± ¡°You too honey!¡± She blew him a kiss before laughing and rushing forward, transforming into her large drider form with a scream and spewing out an army of little frost-weavers that entered melee combat a second later. Riven¡¯s black and red eyes shifted towards the other four who were all staring him down with mixed expressions, and the third eye of Gluttony on his head opened up along with a piece in his armor set to let it see. Unlike his others, this one had a more purple hue in the sea of black around it - and the visage of a black maw tore through space behind him as he entered a battle stance. That maw then began to speak. ¡°Remember¡­ do not use any mass-casualty spells. We are using them as a whetstone so we may find errors and places that need fixing in our dual-spirit controls for fighting, no need to eradicate them immediately. We will need to improve upon our unification if we ever wish to survive the greater sions of established factions in the greater multiverse. Skill and technique are the focus here, rather than sheer power.¡± Riven chuckled, and his body erupted into infernal flames of Hell¡¯s Armor while simultaneously sparks and threads of blood with ¡®Blessing of the Crow¡¯ bloomed about him - making him look like the aspect of some lost evil spirit. His weapon, Jackal, screamed in anticipation of the kills - and he took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s see what these new changes from fusing have brought about then. After that, we eat them. I¡¯m already starving." Chapter 253 Chapter 253 The four remaining cultists looked right, to where Riven¡¯s carpet-bombing of the swarm had devastated hundreds of golden, flying serpents that were in large part still recovering just as Athela and her spiders plowed into them. Abilities from both sides activated as arcs of yellow lightning crashed into the archdemon, while a pillar of sin, ice and flame shattered the field and began decimating even more of the monsters. ¡°Did I hear that demonic mouth right?¡± The drow death knight asked, cracking her neck and turning her teal eyes on Riven¡¯s flickering position not far off. ¡°He¡¯s not going to use those mass-casualty spells he¡¯s so famous for?¡± The larger naga, the ice mage, snickered as he held out a large white staff in front of him - creating floating orbs of crystalized water that began orbiting his position. ¡°To use us as training dummies, what arrogance! But it is not something we should take lightly, it gives us more of a fighting chance. RIVEN THANE! I WILL ENJOY COLLECTING THE POINTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR DEATH!¡± ¡°RAAAAAHHH!!¡± The dwarf bellowed, his body exploding in size as he tripled his bulk as bones cracked and chaos energy radiated off his being. ¡°I¡¯VE BEEN WAITING FOR A REAL FIGHT SINCE THE INTEGRATION STARTED! BRING ME A GLORIOUS DEATH, OR I¡¯LL BE CARVING THAT PALE FACE OF YOURS OFF TO HANG ON MY WALL!¡± With that, the dwarf crafted another apparition of the bull - this time much larger - and blasted forward as he activated a martial art with his battle axe. The axe began spinning around and around with his muscular body until he span so fast that it became a tornado of violence, empowered by chaos, and the gap between himself and the vampiric warlock quickly narrowed. Tendrils of sin wrapped around Riven¡¯s soul core, his pillars, and started spreading into his physical body as Gluttony¡¯s very being intertwined with Riven¡¯s own. Riven¡¯s neurons hastened their signals, his mind seemed to expand, and the deep sense of hunger enveloped him as a wide, fanged smile lit up his face. With a roar of his own, Riven¡¯s body burst forward in a torrent of flame, blood, and dark lightning. Space ruptured, and a killing intent tore out of his body in a wave of malice that was so potent it made the very heavens cry. As the world shuddered underneath Riven¡¯s lust for violence - a raven with orange eyes drifted down to land on a far-off tree to look his way. ¡°DODGE, YOU IDIOT!¡± the drow death knight screamed, eyes widening in shock at the absolute malice pouring out of Riven in almost physical form. But the barbarian¡¯s spinning swings only carried him forward in an enraged state of his own. Riven shot forward, empowering his muscles and body with the physical enhancements he¡¯d given himself and the flood of sin energy roaring across his energized cells. The ground beneath him exploded, and Jackal¡¯s blade swung down in a hiss of power. The earth tore open as the two powerhouses locked weapons, and the dwarf was absolutely flattened - crushed into the ground like an insect along with the visage of the bull behind him that dispersed instantly. Riven scoffed at the groaning idiot half buried in the ground, then kicked dirt into his blinking eyes with a shake of his head. ¡°How pathetic¡­ but I¡¯ll give you another chance. Get up and try again. We¡¯re not done yet.¡± Turning his three eyes to the other cultists, Riven¡¯s flickering, mana-charged body exploded with power as he lifted a hand and pointed. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time. All of you at once. Come.¡± *** Just like the two naga casters to either side of where she stood, Chasindir gaped at the absolute domination of her compatriot in a physical confrontation. Sure, that brutish dwarf had just charged in swinging with a rather up-front attack - but he was still a berserker. His build was literally made for close combat, the runes and aspect of the bull he used were made to make him stronger. That martial art was one she was familiar with, and with every spin of the axe it built up both momentum and power until it finally made a strike. And yet, Riven had charged headlong into it - as a warlock, a caster, to completely smash the dwarf three feet into the ground. Casters weren¡¯t supposed to be physically strong. Even with the buffs they could utilize as a mage, it wasn¡¯t ever supposed to be up to par with the classes of physical fighters like herself or the dwarf. Yet with a single blow, Riven had downed one of the strongest melee fighters on Panu. She shuddered involuntarily, then gritted her teeth and glared daggers at the vampire taunting them. Her hand gripped her bone claymore tightly, and she raised it up to be eye level. If she was to be beaten here, she would at least get a good measure of what he was capable of so that she may try again in the future. Even a single win against him would be the equivalent of dozens of kills that he landed against her during this event. And, perhaps, if he really did stick to his plan of not using any massive area-of-effect spells or swarms of blades like how he¡¯d killed off entire armies and cities in the past with; then perhaps she still had a chance. ¡°Rite of the Soul Weaver.¡± Her soul core screamed as it was dragged out of her inner domain, coating her body in a thick aspect of her pillars and her dao. Her eyes flared with teal fire, and she lunged forward with a quickstep and deathly strike - sending arcs of death energy at the vampire as the two naga spread out. Thunderclouds rumbled overhead, a blizzard began to build around them, the wailing souls of dead victims rose up from the grave to empower her, and the visage of a maw echoed across the shuddering landscape with laughter. He merely stared at her passively, like a man who thought himself above her. Her anger only rose, and she screamed in rage while reaching deep into the soul enveloping her for more power. Her deathly strike shattered against Riven¡¯s body like glass on forged steel, and her claymore tore through the air to follow up the wave of death energy like a viper strike. Riven¡¯s own blade spun rapidly in the air and intercepted her strike, causing sparks to light up the darkening arena of their own making as their magics blotted out the sun. In an instant Riven countered, and Chasindir sucked in a quick breath - barely matching his speed to intercept two more of his blows before she exploded in a dome of pale light that blew him backwards a couple feet. The storm mage took his opening and uttered a chant, calling lightning from the heavens that surged through the air with a snap of sound that reverberated across the land. Black lightning tore from Riven¡¯s own body and met the charging pillar of yellow electricity, the two colors intertwining hundreds of feet above them as a wall of ice rushed in from the other side. It was like watching a tidal wave of cold death encroach upon an insect. The surge of ice formed spikes right before it struck Riven¡¯s position, only to be met with an opposing tide of red frost that tore through the white ice and snow in an absolute rebuttal. Chasindir flung two death balls at the man and lunged again, roaring out a battle cry and quickstepping left to swipe at his side at the same time a huge disk of lightning tore through the air and crashed into his side. To Chasindir¡¯s surprise, Riven smashed the lighting disk apart with his fist while simultaneously flipping over her attack in a horizontal, acrobatic motion before landing on two feet. She tried to engage him the moment he landed and smashed her blade into the ground, opening a rift into the underworld as souls of the dead began springing up around him - dragging him into the rift, only for the rift to shatter as the visage of a maw came up from underneath the rift to snap down on it. Chasindir spluttered in denial. ¡°THAT¡¯S NOT FAIR!¡± Riven caught an ice lance with his free hand, side stepped another, and flung the one he¡¯d caught directly at her with a force that caused the air to hiss. The ice lance shattered against her right pauldron, but a searing pain set in as the cold magics caused her shoulder to nearly go numb. She violently swore, rolling, and getting back to her feet right before she saw his downward swing. Discharging her ¡®Reaper Waltz¡¯ martial art with the sacrifice of two captive souls from her reservoir, time slowed down around her and she vanished from her position. Three ghostly replicas of Chasindir appeared in different positions around Riven¡¯s body with a speed enhancement that sent their blades smashing down into Riven¡¯s armor, shattering against it but causing him to stumble right when she reappeared behind him. Grinning at her first big success of the exchange, she backed off and watched the lightning mage create four hounds from sparks. The mage unleashed the howling dogs, their paws creating thunderclaps as they ran and tearing up the ground upon their passing- The visage of a red jackal snapped out and obliterated the incoming dogs in an instant, and Riven turned to open a black shadow-made portal on his other side. The ice drake that the other naga had summoned lunged its open jaws directly into the intercepting portal before it was closed off, and the beast crumbled in an explosion of frost when the black rift snapped shut around its neck. The decapitated sculpture¡¯s jaws landed dozens of yards to her left, crumbling just as the larger body did into a pile of snow that blew away in the roaring winds of the building thunderstorm above. Chasindir spat at the amused twinkle in Riven¡¯s eyes as he turned his gaze upon her, and her body flickered as it absorbed a nearby soul to use as fodder for her next attack. Her free hand made the proper motions and building pressure lit up across the tip of her extended blade. ¡°SPIRITUAL RIFT!¡± Her feet lifted off at blinding speed, her body a blur, and a huge cone of necromantic energies surged ahead at the point of her weapon that was lowered at the vampire ahead of her. Twenty yards cleared in less than half a second and a snap-fire flurry of attacks crashed into one another as she entered into melee combat with the warlock in building resentment. She would not be looked down upon. Claymore clashed with spear-sword in a storm of bone on metal, death energies smashing against blood energies in rapid, miniature explosions while the two weapons sang promises of pain. She grunted, weaved, dodged, blocked, and hit back as the elusive figure of the fully-plated caster ahead of her began to laugh. Her efforts grew more impulsive, more furious, and she began to hit harder as the sparks lit up the darkened landscape. Lightning bolts expertly tore out of the thunderclouds above when gaps in their exchanges allowed for the naga Merris to strike Riven without hitting her, and spines of frost shot up from the ground or were launched in a myriad of directions and from all angles whenever Riven had his back turned - but the vampire seemed to be growing more and more impossible to hit by the second with any of their attacks. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The first real hit they¡¯d made had been when she¡¯d used Reaper Waltz to use a trifecta of simultaneous attacks with her soul, and by sacrificing two other souls at the same time from her soul reservoir. But it¡¯d only worked once, with the next two attempts at the same attack only having minimal effect as he anticipated her strikes; and struck out to deflect one attack while using the space it created to dodge the other two. ¡°STAY STILL!¡± Chasindir screamed in frustrated anger, spinning her blade and launching it like a boomerang. Riven raised his spear-staff to strike it down, but she clapped her hands together with a chant and caused the blade of bone to explode instead. Fragments of the bone claymore flew into him like shrapnel, many of the pieces going out to either side of his flaming, flickering, sparking body - but she tore her hands apart a moment later and reformed the blade with the will of thought. The weapon reforged itself on his other side, keeping its momentum and slamming into his lower thigh right where the armor was weakest. The blade sank in deep, and Chasindir let out an excited squeal of delight and victory when it pierced through his leg entirely in a spray of blood. ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT SO INVINCIBLE AFTER-¡± *CRUNCH* The hilt of the blade that¡¯d been lodged in Riven¡¯s thigh between the metal plates smashed into her nose, breaking it cleanly and sending her reeling as a spray of blood erupted out of her face. She fell to her knees crying out in pay and backpedaling only to feel a swift kick to the back of her armored skull. The was sent sprawling, flipping end over end until she smashed into a boulder with a dull thud and the snap of bones. Groaning and feeling her shattered spine beginning to repair itself, Chasindir coughed blood and spat it out before glaring up at the laughing vampire in the distance. His laughter grew louder, climbing over the roar of the lightning strikes and thundering snow as he caught lightning bolts and flung them back, shattered ice lances with the spin of his weapon, crushed summoned elementals with mere fluctuations of Hell¡¯s Armor, and redirected entire barrages with summoned shadow rifts. Then, with a sinking heart, Chasindir realized that during this entire fight - Riven had barely moved from the same spot over the last five minutes. He¡¯d simply stayed there, taking them all on as they unleashed powers that would devastate entire armies back on Panu, only for this vampire to mock them now with his uproar of smug amusement. *** *BOOM* *CRUNCH* *THUD* *SNAP* ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The drow deathknight screamed in agony as he tore off one of her arms and slapped her across the face with it in a spray of blood. Still laughing, Riven turned - deflecting a desperate barrage of lightning as his spear-staff blurred to meet the incoming projectiles. Gluttony whispered in his mind, sharing his movements and empowering his reaction time to meet the energized magics as he swat one lightning bolt after another down from the sky like they were bugs. The barrage ended just as a cage of ice sprung up around his position, and a wave of oppressive energy bore down on him when the glacial mage erected a domain. The bars of absolute cold formed a dome and began to fill in, compressing on his position in an attempt to kill him despite potentially sacrificing the flailing death knight behind Riven, but with a mere flex of his own aura - the domain of the naga caster shattered as the ice was converted from white to a bright crimson red. Taking charge of the mana in a forced conversion, Riven twisted his hand and shot a stream of red ice back down upon the glacial mage. A wall of white came to meet Riven¡¯s attack as the naga deflected Riven¡¯s attack, and Riven winced at the backlash of having forcibly converted his enemy¡¯s attack so quickly. ¡°Probably not a good idea to do that again unless absolutely necessary¡­¡± Riven muttered to himself, getting an internal confirmation from Gluttony that he was spot on. Riven had only done it on a whim after feeling the connection there, similar to his own Crimson Ice control, but it was from another source entirely and a foreign aspect at that. The lingering headache he had was testament that maybe just creating new crimson ice instead of converting actual elemental ice would be a better way to go about it in most circumstances. His flaming, spiked gauntlet shot forward, fist smashing into the battle axe of the dwarf that¡¯d peeled himself out of the hole in the ground to attack Riven once again. It was like watching a home run, where the bat was Riven¡¯s fist encased in Messenger - while the battle axe was the baseball. The weapon tore out of the dwarf berserker¡¯s hand in a spray of shrapnel as the weapon was obliterated, and the roaring dwarf¡¯s right arm snapped out of socket as he was flung back around. Riven¡¯s eyes narrowed on the man beneath him, the pathetic, disgusting excuse of a warrior on the ground. Fangs sliding out and his smile stretching beyond what should be normal for any human, Riven peeled back his helmet as a rumble from his stomach began to drive him forward. He slapped the death knight warrior into the next time zone, sending her flying when she went in for another strike - and retaliated against another thunderclap of electric power with a strike of his own black lightning. Again the two spells canceled each other out in an instant, and his foot crashed into the back of the dwarf who was just about to pick himself up again. Once again, the dwarf found himself embedded into the ground like a bug under Riven¡¯s heel. Riven cocked his head to the side, staring down at the man squirming underneath him, and sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve been deemed inadequate for training. Perhaps you¡¯ll find a way to weasel into the graces of your apocalypse beast, to claim it as your own by a stroke of sheer dumb luck despite your lack of thought on your approach. Perhaps you will by a lottery¡¯s chance be the one that causes the civilizations of Panu to fall as your own quest dictates. But for now, I think not. Because for now, you¡¯ll need to go through me. And you cannot brute force your way through this one, buddy. This is my trial to claim, and you unlucky fuckheads are all trapped inside here with me for the next year! How great is that?!¡± He knelt, and Riven¡¯s abnormally wide smile unhinged with another cackling laugh, making him look monstrous as his jaws snapped down onto the struggling dwarf¡¯s neck. The dwarf screamed as he felt himself being drained, and then began to flail in a panic under Riven¡¯s hold as meat was stripped from bones to be swallowed whole. Clawed gauntlets tore muscles off in wrenching motions, blood was drained by the bucket between large chomps of flesh, and gluttonous beatles began to climb out of the corner of Riven¡¯s mouth - helping him devour the man even faster as they swarmed across the horrified dwarf¡¯s body. *** [Invitation to the Blood God¡¯s Temple: Your weekly session of worship, combat training, and scripture has come about. Please access the clergy system and teleport in so that we may start. We would also like to discuss recent events involving a certain angel on your planet, and hope that you can discuss the things we show you with Riven after the fact.] The inside of the Blood God¡¯s temple was vast, with sculptures of monsters and vampires in abundance all along the walls and pillars that held up the high ceilings of many interconnected rooms. Crimson creatures of nightmares the size of skyscrapers loomed in these halls, and their many eyes often centered themselves on her in passing curiosity before settling on other clergy - relatively ant-sized to their massive figures. Genua knelt at an altar underneath the sculpture of a giant blood moon, in front of an indoor lake of blood, surrounded by other priestesses with similar red-metal headdresses and form fitting black silk robes. Crimson tattoos littered all of their bodies in the places that the clergy outfits didn''t cover, and all of them were women. She had seen actual priests before, gathered in long flowing robes that only differed slightly from her own, but it appeared that men were in the minority here. Why that was, Genua was unsure. ¡°That is enough scripture for now.¡± the elder priestess stated, snapping her small black book shut and letting it flicker away into wisps of red that vanished in front of her face. Genua did the same, though she stored her own in a small back on her hip rather than some fancy schmancy miracle work. ¡°Very well. Is it time for combat training? I am rather intrigued about what it is you have to show me, Priestess Lithania.¡± The beautiful, but rather old, priestess scowled deeply - emphasizing her wrinkles by doing so. The other women around Genua in a semi-circle all turned to look at the lead priestess of their group - ignoring the other clergy bathing in the lake or walking between rooms akin to entire landscapes given the size of it all. ¡°You will have your combat training in time, but I wish to speak to you about both Riven and Allie first.¡± Genua didn¡¯t frown back, she¡¯d been expecting this, but she couldn¡¯t say she was looking forward to this conversation either. ¡°Very well. Please, let me know what it is I can answer for you or assist you with.¡± Priestess Lithania solemnly nodded, then stood up - being lifted up by tendrils of blood mana instead of actually using her muscles, until she smoothly came to a graceful stance ahead of the rest. ¡°Follow me, Genua. The rest of you are dismissed.¡± The older woman gestured for Genua to come stand beside her, and the other women all got up to leave before heading off to wherever the hell it was these clergy lived. Though Genua knew some of them were like her and had vampiric masters in the mortal realms, most of the Blood God¡¯s clergy actually lived here permanently for reasons she could not fathom. Stepping in line with the old woman, Genua and Priestess Lithania began to walk along the lake¡¯s edge in a slow but steady gait. ¡°Tell me¡­¡± The old woman eventually said, turning a red gaze upon Genua¡¯s slender figure. ¡°What is your opinion of Riven?¡± Genua raised a questioning eyebrow. ¡°I had thought this conversation was to be about his sister, Allie.¡± Lithania didn¡¯t miss a step, nor did she blink. Instead, she turned her gaze ahead of them - watching the path underneath their feet glide by with purple grasses on their right and the lake on their left. ¡°It primarily will be. However, I¡¯d still like to know - as it is still relevant. What is your opinion on Riven?¡± Genau pursed her lips at this, eyes flicking between the old woman and her own feet as she walked. ¡°I suppose he has been kind to me, and to Len, over past months. However I still cannot fully forgive him for what he did to my eldest daughter and husband.¡± ¡°Do you blame him?¡± Lithania asked, with a flat expression, not bothering to look over at the other priestess as they went. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you still feel animosity towards the man after becoming his thrall. Usually, those feelings go away rather quickly as the thrall contract imbues you with other, more positive emotions.¡± Genua scoffed. ¡°Perhaps in the beginning that was true, but not recently. Not ever since the pregnancy, anyways. Regardless I do not hate him, nor do I blame him, but I still cannot forgive him. I look back at that time as my own family¡¯s fault, as my clan¡¯s fault, for initiating the violence and betraying him for a reason that wasn¡¯t just. However, a mother¡¯s love knows no bounds - and Ethel will always be my little girl.¡± Lithania nodded. ¡°The pregnancy is certainly an oddity. It is not often that a thrall can become impregnated by a vampire. Thralls can, in time, become vampires if the master wishes it - but until then it is supposed to be an impossibility. For you, however, that seems not to be the case¡­ Why that is, we are unsure.¡± ¡°We?¡± ¡°Myself, and the others watching over you. Those assigned by the Blood God to monitor Riven and Allie Wraithtide.¡± ¡°Are they truly important enough to warrant a god¡¯s interest to this amount?¡± ¡°They are. The malignant bloodline is a priceless treasure, kept sacred by one of the Blood God¡¯s most devoted followings in the form of the Blood Moon Requiem. Should that bloodline escape from our grasp and fall into another sect of the multiverse, such as the Reapers, or the Phantom Legions, who now have their sights set upon Allie as a recruitment candidate. That cannot be allowed to pass. And yet, we are unsure of what to do.¡± She paused in both step and sound. ¡°Even the great one, The Blood God himself, is unsure of what to do - now that Gluttony has chosen Riven as its candidate for reincarnation. The risk of offending Gluttony is not out of the question, but if we can come to an agreement of some sort¡­ Perhaps we¡¯d be willing to look the other way concerning his sister.¡± The priestess turned her head to Genua to make sure she understood. Genua nodded. ¡°I am more that certain Riven is hoping for a similar outcome.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this? That he would compromise? Gluttony is not known for such things, and although he is weak - he will not remain weak for long.¡± ¡°I am certain, Lithania. Riven is not Gluttony, they are merely partners. Riven does want to follow the path of blood, and hopes that you will overlook his sister¡¯s transgressions if he can somehow appease our church. Are you not able to see this?¡± Lithania¡¯s smile grew wide, and she nodded in approval. ¡°Our god was banished from viewing Panu for some time, along with many other gods, by Gluttony when he and his demonic servants came back from the Abyss. The effect is wearing off, but anti-scrying measures - if done properly - are easily made and hard to deter. Even weak mages may block the scrying of high tier beings if the technique is right, but that is neither here nor there. Tell me, what exactly is he willing to negotiate with?¡± The old woman¡¯s slender hand lifted, pointing to Genua¡¯s barely protruding stomach that was beginning to show a baby bump. Lithania held eye contact for quite some time, and her smile grew wider. ¡°Perhaps, just maybe, he would give us the child of one blessed with the sight of Malignant Prophecy, who also retains a true inheritance from The Great Maw itself. What do you think he would say, should we ask? Our god is quite interested, and we¡¯d be very certain to forgive Allie of all her misgivings immediately should Riven agree to our terms.¡± Genua¡¯s eyes widened in alarm, and she took an involuntary step back while clutching at her stomach. ¡°My child? You want my child? You cannot be serious.¡± ¡°YOUR child?!¡± Lithania laughed, throwing her head back in genuine amusement before lowering her wicked gaze upon Genua once more. ¡°No, Genua. It is Riven¡¯s child, Gluttony¡¯s child, though neither of you knew it when Gluttony had already begun to settle into Riven¡¯s soul at the time of conception. It is not your decision to make. Rather, it is Riven¡¯s, and it is Gluttony¡¯s, and it is a bartering piece that we would settle for in order to turn a blind eye for Allie¡¯s transgressions. You¡¯d, of course, still be able to see the child here in the temple as it grew up¡­ after all, you are one of our clergy too. It wouldn¡¯t be like you¡¯re completely giving the child away, you¡¯d just be allowing it to¡­ develop differently, but living here under our teachings and training.¡± Chapter 254 Chapter 254 Azmoth¡¯s roars joined the fray as he clashed with the swarm of electrical, winged serpents in the field of death beyond Riven¡¯s fight. It was a good opportunity for the demon to level and catch up, and as Athela beat the living shit out of the matriarchal boss monster off - a huge golden tomb cobra that was getting tossed around the battlefield like a child¡¯s plaything under the archdemon¡¯s might - she made sure to keep tabs on Azmoth for whenever he was in a bad spot. Not that he was by any means weak, he could take on many of the gnashing tomb cobras and their lightning strikes at once, but he¡¯d slightly fallen behind Athela and Riven¡¯s own climb to power. Fay had done so even more, but Riven had plans for all of them to reach the E-grade and level 200+ by the time this event was up. ¡°STOP IGNORING US!¡± The death knight howled, smashing her claymore against Riven¡¯s blocking gauntlet with a shower of sparks. Riven frowned, throwing off the deathknight with another sonic-speed backhanded slap and swinging himself left to dodge another lightning strike with a disappointed look. The glacial mage was already panting heavily, covered in shallow cuts that could have been deadly strikes each if Riven hadn¡¯t pulled them back to continue the fight a while longer. The lightning mage was missing an arm and had cauterized it with his own lightning, dripping blood down his reptilian face while he occasionally coughed. Meanwhile, the drow woman¡¯s bone armor was shattered in a couple places and she was growing quite tired at this point in time. Spitting out two teeth, wheezing, and pushing herself up to her feet to stumble forward with a snarl - she let out a high pitched scream of frustration. ¡°GODS DAMN IT!¡± Gluttony snickered inside Riven¡¯s mind, even getting Riven to grin slightly at the sin¡¯s amusement. He looked at the three worn out cultists and then to the body of the dwarf he¡¯d consumed not long ago. ¡°I must say, I¡¯m not very impressed. How are people like you six supposed to bring about a world ending apocalypse? I was expecting better.¡± His hand blurred and his staff swung with it, smashing down another spike of ice the size of his torso that shot from the ground. It shattered as he literally caught a lightning bolt in one ivory-covered hand, crushing the storm mana between his fingers and not even bothering to stop the claymore¡¯s swing as it made contact with his horned skull pauldron. The claymore shattered, the lunging death knight widened her eyes, and he abruptly smashed his armored head forward to break her nose. The drow¡¯s face sprayed blood, and she stumbled back before Riven¡¯s spear-staff slammed through her armored gut and out the back of her spine. Her teal eyes widened, and she coughed up bile as her fingers clenched around Riven¡¯s black weapon in astonishment. ¡°H-How are you t-this strong?¡± She coughed more blood up, spitting it onto Riven¡¯s face as he stared back unblinking. Lifting her up over his head slowly, he channeled blood mana into the weapon as she began to scream. Ribbons of red that usually kept to the weapon rushed forward in a roaring tide of power as it began devouring her alive, her body being torn apart and absorbed until the remnant energies of her mana channels made contact with Riven¡¯s invading magic. Her body then exploded, sending shrapnel of armor and body parts all over the battlefield. The two naga just gawked, before both of them started to run. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be like that!¡± Riven laughed, beginning to walk forward. ¡°You¡¯ll respawn soon enough, come and fight me!¡± Riven stomped a foot into the dirt and a wave of red eyes combed across the ground, coating corpses, trees, and boulders in a mad rush that overtook the two injured naga in seconds. The lightning mage screamed in horror as his body began to encase in the red magic, freezing solid before being ripped apart by Riven¡¯s will. The glacial mage on the other hand desperately resisted the freeze effect and managed to tear himself out of the red ice one, two, then three times before five abrupt spikes of red tore from the ground to pierce his heart and lungs at different angles. Gasping, then convulsing, the naga died only ten seconds later with a last, shuddering breath. His impaled body then went limp. ¡°You could have saved at least one of them for me.¡± Nora said with a disappointed sigh after landing with a soft thud, hanging a pair of dual-rapiers low to the ground before coming to a stop beside him. ¡°I didn¡¯t get here fast enough.¡± ¡°We may be friends, but we¡¯re still competing.¡± Riven winked her way. ¡°I can¡¯t just LET you take the Chalgathi egg, now can I?¡± Nora snorted, watching the beast swarms of Athela¡¯s spiders, Azmoth, and the arch-demoness herself go at it in a frenzy. ¡°At least I¡¯ll get the main quest points. Are you going to help clean that up?¡± Riven shook his head, planting his spear-staff into the ground and watching the fireworks go off amidst the clash of claws and teeth. ¡°Nah. This is their opportunity to level up. I¡¯m at max level for F-grade and can¡¯t grow more until I pass into the E-grade, so killing won¡¯t do me much good. There are still a couple hours before the beast tide is actually unleashed, and I¡¯m sure they can finish it off by then. Want to go grab a drink back in town?¡± There was a pause. ¡°Are you asking a lady out?¡± Nora slowly grinned and winked his way. Riven merely chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it isn¡¯t the way you¡¯re thinking. Athela and Fay would be rather mad.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯d been under the assumption you were rather free of spirit after learning from Azmoth that you¡¯d impregnated the elf.¡± ¡°That was a one night stand. I¡¯m dating Fay and Athela.¡± ¡°So who¡¯s to say you can¡¯t have another one night stand then? Mr. Vampire Prince?¡± She waggled her eyes at him, then laughed at the look of discomfort and waved at him while turning around. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. I¡¯m into girls anyways.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°You betchya. Kind of jealous, not going to lie. Athela¡¯s smoking hot. Let¡¯s grab a drink and talk about how I¡¯m going to steal your girlfriend.¡± Riven rolled his eyes with a laugh. ¡°Sounds good, but I¡¯ll have to find that gnome before we do. I have a lot of questions pertaining to those abilities he was using, as I think it¡¯ll give me some insights for totem making that I could very much use in my own work. In fact, I have a totem project I want to show the gnome as soon as we get back.¡± *** The cavern before her eclipsed most underground lairs Lillith had seen throughout her long years of existence, coming close to the top but not quite breaking the top ten in terms of both style and size. B+ material, if she had to give it a grade. It was so large that it fit an entire jungle inside, was akin to entering another world in the underdark, and she could barely make out the distant figures of ruined buildings beyond the more obvious pyramid ahead of her. She licked fresh blood off one of her black claws with a hum of delight, taking in all the sights, sounds and fragrances that permeated her senses while a flock of colorful birds flew by. Her white eyes watched them go without moving from her position, relishing in the feeling of being alive again. She¡¯d been a prisoner with her comrades and master for far too long. If she¡¯d been given the choice again of relinquishing her power to escape the void from where her soul had been imprisoned, and taking this rebirth as a way out - she¡¯d have made that sacrifice every single time. The chances of putting the shards of sin back together outside the purview of Elysium were just too slim, and the wait had gone on far too long. Eons had passed in that dreadful hole, and she¡¯d at a few times during her stay thought she might actually lose her mind if it went on any further. Thankfully that wasn¡¯t a worry anymore. Instead, she was free to roam around and explore all the little things she¡¯d once taken for granted long ago. She could fly if she needed to, and she could teleport to an extent, but she¡¯d rather walk and take in the scenery. To feel alive again. The signature of Allie¡¯s soul given to her by Gluttony still pulsed strong. It was inside that temple and hadn¡¯t moved for well over three days now, which made Lillith wonder why that was. Alive, but absolutely unmoving for three days straight? Strange, but she¡¯d figure it out soon enough. Thankfully Lillith was a born tracker, and two of her perks in combination with one another made it almost impossible for other people of her own level and grade to avoid detection if she wanted to find them. Taking her time, Lilith jumped off the cliff that showed recent signs of battle - exiting the underdark¡¯s tunnel and allowing her body to float down into the jungle¡¯s canopy. The earth shuddered underneath her figure as her bare feet touched the dirt, and all the sounds of animal life abruptly stopped when she breathed in the fresh air. The corpses of those blue-skinned vampire precursors littered this place, having no doubt picked a fight with Allie¡¯s group on the way in. Monsters of various species that were native to this place stopped feasting on their corpses to scurry away with their tails tucked between their legs as the athletic, lithe demoness wreathed in shadow - features mostly obscured - walked elegantly through the underbrush with silent steps. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Though her aura was not oppressive at the current moment, her mere presence sent waves of power through the ground she trod upon. She was a Mythic-grade being, an Elysium ranking that only very few across the entire multiverse ever acquired, and any who looked upon her to identify her person saw the purple flames of her obscured information as reason enough to run away very quickly. ¡°How I have missed these sensations¡­¡± She said with a sigh, but then abruptly stopped. Her pale white eyes turned downwards to a rather odd soul signature in a nearby plant, and her brows furrowed with curiosity. She bent down, flickering void-black toes digging into the mud beneath a small tree where a yellow flower was struggling to grow. ¡°You¡¯re a rather odd find, aren¡¯t you - little one? You¡¯re not just a normal flower despite your looks.¡± It was partially wilted, and would likely die on its own, but when she plucked it - she took pity on the struggling flower. The smell it gave off was still amazing, and with a though she imbued her own energy into the tiny yellow petals with a smile. The wilting flower immediately bloomed, taking on streaks of black down the center of each petal as it grew three times the size it¡¯d been, and she willed it to grow roots. The flower did as asked after consuming more of her mana, and she let it wrap its small, fragile roots around one of her seven black horns to feed off of her while she continued onwards towards the pyramid. ¡°I think I¡¯ll name you¡­ if you ever gain consciousness. Do well, little flower, and perhaps we will become friends.¡± Lillith giggled at the idea of being friends with a sentient flower, should it actually happen. Her close comrades in Gluttony¡¯s order would no doubt make fun of her, but she didn¡¯t care. She would not be swayed! Yes, she would be sure to nurture it to full health and would see what happened. If anything, it would be an interesting experiment. At best, she¡¯d gain a new pet. An odd radiating pulse of energy reached her, originating at the top of the pyramid and snapping her out of her daydreams. The archdemon raised one of her eyebrows, then began skipping towards the large structure in the distance at a doubled pace. Whatever was going on inside, it was sure to be interesting - and Lillith was rather excited to meet this newly born angel of death. More importantly, Lillith was excited to meet the sister of Gluttony¡¯s bonded partner for reincarnation. She could only hope that they would get along. Perhaps, just perhaps, they could even be friends. *** The sight inside the pyramid was rather bloody, without a living thing in sight. She could sense souls up above her in chambers not far off, but powerful wards of an ancient nature she recognized as pre-system blood script wouldn¡¯t allow her to peer any deeper than at surface level. Nevertheless, she skipped and hummed across the mutilated corpses - avoiding traps and giggling to herself whenever one of those silly mechanisms tried to slice her in half or attack her with various forms of poisonous blood mists and explosive shrapnel. The blood energy here was different than what she was used to though, tinged blue, reminding her of the days before the so-called ¡®Blood God¡¯ had wiped out his rival pantheons to claim the top spot of power on the Blood Sub-Pillar¡¯s domain. These traps had blood energies that were¡­ hmmm. What was the word? Primitive? No, that wasn¡¯t right. Their means of blood magic were just as viable, they were just¡­ for lack of better words: different. It was a long forgotten path of blood arts that were declared heresy and taboo by the current Blood God. Why might one want to claim a path as taboo? Many reasons. But Lillith could only guess as to why the current Blood God would do so. Perhaps, because he¡¯d not chosen this route, he¡¯d have less control over a specialty such as this? Perhaps if people didn¡¯t choose his route as the prime path through the Blood Sub-pillar, it¡¯d weaken his following and potential for prayer and worship? Or maybe he was just spiteful after having potentially been locked out of this path by one of the enemy gods he¡¯d slaughtered - though this was of course just one of many guesses. She really hadn¡¯t paid much attention to him back then, as he hadn¡¯t been a big deal when Gluttony was at his prime. He¡¯d just been one of many gods vying for the top. While being locked away in the Abyss, which was the lowest and deepest level of the Void that even beings like her couldn¡¯t easily get out of, she¡¯d not had the opportunity to observe the ongoings of the multiverse either. She ducked, weaved, and hopped through another series of explosive traps. She repeated this one floor at a time, avoiding the seemingly alive pyramid¡¯s defenses as it desperately tried to kill her, all the while laughing jovially as she made her way to her destination. More bodies, more blood, more recent signs of battle. Vampires and precursors alike, along with other types of undead were now present, and she eventually made it to a point where she was standing in front of a large, metal door that showed signs of claw marks and bloody handprints on the thick metal. Allie¡¯s soul signature was just beyond this door. The demoness gave a slight push on the cold steel, and when it wouldn¡¯t budge - she crashed one hand deep into the sturdy metal. Claws ripped into it like a knife through butter, and she absentmindedly watched the ancient defensive enchantments across its surface flicker in protest and die before tearing the entire thing off its hinges and casually tossing it aside with a loud crash. Making sure her new pet flower was ok, she dusted off one shoulder and stepped inside the dark interior beyond. What she saw next was somewhat surprising. ¡°Oh my¡­ am I interrupting something?¡± Lillith cooed, mouth crooked with amusement as she brought a hand up to her lips. ¡°Is this, perhaps, a bad time?¡± The room was a large dome in the center of the pyramid, with large spikes along the walls impaling well over fifty individuals who were still living - but only barely; and they were all in an unconscious state. They were all vampires or other forms of undead, with energy from their bodies being sucked into a large coffin in the center of the room in swirls of light. The coffin was intricate beyond measure, carvings upon carvings upon carvings that intertwined and radiated that same pulsing energy Lillith had felt earlier in the jungle. It was ancient, powerful, and ominous - but so was she. Unlike most beings that would look upon a coffin like this, Lillith was not intimidated. The dread that most would have felt only excited her, and she wondered just what kind of power she¡¯d gain if she ate whatever it was that dwelled inside. Immediately over that coffin was another object - an orb constructed from mana that glowed a dull gray. Blue and red runes clung to the orb, corroding it away before the orb would repair itself seconds later time after time, and inside that gray orb was the hovering form of an angel of death that had defensively wrapped itself in its wings. A magnificent sword in the angel¡¯s wings continued to power her barrier, and her halo continued to burn with figments of true death, but she was deep in a meditative state as the spirit of something sinister crouched just outside the sphere. It was a massive wraith-like abomination, hooded and cloaked with six clawed hands and no legs. It was far larger than either Lillith or the angel, and its dark blue, partially translucent claws cracked and shattered as it attempted to grab at the barrier with an irritated growl. Its four eyes were black slits in its nose-less face that narrowed and turned to watch the approaching demoness with curiosity, letting its claws that were just destroyed rebuild themselves in front of their eyes. ¡°Transgressor¡­¡± The wispy voice of the odd wraith echoed through the chamber, filled with power as it looked down on Lillith¡¯s form. ¡°You blaspheme by coming here. Do you know where it is you tread?¡± Lillith ignored the giant wraith, glancing around at the intricate carvings that even by her standards were of a time long past. ¡°Fascinating work you¡¯ve done here¡­ I think I¡¯d like to study it. Even though Blood isn¡¯t necessarily my area of expertise, I¡¯m sure my master will make use of it as his new host is a vampire.¡± She walked over to where a particularly familiar rune with twin overlapping pentagrams was etched into the wall, blood from one of the staked vampires leaking into it and powering it up over time. ¡°Hmmm. This rune is wrong. It¡¯s a rather ingenious method of soul transference, but your work with the unholy sigils is a bit off.¡± Sensing the wraith shift within a half-second to appear behind her, she casually looked up over her shoulder at the hulking undead creature that glared down at her with all six clawed hands out to its sides as if to embrace her. ¡°I do not know who you are, little one¡­¡± The dark-blue wraith hissed with its black eyes narrowed, ethereal robes shifting in a non-existent breeze. ¡°But you made a mistake by coming here.¡± The attack was so fast that space itself tore apart and briefly opened up the void, claws stretching and cleaving through reality that sent shudders of power through the entire pyramid; sending clouds of dust from the ceiling above. The wraith paused, looking down in shock when it realized it hadn¡¯t even touched the demoness in front of it. It tried again, this time harder and faster, and it reeled back in an agonizing, shrill scream when Lillith allowed it to finally touch her. The claws tore off and burned with black flame, sending ripples of her power up across its arms that rejected its attack entirely, before the wraith regained its composure to stare in bewilderment. ¡°How?¡± The wraith asked, dumbfounded. ¡°No creature on this planet should be able to compare to one as majestic as I!¡± Lillith smiled slyly as she felt the Elite-tier level 199 wraith try to identify her, wagging a finger back and forth at the large creature overhead as its eyes went wide in horror. She literally felt its fear climb to new heights as it realized the gravity of its mistake in attacking her, and the amused smile she wore grew abruptly sinister. ¡°No, no, no¡­ That simply will not do.¡± The room flashed with black light, and in an instant the wraith was thrown across the room with a scream. Pieces of its body shattered and decayed instantly, and it crashed into a barrier on the outer wall of the dome with a howl. Lillith was there in an instant, seemingly having appeared from nowhere, her mouth widening in rows of sharp white teeth as she began to suck in the air around her. The undead ghost screamed in terror, desperately trying to get away and leaving huge claw marks in the stone and barrier encasing the room underneath before it was abruptly torn up and into the air. Like being sucked into a black hole, the wraith¡¯s body compressed and flattened - vanishing in an instant into the belly of the grinning demoness. Lillith burped, patted her stomach, and watched her levels climb again with a malicious giggle. ¡°Now, now¡­ Let¡¯s see just what is going on here with this odd little contraption. I wonder¡­¡± Using a finger to pat her lips three times over, her white eyes flicked from rune to rune - trying to decipher what she could understand and piece together clues from what she couldn¡¯t. Then, trotting over to the intricate coffin, she let down a clawed hand and lifted up the lid. A foul stench came out from the coffin, and seeing what was inside - she abruptly slammed the coffin back down with a gagging sound - sticking out her tongue in distrust. ¡°Even GLUTTONY wouldn¡¯t eat that thing! How utterly disgusting! Just what kind of foul magic is festering in there!? Gross!¡± Putting a hand back over her horns in dismay, she shook her head in disappointment. ¡°And to think that I¡¯d become excited at the prospect. I¡¯d never stoop so low, not ever. That will have to wait for Riven or Allie, if Allie can even absorb it now that she¡¯s not a vampire anymore. Now, let¡¯s see about waking this little darling up¡­¡± She turned around and used her knuckles to knock on the orb, frowning when Allie didn¡¯t move, and becoming irritated at the large gaps of knowledge she had after her bid for a second chance at life. With a tisking sound, she growled and grumbled to herself. ¡°To think that I¡¯ve been reduced to being flustered by an F-grade curse complex¡­ My ancient enemies would be laughing themselves to death if they saw this. Curse that damnable Elysium, but I¡¯m just glad I was able to retain some of what I know - or this would be a lot harder than what it even is now.¡± Cracking her knuckles and getting into a cross-legged position in front of the orb that was still being attacked by various blue and red runes emanating from the coffin beneath, she began meditating as she entered a transcendent state of thought. Before long the room had turned a pitch black, then the pyramid came after that, and the jungle outside came next. Before long, the entire cavern was bathed in darkness. Chapter 255 Chapter 255 Pride, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. Of all the original sins, Greed and Gluttony were at odds most. For Greed wanted to claim all, and Gluttony wanted to consume all, and thus these two sins crossed paths time and time again - or so the saying went. No one truly knows exactly what happened between these two in the early dawn of creation that elicited such a rift, but it is known that when followers of Greed cross paths with those of Gluttony, blood will follow. As can be seen by the histories of the hells, written in the blood of the forefathers, in a time when Elysium had yet to be. ======================================================================== [26 billion current participants have been analyzed. The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] [Current Top 10 Native Participants:
  1. Riven Thane, Level 200 Pureblooded Vampire, Apex Rank, Warlock Devastator, Incarnation of Gluttony
  2. Allie Thane, Level 162 Angel of Death, Apex Rank, Primary Class in Transitory state, Hero of Death
  3. Judith Marcina, Level 181 Divine Human, Apex Rank, Angelic Fallcaller, Light¡¯s Beacon
  4. Aren Hrall, Level 169 Snow Giant, Apex Rank, Frostmange Berserker
  5. Retesh Vorath, Level 200 Corpse Lord, Apex Rank, Elder Lich
  6. Netithi Bluskish, Level 139 Naga, Apex Rank, Champion of the Kraken
  7. Chitter Teh-Sneaker, Level 137 Ratman, Apex Rank, Dark-Blade Assassin, Poison Master, Sneaky Sneak Sneaker
  8. Nithkik Brutishvase, Level 142 Dark Elf, Apex Rank, Depthdweller
  9. Sinthil Tuk¡¯tuk, Level 169 Lizardian, Apex Rank, Wind Storm
  10. Thorman Bame, Level 158 Human, Apex Rank, Hammer of the Mountain]
Netithi Bluskish was an old Naga, with a dorsal fin down his head that was marked with holes and rips from his years of battle in the trenches of the sea against enemies of his now butchered tribe. He had numerous scars covering his body where the scales were marred in criss-cross patterns all over, and one eye had been replaced by an enchanted prosthetic akin to a purple gem that stood out starkly against his otherwise blue scales. His magnificent spear, handcrafted by people long dead and passed down through generations of his lost tribe, was made of a great sea-serpent¡¯s bones, and had notches all along its shaft and spearhead - but the spirit residing in it was that of the dead serpent itself and lent a menacing aura to the weapon¡¯s wielder. Coiled up and meditating in a slouched position, Netithi blinked his eyelids open. From underneath his silver hood with blue trimmings - inscribed with the sigil of Chubin, the Glass Kraken - his prosthetic scanned the area in front of him. A small city burned lay flooded and in ruins, swirling vortexes of water carrying bodies of the dead and pieces of buildings above him in a river of his own power. The screams of his victims had died out long ago, the strongest of their people had only been F-grade human warriors at a maximum level of 78; so they hadn¡¯t lasted long. How this was supposed to be a quest that was to test his skill was beyond him, he should be tested against bigger and greater things than this. This was just mindless slaughter, and he wondered whether or not the other cultists were experiencing the same thing. His mind drifted back to when he¡¯d met the other cultists, and how he¡¯d overheard a group of them and their combined quest to take on what was likely the biggest obstacle in this event. He frowned at the idea that they¡¯d been able to fight that crazed vampire, while he was stuck here instead. He¡¯d gained a handful of levels for finishing the quest, but oddly enough he hadn¡¯t gotten any XP for massacring the populace - reminding him that killing these wouldn¡¯t actually gain himself any XP in this strange event; while quests on the other hand - would. Stranger still, he¡¯d seen some of his summoned elementals get killed while simultaneously giving the defenders XP and levels for doing so. This meant that, if he was correct, only the individual cultists and non-cultists were stopped from actually growing levels by mindlessly killing things during this event. Why that was, he wasn¡¯t sure - but it was likely another initiative to complete quests if he had to guess. Or perhaps it would stop other cultists from randomly massacring people and towns for no reason. Regardless, his power did not lay in levels. He was already halfway done cultivating his E-grade Soul-Lattice, and had been doing so for quite a while now. He¡¯d have no problem getting to Level 200 by just mindlessly killing things, but the lattice was another story entirely. Because without it, one could not ascend to the next stage. It was an absolute, a requirement, to pass into the next realm of cultivation. And when you finally did get to the E-grade, merely killing things was not enough to level up. If your lattice was not perfect, if it did not hold the potential to take you far, it would cripple you indefinitely as you climbed or attempted to climb your way to the top. Chubin itself had told him this, after naming Netithi its champion. Netithi cackled wickedly to himself, wondering if any of the other cultists in his group had taken the hint by his title. It was pasted right there, in the open for everyone to see, on the world leader board next to his number 6 apex ranking. He was destined for greatness, he was destined to set the glass kraken free, and together they would rise up past the ruins of this world into the cosmos as partnered souls. The sky above him shuddered as his excitement caused the swirling vortex of water to move more quickly, with rivers coming and going in an ever-changing web of his water mana. But that was not all he had. Opening his palm, he willed a glass shard to form over his hand. His unique pillar activated, forming the abnormal glass into a mirror in front of him - allowing him to stare right into the figure that stood behind him in a silent, trance-like state. ¡°Are you just going to stand there, stranger?¡± Netithi asked, his serpentine tongue hissing while he slowly rose to a towering height over the strange, alien figure twenty yards away, yanking the bone spear out of his rubble pile as he did. ¡°Or did you not come for a reason?¡± In the shadows of an overturned stone building, casting the creature in darkness, a quick, sharp laugh rose out into the daylight. Stepping out from the overhang, a pale-skinned man lacking ears or any facial features other than a circular, puckered mouth entered Netithi¡¯s sight. He only wore a ragged robe, but gave off a presence of power. Netithi involuntarily shrank back in disgust while viewing the monster, and his eyes widened involuntarily as the creature grew to reach his height even at an elevated position. Swarming leeches and worms roiled and churned in the pale man¡¯s body, ripping and tearing at his skin to reform the pale man¡¯s limbs one at a time. Brittle fingers became slug-like tails, the clothes he wore ripped and fell off entirely, the feet and legs buckled under a new weight as the body bulged and groaned. In the end, Netithi found himself staring at a monster three times his size - some kind of swarm beast, a demon made of slugs, worms, and leeches with two humanoid arms coming out of a blob-like mass. Over a dozen, green, bloodshot eyes snapped open from within the grotesque creature¡¯s body, directly over its circular maw that had three circular layers of spine-like teeth, and it gave Netithi another cackle when it¡¯d finished morphing. Then it began to speak. ¡°Netithi Bluskish, Level 139 Naga, Apex Rank, Champion of the Kraken. How pretentious¡­¡± The amusement in its deep, burbling voice caused Netithi¡¯s mood to sour as its laugh rang higher. ¡°Tell me, slug-creature, hive mind, what it is you¡¯re here for.¡± Netithi stated slowly, causing his spear to light up with power as he failed to identify to creature¡¯s identity whatsoever. ¡°What are you, and what have you come for? You¡¯ve been watching me for nearly an hour without making a move, and I am growing tired of waiting for your approach.¡± ¡°Slug creature?¡± The giant repeated, still amused. ¡°Hive mind is a more accurate statement than calling me a slug, but I will forgive your transgression just once. Any more than that, and you will be¡­ punished.¡± The creature flared with dark black and deep purple light, crushing the aura Netithi set up for himself in an instant. Netithi gasped as he felt his bones crunch under the ominous pressure, his vortex of water crashed downwards onto the ruins from overhead, and he fell to the ground heaving and vomiting blood. Then the aura of the monster abruptly vanished, allowing the naga to lift his head once more and breathe through his gills again. He came face to face with the smiling visage of the beast. ¡°I have been watching your progress, concerning your Soul Lattice. Without any guidance, you have figured out what it is you need to ascend into the next grade¡­ we are¡­ impressed.¡± We? Netithi straightened himself, giving the large monster a healthy amount of respect after having crushed his own aura so easily. Even his prosthetic, purple gem eye could not decipher what this creature was, and the feeling of inferiority was gradually creeping in while he stared at the numerous green eyes glaring down at him. ¡°Who is we?¡± Netithi asked, somewhat impatiently despite his grudging respect for the beast. The monster blinked, then scoffed and reeled its head backwards. It looked around, holding up its disgusting, crawling swarm that made up either arm. ¡°Who is we, he asks? There was once a time that everyone knew who we were, who I was, where the heavens trembled upon our passage and the hells would sing our praise. There was once a time where even some of the greatest civilizations of the multiverse would sacrifice their offspring once a year to satisfy my needs, or the needs of my master, and would shower us with the greatest of treasures that we so desperately desire¡­ I am the equivalent of what Lillith is to Gluttony, but I serve another master.¡± It leaned forward again, shifting position around his hill of rubble effortlessly despite its great size. ¡°Do you know of the Great Maw, little naga? Do you know of the one called Lillith? Do you know of the vampire scum that now sits atop this world¡¯s power hierarchy, that even now will attempt to sabotage your own rise to the top?¡± Netithi¡¯s eyes narrowed, following the swarm beast as it circled him - turning his head from time to time to watch its transition. ¡°I do not know of Lillith, but The Great Maw and the vampire prince I know of. The Reincarnation of Gluttony, Riven Thane, Prince of the Blood Moon Requiem is here as a non-cultist. But he is a Chalgathi follower and will not contradict my path.¡± ¡°FOOL!¡± The creature roared, flaring with that strange black and dark purple energy that crashed down into Netithi once again, causing the very earth to rumble under the monster¡¯s rage while Netithi gasped. ¡°OF COURSE IT CONTRADICTS YOUR PATH, YOU SMALL MINDED NEWT!¡± The monster¡¯s rage quickly subsided, and it took a deep sigh to calm itself as Netithi shuddered - wide eyed - while his struggled to regain his hold on reality again. ¡°I realize that you have the brain of a reptile, and that it may be quite small, and that you only have one - as opposed to my many thousands.¡± The creature eventually said when Netithi shakily propped himself up on his spear. ¡°Regardless, you are able to think ahead. Use that small brain of yours to tell me - what do you think will happen when the three apocalypse beast quests are finished? Let us say that you complete Chubin¡¯s trials, that you do all that you set out to do and unleash the glass kraken from its prison in the sea¡­ Do you think that will be the end of your quest?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Netithi did not answer, not even daring to, in case he was wrong and incurred the wrath of the monster again. Even now he felt his internal organs were damaged, and it was painful to keep himself erect or even breathe. ¡°Let me answer for you then.¡± The monster stated flatly. ¡°It will not be the end, I have seen this scenario play out on many other worlds before in times long past, back before I was banished into the deepest realms of the Abyss. The end of this quest leaves only one apocalypse beast at the pinnacle. If the non-cultists win, they either acquire an item of power or are able to take the egg of a juvenile apocalypse beast to raise as their own. If the cultists win their trials, they gain a fully grown beast and rampage across the planet, but there¡¯s two important things that will happen when this comes to pass. First, is that all non-cultists who obtain the item or the egg will be given a massive damage bonus perk that can put heavy afflictions on any living apocalypse beast they ever find.¡± The creature raised two slug-like, writhing fingers. ¡°Second, is that in order to leave Panu, you will need to kill all other living apocalypse beasts that are fully grown, and that are claimed by another of the cults should it come to that scenario. However, seeing that Riven is a likely contender for his own beast, he will likely gain the egg or the item - along with an affliction bonus towards your Glass Kraken when the time finally arrives. He will be given a quest to slay it, and you will be put into direct contention with one another for the final prize.¡± Netithi coughed, furrowing his brows, and scratched at some of the numerous scars across his scaled body. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± The monster snarled. ¡°Because I want you to win, and you need the help.¡± Netithi blinked, caught off guard, and he slowly tilted his head to re-evaluate this monster and his situation. ¡°You want me to¡­ win? Why? Who are you and what stake do you have in this gamble?¡± There was a pause, and the creature¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°I want you to win because, if you kill the vampire, Gluttony will have to reset and find a new bonded companion for his reincarnation. He¡¯ll have to start over with a chosen one that will no doubt be far, far less valuable and less compatible than this freak he¡¯s been able to claim by a massive stroke of luck. Gluttony cannot be allowed to maintain a reincarnated bond of this magnitude. I want Riven Thane dead, so that Gluttony¡¯s rise back to power is hampered by a lesser creature he must fuse to. You see, Gluttony and my master go very far back. The original sins as well as the commandments are now heavily dependent on whatever or whoever they can bind to in their new ascent into the infinite beyond.¡± The creature lowered its head in a mocking bow, swinging both fleshy, wiggling arms out to the sides as it did. ¡°May I present myself¡­ I am The Gambler, but you can just call me Gambler. I am a servant of the Original Sin of Greed, and I have come here to help you kill Gluttony, to help you kill the one you will come to know as Lillith, and to make you the number 1 power on this planet so that we may see it burn along with all of Gluttony¡¯s legions. If you do as I say, if you allow me to augment your body and participate in our plan as a willing servant, the Church of Greed will be more than happy to assist you in your rise far past this world in the cosmos beyond.¡± A hesitant small smile crossed Netithi¡¯s lips, and as the creature rose to its full height - the old naga¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I do not know what the Church of Greed is, and I know little of the original sins. But if what you say is true, if you actually can help me become number 1 in this world, I will need proof that you are able to help me forge this path. Think of it as a show of faith so that I believe the words you speak.¡± The monster¡¯s green eyes brightened, and it lifted a hand to hover over the naga as if to bless him. ¡°More will be given to you in time, after you burn through quests here for power leveling. But I suppose I can part with a small gift now, a core of sin and the power of Greed, to show you what potential you¡¯ll truly have if you choose to follow our path.¡± There was a ticking noise that echoed across the land, and the sky split apart overhead in a dark aura of sin energy. The naga screamed as his body ruptured from numerous scars plastered across his body - giving off a sickly dark light, the monster laughed, and black-purple energy erupted from inside Netithi¡¯s soul aperture as a new black core began to build itself inside. *** [Riven¡¯s Quest #1 of The Altars of Despair and Hope has been completed. Outpost #84 has been saved, the enemy cultists have all been killed, and the monster wave has been eradicated without losing a single resident of the town. This quest has been completed 1 hour early as well, adding bonus Event Points. Congratulations! You have been granted XP. All XP has been funneled to your minions, due to your grade cap hindering you from leveling further until you reach enlightenment and enter the E-grade. You have gained +39 Event Points. Quest #2 will be dispensed tomorrow.] Versions of that same notification had appeared in front of everyone in Outpost #84 at the same exact moment Azmoth had killed the last of the flying serpents, with Athela giving Riven a confirmatory message via their telepathy link. The instant that¡¯d happened, the entire town had their own system messages ping his location while he was taking a drink back at the pub he¡¯d originally visited with Nora, and he¡¯d been mobbed with people thanking him, yelling out his name, and offering to buy him booze while sighs of relief were in abundance. Word had already spread about his minions, and watch parties had seen the far off explosions of battle in the forest miles off, and with their hoods labeling Nora and Riven as non-cultists it didn¡¯t take much to piece together that they were part of this integration quest even before the mass notification. ¡°OUT! OUT! EVERYONE OUT!¡± Warden Zuk, the odd wizard-gnome leader of this outpost, had his town guards shove and push people out of the rowdy pub into the streets to celebrate elsewhere at Riven¡¯s request. ¡°My god! I could barely hear myself think in here with all those ruffians! Good riddance!¡± Gragle, who¡¯d been dragged here by the warden himself at Riven¡¯s request, fidgeted nervously while looking between the vampire sipping ale and the asian woman who was repeatedly sighing at the extra points she¡¯d missed by not assassinating a single one of the enemy cultists - nor had she finished off the monster swarm leader. ¡°Don¡¯t look so glum!¡± Riven cackled, shoving another glass across the bar to take a fifth mug from the bartender who¡¯d warmed up to him a lot more since their first encounter; especially after the notification had lit up the town. ¡°You could have killed that flying tomb cobra if you¡¯d wanted to for the 30 point bonus! You just chose not to.¡± Nora gave him a flat look. ¡°Did you see the thousands of swarming electrical lizards around it? There was zero chance I was heading into that rat¡¯s nest, I¡¯m far more fragile than either of those two monsters you sent in to clean up shop.¡± She took a drink, choking on the strong taste of the alcohol and ignoring the little gnome wizard who plopped in a seat beside her. Riven grinned. ¡°Yeah you can just go ahead and say it, my summons are pretty awesome. Speaking of which¡­¡± A portal lit up in the middle of the rowdy bar, though it was far less rowdy than it¡¯d been before Warden Zuk had kicked out half the pub, and all eyes turned to the shimmering blue-purple portal as Fay stepped out of it. She looked amazing, getting a lot of hoots and murmurs from the crowd as they ogled her beautiful figure, but many of them were hushed by their comrades or slapped by their partners when they realized whose contracted familiar she was. The gorgeous succubus wore an unusually exquisite gold-trimmed black dress that came down to her shins, but it hugged her breasts and hips. It also split down the middle in a way that allowed her to walk without tripping - with her slender black tail coiling on the floor behind her and wings outspread. Her ponytail was done up in golden decorative pins and she wore large golden hoop earrings that dangled from her bowed head as she took a knee and prostrated herself before Riven on the floor. ¡°Master, I¡­ I¡­¡± She almost stuttered and choked on her words, trembling slightly as Riven raised an eyebrow her way. ¡°¡±I greet the great maw¡¯s reincarnation!¡± Riven finished sipping on a drink, pulled the shaking succubus up gently by one arm, and stood up. Smiling kindly down into her black, wide eyes - he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers before resting his head against her small horns. ¡°Stop that, and come have a drink with me. Nothing has changed between us. Ok? Also, you look absolutely stunning.¡± He gave her a wink, and he saw just a tiny bit of the tension in her face melt away. Just a tiny bit. The last time she¡¯d seen him was when Deepnest had exploded, and she¡¯d been flung into the nether realm. Obviously in the last 24 hours a lot had transpired, to the point that she¡¯d now presented to him while undergoing some kind of panic attack, and based on what Athela had told him about Gluttony - he could guess as to why. She began to protest, but Riven put a finger up to her lips as Gluttony¡¯s third eye opened on his forehead. Seeing the eye caused her to immediately shut up and go rigid, and she began to focus on the unholy scripts of ancient tattoos that littered Riven¡¯s body now that Messenger wasn¡¯t being worn. He wore a sleeveless, basic shirt, and some basic pants, emphasizing his toned body as he led her to a seat and pulled the chair out for her. ¡°Nothing has changed.¡± Riven softly repeated, pushing her chair in and chuckling at the way she furiously blushed at his lightest touch. ¡°Put your wings away so I can sit next to you, and we can talk.¡± Without being told twice, Fay retracted her wings and her tail back into her body, staring at the bar in front of her as Riven gestured for another mug of alcohol. ¡°Ale, beer, or harder stuff?¡± The bartender asked, trying hard not to stare at the beautiful woman who¡¯d so recently joined them. His gaze turned to Riven instead, outwardly forcing himself to remain locked on the man instead of the beauty beside the vampire. ¡°What do you think, Mr. Scary?¡± Riven smiled at the nickname. ¡°Mr. Scary? I like it. Let¡¯s go with the harder stuff, I think my girlfriend here is going to need it.¡± Fay blushed even more furiously as the title of girlfriend, and she put two hands over her face as he began to laugh. The middle-aged man wearing an apron behind the counter raised his eyebrows with a confused smile. ¡°I¡¯d thought the other demoness was your lover. The one with night-black skin.¡± ¡°Athela? She is. I¡¯m dating both of them. Or more accurately, we three are dating each other - Athela, Myself, and Fay here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dating both of them!?¡± The bartender sputtered a laugh, rolled his eyes, and took out a bottle of some kind of rum-like substance that he poured into a tall glass. He passed it to Fay, who wordlessly took it. ¡°Some people have all the luck. Count me jealous, vampire. But considering you and yours somehow saved our town from a monster swarm, likely avoiding many deaths, I¡¯ll try to ignore that side of myself for the night. What about the blood priestess? Are you dating her too?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°And this fine lass here?¡± The bartender asked, winking at Nora who was still actively sighing to Riven¡¯s right. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. She¡¯s into girls, apparently.¡± The bartender¡¯s eyebrows rose, then gestured to Fay who was sipping on her drink - implying a couple things about Nora, Fay, and most likely Athela with a series of hand gestures most men would certainly be able to make out. Riven smirked and shook his head, but didn¡¯t reply as the festivities inside and outside began to climb to new heights with cheers and laughter all around. Instead, as his succubus companion began to sip on her drink to calm her nerves, he leaned in and kissed Fay on the cheek before calling out to Gragle a few seats down. ¡°So my short stout friend, I was hoping we could chat about those things you called ¡®Graphics¡¯ earlier today.¡± The scarred gnome coughed halfway through taking a swig, then set his mug down to glare up at the smirking vampire with an irritated huff. The silence was telling, but eventually the gnome mustered the courage to reply with a little bit of help from the alcohol he¡¯d been taking. ¡°You seem good natured enough now that I have some booze in me, but are you really related to Gluttony somehow?¡± The vampire prince blinked. Had he been too drunk to notice Fay''s comments on the great maw? Apparently so. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°What about being a prince of the requiem?¡± ¡°Nuh uh.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Riven lied with a raised eyebrow. ¡°All that talk was just us being stupid and fucking around with you natives.¡± Gragle eyed him skeptically, then slowly nodded. ¡°Fine, fine. You¡¯d be a really scary fucker if that multiverse-wide system notification was about you, but I¡¯d think Gluttony would choose someone of a higher level if he had to reincarnate so I suppose that makes sense you¡¯d be lyin. I just wouldn¡¯t want to wake up being eaten alive tomorrow night, ya know?¡± Gluttony¡¯s amusement rose inside, and Riven had to beat back a grin of his own. ¡°Yes, yes. Of course. Who¡¯d want that? Now, are you going to talk to me about these so called ¡®Graphics¡¯ you know of or not? That was really unique magic you had there, and I was hoping to implement it in my own totems.¡± ¡°You make totems?¡± The gnome abruptly asked, suddenly becoming interested in the conversation as he turned his entire body to stare around Fay¡¯s timid figure between the two men. ¡°Seriously? You?¡± Riven held out his tattooed arms to either side with a shrug. ¡°What?! Didn¡¯t I mention that earlier? You were probably just scared too shitless to hear me right, sorry about my teasing and lies. Is that so unbelievable?¡± ¡°Yes it is. Do you have any recent works?¡± Riven smiled, then nodded. Reaching into his spatial sack, he drew out the prized possession he¡¯d been working on since visiting Hakim¡¯s place a little while back. It¡¯d finally absorbed the minor sigil of Black Lightning, and had evolved from ¡®Partially Constructed¡¯ into a fully blown totem. His previous totems also couldn¡¯t level up, and it was very interesting to see that this one could. He¡¯d had the option to negate this effect in favor of having a static damage output when creating the totem, and that would have increased the power it had significantly in the beginning - but it would have stagnated its growth in turn. So he¡¯d allowed the soul to grow and gain levels, starting out at a weaker point rather than stretching the soul out and limiting its potential for the future. [Totem of Bloodforged Rift Sparks: The Path of Red and Black has been imbued into this totem, along with three different ability sigils, allowing to to create combination abilities from the following: Black Lightning, Rift, and Crimson Ice. Due to having a high grade soul imbued into this totem, it is able to move around autonomously and will follow your will to fight or defend. Elite Tier, Level 1 totem. Requirements: 90 Willpower, Blood Sub-Pillar, Shadow Sub-Pillar. Bound to Riven Thane.] It was the ¡®Icosahedron¡¯ he¡¯d shown Genua in the forest. It was a 20-sided die with dimensions of 1 by 1 by 1 feet each way. Having crafted it from metal while using his magic to slice into the steel plates on the outer skeleton, he¡¯d reinforced the insides with crimson ice, with red and black runic sigils on each of the 20 sides of the almost spherical shape. Gragle¡¯s eyes widened with interest, and he hesitantly put forth a hand - before asking if he could see it. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful piece. These enchantments are very high quality, even if the materials could do better. May I?¡± ¡°You absolutely may.¡± Riven replied, enjoying the eager look the gnome was giving his creation while picking up the totem with one hand and setting it gently in the smaller hands of the other man. ¡°Just don¡¯t blow it up. I have high hopes for that totem and it''s the first real one I¡¯ve ever completed now that I have the death sub-pillar. So it¡¯s kind of special to me, and I was hoping that it could potentially get an upgrade if you have any thoughts on what might work.¡± Chapter 256 Chapter 256 Retesh Vorath¡¯s unnatural, fleshy organs curled and unfurled randomly across his bones as the undead lich called a black mist from the ocean around him and flung the cloud at his pursuers. Judith Marcina¡¯s golden wings pulsed with energy, encompassing her in a shield of white light that let her rip through the cloud of necrotic gasses to tear her flaming sword through Retesh¡¯s mount - cleaving off a wing of the large drake in a single go. The two other undead drakes on either side of Retesh screamed in rage as their brother let out a cry of pain and started spiraling downwards towards the sea below, where an even more violent battle between the merpeople and his fleet of black ships were taking place. Explosions of water and death, ice and storm, plague and rot all ripped and tore across the waves far below; while giant sea creatures - both living and dead - ripped and bit at one another frantically. Retesh cursed as Judith¡¯s high pitched laughter rang clear through the clouds, and the two drakes on either side of him diverted their attention to attack the angelic bitch as he summoned dark tendrils of death mana to his bony fingers. ¡°Artun Regles Unimor!¡± He hissed while performing the needed hand gestures, still spinning out of control but barely able to manage the spell. The tendrils tore out of his hands and grasped at the severed wing of the skeletal beast he rode on. Reeling it back in, the wing was forcefully reattached and the drake quickly reoriented itself about a hundred yards up. The eyes of a giant kraken pet of the merpeople glared up at him from the frothing sea underneath him, promising him a quick demise if he let himself climb too low, and the explosion of another black galley made him wince. Winged nephilim in the sky battled undead gargoyles of his make, one of the drakes he¡¯d raised into undeath exploded in an echo of celestial power to fall past him, and his hands trembled at the realization that he might actually die here. These undead were monsters to the merpeople , and to Judith¡¯s forces. To them, the undead were creatures to be purged. But to Retesh, these udnead were just as eager to pursue a fulfilling life as any of those who would want to purge his kind. They were his brothers and sisters, his sons and daughters, and they were being slaughtered for no more reason than for merely existing. Just like on his last world before he¡¯d been placed here on Panu, the living would never understand him or his people - and thus he would make them pay in the end. If he survived this fight. He screamed out in rage and pulled a medium-length stone staff off his back, causing it to light up with bright teal lights before turning back around at the incoming vengeful presences behind him. Three high level nephilim decked out in valkyrie attire were gaining speed alongside Judith, swordings and wings aflame, and Retesh spat before holding his weapon aloft. ¡°YOU MAY HAVE WON THIS BATTLE, BUT IT IS I WHO WILL BE LAUGHING IN THE END WHEN I USE YOUR CORPSES AS SOLDIERS IN MY ARMY IN MONTHS TO COME!¡± Judith summoned spears of white lightning that pulsed and snapped across the sky, only to meet an orb of death mana that deflected the blow. The explosion caused a cloud of conflicting energies to roil up into a blinding cloud, and Retesh used that moment to shatter the stone staff in his hand. He flung the shattered remnants of the object behind him in the path of his pursuers while using his own life force to infuse more power into the mount he rode on. The drake underneath him doubled its speed in an instant, then pulsed into even faster speeds with a sonic boom, and the sky illuminated with a blinding flash of teal behind him. Using a series of hand gestures to camouflage his escape, and keeping his course straight for Brightsville across the ocean, the guilt he felt for leaving his soldiers behind began to build. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Retesh whispered, enraged - perhaps hypocritically - at the culling of his people, but he kept his head down and his mind set. ¡°Brethren, you will be avenged.¡± *** [System Message from the Elysium Administrator: Integrating planet: Panu - has been deemed lopsided during its integration phase. Key outliers noted x5. Stagnation of participants is highly likely. Parameters have been changed to encourage growth. Changes are as follows: The Original Sin of Greed has been allowed to send a single agent to Panu in direct opposition to Gluttony. World Quest total time limits have been expedited. Time limit is now set to 3 years total before integration ends. All time limits concerning quests and sub quests related to the World Quests of Panu have been reduced and expedited as well. Expeditionary Forces are now allowed and granted, and will be paid for by myself. Invitations for expeditionary forces have been granted to numerous empires across the multiverse, with different restrictions on given armies. Each major faction across the planet, including invaders, will be granted a certain amount of tokens to allow for intergalactic troop movements based on the algorithm that would most encourage ascension. You have been linked as a potential candidate to help put together one of these expeditionary forces. To whom your forces will serve, should you accept: Allie Thane and Riven Thane of Panu. Concerning where this comes into play for you, General Viku of the Blood Moon Requiem, it means that you have 7 days to put together an army. A requirement for all chosen soldiers: will be that they not have ill intent directed towards Allie Thane despite her choice to shun The Blood God, and they will be vetted by myself to make sure the proper balance is maintained. Your goal is to help finish the world quests within the 3 year time limit for your side, and then to conquer Panu afterwards. Should you accept these conditions, you will be granted 40,000 tokens for Sarak slave soldiers from your controlled planet of Vartesh, 15,000 soldiers from the ranks of House Wraithtide, and 10,000 soldiers from the greater empire of The Blood Moon Requiem, all F-grade. 1 additional low E-grade participant may be selected as well. No advanced weaponry in the form of ships or weapons of mass destruction will be allowed. Your specific restrictions will be as follows: Your expeditionary force will be restricted to the continent of Umbra for the first year, before being allowed access to the rest of the world. You will be allied with the forces of Negrada, a minor hellscape dungeon that has already accepted these conditions. Upon victory conditions being met, The Blood Moon Requiem will receive one Elite S-Grade treasure, one Supreme A-Grade treasure, two Legendary B-Grade treasures, three Elite C-Grade treasures, and the potential for warp-gate access to Panu should the native faction decide to allow it. You have 1 day to decide on whether or not you will take up this offer.] The Wraithtide fleet filled the sky - sleek dagger-like spacecraft of black, red, and dark gray; and elites from all over the empire were flying in as the communication lines were abuzz with activity. General Viku of House Wraithtide watched with the other members of his house on a balcony, alongside High Queen Nephridi, as the forces of the younger generation scrambled to organize themselves at such short notice. Below them, thousands of soldiers were being geared up for battle. This was a perfect chance to bring the queen¡¯s great grandchildren into the fold, establishing a link between the empire and Panu, and even creating an outpost in an entirely separate part of the multiverse for the requiem to expand from. The council for their part had been either absolutely enraged at the activity of the two Wraithtide children, or had applauded them outwardly, with mixed emotions from many after realizing what Riven had become. What Allie had done was blasphemous by defying the patron of their kind, the creator of the vampire, The Blood God himself - but having Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation on their side was something else entirely. When Lillith herself, a figure of myth and legend, stepped out to dispel the ritual that would have stripped Allie of her prophecy - it made it very clear where Gluttony¡¯s stance stood on the girl. Stolen story; please report. To the secret pleasure of High Queen Nephridi, she¡¯d been especially pleased when Elder Thune¡¯s possessed thrall had been slapped into a bloody oblivion by the archdemon; cackling all the way back home and for many days beyond that. ¡°Are you smiling again about how Elder Thune reacted to the notice?¡± General Viku asked with a sideways grin, seeing the high queen giggling to herself for the third time that day. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you in this good of a mood since your granddaughter was still around.¡± Nephridi¡¯s shoulders shook with continued giggling, her long brown hair swaying under the dark clouds that were ever present on the Wraithtide homeworld of Vartesh. ¡°Yes, things have turned out quite nicely. The Blood God¡¯s clergy have sent emissaries to speak to us about this matter and should be here soon, and though I am not certain of what they will say - I have it on good faith from my own bishop that they¡¯ll likely forgive my great grandchild for her transgressions. It will be an absolute order, should I be right, for I believe that he who created our kind also wishes to bring Riven into the fold. Having the Reincarnation of Gluttony as a member of our empire would far outweigh any potential insult Allie¡¯s actions have caused, and the council even voted to keep her status as princess intact after seeing the event transpire.¡± General Viku nodded thoughtfully, his shiny bald head having been waxed twice in the last hour out of nervousness - but he kept his cool. ¡°Out of respect: Rippenvire sends word that they have withdrawn their bid from the planet entirely, when realizing The Blood Moon Requiem is becoming fully involved with these matters. They were able to pay Elysium a tax to retrieve what remained of their forces as well, and are now completely absent from the planet as of an hour ago." ¡°I suspected they¡¯d do so, yes.¡± Queen Nephridi stated with a sly grin. ¡°They are merely a vassal of one of our more competitive allies, but they could never hope to muster the kinds of forces to compete with our own youth. The blood that runs through our lineages is far purer than that of Rippenvire, our affinities are greater, our training is better - and they know it. In the beginning they¡¯d hoped to secure the prince and princess as a way of saving face, and potentially gaining access to a royal bloodline through the right of vampiric conquest, but those aspirations are now over.¡± Looking over his shoulder, General Viku caught a glimpse of the purple Serak man - Jeltuna. The one Riven had appointed as ¡®The Voice of the Sarak¡¯ - to the disappointment and disgust of many of House Wraithtide. Still, the slave held his head high, and he was proud to be here. Nervous, but proud, for this was the first time a sarak had ever been allowed in the presence of nobility and royalty at this magnitude. Usually he¡¯d have been executed just for looking at the queen, but due to Riven¡¯s proclamation she¡¯d even made her way over to talk to the man - which had stunned everybody. Even General Viku. Lady Riska, Count Amestrius, Count Jaricock and Baron Orimus were just some of the many faces inside the small crowd of Wrathtide nobles - lesser and greater - and they all wore expressions of excitement as the Wraithtide name was on the rise. With Riven¡¯s ascent into his current position and the possibilities unfolding astronomically, with even many of the reclusive high grade demonic forces already having sent emissaries to The Blood Moon Requiem for a chance to speak to Riven, the prestige of their house was unlike anything it¡¯d seen in its history. But the hushed whispers of other House Wraithtide elites came to a quick close when the sounds of the doors behind them caused the general and queen to turn. Walking out and bowing before the high queen, two of the younger generation led the way. First as Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, eldest daughter to the Duke and Dutchess of House of Crushada, 107th in line for the vampiric throne. Her usual black and red dress was replaced in thin, formfitting armor of the highest quality for her grade - decorated with their house emblem of a rose. Her pale, beautiful features remained steadfast while she knelt, but beads of sweat were accumulating across her forehead with her mother and father standing proudly in the background with beaming smiles. Beside Kathrine was the single E-grade they were allowed to send: a military genius and a combat veteran of the frontier wars: Crendir No-Name, an orphan of low blood born to no family that had made a man out of himself even in the eyes of the proudest nobles. He was an undisputed choice for the lead of this expedition, and would be serving directly under Kathrine only in the public eye. In private, he would be the true hand that guided the armies of The Blood Moon Requiem on this conquest of Panu for the sake of both Allie and Riven. He had multiple scars along his otherwise pale face through the slits in his helmet, his eyes were a dimmer red than the many purebloods here, but he still kept his back straight and proud when the queen bade them rise. ¡°Hello, children.¡± High Queen Nephridi then gave the Crushada parents a warm smile. ¡°Hello Lord and Lady Crushada, as always - a pleasure.¡± They both silently bowed, but returned her smile in turn. She gestured to the two younglings, and allowed them to join her at the railing where she and General Viku were watching the marching columns of soldiers come into play. She snorted when she saw the untrained thousands of sarak being herded onto the fields, where vampiric commanders were - for the very first time - going to allow them to pick up weapons for training in what would soon become the first true soldiers the sarak had seen since this world had been conquered. ¡°As leaders of this expedition, you must realize that you may not return to the empire - even if you win.¡± High Queen Nephridi stated solemnly, glancing at both Crendir and Kathrine with a sigh. ¡°We can only hope that Gluttony and my great grandson will decide to incorporate themselves into the empire through a show of goodwill, even despite what we nearly did to Allie not long ago. It will be your job to maintain as good of a connection with the Wraithtide siblings as possible, to convince Riven to establish the gate when the fight is over, and - without question - to eliminate all other outside forces during the integration. Help them complete the world quests, and dominate the planet. But above all, gaining Riven¡¯s approval and convincing him to join The Blood Moon Requiem is of utmost importance.¡± Kathrine, who¡¯d kept her lips pursed this entire time, gave a hesitant frown. ¡°I was under the impression he was already a prince of the empire?¡± The queen chuckled. ¡°He is. Again, we nearly stripped his sister of her prophetic abilities¡­ I just want to be especially careful around this situation now, and to maintain our expectations of him - rather than lose him entirely. Usually with an heir of royal blood that has the gift of malignant prophecy, if they strayed - we¡¯d just capture them. Or kill them, to keep the bloodline in our hands. However, now that he is the Reincarnation of Gluttony, it drastically complicates things. In the worst case scenario that I¡¯d never wish upon any of the heirs, capturing or killing him wouldn¡¯t be a viable option unless we wanted to make enemies of numerous demonic factions that would no doubt see that as a declaration of war on them. With the rise of the commandments and the other sins soon to follow, and the eternal war between celestials and demons coming to our doorstep in the next century, we are going to be very sure not to put ourselves in the middle of it.¡± A new, older male¡¯s voice called out from the doorway where Kathrine and Crendir had just entered. ¡°Not to mention, it is the will of the founder himself that we try to bring Gluttony¡¯s bonded partner into the flock.¡± An aura of power settled down on the balcony as the voice spoke, making everyone there excluding the queen and general feel as if they were swimming in a thick, viscous pool. It wasn¡¯t oppressive or directed at them, thankfully, but most of the onlookers widened their eyes and bowed or even knelt as two esteemed bishops from the Blood God¡¯s domain walked slowly towards High Queen Nephridi to pay their respects. Each were shirtless, bearing the crimson tattoos of their order, while wearing long flowing skirt-pants and large flat-brim, circular hats that had red drapes covering the faces of each man. They both bowed low, and the high queen returned their bow with one of her own in a reverent stances before all three lifted themselves into straighter positions seconds later. ¡°It is an honor to host such figures as yourselves, gentlemen.¡± High Queen Nephridi stated with a pleasant smile. ¡°To grace our trading hub of Vartesh is an honor to all of us. What brings you out of your esteemed halls and to our humble planet, if I may ask?¡± One of the priests turned to the other, and the second man chuckled from underneath his red veil. ¡°Come now, Queen Nephridi. Let us not play games. You know why it is we are here, your own bishop no doubt told you of our passage and what we expect to talk about.¡± Nephridi raised an eyebrow and gave them an innocent, taken-aback look. ¡°I must say I am unsure of what it is you speak of.¡± The bishops stared at her wordlessly. She sighed. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re correct. But I must ask since you¡¯re here, as it is the most pressing question I have¡­ Will my great granddaughter be forgiven for her transgressions? Or will she still be labeled as¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. ¡°As an apostate?¡± The first bishop asked, filling the word in for her. ¡°No, she is forgiven. Speaking of which, we had one of our priestesses actually try to leverage Riven¡¯s child, Gluttony¡¯s child, as a token piece to acquire our forgiveness recently without our knowledge. I thought you should know.¡± ¡°Genua¡¯s child? The elf thrall?¡± Nephridi¡¯s eyes went wide in shock, then her face contorted into a horrified expression. ¡°Did¡­ Did Gluttony take offense?¡± The second priest scoffed. ¡°We intervened, apologized, and executed the priestess in front of Genua to make it very clear on our stance, The Blood God¡¯s stance, concerning Gluttony¡¯s progeny. The traitor''s head will be sent back to Riven as an apology, and the founder has decided on forgiveness concerning Allie¡¯s status as an apostate. She will be granted leniency, as long as Riven remains a loyal servant of the true path. It is not ideal to let such offenses go, but the benefits outweigh the downsides. I hear that you¡¯ve already assigned our battle priests to the expedition?¡± Nephridi nodded. ¡°We have a single unit of battle priests, without masters, from your order in our ranks. Over 100 strong.¡± The bishop nodded in approval. ¡°Good. It will be a good opportunity to spread our religion to the frontier, a rare opportunity of expansion indeed. Under your banner, of course.¡± The man bowed low again. ¡°I must say that I am rather hungry, and was hoping that I could try some sarak blood while I¡¯m here. I heard it was quite a delicacy. Is that true?¡± He shot Jeltuna a glance, and the jarak man stiffened. Queen Nephridi smiled. ¡°Of course! But please keep in mind that this is Riven¡¯s homeworld, and he has forbidden the slaughter of his slaves in favor of wanting to improve their lives. Ridiculous! I know! But we still wish to honor his wishes, especially now that he has become a reincarnation of original sin.¡± Chapter 257 Chapter 257 KABLAM An explosion lit up the small workshop Gragle and Riven were working in, the third time that day, and Riven blinked away dust with a cough to the laughter of his two girlfriends at his back. Wiping soot off his face and spitting out dirt, then spitting onto the ground, Riven playfully glared over his shoulder at the two demon women who cackled even more loudly at the absolute mess his attempt at creating Graphics had caused. ¡°Laugh it up you two.¡± Riven said with an eye roll as Athela laughed so hard she fell out of her seat, rolling on the floor while Fay wiped away tears. He didn¡¯t think it was THAT funny, but at least the two women he had fallen for were having a good show of it. Azmoth, who¡¯d been holding the new totem they¡¯d been working on together, was entirely unaffected by the blast and just sighed with a shake of his head. ¡°Sad, sad, sad. Good thing you powerful mage, because you bad at this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got to agree with the big guy.¡± Gragle the gnome said from behind a blast shield a few feet away, looking down skeptically at the smoldering remains of Riven¡¯s latest attempt where hellfire still ate away at pieces of wood on the reinforced metal table. ¡°You¡¯re really quite terrible at this.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s not very nice!¡± Riven said with a dramatic humph, folding his arms grumpily in large part to put on a show for the two girls who continued to laugh. ¡°I take offense to that! Let¡¯s try again, I¡¯ll get it next time.¡± Nora, who¡¯d been out to grab some more alcohol, knocked on the door of Gragle¡¯s estate and then walked in. Snapping a look to the other two women who were still cackling, and then to Riven¡¯s blackened, soot-covered face, she couldn¡¯t help but grin in amusement as well. ¡°I see things aren¡¯t progressing too fast. Oh, and Gragle - there are some men out there looking for you. They asked me to have you come out.¡± The scarred gnome¡¯s face paled. ¡°Who? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s those damnable mafia guys again.¡± ¡°The guy¡¯s name was Ronnie? I think he was the same one from the bar. He said you had an order to fill for him.¡± Nora replied with a shrug, setting down the jugs of wins she¡¯d procured with a snort. ¡°He didn¡¯t seem too intent on coming in here though.¡± Gragle¡¯s scowl become more prominent, and with a sigh he hopped down off his stool. ¡°Of course he doesn¡¯t want to come in here with the savior of our town around¡­ Gods damn it, I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it from here, lil bro.¡± Riven got up, dusted himself off, and started to walk out the door. ¡°Just to confirm what Nora said - Ronnie was that guy who was bullying you back at the bar right?¡± Gragle blinked, rubbed a hand through his short black beard, then slowly nodded. ¡°Y-Yes¡­ I owe him a lot of gold due to interest. And I¡¯m lucrative, so he¡¯s going to be resistant to letting me go. I make graphics for him to imbue into items for rare or higher tier enchantments and sigil skeletons while I pay my debt off.¡± ¡°You owe him gold? For what?¡± Riven asked curiously with a head tilt. Gragle opened his mouth to reply, then thought about it. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s for protection?¡± ¡°Protection from who?¡± Riven asked, brows furrowed. Gragle paused again. ¡°From¡­ himself? And other gangs here in the outpost.¡± With a click of his tongue, Riven nodded and gave Fay a kiss before playfully jabbing Athela in the side to make her squeal with laughter. ¡°Alright, well I¡¯m going to go talk to him to see if I can knock some sense into him.¡± Before Gragle could object, Riven pushed through the door to immediately come face to face with a man in full steel plate armor - trimmed in red. It was the same knight-looking motherfucker from the bar just as Riven had expected, but the man¡¯s posture straightened when it was Riven who came out instead of the gnome. He had four other thickly-built men dressed in similar attire, each with short swords and round shields imbued with various enchantments - all of them wearing the same strange sigil of what Gragle called ¡®The Scrags Mafia.¡¯ Apparently this guy was more invested in Gragle than Riven had thought. ¡°Honored savior.¡± Ronnie, the central figure said from underneath his helm. No doubt he was talking about Riven saving the town. Bowing in respect for just a moment, the other four men undertook the same gesture. ¡°I apologize, I didn¡¯t realize you were the one who was keeping our employee company. Perhaps this is a bad time?¡± Riven put on a fake smile, looking left and right down the alleyway behind Gragle¡¯s house. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Gragle is preoccupied, I just wanted to let you know that. He says he owes you money? I was hoping that I could buy out his debt, because I¡¯ll be utilizing his skills for a good amount of time while I¡¯m here.¡± They stared at each other after that. Birds chirping overhead broke the silence, and Ronnie eventually cleared his throat while standing up straighter. ¡°Gragle is employed by us out of choice, not necessity. He does owe me quite a sum of Elysium Coins, but that is neither here nor there - and I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to buy his debt out just by how much it is he actually owes us.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, taking note of a scrawny human man who turned the corner - saw Ronnie - and quickly scrambled away. He let out a tired sigh. Picking through his spatial sack and pulling out a hundred gold pieces from the mountain of gold he¡¯d collected off bodies after the monster swarm, he threw it to the ground with a jingling of coins. ¡°I¡¯m not giving you a choice on the matter. Leave with the money, or your guts are going to be plastered along the alley walls here in the next thirty seconds.¡± *** Three quick flashes of red light illuminated the alleyway, as seen from inside Gragle¡¯s workshop just a minute after Riven had left out the back door, and within seconds - the vampire entered back inside with a wide smile on his blood-flecked face. He held up both hands to Gragle, and chuckled ruthlessly. ¡°Problem solved buddy! I¡­ oh, high Genua. When did you get here?¡± He turned his head to where Genua had just sat down at another table off to the side. She¡¯d joined Athela, Fay, and Nora while they poured glasses of wine and gave him looks tinged with different but positive emotions. Fay especially had come a long way since her arrival earlier that day, and had settled into a far calmer and more normal way of thinking about things after being in Riven¡¯s presence - seeing that he had in fact NOT changed much in terms of how he treated her. Despite having Gluttony as a symbiote. ¡°Hello, master.¡± Genua said with a small smile, standing up from her chair to bow to him in respect. ¡°I just arrived back from the Blood God¡¯s realm. I apologize if I am coming at a bad time.¡± ¡°No, no of course not.¡± Riven said with a grin - waving her back down to her seat and joining Azmoth and Gragle at the thicker metal work-table in the center of the room. ¡°How was it? Good I hope? Did they teach you how to fight? You¡¯ve been gone hours.¡± Genua looked like she had something to say, but thought better of it and shook her head. ¡°Uhm¡­ Well¡­ It was alright. Interesting, certainly, but they didn¡¯t teach me how to fight just yet. It was full of lore on the religion, going over my duties as a priestess, and some other¡­ interesting topics were brought up.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± Riven asked, curious. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Genua scratched the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. ¡°I¡¯d rather tell you in a more private setting. Also, it¡¯s been¡­ a while. I was hoping to relieve some stress as I talk about it¡­ Perhaps later tonight, I can visit you to talk more? Perhaps with Fay and Athela as well?¡± There were a brief few moments where absolute silence enveloped the room. Fay glanced over at the elf thrall with a raised eyebrow and a curious frown due to the way Genua had stated her question, but didn¡¯t say anything otherwise. Athela on the other hand also looked rather surprised, as Genua wasn¡¯t usually so forward about anything at all, but shrugged while she continued drinking and laughing with Nora about something they¡¯d seen earlier today in the market. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Riven gave her the same expression Fay had, raising a single eyebrow, then nodded slowly. ¡°Sure¡­ That would be¡­¡± He glanced at Fay, who shrugged, and then Athela who waved him off. He raised his gaze back to Genua. ¡°Should be fine?¡± Not sure how to take the odd shift in Genua¡¯s demeanor, he turned his attention back to the table where Gragle had set out another set of already partially-completed graphics for Riven to take a shot at. Concentrating, and not yet getting the totem pieces in line until he had the graphics down again, Riven closed his eyes and began to focus on the three-dimensional skeletons of runic infernal mana hovering in the air ahead of him. The thing about these ¡®graphics¡¯ that Gragle was trying to conceptualize for Riven was that they were both far more basic and far more intricate than normal enchantments or inscriptions by a long shot. As contradictory as that was at first glance, it made sense when Riven got the feel for just what it was he was looking at. Graphics were a way to formulate the magic of thought into physical concepts by utilizing the basic code of the system. So, in a way, he was building up basic enchantments or spells much in the same way computer codes back on Earth could have been put together by numerical 1¡¯s and 0¡¯s. So it was basic in the aspect that he wasn¡¯t dealing in anything very complex on a conceptual level, but it was far more intricate because he could make very minute and very specific changes to the ¡®code¡¯ based on an incredibly small tweak to the source code of the spell. Instead of 1¡¯s and 0¡¯s however, Gragle told him there were five concepts to be aware of when constructing a graphic. Three of the concepts were Re, Vo and Tin that acted like an axis to travel along when inputting source code. Based on mathematics from Riven¡¯s home planet, they could be conceptualized the same way an X, Y, and Z axis was made when describing a three-dimensional space. Then there were the concepts of Nun and Zika, with Nun representing orientation and affinity of a power source such as a pillar orientation - and Zika representing the power of intent. Ro, Vo, Tin, Nun, and Zika. Riven was having a hard time putting it all together, but then again this was his very first day and despite all the laughs his two drunk girlfriends were having at his expense - he was pretty proud of himself for grasping what he had. ¡°He¡¯s missing a concept, but I can¡¯t remember what it is.¡± Gluttony whispered in the back of my mind, causing me to frown in wonder at what that could be - but after further probing on the subject it was apparent that this particular bit of knowledge had been stripped from the sin by Elysium¡¯s purge. ¡°Regardless.¡± Gluttony continued inside my head while I started working on a new source code based on the startup Gragle had already created for me. ¡°This is good practice for us both. I¡¯m rusty. Perhaps I¡¯ll remember it if I gain some insight and inspiration while working.¡± ¡°One can only hope¡­¡± Riven muttered under his breath with an appreciative internal nod to Gluttony, before going back at it with the infernal burning graphics hovering ahead of him over the table. Adjusting Ro, Vo, and Tin - he was able to shift the 3-dimensional structure of the source code and thus change the burning markings in the air. It was all based around a central point of intent, which was marked by Zika, but it appeared Zika was also far more complex than just being a ¡®starting point¡¯ so to speak. Riven could feel his intent on Zika from the already started graphic phase and change whenever he shifted from the concept of ¡®explosion¡¯ to the concept of ¡®solid wall¡¯ or ¡®create weapon.¡¯ Each of these conceptual changes also changed the runic markings themselves, altering Ro, Vo, and Tin slightly as they did - whereas Ro, Vo, and Tin didn¡¯t directly influence Zika in the reverse direction. Which was slightly puzzling. Changing Nun in turn caused even more dramatic changes, because it changed the pillar or power source the graphic was based on. This in turn influenced all the other four concepts, but yet again did not work in the reverse. Changing Nun caused Zika, Ro, Vo and Tin to change. Changing Zika caused Ro, Vo, and Tin to change - without changing Nun. Changing Ro, Vo, and Tin had no effect on anything but themselves. Riven shifted between Death, Infernal, Blood, Unholy, and Shadow pillars as orientations for Nun that would cause the entire graphic to change in ways he didn¡¯t necessarily grasp just yet. Experimenting at the urging of Gragle, who said that self exploration was the best way to go about it and that he was only there to start the process and answer base questions - Riven found that infusing Nun with different levels of his affinities also caused changes to the overall structure of the graphic. He could infuse Nun affinities of 10%, 29%, 93%, 84%, or whatever he chose to do all the way up to the maximum affinity he had on a given pillar. This in turn made it so that people with higher affinities in a given pillar or sub pillar would be able to have the most leeway for change in a graphic based on how high they infused the graphic. Changing from Infernal to Shadow, Shadow to Unholy, Unholy to Blood, and Blood to Death, Riven quickly found out that his Blood infusions were not only quicker than all the others - but but that he had a far more precise control on how the Ro, Vo, and Tin changes were. The runes flickered, changed colors, reorganized themselves, and spluttered or died in the air in front of him over and over again. And over and over again, Gragle would restart the process in front of them and scurry back to get behind his blast wall with a reinforced window in the very center to watch Riven work. It was rather helpful, because the hardest part of utilizing graphics was actually starting them in the first place - which is why Gragle¡¯s particular set of unique abilities concerning graphics was so highly valued. Or so the gnome said. But as Riven got to work, he quickly came to the realization that the gnome probably wasn¡¯t lying - as even despite Riven¡¯s high affinities, he had an incredibly hard time manifesting these graphics at all. Thankfully, they were easier to manipulate whenever they actually appeared after their initial summons. ¡°Hand me that board, Azmoth.¡± Riven motioned over to a pile of supplies. Azmoth did as asked, and would be the voluntary experiment buster from time to time - activating the runes and graphics Riven created and taking much of the blow with his armored body hardly getting scratched. Due to this being a training session anyways, Riven hadn¡¯t really infused much mana into these things - rather he just wanted to get the basic concepts down so he could create REALLY deadly totems later on. Hours rolled on by, and immersed in his work - he only got up to give Athela and Fay a warm set of hugs before they went off to a guest bed Gragle had. The gnome and Azmoth stayed up with him as they got to work fusing pieces, odds, and ends of various totems together while infusing graphics into the objects and then utilizing them to create new and intricate runes. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve had this much fun creating graphics in quite a while!¡± Gragle mused, looking up at Riven¡¯s charred eyebrows that sizzled from another recent explosion. ¡°Though I do wish you wouldn¡¯t be so destructive in your attempts, I¡¯m running out of hardware to use for our totems you know.¡± Azmoth snickered, and Riven glanced over at the pile of scraps he¡¯d created due to his many failures. ¡°Yes, well, I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Riven muttered under his breath, getting to work on the next project. ¡°And thanks for all the help with teaching me. I appreciate it, and I won¡¯t forget it. Azmoth, hammer please.¡± *** Later that night: Genua¡¯s tales of the changes on the outside of this event disturbed Riven. Why had he not heard of the expedited changes to the world quests? The news of Greed¡¯s interference, a passage in the system notification passed on through the grapevine so to speak, particularly caused Gluttony to become irritable. Though the sin didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to talk about it right now, so Riven didn¡¯t push. And to be certain he hadn¡¯t been the only one out of the loop, none of his minions knew anything about it either. This meant that only a select few knew about the change in the expedited world quests, as well as the incoming armies that would array themselves for different factions across the planet. Perhaps news of the world quests being reduced from 5 to 3 years would come to the rest of Panu later - when the armies selected by Elysium actually arrived? Wasn¡¯t there enough killing already? Apparently not, according to Elysium. For whatever reason, Riven and his sister - along with three others on the planet if the ¡°x5¡± remark on its notification was accurate - had become prime candidates for Elysium¡¯s intended ¡®ascension¡¯. Whatever the fuck that meant. Though Genua said it had to deal with an abstract concept, rather than actually ascending into something one could see on a status page. What was even more irritating was that Riven had been relatively certain of his ability to wipe the floor with anything and everything on Panu prior until now, but if Elysium was actively going out of its way to make things challenging for him so that he and the others would be pushed to their limits¡­ He sighed. For all he knew, he wasn¡¯t going to be the one that came out of this. Because although the stakes had been raised, his failed opportunity for ascension - should that come to pass - would be another¡¯s opportunity that had been grasped. From what Genua told him, in the words of the bishops she¡¯d spoken with, his death would grant boons of fate to the killers. They would essentially be stealing the power of his fate for themselves. It was all a bit irritating to think about, considering he still didn¡¯t understand what ¡®fate¡¯ even was as this was the first time he¡¯d been hearing about it as a real concept that influenced the things around him. Or, perhaps, they¡¯d just been babbling nonsense. ¡°You¡¯re worrying far too much about things that don¡¯t matter.¡± Gluttony whispered into Riven¡¯s head. ¡°Whatever it is that comes against us, we will prevail. We will devour all that oppose our path.¡± Riven absentmindedly stroked Fay¡¯s long white hair while she remained lightly snoring in the crook of his arm, her warm bare body pushing up against his on the opposite side of where Athela lay mumbling in her sleep in a sprawled face-down position. He looked over at the arshakai, chuckling to himself while Athela drooled into a pillow. She always liked to cuddle while she was awake or dozing off, but nearly every time she ended up being a bed-hog after falling asleep; taking up half the god damned mattress while unknowingly pushing himself and Fay off to the side. Fay on the other hand was far more clingy as she slept, but not in a bad way. Whenever he¡¯d rearrange himself, he¡¯d find that she almost gravitated to him. She¡¯d even wake up if she didn¡¯t feel his touch, using him as a body pillow the majority of the nights they slept together. ¡°I wonder what the purpose of all this is¡­¡± Riven wondered absentmindedly, his gaze drifting down to where Genua was sitting nearby. ¡°This system¡­ Elysium¡­ Why would it care whether or not people grow in power? What¡¯s the point? What does it get out of it? And why does it prioritize some people and not others?¡± Genua stopped sipping on her tea, looking out the window, and sighed. "I''m not one for philosophy, so I''m afraid that those questions will have to be answered on your own Riven. Anyways I''m going to bed, good night. And thanks for the chat." Chapter 258 Chapter 258 Riven was pushing another spoon full of rich-tasting, brothy soup into his mouth after having Luke and Genua sprinkle some of their blood into it. Both his thralls were up far earlier than his demons were and the three of them were sitting around a small table over breakfast. ¡°So where were you all this time?¡± Looking to Luke, where the old elf was examining the recent wound which was already healed along his wrist - Riven waited curiously for the old man to answer. The elf thrall paused in thought, then grinned and gestured out the window of their booth down the road towards a large but flat one story building where a bouncer could be seen outside. ¡°Spending my hard earned money at a whore house.¡± ¡°That entire time?¡± Riven asked, taking a sip from a cold cup of water and draining it over the next two seconds. He let out a relieved sigh due to the refreshing sensation it let off. ¡°That¡¯s a bit impressive. You missed out on a lot of the experience though. I can¡¯t grow levels here unless I complete quests, but you all still can.¡± ¡°Bah!¡± Luke waved his hand dismissively at the idea of the fight, setting it onto some cheese and crackers that¡¯d been supplied by the bar next to Gragle¡¯s home. ¡°This old man is tired of fighting. I¡¯ll leave it to the youngins like you and the pretty lady sitting next to us.¡± He gave Genua a smile, and she hesitantly returned it before taking a bite of her own bowl of soup. Riven ignored some of the stares he and his two thrall minions were getting, seeing that Luke wanted to say more by the hesitant way he glanced up at Riven from time to time. The old man¡¯s body language was also a bit off. Sighing, Riven set his spoon down into the bowl and steepled his fingers while other patrons of the pub began to settle in. ¡°Come on Luke, you and I are friends. There¡¯s no reason to hide anything. What is it that you¡¯re thinking about?¡± Pausing halfway from bringing up another set of cheese and crackers, Luke put the food back down on his plate with a sigh of his own. Fidgeting somewhat, he leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms before resting his head back on his hands. ¡°You know that many of the blood priests and priestesses, or other higher ranking clergy members of The Blood God are thralls without masters. Right?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes I¡¯m aware.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes fell back down from the ceiling where he¡¯d been staring, and met Riven¡¯s gaze. ¡°I hold no ill will towards you, but I was hoping you¡¯d let me go. To let me be masterless. There¡¯s something that I need to do.¡± There was a long pause, and Genua looked over at the old man curiously without saying a word as the two men stared at one another. ¡°It¡¯s about my grandson, Ren.¡± Luke eventually said, eyes falling to the table when Riven didn¡¯t immediately reply. ¡°I was going to go looking for him, and if you let me go I think Elysium will kick me out of the event and send me back to Panu - based on what the locals tell me; and they know more about system events than we do. He¡¯s the last family I had before the integration began, and if I don¡¯t go now it may never happen - or I might be too late. I¡¯m not even sure he¡¯s alive, but he¡¯s a talented young man. I have to have faith. I have to find him before the rest of Panu devolves even further into war - and I¡¯m sure those announcements concerning the updated world quest timelines will come any time now. If what Genua found out from the other clergy of The Blood God¡¯s temple is true, where Greed itself is making a move to intervene against you and there will be more outsiders brought onto the planet, that only decreases the chances of me finding him should he be swept up in the escalating violence.¡± Another pause. Riven¡¯s eyes fell, and he pushed his bowl away to rest his elbows on the table. He slowly nodded. ¡°It makes me sad to hear, but I understand. Of course I¡¯ll let you go. Do you have a plan for finding him?¡± Genua¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and Luke¡¯s face fell into an expression of relief. The old man nodded. ¡°I have already put out notices in the old elvish kingdom of Tereen, and I¡¯ve made requests for information on the Panu Cortex, but haven¡¯t heard anything yet. Missing people requests come up all the time on those boards and rifling through them is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I was hoping to cross the sea, to start looking for him there. I also know he was a skilled mage in his own right and did a lot of work with construction companies before the integration. I was going to start looking at those. Perhaps he went back to it.¡± Riven paused, then pulled out a large sack of coins that he set on the table. Using paper and a pen from his dimensional back, he started scribbling on a note - then folded the parchment before handing it over to the elf along with the sack. ¡°Take this to the necropolis and talk to Dr. Brass. He¡¯ll outfit you with whatever supplies you need, will help you charter a ride to whatever continent you want to go to, and the gold will allow you to buy whatever you want within reason from the Elysium Altar or other merchants we have. Perhaps you could even hire some mercenaries, I know there are a lot of adventurers looking for work.¡± Blinking in surprise at the gifts, eyes widening when he saw what Riven had written on the parchment, Luke¡¯s eyes began to water. Wiping them away, sniffling, and then glancing back up at Riven - he gave the younger man a bright smile. ¡°Thank you Riven. I¡¯ll be sure to bring my grandson back if I find him.¡± Riven grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll always have a place back here with us if you want it. Do you want to say goodbye to anyone else before you leave?¡± Luke hesitated, then clutched at the note and the bag of gold with a shake of his head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m anxious to get going. I wasn¡¯t too close to any of your other minions anyways.¡± Riven''s smile faltered slightly, putting on a tinge of sadness. ¡°Alright then. Now, assuming the locals are right about what I¡¯m about to do, I suppose you should probably get going my friend. Find him soon, so that we can spar again at the manor like we used to do when time wasn¡¯t so tight.¡± Reaching over and putting a firm hand on Luke¡¯s shoulder, Riven nodded firmly before accessing his status page. ¡°Tell Len that I love and miss her before you leave the city.¡± Genua said somberly, giving a half hearted smile to the old elf who then nodded in turn. ¡°And that I¡¯ll be back as soon as I can.¡± Luke attempted to reply, but then shut his mouth and merely gave her a shaky smile. He nodded to her, and then to Riven, before a set of notifications appeared for both the men. The next instant, Luke was gone - leaving only Genua and Riven sitting at the tableside, with the cheese and crackers Luke had been eating behind. [You have dismissed a thrall minion, Luke Blissfallen, from your service. You gain all willpower attributed to controlling that thrall back as free points to use on other minions. Luke Blissfallen has been banished from this world quest event now that he is no longer affiliated with you.] Picking up some of the cheese and popping it into his mouth, Riven slowly waved to the spot where Luke had been not long ago. ¡°Wish you luck, buddy.¡± Genua slowly moved her gaze to her master, who was sitting across from her. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you let him go so easily. Don¡¯t you need thralls to maintain a blood source?¡± ¡°Well I have you, don¡¯t I?¡± Riven asked, a bit downtrodden, looking up to meet her eyes. ¡°Unless you were wanting to leave too.¡± She blinked once, then twice, then sighed and put on a warm smile with a slight sideways bob to her head. Her eyes squinted in amusement, and it was the first time he¡¯d seen in a long time that she¡¯d looked genuinely happy. ¡°The fact that you¡¯d even give me a choice now makes me feel good. Appreciated, even. But no. Even if it is the effects of being your thrall, I think that we¡¯ve come a long ways over the past couple months - Don¡¯t you?¡± Riven¡¯s lips quirked at the edges, thinking about last night, and he nodded. ¡°Yes. I think we have-¡± Riven¡¯s words were cut off as the pub ruptured down the middle in a flare of cutting water blades and crackling sin energy, the form of a sea serpent created from liquid and bathed in deep purple lightning tearing through Genua¡¯s abdomen in a flash of power. Riven¡¯s eyes went wide as he watched his thrall get cut in two, blood spraying out her side as she let out a surprised and horrified scream. Other people in the pub, along with floorboards, pieces of the walls and ceiling, and furniture were all obliterated along with her midsection - but due to Riven¡¯s own reflexes he was able to react just in time to stop the torrent of winding, watery death from crashing directly into him too. The water around him dissipated as his rage soared, an aura of blood and shadow roaring to the heavens as the land shook. Black lightning flashed around him and focusing fire back into the direction the attack had come from - he blindly let loose a resounding blast of energy high up into the air. What remained of the ceiling evaporated in an instant in a storm of red and black, but he didn¡¯t take time to see whether or not he¡¯d hit the ambusher before encasing himself and Genua in a dome of red crystalized ice. She gasped, shaking violently as her upper body let intestines and her spine dangle from where her waist had once been. Her legs were nowhere to be seen, swept up in the flood that¡¯d killed nearly everyone else there, and her fingers clawed in wide eyed panic against his chest in a silent scream. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine!¡± Riven hissed, reinforcing his dome of ice as another, more direct hit slammed into his position. The earth underneath him shook violently and the barrier cracked, but it held, as Riven activated his Voodoo Doll spell with a quick series of hand gestures. [Voodoo Doll (Blood)(Tier 2): Scan your target to map out their vessels and infuse your mana into their bloodstream. You then gain the ability to replicate their bloodstream regardless of whether or not they have extensive wounds - enabling you to keep them alive as long as their brain remains intact. You may also use this ability on hostiles to form painful blood clots. Heart attacks caused by this ability do critical strike damage. Dependent on both Intelligence(90%) and Willpower (10%) stats. Medium cooldown. This is a channeling ability and will not work if interrupted by using other spells.] The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Redirecting the blood that was pouring out of Genua¡¯s upper body like a spurting fire hydrant, he stopped her from completely going into shock and made sure it remained oxygenated as he fed it right back into her brain. Gripping one of her bloody hands, he looked up into her eyes where tears were flowing down her cheeks, and frantically snapped in front of her face to get her attention. ¡°Genua, I don¡¯t know where your lower half is so you¡¯re going to have that body fusion miracle that came with your class! Do you understand?¡± She only continued to gasp, looking blankly at him while continued to shudder - her hand clasped in his own as yet another resounding boom tore layers off his red dome. ¡°GENUA!¡± Riven screamed, looking up and seeing a swirling storm of sin and water condensing overhead. ¡°I CAN¡¯T KEEP YOU ALIVE AND FIGHT WHOEVER THAT IS AT THE SAME TIME! FUCKING ACTIVATE THE-¡± Azmoth¡¯s flaming figure blurred through the sky and slammed into whatever or whoever was attacking Riven¡¯s position, and the loud cackles of Athela were heard as she screamed: ¡°I SHOULD PLAY BASEBALL!¡± They¡¯d likely been woken up from the blast since they¡¯d been only a few houses over, while having a nap in Gragle¡¯s place. Calming slightly and grinning at what had likely been Athela throwing Azmoth like a pitcher would, he began snapping his fingers in front of Genua¡¯s pale face again on repeat. ¡°GENUA! Pay attention, get a hold of yourself! I know it hurts, but I¡¯m keeping you alive. Ok? Just concentrate on fusing with me, can you do that?¡± Genua rapidly blinked the tears out of her eyes, holding onto Riven¡¯s hands for dear life, and shuddered with a nod. ¡°It¡­ It hurts so badly!¡± ¡°I know it does!¡± Riven hissed. ¡°But the pain will likely go away if you use your body fusion technique. Can you do that? Have you done it before?¡± Genua hesitated. ¡°I haven¡¯t t-tried it before, but I¡­¡± Her eyes went wide, and she gasped. ¡°OUR CHILD!¡± *** Netithi Bluskish, the Apex ranker naga at number 6 in the power boards, cursed; and swat the large demon back to the ground in an explosion of water before taking higher to the skies again. A large searing set of claw marks through his scaled side still burned with hellfire, but it was rapidly healing due to his body¡¯s natural regenerative properties. He couldn¡¯t keep this flying ability up for very long and needed to expel tremendous amounts of water mana to do it, using the pressure it provided as a form of propulsion, but at the very least he¡¯d be able to make it to the next River before being caught even if Riven did give chase. Looking back down at the archdemon who was attempting to pursue him as it scrambled out of the town borders, and then glancing beyond that to where the pub had once been, he chuckled to himself while his eye prosthetic scanned the building. It¡¯d been a direct hit, and he wasn¡¯t entirely certain if he¡¯d actually killed the child in her womb - but at the very least it¡¯d been a decent attempt. Worst case scenario, she and Gluttony''s child would likely be severely injured and the message will have been sent. Best case scenario, both child and the mother would die. Greed¡¯s demonic envoy, the one who called himself ¡®The Gambler¡¯, would be pleased either way. ¡°We will see if all those rumors of your power are true, or bluster, vampire prince. Come and find me, or better yet - I¡¯ll be finding you again soon enough.¡± He let out a husky laugh. With a snap of power, large tentacles akin to the kraken spread out all around him, and Netithi Bluskish rapidly accelerated into the distance through the clouds - creating a trail through the sky with a shockwave of sin. *** An enormous bridge of dark gray stone with rolling hills of bloodied corpses marked the entrance into Negrada¡¯s demon city of Herenwa. On one side were the defending forces, mostly made up of demons and some of the stray groups of mercenaries from Brightsville that¡¯d been overly eager to get there early, illuminated by the fires of the trench under the bridge and the torches along the high city buildings - while the other side contained a swarming army of undead that had been repelled seven times over now. In the sky, battles between harpies, gargoyles, phantoms and other winged creatures clashed as corpses fell like rain. Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw, archdemon of the Klinac¡¯Tal Clan and officer in Gluttony''s legions stood tall over his comrades in the lesser hellscapes of Negrada. His large pointed legs dug into the mountain of undead bodies over a large bridge entering one of the key locations in Negrada¡¯s defenses, facing off against the hordes of undead that were regrouping after the latest bloody rebuke. Other archdemons of his clan, also devout followers of Gluttony, were with him and jeering or laughing loudly at the pathetic attempts of their enemies while flaring their insectoid wings out to either side - with a demonic, unholy touch to their textured chitin carapaces. Tre¡¯Zix was a hulking creature akin to that of a mutated deep-red and purple praying mantis, over ten feet tall, with a pincer-like mouth and a set of long, retracted blade arms that dripped crimson droplets against his insectoid chest. His face was similar to that of a praying mantis but thinner, with narrow, yellow, catlike eyes and three curved horns sticking out of its head in a triangle formation. Four thick, armored insectoid legs had serrated blades on their extensor sides, and a set of blood covered wings which also had purple blades attached to the edges was displayed out to either side of his large body in challenge. ¡°COME, DUNGEON TARUS! DO NOT FALTER NOW!¡± Tre¡¯Zix crowed with a mocking laugh that echoed across the rivers of hellfire to either side of the bridge, with an army of friendly forces at his back made from gargoyles, red ape-like jabob demons, satyrs, minotaurs, imps, and then other scattered breeds of lesser demons intermixed into the masses. They all stood far behind where he and his seven brothers and sisters were though, as they would only get in the way of the Klinac¡¯Tal clan¡¯s slaughterfest. And Tre¡¯Zix would not be kept from his glorious victories in Gluttony¡¯s name. If the forces of Negrada got in his way to try and steal his kills, he would simply throw them off the bridge; into the depths on either side of the choke point he and the other archdemons now stood on. ¡°COME!¡± He roared again, with the clacking of his comrades on either side - their mandibles gnashing, wings flaring, and blood-bathed scythes glinting in the light of the hellfire rivers. ¡°OR IS THAT FEAR I SENSE?! I CHALLENGE ALL OF YOUR BROOD, ALL OF YOUR LEGIONS, ALL OF YOUR ARMIES TO MEET THE EIGHT OF US HERE ON THIS BRIDGE SO THAT WE MAY SHOW YOU THE MANY GLORIES AND HORRORS OF WAR!!!¡± His seven clan mates screamed their approval, all eight of the archdemons flaring with power that boomed in a shockwave of challenge - out across the hordes of mulling undead that had invaded Dungeon Negrada from another subsection of hell. Dungeon Tarus had pushed far into Dungeon Negrada¡¯s second level by now, wiping the first levels entirely clean, but they¡¯d come to an abrupt stop when Gluttony¡¯s forces had arrived to wreak havoc in their old stomping grounds. But Tre¡¯Zix, along with some of his clan, were only a few of the groups now manifesting to power level under the banner of Gluttony. Seventeen more defensive points had been selected with telepathic communication keeping their officers in contact with one another in case reinforcements needed to arrive, and forces from Brightsville in the form of other FRIENDLY undead had bolstered the battlefront in an absolute rebuke of this invasion. Tre¡¯Zix was personally responsible for one such regiment which was currently marching here after Negrada had been mass-hiring them as mercenaries through the guild systems, though it was more of a babysitting job for Tre¡¯Zix than anything else. Tre¡¯Zix wasn¡¯t necessarily commanding Brightsville¡¯s regiment, that was the duty of the officers General Bruner had selected, but the archdemons felt it was their duty to oversee these battles at least it an extent so that Gluttony¡¯s new forces would be able to grow at a faster and safer rate. As long as they didn¡¯t deprive him of his choke-point kills that is. They could fire spells and projectiles from behind his position. After all, he needed to power level and he was in many ways doing them a favor by saving their sorry hides from dying this day. ¡°DEMON SCUM!¡± A voice boomed out from the roiling hordes of undead. Between ruined buildings and the wreckage of the city beyond, a huge explosion of death mana rocked the ground and shattered the ruins around the point of detonation in sprays of debris. Hundreds of undead were annihilated in an instant, with more falling just afterwards, as a large humanoid figure stepped out with power roaring about his figure. It was a death knight with two skulled heads, each one glaring out at Tre¡¯Zix with balls of neon teal flame for eyes. A huge claymore wreathed with the trapped bodies of screaming ghosts and wraiths screamed, echoing power as the spirits tried to escape and giving the large blade a ghostly-gray coloring that shifted and writhed around it. A single intentionally shattered pentagram was laid out across the huge black chestplate of the death knight¡¯s plate armor, with the image of a scythe crossing it at a diagonal overlaid on top. The horde of undead creatures of varying species reeled back from the skeletal champion as he stomped forward to the edge of the bridge with a hiss and cackle from his two respective heads. Lifting his enormous weapon and causing the air to shake with another fluctuation of his mighty aura, the being called out to Tre¡¯Zix with malice oozing off his words. ¡°DEMON ABOMINATION! IT IS KNOWN THAT WE WHO WALK THE PATH OF DEATH ARE ABOVE YOUR KIND, THOSE WHO CLING TO YOUR NETHER REALMS TO CODDLE YOUR YOUNG LIKE THE WEAK COWARDS YOU HAVE DEVOLVED INTO! THIS CLEANSING OF NEGRADA CANNOT BE STOPPED, IT CANNOT BE CHANGED, AND DUNGEON TARUS ALONG WITH HIS COALITION OF ALLIED DUNGEONS WILL SEE TO IT THAT ALL OF YOUR CORPSES END UP ON OUR DINNER PLATES THIS NIGHT!¡± The death knight shot his left arm out, and a massive tower shield rushed from a pocket dimension to his calling - slamming into the bridge and causing it to shudder under the strike. ¡°I CHALLENGE YOU, BUG DEMON OF NEGRADA, SO THAT I MAY HAVE YOUR DECAPITATED HEAD AS A CUP TO DRINK FROM AFTER THIS WAR IS WON! FACE ME IN ONE ON ONE COMBAT, AND WE WILL SEE WHO IS SUPERIOR HERE IN THE DEPTHS OF HELL!¡± The cheers and roars of the undead horde echoed like a tidal wave from the opposite side of the bridge, while Negrada¡¯s forces stoically watched to see what Tre¡¯Zix would do. This particular death knight commander had already slain many of Negrada¡¯s champions in this same exact duel setting, and though it wasn¡¯t something one had to accept - the death knight was an even bigger menace on the bigger battlefield. There he could utilize recent kills of his own make to strengthen his sword by absorbing their souls, many of which had already been added to the collection of trapped wraiths and ghosts fluttering along his sword. Despite the confidence of the enemy and the wariness of his other allies, Tre¡¯Zix began to laugh alongside the others of his clan. Their laughter heightened and continued to rise until he had reached a hysterical state. The demon called out above the ruckus. ¡°YES!!! THIS IS WHAT I CAME FOR!¡± Wiping one arm over his face to get rid of a tear, Tre¡¯Zix brandished his two scythe-like blades and jumped off the mountain of bodies to slam further onto the huge bridge. Just like when the death knight had slammed his tower shield into the thick metal, so too did Tre¡¯Zix¡¯s landing cause the bridge to shudder under his impact. Flaring his wings out to either side and opening his mandibles wide to reveal three writhing, pronged tongues each the size of a human arm, he began circling the death knight while his clan members continued to laugh. ¡°It has been some time since I¡¯ve had anyone brave enough to challenge me in a one on one duel! Aside from Lillith, that is!¡± Tre¡¯Zix called out while the two-headed death knight got into a defensive stance. ¡°It appears that my brood and I, and perhaps even most of the others of our order have been long forgotten due to the passage of time. So much so that a babe in the eyes of the multiverse such as yourself would so confidently rush to his death!¡± He cocked his head to the side with an amused chuckle when the death knight flashed forward in a blazing ball of black and teal flames. ¡°PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO REMIND EVERYONE OF JUST WHO I AM!¡± Tre¡¯Zix slammed his two scythes directly into the bridge in front of him, and fissures split through the deep metal with waves of kinetic force that reached the sky. They blurred ahead and shattered the death knight¡¯s armor, taking off both arms of the commander only a split second before Tre¡¯Zix moved to flank the undead. Before the death knight even had time to stumble forward, armless, Tre¡¯Zix¡¯s pronged tongues crashed into the skulls of his enemy - drawing him back into the mandibles with a resounding crunch as his scythe arms criss-crossed so fast that the very air around them was sucked into a billowing cyclone. The duel was over before it even started. Bone, metal, and what little flesh the death knight had left all crashed into the floor as Tre¡¯Zix screamed in victory to the roars of his comrades. Then, turning to the hordes beyond, his yellow eyes began to glow. After images of his form tore out of his position as he collided with the nearest clump of skeletons, liches, and ghouls; and like a frenzied storm of sharp steel he began to tear apart the enemy army. Chapter 259 Chapter 259 ¡°Into a bloody oblivion.¡± Gluttony stated sourly, watching as their mana tugged Genua¡¯s lower and upper halves together while both Fay and the blood priestess herself cast healing abilities in the forms of Dark Pact and Transfusion Zone. ¡°That is where the child would have gone if I¡¯d let your careless, carefree attitude take it from us. You may be strong in the eyes of these lesser beings, Riven, but you are nowhere near the point of infallibility. Not even with me. I truly hope that Elysium¡¯s attempts to increase the difficulty of these trials even further is true, so that you may learn a lesson in humility. And I hope that lesson comes before it is too late.¡± Swirling auras of red, black and green, manifestations from the two area-of-effect zones from Riven¡¯s two contracted minions, flashed around them. At the epicenter of it all, Gluttony¡¯s maw produced a bloody womb from the depths of the abyss - holding it back out to Genua¡¯s body to place it back inside her as the flesh knitted itself back together. Riven stood silently, meeting the invisible gaze of Gluttony upon him while taking the criticism in stride. His fists clenched, and his eyes became downcast as the healing powers ended. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°Do not apologize to me, Riven. Apologize to Genua¡¯s child. To our child. The child that bears not only your blood, but my own now that we are one being.¡± Gluttony¡¯s vertical maw gritted its teeth in apparent agitation. ¡°This has highlighted a problem that I was already meaning to speak to you about. Far too often you are caught off guard by way of stealth. Throughout your battles, over and over again, it is assassins and acts of subterfuge that pose the greatest threat. We do not know if that mage was truly an assassin or not, but the fact still remains that you are rather pathetic in the face of hidden knives and hidden attacks - despite your tremendous potential for mana control. You are an unbalanced scale, one that needs fixing.¡± Riven failed to meet the eyes of his minions, with Athela and Azmoth having just returned to remain silent on the outskirts of the devastated building. Fay was keeping her head bowed low in reverence to the visage of the maw, and Genua was still recovering on the floor after having her body put back together. There was a long silence, and Riven could feel his bonded sin¡¯s irritation subside. ¡°You have potential, you merely need to focus on reaching it. I will let you dwell on your shortcomings, so that you may think of your own methods to fix this problem of yours.¡± Gluttony eventually said with a growl. ¡°Perhaps making you think about it will give you better insight on the ideas that I myself have. Regardless of what you come up with, remember that my chastisement is meant to make you grow. Perhaps this next quest Elysium has in store for us will shed light on how you are not the height of power either. We will see.¡± The rip in space shattered, and the visage of Glutony¡¯s maw vanished with it in a split second. The shroud of mana that¡¯d hidden Gluttony¡¯s presence from onlookers also crumbled. Behind Gluttony¡¯s point of exit, another system message was left in the maw¡¯s wake. [Riven¡¯s Quest #2 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: A piece of the multiverse, taken out of the Narwali Sector of Universe 16, has been transported to this territory. Inside it you will find one of a few portals here in these Chalgathi trials that lead into The Abyssal Descent, and three ticket-holders who are waiting to enter. Kill a ticket holder, or barter for it, before the portal fully opens in 3 hours. The Abyssal Descent, a monumental event that only happens every 300 years, is being hosted starting today. It is meant to help forge the lattice meant to transcend into E-grade, and helps give insight into the way of ascension. Young elites of numerous factions across the multiverse still within the F-grade will be able to participate, as long as they hold true to any pillars associated with the Unholy foundation. Use your status page to find the option to teleport in. You will be escorted via Elysium¡¯s own power into this trial within a trial where only those touched by unholy power may be found. Death in this trial will not result in permanent death despite being hosted on an outer world, but will disallow any re-entering of the descent at any time. Successfully completing The Abyssal Descent will result in 50 event points. Completing in the top 100 contenders will result in 300 event points. Completing this event in the top 5 contenders will result in 1000 event points. Finishing first will result in 3000 event points. Any other cultists of Unholy affiliation who enter this trial within a trial will also have a 1000% damage boost increase when attacking you or your minions. Unlike other participants in this outer trial, you will be able to come and go between The Abyssal Descent and The Altars of Despair and Hope at will via your status page. Total Event Points Already Accumulated: 39] *** It took a while for Genua to calm down, with Athela and Fay doing most of the consoling as she sobbed in the back corner of the room in Gragle¡¯s small house. The shock of being ripped in half, and then nearly having lost their child, was weighing heavily on her. Meanwhile, Riven was contemplating Gluttony¡¯s words. The lecture wasn¡¯t meant to be malicious, but rather insightful, and the more Riven thought about it - the more he realized that Gluttony was right. Had he done anything wrong? Not necessarily when you looked at it from a two-dimensional perspective. But Gluttony had hit it right on the mark when he scrutinized his actions more closely. Riven had become complacent in his own power as of late, having wiped the floor with numerous high powered individuals on Panu and even having cleaned shop with two off-world invading forces and the Azag hive cluster to boot. Yet here he was, nearly having lost his first unborn child if Gluttony hadn¡¯t stepped in. Even the anger he felt towards the unknown assailant was on the backburner, taking a second seat to the anger that was directed inwards instead. He would improve. He would learn from this. He would figure out a way to make up for his weaknesses, would fix his lackadaisical attitude and his superiority complex that¡¯d so recently developed, and would sharpen his senses. A spark of insight triggered in his mind, but then the flashing ping of a location marker burned into his head across the span of many miles at his left. Setting a recall marker here in Outpost #84 on his status page, for whenever he wanted to return to this plane from whatever hell he was about to find himself in next, he motioned to his minions. ¡°I apologize for the callousness, but we need to leave now.¡± His eyes met Genua¡¯s, where she was being held by Fay, and she sniffled with a nod while Athela finished up her patchwork repair of The Blood God¡¯s clergy outfit. ¡°Riven.¡± A feminine voice turned him around, where he saw Nora Lang in black leathers with dual-wielding blades on either hip. She folded her arms, and displayed a notification screen of her own that matched his. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be nosey, but if you¡¯re traveling to that beacon out East - would you mind taking me along? It appears that Elysium may be pairing us up again, and I was hoping that we could enter the Abyssal Descent together.¡± Riven nodded, ignoring the stares of many of the townsfolk who¡¯d gathered around nearby to watch or work on repairs. Some of them even glared his way, after having lost family members in the attack on the pub, but no one said anything or accused him of fault. Not that he¡¯d necessarily blame them, he¡¯d be upset too, but he hadn¡¯t been the one to strike them down either. ¡°Fine.¡± Riven said nonchalantly, reaching out a hand to place on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll leave in a few minutes. Gragle?¡± The scarred gnome, who¡¯d been standing on the outskirts of the onlookers, came forward with a wary side eye. ¡°Yes?¡± Riven held out his hand. ¡°I expect you can continue to improve that totem for me while I¡¯m gone? I¡¯ll pay well.¡± The eyes of the gnome lit up with a gleeful expression, and he hastily nodded to take Riven¡¯s hand. ¡°Of course! Of course. How long will you be gone?¡± Riven shrugged, letting go of the gnome and folding his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll probably check in from time to time because Elysium allowed me to set a recall point here in town, so probably not too long. Have you ever heard of ¡®The Abyssal Descent¡¯? That¡¯s where we¡¯re headed.¡± Immediately the eyes of numerous onlookers shot back to him, some gaping, and others trying to mask ill-concealed jealousy. Gragle just gawked. ¡°You have an opportunity to acquire a ticket into the Abyssal Descent? Are you sure? Here? How is that even possible, while you¡¯re already inside another system event?¡± Riven and Nora shared glances. ¡°I don¡¯t really know¡­? Elysium has taken pieces of all sorts from different areas across the multiverse to place here in this Apocalypse Beasts questline, and I get the feeling there will likely be opportunities like this one scattered around from time to time. Why? Is it good?¡± ¡°Is it GOOD he says!?¡± Gragle said, slack jawed. He glared at the demonic minions and pointed a grubby finger at them in a hastily made gesture. ¡°Have you not asked them?! Of COURSE it is a good opportunity! It is a roadmap for any F-grade being on the Unholy path for creating a high quality E-grade soul lattice! A soul lattice is required to ascend from F-grade into the E-grade, and will determine your future potential growth! Doing it wrong means you grow more slowly, while creating a good one means you can progress through the E-grade far faster! I cannot believe you got such an opportunity in an integration phase such as this!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Gragle sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his temples. ¡°To think¡­ Usually events such as this cost even the wealthiest of families tremendous amounts of money to acquire tickets from Elysium. Did the system at least make you BUY the tickets?¡± Riven frowned more deeply. ¡°No. I have to travel to a certain location to kill the ticket holders, or I have to barter for the tickets to acquire access when the portal opens in three hours. Same goes for Nora.¡± ¡°THREE HOURS!?¡± The gnome gasped. ¡°THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! Riven, I don¡¯t know who or what you are to get such an opportunity but despite who you may have to kill - you need to acquire those tickets! The path of cultivation is a long and hard one, and you cannot let an opportunity like this pass you by! Go, and go now! I will see you when you get back. And one more thing!¡± Gragle held up a hand to stop Riven¡¯s departure, and he put on a silly grin. ¡°Will you pay extra for duplicates of the upgraded totem you have provided for me?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow from underneath his hood, red eyes glinting. ¡°If you manage to duplicate that totem and make them better than what they are now, then yes. I¡¯ll pay very well for them.¡± ¡°How much?¡± Gragle asked, grin growing wider. He stepped forward, eyes flicking about to make sure none of the onlookers could hear him while diving his voice into a whisper. ¡°The materials alone will cost me quite a sum, and I¡¯ll have to substitute for things that aren¡¯t available here at an increased cost from the shops we have in town. No doubt they¡¯ll become even more expensive as scavengers realize this new landscape doesn¡¯t have the same types of materials available, and until our identifiers are able to make out what new materials are actually useable in totem crafting. Perhaps a small fee of one hundred thousand F-grade Elysium Coins per totem?¡± Riven lifted an eyebrow. ¡°For labor as well, including my integration of graphics to each!¡± Gragle pressed more hesitantly. ¡°I know it seems like a lot, but you won¡¯t find almost anyone on any given planet capable of producing graphics like I can!¡± Catching Athela¡¯s nod, Riven let out a sigh and looked into his spatial sack to see just what the current number was at after all his battles and looting over the past nine months had come down to. All the monsters he and his minions had slain, the dungeons raided, the enemies killed - all the coins he¡¯d collected during that time. It amounted to a staggering twenty-two million. His eyes lifted, and after mentally selecting three-hundred thousand coins. To his surprise, the sum came up as a small disc, rather than a pile of money, with the number etched into the platinum surface in turn. That was odd. Gragle¡¯s eyes bulged and he quickly took it, stuffing it into his own spatial sack like a mantis-strike while rubbing his hands together eagerly. ¡°This will do! I¡¯ll have three prepared for you within a few weeks. Come back then, and we can talk more business!¡± Riven gave him a thumbs up, then turned to Genua. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Genua, use body fusion to merge with Fay so the flight there isn¡¯t inhibited by needing to carry you. We¡¯ll talk more after we arrive.¡± *** A mile-wide platform of black metal floated far above the ground just above the peak of a mountain, where three individuals stood around a system-made warp gate that was just now beginning to light up with energy along the outer perimeter. The circular structure was made of unholy mana rather that anything physical, but the runes inscribed into its perimeter were a dark green color rather than the darker backdrop. Gentry¡¯s guard was up, his face just as sour as the rest of the ticket holders while they waited for the portal to open. There was only twenty minutes left before the portal into The Abyssal Descent opened, and given Elysium¡¯s updates they¡¯d be able to go back home to the Narwali sector if none of these integration-stage idiots showed up. He could only hope they didn¡¯t come. His family, despite being a major noble house of his kingdom, had used up their entire savings and political favors to garner one of these tickets - an investment in his future as the heir of their estate. He was confident in his abilities to fight, but then again so was any potential candidate that entered the descent. You had to be, or you were a fool for even trying, and not one single candidate that was given an opportunity to descend was a pushover. Lacing a hand through his long white hair and letting out a long breath he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d been holding in, his drow features scrunched up when he caught sight of something bursting through the clouds on the horizon. His hand came down to rest on the intricate jade scimitar on his hip - while his gold-trimmed dark blue cultivators robes swirled around him amidst a surge of chaos energy. His counterparts, two other drow men of even higher standing than himself, drew out their own blades and summoned protective jade armors to await the arrival of whatever was coming. And as the clouds distorted like ripples on a pond, the sky split with a crack of power as a figure flashed forward with a burst of momentum. The black platform rocked underneath the impact, sending up a cloud of metal shrapnel under the landing that left a trench behind the man until he came to a stop. Gentry¡¯s purple eyes widened slightly as he took the man in, and his grip around the scimitar at his waist only grew more firm. This man was still supposed to be in F-grade if he wanted to enter the descent, so why was there so much energy fluctuating around him? This kind of power was only supposed to be felt well into the E-grade, and yet¡­ Gentry absentmindedly gulped and took a step back. ¡°Just what kind of integration phase planet has a participant like this?¡± Ahead of him, a man blazing with the power of hellfire tore himself out of the self-made crater. Writhing ribbons of blood and shadow interrupted the outpour of flames as well, with a vertical maw splitting the chest plating of his armor and two large horned pauldrons on either shoulder. Red and black eyes peered back at the three men near the portal one at a time, before a third vertical eye of purple light ripped open across his forehead to glare out with even greater intensity. The two other drow didn¡¯t even give the newcomer time to speak before they dashed ahead, blurring forward with tremendous speed as they activated protective sigils along their intricate jade armors and utilized speed-enhancing abilities to clear the distance. A jade claymore sparking with chaos swung down from the left, and a jade spear encased in blood rippled through the air with a sonic boom towards the newcomer¡¯s throat. Gentry watched, and his eyes went wider when the man¡¯s body vanished only to appear ten steps ahead of him through a rip in space. With speed that defied the laws of physics, his own spear-staff lunged forward to take the spear-wielder in the chest. The man¡¯s jade armor cracked and he was sent sprawling across the platform in a tumble of curses, before the other drow scion flashed forward again with the visage of a towering demon at his back. Hellfire engulfed his body and he swung his sword down, the visage of the winged demon following his motion with a roar as magma and flame was sent out in a vertical wave that caused the air to hiss due to the heat. The wave smashed against a wall of crimson ice, then crashed through it only to meet the snapping jaws of a red jackal that crashed down onto the attack in an instant. The spell was dispersed, and through the shockwave the three-eyed man burst forward with his rippling black weapon pointed at the drow warrior. Three consecutive strikes quickly connected between spear-staff and claymore as the drow scion batted the attacks aside, only for hundreds of spinning blades made from black-red energies to bloom in the air around him. In an instant, they crashed into jade armor protecting his body in a cacophony of tearing, lurching attacks that sent sprays of blood in all directions. It was akin to watching an animal go through a meat grinder, and the splattered remnants of the drow warrior hit the floor as the burning man turned to Gentry with narrowed eyes. They stared at each other wordlessly, Gentry¡¯s hand gripping the handle of his scimitar with even, steady breaths despite the building fear he felt, and he let out a sigh of relief when the other man turned around to retrieve a flashing, glowing tablet that hovered over the other scion¡¯s body. ¡°So this is the ticket¡­¡± The armored man said from underneath his hooded helmet, casually turning it around in his hand. He turned back to Gentry, and then to the other remaining scion who had a deep gash in the chestplate of his jade armor. ¡°I¡¯ll be needing one more.¡± Further up in the clouds, two more figures slowly descended towards the platform above the mountain¡¯s peak. One was a woman who had the same style and make of hood as the first man, clad in dark leathers and wielding two thin blades in either hand as she was set down by the third figure. This third figure in turn was some kind of demon, probably a succubus - and she was carrying the other woman down on their descent. Blue skin was splattered with patches of tanned white, like the spots of a cow, with eyes that had two sets of irises - one black and one red in each eyeball set side by side. Circlets of swirling blood divinity encased her ankles, wrists, and neck, while two black horns sprouted out of her head near pointed ears. A long slender black tail was also present, alongside a pair of black demonic wings, with flowing white and blonde hair that was mix-and-mashed like she¡¯d dyed it to be that way. Otherwise she wore a purple witch¡¯s hat, along with long leather-made and feathered boots, and a purple skirt that showed off her thighs. And when the demonic woman spoke, her voice sounded like it was overlaid by two voices speaking at once. ¡°This form is rather nice. We may stay this way for some time, it would help in our own insights while here. Two minds working together is better than one.¡± Pulling out a book that flared with abnormally potent unholy energies, the woman started flipping through the pages - and he palmed a family artifact in his pocket that worked the same way an identifier¡¯s class would to a lesser extent. Gentry¡¯s breath caught in his chest when he began to identify it out of curiosity¡¯s sake. [Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes (Unholy Specialization Grimoire, Unique): +129% mana regeneration when held. +9% damage to all curses when held. Binding this grimoire and adding a single one of your curses to its pages, you will decrease the cooldown time on your chosen curse by 10% while simultaneously allowing for spontaneous evolution options of that curse with insights drawn from the Unholy Foundational Pillar and its related sub-pillars. Spontaneous evolutions will occur as the grimoire actively writes out different variations of the curse across its pages with random trial and error experiments in an internal, limited plane. Evolution options will occur in the form of insights once a breakthrough is made.] Gentry blinked away his growing greed and surprise, then began to identify each of them in turn. What he saw made him very curious and simultaneously stumped. He didn¡¯t know whether or not to laugh, or whether or not to be afraid. Should he attack and take the grimoire for himself? Finding such a treasure was a boon that he shouldn¡¯t pass up, and he had no doubt after giving a sideways glance that the other drow scion was no doubt thinking the exact same thing. [???, Level 56 Succubus-High Elf Chimera, Thrall Priestess of the Blood God.] [Nora Lang, Level 113, Shadow Blade Duelist. ???. ELITE.] Level 56 and 113? What in Elysium¡¯s name were these two doing - attempting to get into the Descent? They¡¯d be destroyed mercilessly! The thought was actually laughable! A wide smirk set upon his face, and relief swept over him. But when he finally took time to identify the flaming man who¡¯d demanded another ticket, Gentry¡¯s plans of potentially taking the grimoire by force quickly died in his guts. His hands began to shake, and he visibly paled - stepping back involuntarily as his breaths became quick and short. [???, Level 200 ???, ???, Pureblooded Vampire, ???. MYTHIC. ???.] The burning purple flames of the man¡¯s MYTHIC status made Gentry want to vomit, and he literally began to feel sick. Nearly everyone entering the descent was considered at least ¡®ELITE¡¯ by the system. It was even expected. Occasionally some of the greatest scions of the multiverse would send ¡®LEGENDARY¡¯ tier offspring into the descent as well, but most often they had artifacts or dao treasures to hide their LEGENDARY tag and affiliated red flames entirely so they weren¡¯t targeted or mobbed by groups that worked together to secure higher footholds on the descent¡¯s progress ladder. However, Gentry had only heard of the MYTHIC tag in old stories. He hadn¡¯t even thought it to be real, much less to see one in person here and now coming from an integration world of all places. If it HAD been real, he¡¯d have expected it to come from one of the ruling clans of the multiverse rather than see it here. Just what kind of monster was he looking at, to have acquired the kind of raw power and potential for such a label by Elysium? Fortunately for Gentry though, the other drow either didn¡¯t have an identifying artifact of high enough quality that could identify this man as a MYTHIC tagged individual - or he hadn¡¯t bothered to do so after seeing the quality of the grimoire the succubus hybrid had in hand. Greed took hold of the young scion as he vanished entirely, only to have afterimages numbering in the dozens rush the vampire as his true body appeared right next to the demon. Gentry could only watch in awe as a giant black maw full of teeth opened up behind the jade-covered drow, pulling the screaming man in with tendrils of sin, before snapping shut and crunching down on the man¡¯s midsection in a spray of blood. Chapter 260 Chapter 260 ¡°Gentry.¡± The man said, slowly taking Riven¡¯s outstretched hand and warily eyeing the other demons stepping out of their portals. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a warlock? A summoner? It isn¡¯t often you see true battlemages before the C-grades, but after watching your brief fight I¡¯m not sure whether your strength and speed are your focus - or whether it is your magic.¡± Riven chuckled at the uncomfortable dark elf in gold-trimmed blue robes, and shrugged. ¡°Does it matter? The better question is what do you know about this ¡®Abyssal Descent¡¯ we¡¯re about to take? There are only minutes left and I¡¯m rather curious about the details.¡± Gentry¡¯s purple eyes flitted to the nearby corpses of the two other drow warriors, or what was left of them on the floating mile-wide platform, as Athela and Azmoth went to pick up the spacial bags and whatever materials they could salvage from the dead. ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the integration phase, remember?¡± Riven winked good-naturedly despite the man¡¯s discomfort. ¡°My planet hasn¡¯t even entered the true multiverse yet. It¡¯s still shrouded by Elysium¡¯s protections.¡± The dark elf scowled, looking down at Riven¡¯s armor, the ancient unreadable tattoos of unholy make scattered across his face where the helmet had been removed, and then to the large sin-afflicted weapon that had actively flowing streams of blood running along the dark metal. ¡°For an integration-labeled planet, you sure do have quite the set of equipment¡­ Equipment that would bankrupt any F, E, or D-grade faction in an instant should they attempt to buy it at a fair price. And I don¡¯t even know how it¡¯s possible to acquire the mythic title and can¡¯t remember there ever being one in our sector of the galaxy.¡± ¡°Which galaxy?¡± ¡°Narwali sector of the Cheshish galaxy in Universe 16. Not that it means anything to you, but your universe is labeled 78 if you¡¯re in the integration phase right now. Integration is mostly complete, and within the next ten thousand years - Elysium should be moving on to universe 79 wherever it may be.¡± Gentry¡¯s free hand hesitantly settled into his pockets, curiously studying Riven through squinted eyes. ¡°Just who are you?¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrow raised, and he put a hand around Gen-Fay¡¯s waist to pull her close, which is what he was calling the combined bodies of Genua and Fay until they decided to un-merge. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°What do you MEAN what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Gentry asked, exasperated. ¡°Are you a plant?¡± ¡°I certainly don¡¯t think I grow leaves, no.¡± Gentry snapped his fingers in irritation. ¡°You certainly know that¡¯s now what I meant!¡± ¡°I definitely meant ¡®what is that supposed to mean¡¯, and I certainly don¡¯t know that¡¯s not what you meant.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Riven chuckled as the amusement from Gluttony rose in turn. ¡°Fine. But in all seriousness, I don¡¯t know what you meant by am I a ¡®plant.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s a term some people use to describe older factions who breed younglings and place them on pre-integrated worlds in anticipation of Elysium integrating the planet soon. An easy way to conquer worlds.¡± Athela called out, walking towards him in her rogue outfit of black and red leathers made in part from her own bloodsilk - hooded and cloaked. Her red eyes scoured the drow, before handing Riven a spatial sack. ¡°Very rarely does it work, because Elysium usually punishes both the faction attempting to cheat the rules - and it usually executes the plant as well.¡± Riven hummed thoughtfully at the idea, then shook his head and thanked Azmoth when the large demon came over to hand the other drow¡¯s sack in turn. Putting them both in his own, he closed it shut and flicked his gaze to where the portal arch was starting to rotate. ¡°I¡¯m no plant. Not an intentional one, anyway.¡± Gentry¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Not intentional? That¡¯s¡­ an odd way to answer. So you ARE affiliated with another force then?¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°Perhaps. Why does it matter?¡± Gentry gestured to the two remnants of drow bodies nearby. ¡°Because despite how much I genuinely hated those two self-centered idiots, they were my ticket into an ally enclave. Without them, I¡¯m devoid of any real connections.¡± He glared back at Riven, and then to Nora who was flippantly waving around the other token Riven had acquired for her. ¡°And they were also my teammates for descending into the lower levels.¡± Azmoth snickered, folding all four of his large clawed arms over his chest. ¡°Bad team mate, let Riven kill all without help fight.¡± ¡°He makes a good point.¡± Gen-Fay said, the two feminine voices overlapping with one another. Sighing, and glaring, Gentry lifted his hand and facepalmed, before dragging that hand over his face with a defeated look. ¡°Alright, how about this. I¡¯ll tell you all I know about the event, and in turn you¡¯ll escort me to my sister¡¯s complex on the third floor down. She and I aren¡¯t close, in fact I haven¡¯t ever even met her, but she¡¯s been there for the past 600 years and last two cycles. She¡¯ll know who I am after I take the bloodborn test, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have some advice on how to go about this.¡± Riven, who¡¯d been listening intently up until this point, blinked rapidly in confusion and scratched the back of his head with a clawed gauntlet. ¡°Uhm¡­ Did I hear you right? Your sister has been there for 600 years? Two cycles of 300 years each?¡± Gentry raised his own eyebrow, unamused. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I said. Some cultivators stay in this place far into the E-grade even after their soul lattice is completed. Why?¡± Pausing and not knowing how to proceed with that information, Riven clicked his tongue a couple times and stared up at the sky. ¡°Well¡­ how old are you exactly?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m 192 years old.¡± Riven nearly choked. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re more than 30.¡± Gentry did not reply, only continued to stare. Clearing his throat, Riven continued. ¡°And you¡¯re just now hitting level 200?¡± Gentry¡¯s face darkened, and his hand reached for his blade before taking a quick hiss of air into his lungs - letting the anger go. ¡°Are you insulting me, vampire? Unlike some races, the drow do not go around butchering others for their meat. Nor am I on a planet that is full of opportunities that an integration could provide, with wars between our clans only seldom coming. That may be a foreign concept to you, but that is the reality of it.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you have beasts or animals to fight for leveling?¡± Riven pressed, still curious. Gentry¡¯s mouth opened, closed, opened, closed, and then opened again before speaking in quick irritated clips. ¡°My mother was sick and my father was gone for quite some time. I was needed to rule over our house in his absence and prioritized my mother¡¯s care over my own success. Laugh at me like all the others do if you wish, but my family comes before my personal gain.¡± It was almost a challenge, and the man¡¯s purple eyes flared angrily while glaring Riven down. However, Riven¡¯s response was not one the drow elf could have guessed. ¡°That¡¯s very admirable.¡± Riven said calmly, even giving the other man a smile and a small bow. ¡°It speaks well of your character. I did not mean offense. I would be more than happy to escort you to your sister¡¯s estate wherever it may be. Now, could you tell me more about this event? We¡¯d all be very appreciative of any help you gave us.¡± *** The backstory of The Abyssal Descent was wrapped in layers of folklore and legend, according to Gentry, and Riven¡¯s demons knew a little bit about it - though not nearly as much as the drow did. The general consensus was that Elysium itself had sequestered a piece of the Abyss, which was the deepest and darkest part of the Void, and utilized the rich, naturally unholy environment for cultivation purposes. It handed out tickets as prizes for various other events or accomplishments, and prioritized people who showed the most promise for growth in the future. The Abyss was the same place where Gluttony itself had been imprisoned, along with all the other sins and even the commandments, and was in most cases incredibly hard to reach or leave. But under the controlled hand of Elysium¡¯s own insights, it was also an incredible experience to undertake for any potential Unholy-Foundation user. Which is why Gentry¡¯s sister had opted to stay for a couple extra centuries, sculpting her soul skeleton for the D-grade in secluded cultivation before leaving - even though she¡¯d already created her Soul Lattice and ascended into the E-grade long ago. Grudgingly, Gentry had admitted his family wasn¡¯t the most talented set of cultivators out there and that in many circumstances people wouldn¡¯t take that long to ascend. His own highest affinity was 24%, and his noble house had been founded on maneuvering through financial markets rather than by the martial paths. However, he¡¯d been very adamant int explaining that although his clan wasn¡¯t considered a cultivation powerhouse, many of them had still scored as ¡®ELITE¡¯ by system standards due to their skills with a blade and utilization of techniques in various wars; and that the vast majority of the multiverse was found with affinities below the 30% mark. It was obviously a touchy subject for the drow man. Aside from this, Gentry had also gone on to explain what they should be expecting when arriving. The first three floors were habitable going down, with the first floor being the largest and cheapest to stay in - while the second floor was more expensive and full of entire younger generations from various factions across the multiverse. The third floor, his sister¡¯s own floor and the last floor that did not experience frequent abyssal monster spawns, was far richer than the other two habitable floors in ambient unholy energies that expedited a cultivator¡¯s formation of soul constructs. How his sister had even set up a compound in the third floor was a complete mystery to both himself and the others of his noble house, but none of them had complained when she¡¯d informed them of this by waystone at a massive cost to her own coffers about a century ago. Many of the factions even warred with one another over such spots, leading Gentry to believe that she¡¯d gained some powerful allies from undisclosed factions in her time spent in this isolated abyssal zone. People could travel together through portals between floors in groups of 5, not including minions, and not moving in a group often meant you¡¯d be picked out as a potential mugging or murder victim - where they¡¯d strip you of your gear to sell on the internal markets here. ¡°Your two friends may attract unwanted attention to our group considering their levels.¡± Gentry stated, head-bobbing to Gen-Fay and Nora in turn as the portal finally flashed to life - revealing a spinning disc of green that began to suck in like a wormhole. ¡°I¡¯d say the same about the brutalisk, but everyone who knows what he is will stay far away regardless as their physical strength is absurd regardless of the significantly lower level. Even with myself in the picture, I am without a system affiliated title - without the normal Elite tag that so many of the others here will have.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Azmoth had gained a good chunk of levels after fighting the monster wave that was meant for Outpost #84, and had leapt to level 129. However it was still far below the norm in the descent, which Gentry claimed to be anywhere between level 180 to 250, with most people averaging at level 200 or so. Anyone above level 250 was automatically kicked from the area, as were people who¡¯d progressed past the halfway stage of creating a true soul skeleton in the E-grade; the step beyond a soul lattice. Gentry then glanced at Athela, who was juggling her two red katanas alongside two balls of red webbing like an acrobat, and then looked to Riven. ¡°Athela however is quite the opposite. No one would want to take on a Legendary except for other Legendaries. Most people here are Elite ranked as I stated, but you¡­¡± He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking Riven up and down with a frown. ¡°Your Mythic tag will no doubt draw a lot of attention, and probably in a bad way. I¡¯ve heard stories about it but have never seen it for myself, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯d create quite a ruckus. To the point that it might even be dangerous. Here, take these - we¡¯ll all use them with the exception of your minion Athela. It¡¯ll help hide our identification information from most who¡¯d try their hand at getting our information.¡± He took out a series of star-shaped amulets, and passed them around to Azmoth, Gen-Fay, and Riven in turn before putting one on himself. Immediately the ability to identify him became hazy and fuzzy when Riven tried, and the same could be said for the two minions who donned them next. Even trying to identify the amulets themselves was a no-go, and Riven was happy to see that the effect worked on him just as well. It even obscured the information of other items he and his allies were wearing. ¡°Good shit.¡± Riven said, eyeing the pendant with a smile. ¡°Thanks. I owe you one.¡± ¡°Damn right you do.¡± Gentry spat with mixed humor and irritation in his voice. He folded his arms. ¡°You killed the two men who were supposed to be my way down into the fifth, sixth and seventh levels. I¡¯m going to need to hire an entirely new team thanks to you. But they did genuinely suck to be around, so I¡¯ll forgive it. Come on, I¡¯ve never been there before but I have a map. If you don¡¯t mind I¡¯ll leave the way - at least until we get to my sister¡¯s compound.¡± *** The portal winked out, and Riven found himself amongst a crowd of tens of thousands that was rapidly growing by the minute. Large flat mountaintops numbering in the many dozens surrounded a large sprawling city far beneath, each of them having a huge green portal overhead just like his own. The city itself was speckled with lights all down the mountain slopes and in the valley against the absolute black abyssal hole in the center that took up a solid third of the city¡¯s entire volume between mountains. The dark sky overhead was flecked with crackles of what could only be purple sin lightning, stone skyscrapers crawled towards the heavens above, and the air was thick with ambient energies that permeated Riven¡¯s very being. The environment was a cultivation paradise that radiated power related to Unholy, Shadow, Blood, Chaos, Depravity, Infernal, Void - which was not technically part of the Unholy branches, and lastly - Sin. It was like being hooked up to a battery, and Riven could see why Gentry¡¯s sister had chosen to stay for so long. ¡°Keep a lookout for that naga bitch who attacked us earlier.¡± Riven whispered to Athela as she glanced around at the flashes of people in the growing crowd. ¡°Kill him immediately if you see him. It won¡¯t perma-kill him because of the world quest parameters, but it¡¯ll at least knock him out of this event if he¡¯s here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be here because he was a glacial-water specialist.¡± Athela replied evenly, considering Riven¡¯s words. ¡°He¡¯s most likely to be a threat only in the altars¡¯ realm, but then again Greed is likely the one that utilized him if Gluttony¡¯s guess is correct. I¡¯ll remain vigilant, don¡¯t worry.¡± She gave him a peck on the cheek and a spank before giggling at his eye roll. ¡°This event will be open for a year¡¯s time, and stragglers will continue to come in more and more.¡± Gentry said as he motioned for them to quickly follow towards the large stone walkways leading down the mountain¡¯s slope. ¡°But the faster we get out of here the better, or so I¡¯m told. Often fights are supposed to break out when the scions of rival factions find one another, and we don¡¯t want to be caught in the middle of it.¡± As if on cue, explosions from an opposite mountain peak roared to life in a series of violent and thunderous booms. The energies were quite potent even from here, and it quickly humbled him to realize that there were other people in this place capable of such destructive force. Looking back over his shoulder and then down to his side as they continued to walk, he noted how the landscapes on the back ends of the mountains not facing the internal city faded away into a deep black landscape where light did not penetrate even to his eyes - and he wondered whether anything was surviving out there in the dark. Another flash of sin lightning crashed against a suddenly visible dome, overhead, illuminating the sky to a greater degree than what was normal for just a split second, and eliciting screams from the crowd around him as Riven¡¯s own heart sank upon what that light had shown. For in the briefest glimpse of that purple lightning flash, there¡¯d been a giant, eel-like creature with milky white eyes staring down at them beyond the barrier. It was so large in fact, that it could have swallowed the entire city and all the mountains surrounding it in a single bite, with a coiled body and flashing black scales. ¡°A void titan.¡± Gentry said reverently, urging Riven to continue moving. ¡°It won¡¯t be able to break through Elysium¡¯s barrier, ignore it. Keep your amulets on to conceal your identity and don¡¯t get trampled in the crowd. If you stop now, you¡¯ll just get run over. Come on, we can find an information broker further down. Ignore the people on the sidelines, they¡¯re usually scammers if my family¡¯s information is correct.¡± Keeping Gen-Fay and Nora in front of him to make sure the weakest members of their group were guarded, and having Athela with Azmoth on either side, Riven took up the rear as they all followed Gentry down the giant stone steps that traveled for miles into the valley. It was like watching a mass exodus from the portals, and life-and-death battles continued to erupt all across the dozens of peaks one after another as they went. Riven could see why Gentry had wanted an escort. This place was dangerous, and identifying one person after another - Riven saw that roughly 60% of everyone he identified had an ELITE tag on their information. Scattered about the crowd there were rare instances of LEGENDARY tags, just a handful of them that he saw, and then the rest were predominantly untagged just like Gentry was. Most of the LEGENDARY tagged participants were followed by entire groups of other cultivators, while some had clan squads of people who¡¯d already been here for the last 300 years waiting to escort them. Riven also noticed that there were significantly fewer people here of certain races, while other races were in abundance. This in turn was likely due to how Charisma worked, and how certain races leaned towards the Unholy Foundational Pillar while others did not. Drow - or dark elves, were in abundance; their chief features being silky white hair, dark skin and fair features. As were chaos dwarves like the berserker cultist he¡¯d recently killed in battle, with inherent runic sigils of gray and black light carved into their very bodies at birth. There were enormous amounts of undead from dozens of varying races - including vampires like himself, a significant amount of demonic races in equal varieties, and a paltry amount of scattered humans too. Then there were the less common races, or the ones that didn¡¯t fit the mold. A few fallen angels on black wings, though rare in number, were seen flying overhead along with some of the winged demons like imps or devils. There were some humanoid rock-based golem creatures with red eyes that lumbered down the walkways and trampled people who were too slow to get out of their way. Wingless draconic races of humanoid sorts were seen in small amounts too, and the occasional gnome or pixie were also noted. ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± Riven muttered to himself, appreciating the variety of species coming to intermingle here in the abyssal depths. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen so many races at one time, in one place.¡± An abrupt shove from behind nearly caused Riven to fall, and he heard a gruff voice bark out a shout. ¡°Move faster, blood sucker! You¡¯re in-¡± CRASH Riven asserted dominance by whipping around and smashing whoever or whatever it was that¡¯d shoved him with a spiked fist. Body parts exploded under the charged strike with a resounding crash. Not wanting to be seen as weak in front of so many other elites of the multiverse, he wasn¡¯t taking any chances of making himself a mark. What he left behind was a smoldering wreckage of blood and gore, flickering with black lightning that sparked out of the crater he¡¯d created; with numerous people nearby who¡¯d either dodged out of the way or had managed to erect shields in time to stop from being thrown back. Other people HAD been thrown back, being blasted into others in the ground or off the ledge to roll down the slope into one of the buildings on the mountain, but nobody but the creature who¡¯d shoved him had taken the direct hit. Riven had been careful to keep his power isolated to a single point as best he could, but he honestly couldn¡¯t even tell what or who had shoved him after the devastating attack had landed. Perhaps he was just on edge. The others wordlessly stared, some sneering, some expressionless, and others giving him impressed looks. ¡°Keep moving.¡± A horned draconic man in flowing silver robes hissed from between bronze scales, notably with a LEGENDARY tag and at level 200 when Riven identified him. ¡°You are holding up the line.¡± Riven blinked, then nodded after making sure no one else was coming to bother him - and he steadied himself before turning around and following the others in his group who¡¯d stopped to watch. ¡°You heard the man, let¡¯s move." Riven began to head out, but stopped as Gluttony pierced his mind with a mental message. "There is a hot springs further down in the city. Travel with the others to the location I''ve marked, and you may find that it is more than what it appears." There was a pause. Riven''s brows furrowed at the information being laid out in his head after Gluttony''s words, before his brows rose with mixed emotion. "Hey... Maybe let''s find something to eat? Or a place to relax? Maybe a hot spring. Do they have hot springs here?¡± Gentry chuckled nervously as the others in the crowd occasionally shifted their gazes his way amidst the descent. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we could find out. Regardless of where, it would certainly be wise to get off the main path near the base of the mountain before getting our bearings. We can then get insider information from people that¡¯d lived here for a the last few centuries, and we can compare it to the information my own house has acquired to assure ourselves of its validity. Does that sound ok with you?¡± Nora nodded vigorously. ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Azmoth grunted, growling at a passerby who got too close. ¡°I not like these crowds. Need larger space, more room.¡± *** The first level of the Abyssal Descent did indeed have a hot springs, though it was quite pricey. As was everything here in this alternate realm, which Riven quickly found out. His sum of 22 million that he¡¯d thought so outlandish back on Panu was pennies and pocket change here in the abyss, where the young elites of the Unholy-oriented multiverse were congregated by the millions. A basic meal for one person cost thousands of Elysium Coins, and most of the people either dealt in platinum or in coins that Riven had never seen before such as ¡®Etherium¡¯ - which was the equivalent of 100,000 platinum, or ¡®Basdum¡¯ - which was the equivalent of 10 Etherium. One platinum Elysium Coin was equivelant to 1000 bronze coins. Thus the amount of a single ¡®Etherium¡¯ coin was worth one-hundred-million Elysium Bronze Coins, and a ¡®Basdum¡¯ coin was worth one-billion Elysium Bronze Coins. Meaning that Riven¡¯s total wealth of 22-million coins - even after all he¡¯d done only attributed to about one-fifth of the wealth of a single Etherium coin, and he wasn¡¯t anywhere even close to having the wealth of an equivalent Basdum coin. Yet he saw many people exchange these coins with one another somewhat flippantly, for various items or services around the city as they went. The amount of money some of these people had just mind-boggling, and he wandered what kind of stuff he could buy with that kind of money from the Elysium Store back home. He honestly hadn¡¯t explored the store much, but what he had seen from it - before even upgrading the altar at all - had led him to believe that the utmost of what he could afford were basics and necessities. Then again, he was on an integrating planet that was only starting to reach the 1-year mark. ¡°You will have your meals delivered to you in the springs, and your time is reserved for two hours.¡± A pretty but stern-looking succubus with red hair said, eyeing Gen-Fay warily before handing each member of Riven¡¯s party a set of keys. ¡°Storage containers with basic alarms and wards are in the hall, but are not guaranteed for safekeeping. Any theft that occurs here is not our responsibility, so keep that in mind.¡± Gentry¡¯s eyes lingered on the woman¡¯s bosom for a short time before he snapped out of it and gave her a nod. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It is appreciated.¡± Riven stated with a smile, laughing underneath his ivory helmet as his girlfriends tugged at his hands excitedly. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll be going now. Make sure you bring the scones!¡± With a final tug, Athela dragged Riven off into the changing rooms with Azmoth coming in last. *** Behind them and out of sight, the redheaded succubus rubbed at one of her horns under the stone ceiling of her hot springs abode. Hesitantly picking up a communication orb, her eyes lingered on the presence of sin left in the vampire¡¯s wake - and the image of the maw across his chest was prominently burned into her retinas. She waited for the click, then the light flashed in the stone she held and she began to whisper into it with concerned glances in the direction of the springs she¡¯d just rented out. ¡°Amano? Yes, it¡¯s me. Please contact the church, I think I may have some information that they¡¯d be very interested in learning about regarding a certain individual who just entered my establishment. Yes, yes I think so. Well that¡¯s why I¡¯m calling. Of course. No. Alright, I¡¯ll do my best to keep him here. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± There was another click, and the stone faded away. Taking in a deep breath, the succubus looked at herself in the mirror across the room and turned around to make sure she was showing a lot of skin that evening. Hastily getting out a brush and combing her long locks of red hair, she scurried into the kitchen - where she began yelling at the cooks to prepare a special meal for the newcomers that¡¯d just arrived. Chapter 261 Chapter 261 The symbol of a scythe, a symbol of a red teardrop, and the symbol of a black sun. They were joined by the visage of the maw, and the related pillars of his soul continued to form branching spires each time the symbols flared. Riven hovered three feet up off the water¡¯s surface, bare-backed and only wearing a set of pants. He gently let his mana swim around him and created a galaxy of teal, black, red, and deep purple in the underground hot springs room where the others were relaxing - wondering just what to expect if Gluttony was correct. ¡°Are you sure this is the right place?¡± Riven whispered just loud enough for Gentry to turn his head with a confused look his way. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Gentry asked from where he sat beside Azmoth in the water, shooting the three women nearby at a glance as they ate along the water¡¯s edge and had drinks served to them courtesy of the house. Riven shook his head absentmindedly, keeping his eyes closed, feeling Gluttony pulse inside him with affirmation to his question. ¡°I was just¡­ muttering to myself. Do not mind me. How¡¯s getting ahold of your contacts here? Any luck?¡± Gentry frowned, sighed, looked down at his crystalline artifact, and shook it rapidly again before giving up. Putting it back into his spatial sack and slapping a wet hand across his face, he let himself sink into the dark waters of the spring and groaned. ¡°No. Not a single contact has pinged me back.¡± The drow elf made no move to continue the conversation, only looking downtrodden. Riven continued to watch the symbols flare in his mind, watching their energies intertwine with one another as they converged and laced together like a network of neurons or intricate webs. Occasionally when he didn¡¯t like the look of it, or when Gluttony pointed out a flaw in the matrix, he¡¯d shift one connection to another spot to reinforce the bridgework he was currently working on. He hadn¡¯t known it then, but his ¡®lattice¡¯ had been taking form ever since The Path of Red and Black had been created back when he¡¯d fought the Azag hive. When those two pillars had started interlocking with one another, branching to connect, it¡¯d been the start to his very foundation for the E-grade - and that lattice was only continuing to build. Spontaneous connections were replaced with ones made from intent, adding organization to the chaos that would better prepare his soul for ascension. Though even while bonded to Gluttony, the specifics of what needed to be done in exactness were not there - rather they were just impressions from Gluttony¡¯s past life. Impressions were, however, better than nothing - and the two of them worked tirelessly over the hours spent here in this exquisite abyssal environment. Oddly enough, it almost reminded Riven of graphics - the same ones that Gragle the gnome used and was using to replicate some totems for him in the altars event. Why was that? His eyes opened, and the pulsing flow of mana froze in place when he made eye contact with Genua. She and the other two women on either side of her were all submerged up to their collar bones, but she was the only one that seemed reserved while the other two were drunk off their asses. She avoided his gaze instantly, looking down into the dark waters of their underground spring with a mixed expression, and then turned around to pretend to grab at some of the food the establishment had left them. Riven¡¯s black and red eyes followed her movement, and he closed them one more time before creating a rift in space and stepping onto semi-dry rock next to Genua¡¯s hand. Bending down and pulling the woman up - much to her surprise, he wrapped a towel around her and motioned for her to follow. ¡°We¡¯ll be back in a minute.¡± Riven said with a wave of his hand when Athela scowled his way. ¡°I need to have a private conversation with Genua.¡± ¡°What about OUR private conversations!¡± Fay laughed loudly, slapping the water and getting a grin from Athela. ¡°WE WANT ONE TOO!¡± Rolling his eyes and ignoring her, he brought Genua around a corner and into an adjacent changing room where the lockers for storage purposes were kept. Sitting down on a bench and letting the control on his mana go, he rested his chin in his hands and gave the elf thrall a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Riven eventually said after a long pause as they just stared at one another, and his shoulders straightened as he went to stretch. ¡°I probably should have said that earlier.¡± Genua slightly raised both eyebrows, but avoided his gaze again and shrugged. ¡°Sorry for what?¡± ¡°Recently? Sorry for what happened with the assassination attempt. I was too weak and too oblivious to do anything about it, and that¡¯s on me.¡± Riven gave her a sad smile as her gaze returned to meet his. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your husband Farrod. For your daughter Ethel. For turning you into a thrall out of my hate and spite for what your family did to me. It¡¯s¡­ not something I¡¯m proud of. I wish I could turn back time, but I can¡¯t. I know I¡¯ve said it before, if not in so many words, and I don¡¯t expect complete forgiveness. But I do want you to know that I¡¯ll try to make the best for you out of the life you now have. When all this is over, I¡¯ll make sure to cut your tie to me so that you can spend more time with Len. And I want you to know that I¡¯ll keep¡­ our baby, safe. I¡¯m sorry I failed you this time, it won¡¯t happen again.¡± Genua studied him intensely for a time, her hands grasping one another in front of her as she wordlessly stared. Then she let out a soft breath of air, blowing a long strand of blonde hair from her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much of it is the vampirism and thrall¡¯s pact that make me want to not hate you, but I don¡¯t hate you if that¡¯s what you think. As I¡¯ve said before, what my family did was unforgivable. But I was just as complicit and knew what we were doing back then. In many ways, I wish I had been the one to die - and that Ethel had lived. She had been brainwashed into hating you, if nothing else. The elder, and my husband¡­ Eh. Regardless, that is in the past now and we can only look forward. I do not wish to talk about it again, it will only make me cry.¡± Hearing some commotion from further down the hall and up the stairs to where the streets of this abyssal city still had thousands of people migrating from the portals by the minute, Genua watched a burly set of incubus men walk by and give her a side-eye before traveling to their own hot springs. ¡°Do you really intend to let me go?¡± She turned her head. Riven furrowed his brows when he saw the doubt, guilt, and regret in her expression. ¡°Is that not what you want?¡± She opened her mouth, hesitated, then continued to speak while nervously wringing her fingers together like one would wring water out of a wet cloth. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m weak?¡± He blinked, then laughed. ¡°Absolutely not. Even now I¡¯m having Gluttony¡¯s forces train Hakim and the others back on Panu so that, one day, they¡¯ll be able to join me despite being what most powerhouses on Panu call ¡®weak¡¯. ¡®Weak¡¯ is a relative term, and has nothing to do with my decision. I was going to leave you behind because of your daughter.¡± Genua shook her head, then took his hand and pushed it onto her slightly swollen belly. ¡°Do you feel it?¡± There was a pause, and he blinked rapidly when he felt something inside gently kick. Smiling, Riven nodded. ¡°I do.¡± She let his hand go, ran her fingers through her hair, and huffed. ¡°That child is going to need its father. So is Len. I was hoping that, perhaps, you¡¯d consider adopting Len too. I don¡¯t want you to cut me from your life, and if you feel guilty - you can make it up to me by being there for my little girl. And for the new child on its way.¡± Riven was stunned, visibly so, and the ancient unholy tattoos along his body even did a quick rearranging of themselves due to his emotional backlash at the words. ¡°Len doesn¡¯t want me as a dad. You remember how she reacted to the news when we told her. You were there at the picnic table that day just as I was.¡± ¡°Do not make me beg, Riven.¡± Genua snapped, having some spunk to her words with a glare that was unusual for the elf thrall given her position and usual submissive tone. ¡°I will not allow my first daughter to lose herself to despair when she feels herself an outcast after this child in my womb is born. Just try to imagine, just for a moment, how she would feel if she was not included. To be the child left behind, when a younger sibling born of a lineage akin to that of a demonic elder god overshadows your every step. When I play mother to this child with you as a father, what will Len see? It would be devastating. Despite what you did and how I sometimes even now hate you for what you did, you are a good man at your core. Despite all your flaws, Riven, you would make a good father - and I already know you¡¯ve tried to make amends on Len¡¯s behalf as we¡¯ve discussed such topics before.¡± Genua was now glaring at him from across the room, and she got up to walk over, sitting next to him so that her shoulder was touching his. She gave him a suddenly anxious glance, avoided eye contact, and cleared her throat. ¡°Well? Are you just going to sit there? Or are you going to take responsibility for what you did and adopt her as your own - so that she can have a family again?¡± Riven remained slack-jawed, until she gave him a fiery snort. ¡°Don¡¯t be a coward.¡± She hissed, almost pleadingly - but with venom too. Guilt, embarrassment, and sadness reared their ugly heads - but he put on a forced smile and nodded, reaching out to touch her stomach with a nod. It was a big decision to make, not one that he took lightly, but he owed it to that little girl to at least try. ¡°I¡¯ll adopt Len too, or at least I promise I¡¯ll do my best¡­ but I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll be accepting of me.¡± Genua¡¯s shoulders immediately slumped in relief, and she let out a long breath that she¡¯d been holding in during her glare. ¡°Thank you. And she will, she just¡­ she just needs time. She knows that you were not the one to choose the fight that led to Ethel¡¯s death, or Farrod¡¯s death, and she is already excited about the prospect about a little brother or little sister. Even if when we first broke the news to her, she had other concerns.¡± The laughter of his two girlfriends splashing in the hot springs was masked by the slapping of bare feet on the stone walkway coming from the stairs. Riven looked up and down the hall, noting the redheaded succubus and owner of this establishment walking his way with her flowing black dress out behind her. She stopped just in front of him, bowing slightly and sweeping back her hair behind her two thick short horns. ¡°Sir. I was hoping to have a word with you.¡± The succubus shot Genua a quick look. ¡°In private.¡± Genua exchanged a glance with Riven, but he put a hand on her shoulder and gave a reaffirmation squeeze. ¡°Go have fun.¡± Riven said, ushering her out of the room and closing a sheet curtain behind her. Turning, he put his hands behind his back and gave her a lackadaisical gaze of one who was assessing a cheap cars salesman selling a poor pitch. ¡°It took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder whether or not this was the right spot.¡± The succubus, who¡¯d now straightened, raised an eyebrow curiously and withdrew her wings into her back - leaving her long black tail to flounder out behind her. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure what you mean by that. Are you saying that you know why I¡¯ve come?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, then snapped his fingers. A sigil flared to life on the woman¡¯s neck where there¡¯d been none before, one of the Great Maw within a pentagram, and she gave him a wicked grin. ¡°Clever boy.¡± She tilted her head to the side with a wide, brilliant smile, then withdrew a pendant of similar origin and took a step forward. Her blue eyes tracked down to the jewelry in her hand, then back to him. ¡°I thought I¡¯d hidden my identity as a contact rather well, but then again - if you do know without my introduction¡­ That must mean you¡¯re of one of the blooded families. Who are you working for? Are you a scion of one of the greater houses?¡± Riven smirked, then shook his head. ¡°No. I was just told to come here on good faith by a friend who - more or less - is part of the higher rungs of the church himself. Personally? I¡¯m a nobody.¡± ¡°Well I wouldn¡¯t say that based on all the markings you¡¯ve gained¡­¡± The succubus muttered, head-nodding to the numerous unholy scripts laced across his skin. ¡°You don¡¯t just get those by being a nobody. Very well, keep your secrets. As long as you¡¯re one of the touched, I am able to offer you information and services paid for by our church. Fencing stolen items, contracts, guides into the deeper realms, arena matches, hard to get resources for cultivating your lattice, you name it and I¡¯m here for it.¡± She smugly stuffed the pendant between her large breasts with a wink. ¡°And for you love, I¡¯d do more. You¡¯ve got a real sense of¡­ umph, about you. If you know what I mean. So how about it? Want to ditch your three enslaved minions and let a real woman ride you for once?¡± Riven didn¡¯t even twitch. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend like you didn¡¯t say that last part, regardless of how pretty you might be. And for the record, I¡¯m doing you a favor. The archdemon back there, Athela, already has a jealousy problem even with Fay. If I added another succubus to the picture, she¡¯d probably castrate me and would no doubt kill you too.¡± The woman chuckled, and held out a hand. ¡°Lavini, Church of Gluttony representative, at your service. I¡¯ve been here a few thousand years now and know all the dirty secrets of what goes on here.¡± ¡°Riven.¡± He replied, taking her hand to shake. She eyed him curiously. ¡°You don¡¯t happen to be an ex-shard holder, do you?¡± ¡°Shard holder?¡± ¡°Did you hold a shard of Gluttony before he reincarnated? You have a very distinct and potent smell to you. Maybe even two shards? Were you a harbinger?¡± Riven grinned and withdrew his hand to fold his arms in front of him, pausing to let a couple of drow elves and one slave pass by. ¡°Yes, I was. Is it normal for people to have slaves here?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lavini looked over her shoulder to where an elf woman was being led up the stairs by the two other drow men. ¡°No. They must come from a very wealthy family to afford buying a ticket for a mere slave. Some people just have too much money to know what to do with it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say. Do you think they have the money on their person?¡± Riven asked curiously, thinking back to the new types and tiers of Elysium Coins that easily outstripped his relatively pathetic display of wealth from an integration world. ¡°Do you think I could mug them and get away with it?¡± Lavini again shook her head, and even pressed a hand to Riven¡¯s chest when he went to take a step forward. ¡°Not here, and not them. We don¡¯t want to blow up a perfectly situated rest spot for the church. And even if you were a harbinger, and are one of the touched, those two men are particularly powerful drow hailing from the Yerus Dynasty. If you didn¡¯t notice, they¡¯re both LEGENDARY tagged and they¡¯d kill you before you knew what happened. Meanwhile I don¡¯t see a tag on you at all. Or is that just the necklace you have on, masking it from my sight?¡± Riven had to repress a snort, but backed off as they left the establishment. ¡°I see. Well I was hoping that you may know a man by the name of¡­¡± Riven paused, waiting for Gluttony to give him the identity of the man they were looking for. ¡°Amano is the name. Half minotaur, half gargoyle. Ever seen him around these parts?¡± Lavini arched an eyebrow and folded her arms, scrutinizing him. ¡°You really do have contacts in high places, don¡¯t you? Yes, he¡¯s currently assigned as master of the church sanctuaries here in the Abyssal Descent. I¡¯m afraid that if you¡¯re looking for him, he¡¯s already on his way. I am obligated to report the sigils that I see and recognize, and he seemed a bit off-put when I mentioned this one¡­¡± Her finger drifted to Riven¡¯s chest, and pointed out a seven-pointed star being devoured by the great maw with unholy markings in languages Riven didn¡¯t entirely understand. ¡°I hadn¡¯t seen it before.¡± ¡°I was wearing armor.¡± Riven pointed out, confused. ¡°And just as you were able to sense mine, I was able to sense¡­ yours.¡± She shrugged. Riven hadn¡¯t necessarily sensed her marking himself, but rather had acted on Gluttony¡¯s own instincts and had infused sin energy into his finger-snap from earlier to elicit the glow on Lavini¡¯s patch of skin. Not being able to sense such things caused a minor amount of irritation to rise up in Riven¡¯s chest, but knew he¡¯d probably have such things come to him as he cultivated a greater grasp on the sin energy that permeated his new soul pillar. A buzzing sound came from Lavini¡¯s pocket, and she picked up a black orb - holding up a finger Riven¡¯s way before nodding, and turning around with a swish of her tail. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s already here. Come on and follow me.¡± He nodded, and the two of them left the hot springs behind. However, instead of going back up the stairs - she went left. Winding and twisting, then coming into a closet after deactivating numerous enchantments, she pressed a hidden panel in the stone wall and let the hidden door swing open. ¡°I have one of my coworkers currently running the place, but I don¡¯t like leaving her by herself with all the new bloods walking around. It¡¯s dangerous, so let¡¯s hurry so I can get back.¡± ¡°Are you implying you¡¯re a fighter?¡± Riven asked, skeptically eyeing the succubus and her scantily clad attire. She gave him an amused smirk over her shoulder while pushing into the dimly lit hallway when the door clicked shut behind them. ¡°Of course, Mr. Vampire! I¡¯m one of the instructors here. Maybe I¡¯ll fight you for an opportunity to hold you down!¡± Instructors? She gave him a flirtatious wink and didn¡¯t bother expanding on the subject, but as the tunnel curved into a spiral descent through the ground - Riven soon found himself looking upon a very large rectangular room. It was big enough to fit a few thousand people inside, and there were dozens currently there. Some were meditating on prayer mats with sin-affiliated energy crystals in their hands, others were sparring in semi-translucent barrier cages, and some were eating at one of two long tables set at the far wall. To his right, there was even an altar to Gluttony - where a horned priest garbed in black was reading scripture from a book to three other hooded demons. ¡°Pass.¡± A muscular red devil standing twice Riven¡¯s height said, stepping in front of the path into the room and folding his burly red arms while glaring toothily down at the duo. Lavini rolled her eyes with a huff, then presented a medallion. ¡°Jevis, you know me well enough by now to stop asking me every time I come in. You¡¯re doing it just to annoy me at this point, aren¡¯t you? This man is a new blood who just came from the portal openings. Let us through.¡± The devil snickered, then head-bobbed over to a set of large, sturdy couches. ¡°Amano is waiting for you. Get movin.¡± Grumbling and glaring at the devil, Lavini started for the couches Jevis had nodded to. There, on the middle one, was Amano. Just as Gluttony had said, he was a half gargoyle, half minotaur mix. He had large black wings, obsidian skin, but also had the face of a bull. His legs were also bull-like instead of the claws gargoyles usually had, and a large patch of brown fur was located down his back and along his tail. All he wore was a large loin cloth, a red sigil of Gluttony tattooed into his chest, and had two wicked looking obsidian horns curving out from his skull. ¡°Amano, master of sanctuaries.¡± Lavini addressed him with a low bow - motioning for Riven to do the same. Riven didn¡¯t bother, instead eyeing the level 248 demon with moderate amounts of curiosity. When the demon¡¯s brow furrowed in annoyance at the lack of respect, and Lavini shot him a piercing look that could kill, before Riven bowed. He followed Lavini¡¯s lead when she straightened with a huff. ¡°We answer your summons.¡± Lavini said, awaiting the demon¡¯s words as others around the underground sanctuary occasionally shot them curious looks. Amano continued to remain silent and sitting, arms folded, while his demonic tail slapped the ground from time to time during the staring contest he was having with Riven. Eventually he grunted and stood to his full height, towering over Riven by almost four feet and looking down at him with mild amusement based on the slight grin he had. ¡°I can already tell you¡¯ve got an attitude, boy. But I like people like you. Believe it or not, it takes that kind of arrogance to get to the top - or so my elders tell me. May I see the sigil?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± Riven countered. Amano smirked. ¡°Show me all of them if you wish, but I was hoping for the seven pointed star.¡± Acknowledging his words, Riven sent sin energy pulsing through his tattoos as they lit up across his body and glowed through his thin clothes. They covered his arms, feet, legs, torso, back, and face - and as the seconds ticked by he brought out more from his deeper layers that¡¯d been hiding just underneath the surface. Stacked layers of the sigils poured out as the eyes of Amano and every single demon in the room went wide in shock, until Riven finished and had his colors on full display like a peacock. Bending down to get a better look at him, Amano studied the runes and circled him with intent - coming to a halt right in front of where Riven stood while scratching his chin. ¡°These are all¡­ ascendants.¡± He tapped the front of his chest. ¡°Like mine. They are not just gluttonous markings, but they are on a level I haven¡¯t seen before. Only high priests of our order, S-ranked or higher, can mark someone like this¡­¡± Lavini seemed surprised, then confused, then ended with a mixture of lust and fear as she settled her gaze on Riven - only to tear it away when he met her eyes. Amano¡¯s words trailed off, as if a question, and when Riven didn¡¯t respond - he let out a long sigh. ¡°Which elder sent you here? I do not play in the political games of our church, I swear it on Gluttony¡¯s name. I merely need to know so that I can avoid pairing you with others who would intentionally cause friction.¡± Riven let on a slow grin. ¡°I believe there is a misunderstanding¡­ I do not wish to form a group. I already have one heading here now, those who aren¡¯t already present upstairs.¡± Amano seemed to be confused by this proclamation, as was Lavini. ¡°You already have a group for the descent? Are they people I know? Usually we have guides, people who¡¯ve already been down to the deepest levels, so that our scions from the outer realms don¡¯t get killed.¡± Riven waved a hand, sensing a very familiar presence entering his aura from the opposite side of the room. He smiled. ¡°Oh my guide has already been down. More than anything, I¡¯m here to use your training halls. Recently I¡¯ve been told that I¡¯m quite lacking in certain areas and am too dependent on overwhelming force, rather than skill. I have been told that when deemed ready, I will be able to make the descent with said party. Until then, until I am up to par with a very particular person¡¯s standards, I won¡¯t be allowed to finish the descent.¡± Now both Amano and Lavini gave him furrowed brows and tense expressions, exchanging glances with one another while Lavini scratched her head. ¡°Did your elder send a personal trainer?¡± Lavini asked with a frown. ¡°What clan do you hail from?¡± Before Amano could ask anything else, a silent, ominous shockwave of presence radiated from where the door to the sanctuary had opened across the hall. Nearly everyone immediately fell to their knees or hit the floor, even despite their desperate attempts to stand back up. The sparring ring barriers flickered and died, people started to gasp or gag in shock, and a couple people outright fainted under the sheer weight of the aura afflicting the room. Shadows wreathed around a woman seemingly made from the abyss itself, as her lithe, athletic form stepped into the room with one bare foot. The very stone underneath her rippled, and a large crack formed under her position as she walked; and she pulled back her hood to let her seven black horns materialize across her head like a crown. Pale white eyes stared out at the demons present, black hair flowed down to her waist like a flag, and the only signs of color on her figure aside from them and the cloak she wore was a small yellow flower clinging to one of the horns on her right-hand side with its roots. ¡°Ah¡­ There you are.¡± She began walking forward, and behind her - two more figures appeared. One was the presence Riven had sensed coming their way, and despite her features having changed - Allie was unmistakably beautiful with her angelic wings folded behind her. Though she did look rather put off, sad even, until her eyes met his - and then she beamed as bright as a sun before dashing over to slam into him with a bear hug. ¡°Riven!¡± Allie exclaimed, retracting her wings entirely while squeezing him all the tighter. ¡°I have so much to tell you! There¡¯s so much that happened, and that is currently happening!¡± He embraced her back, kissing her on the forehead and feeling a warmth spreading from his chest. ¡°Allie. Remember our talk about presence and how to carry oneself in public? You are a queen. Act like it.¡± Lilith said, almost scoldingly, and she cleared her throat when Allie stood straighter to step back with a sheepish smile. ¡°Sorry Lillith.¡± Allie muttered, which surprised Riven to no end considering how Allie had become something of a lovingly self-assured psychopath ever since the integration had begun. The third figure was someone Riven didn¡¯t recognize. He was no doubt a lich of some sort, and looked pretty bad in terms of how he was missing one skeletal arm and had cracks or burns all over his bone body. Odd organs that were present inside the bone cage of his torso were partially rotten, and clothes that¡¯d once been exquisite robes were now displaying patches and holes with burn marks and blood stains. The aura faded when Lillith came to stand in front of Riven, and the audible gasps and deep breaths the demons around the room were taking were mixed in with angry roars and shouts - tempers flaring with auras all around them as they called out. ¡°WHO IN THE SEVEN HELLS-¡± ¡°KILL THAT BITCH!¡± ¡°DO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE!? HOW DARE-¡± Above the ruckus and threats, with imposing figures closing on their position, Lillith gave Gluttony a sad smile. ¡°Forgive the younglings. It is not their fault that they don¡¯t know who I am.¡± Riven could literally feel the anger that¡¯d been building up slowly fizzle away, as Gluttony considered Lillith¡¯s words - and a pulse of thought traveled between them that Riven could only barely make out. Lillith nodded, and then turned to face the only person in the room who seemed to be aware of who she was. Amano was visibly shaking, and it looked as though he was about to vomit before her eyes fell on him. He immediately hit the floor and prostrated himself on all fours, crashing his horned head into the ground with a shrill, high voice. ¡°ALL HAIL LILLITH! ALL HAIL THE BLACK HAND OF GLUTTONY!¡± Abruptly the shouting and threats stopped, and the angry crowd looked at one another in confusion. ¡°The Black Hand of Gluttony is dead.¡± A large three-eyed, skinny, gray-skinned humanoid said while gesturing with all four of his clawed hands. ¡°What is this nonsense, Amano? Are you playing a trick on us? Is this a joke?¡± Some of the people around the room gave nervous laughs, while others continued to stare as if finally making the connection. One incubus had actually taken out an old recording crystal, and was watching what was no doubt a history of the church based on Gluttony¡¯s memories. When the images on the crystal stopped on Lillith¡¯s figure, and he took in a sharp breath of air, everyone nearby went rigid and stiff. There was a long pause. Many exchanged looks as if to confirm what they were seeing, and slowly one of the devils nearby knelt with deep, horrified breaths. ¡°H¡­How¡­?¡± The same three-eyed humanoid who¡¯d spoken earlier looked deathly pale as he let out the whisper, and then true horror overtook him as he realized the truth of things when he attempted to identify her and saw the purple flames. One by one the others did the same, and a mixture of fear and awe permeated the room in mere seconds. [Lillith, Level 119 Archdemon: Unique ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. ???. Commander of the Gluttonous Legions. MYTHIC.] ¡°Forgive me¡­¡± The demon said, eyes bulging, and his head hit the floor in a prostrating motion so fast that blood splattered along the stone. ¡°This one does not deserve your mercy, but I plead for it nonetheless! I did not know you had come back with Gluttony¡¯s rebirth!¡± The others rapidly followed, all around the room, demons big and small - humanoid or monstrous - all prostrated themself in an absolute silence while Lillith eyed Amano. She then turned her attention to Lavini, the succubus, and smiled widely. ¡°Thank you for escorting Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation, Lavini. He gets lost and forgets to keep his guard up quite often, I have no doubt he¡¯d likely have stumbled upon a spike trap or some kind of bomb on the way here at the rate he¡¯s going.¡± There was an absolute silence after proclaiming Riven as the reincarnation, and Riven could see both Amano and Lavini rapidly pale while they remained prostrated. He heard a few hushed whispers of disbelief and further awe from around the room, but that was all. Riven winced at the mocking jab, even despite Lillith¡¯s teasing smirk. ¡°Hello, Lillith. It¡¯s good to see you.¡± ¡°Yes, quite.¡± Lilith said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it here without getting stabbed or something. Are you ready to begin? I brought your sister and a rather interesting dog that I found on the side of the road in Panu who was begging for scraps. They¡¯ll be your teammates in the descent, along with me as your escort, and that Nora girl you¡¯re playing house with upstairs. But only when the three of you aren¡¯t so utterly demoralizing in your¡­ displays. I would call it ¡®skills¡¯, or ¡®spells¡¯, or ¡®battle readiness¡¯, but you¡¯re all so far beneath the standard definition of what those should be that I gag at the thought of putting them upon even a single one of you.¡± She held up a finger. ¡°Oh, and bring your minions down here too. Your contracts need a lot of work, especially that Fay girl and the elf thrall you have. Truly, without offense being intended, you could do better in your choices.¡± Allie and the undead lich winced when Lillith¡¯s gaze fell on them, but the archdemon was quick to turn her attention back to Riven. ¡°I¡¯ve heard just how pathetic you were in that recent attempt on your child¡¯s life. I¡¯ve also been told you have no real training under your belt, other than with an old high elf thrall and some very limited attempts at the Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s compound. It¡¯s time that we kick it into high gear now that you¡¯re here, and pit you against some real combatants while you¡¯re at it. It¡¯ll be a good opportunity to see just how you stack up against some of the best the Unholy Pillar has to offer for your range and league. You have extreme potential and amazing amounts of mana for your grade and level, but to say you are lacking any real skill would be an extreme understatement. You win most of your fights because you¡¯re bringing¡­ Ah, what was it Gluttony had said when comparing it to your world¡¯s jargon?¡± Lillith paused to think it over, then snapped her fingers with a smile. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! You win most of your fights because you¡¯re bringing a nuclear warhead to a knife fight. But what happens when the other guy brings a warhead to match yours? Perhaps by the end of the descent, and by the time you exit Chalgathi¡¯s trial, you¡¯ll realize that you¡¯re not the only one with large amounts of mana or high affinities to throw around. Hopefully you¡¯ll be something of a warrior wielding a sharpened sword - rather than a barbarian baby wielding an unbalanced club. So to speak.¡± She gestured to Amano, who was still kneeling and shaking in what was either excitement - or absolute terror. ¡°You, master of the sanctuaries. You¡¯re a LEGENDARY tagged demon and are almost maxed for this zone at level 248, which is 48 levels higher than Riven is now. To begin our training session, I want you to fight this vampire. I want you to beat him so badly that he cries tears of blood by the end of it. I want him to feel humbled, or else none of this will be taken to heart. Do you understand?¡± The half-gargoyle, half minotaur looked up in shock, still visibly shaking while he glanced uncertainly to Riven nearby. ¡°I-I could never! The reincarnation of Gluttony is too sacred to-¡± His words were cut off when the visage of Gluttony itself split open in the air, while both gasps and shrieks of delight - along with some shaky sounds of weeping - were heard around the room. ¡°I would ask that you do as Lillith says, Amano. Do not think of it as fighting me. Rather, think of it as helping me. My partner and I are bonded, but he needs to hone his skills if we are going to fluidly work together. Please¡­ destroy him in the ring. Go all out, we will make sure he lives.¡± A twinge of irritation couldn¡¯t help but fizzle to the surface in Riven¡¯s mind at the needless insults to his pride, and the apparent lack of caring concerning bodily harm. Amano was torn between elation and confusion while staring at Gluttony, but rapidly nodded his head and continued groveling on the floor. ¡°Yes, oh great maw! I will do as you ask! But perhaps, it would be better to enter our largest arena in the central sanctuary? I won¡¯t be able to utilize my full power here in these practice arenas, but I promise you - I will make it a showing that the entire membership of the church here will remember for the rest of their lives!¡± Chapter 262 Chapter 262 The main arena of the central sanctuary was, in one word, enormous. Numerous platforms, steps, balconies and seats ranging in size from small to huge were located all around the stadium in a non-uniform manner. A mile high and a mile wide, this place had been carved out of the very bedrock of whatever dark metals were native to this strange abyssal realm, with an enormous statue of Gluttony¡¯s maw standing as a monument on one end. It was under this monument that the largest balcony was located, with Riven¡¯s minions and Lillith having taken up residence there at the front amidst a hesitant but excited swarm of higher-ranking young demons from various clans across the multiverse. And with word having quickly spread amongst Gluttony¡¯s followers, the crowds of demons from dozens of different species continued to flow in. Teleportation gates flashed, openings in the numerous enormous passages let out the sounds of thundering feet and claws, and Church of Gluttony clergy he¡¯d come to identify - dressed in hooded black and purple robes for the most part - were literally singing strange hymns that Riven couldn¡¯t make out while guiding people to their seats. Watching them come in such numbers and in such a fervor, especially with some kind of scrying orb putting him on full display for the masses to focus on with an image overhead, really put into perspective just what his position had become. Previous to this, he¡¯d thought of Gluttony as more of an abstract¡­ eh¡­ friend? More or less, anyways. They¡¯d actually gotten along really well, if Riven had to say so himself. Even despite what Athela and Fay had told him numerous times over, it hadn¡¯t really clicked until now that he was a bonded symbiote and the physical representation of a being that was worshiped across many demonic societies as a near godlike figure. Lillith was treated much the same, and by proxy - so were his minions as he watched them from afar. Devils, void beasts, succubi, incubi, imps, minotaurs, beholders, arshakai, dryders, fallen satyrs, jabobs, brutalisks, demonic wyverns, cthulu-like humanoids, and dozens of other species he didn¡¯t know the names of were all in attendance. And the vast majority of them were focused on him. ¡°You seem slightly nervous.¡± Gluttony whispered in amusement through their thoughts, and Riven could only help but nod. ¡°This is a lot more than I¡¯d been expecting, coming here.¡± Riven said slowly, watching the mulling crowds start to settle down when Lillith and a number of robed clergy step forward to the balcony¡¯s front underneath the large statue monument to Gluttony. Lillith raised a hand, and her aura of shadows lightly pressed against the noise and beings present with a gentle rush all across the mile wide arena. The people and creatures present all immediately fell reverently silent, some of them even bowing their heads or prostrating themselves in respect. And when she spoke, her words traveled across the large underground room like a whisper - as if she were actually standing beside Riven and speaking into his ear; rather than standing nearly seven hundred yards away from him. ¡°Greetings, children of the maw.¡± It¡¯d become dead silent as her white eyes crossed the crowds of demonic beings. ¡°It pleases me to see that, despite our time being banished to the deepest parts of the abyss over untold eons, we have not been forgotten. That Gluttony has not been forgotten.¡± As one, the clergy scattered throughout the room echoed a nonsensical chant. Riven would really have to learn whatever language it was they were speaking in. Lillith continued her speech after a short pause. ¡°The younger generations of our great houses stand before me now, scions of the pillars of our monumental societies that have remained to flourish even in the aftermath of Gluttony¡¯s passing and the descent of Elysium - when it caught the sins and dragged them down into darkness to almost fade from memory.¡± At the mention of Elysium¡¯s action, the room went into an uproar as the demons cursed the system itself. But Lillith held up another hand, causing them all to quiet down once again. Her seven black horns seamed to gleam under the firelight of balls of hellfire as they burst into radiance overhead, illuminating the dark colosseum and giving it a warmer ambiance. She smiled. ¡°We are not here to dwell upon the past. We are here, as first contact with the greater multiverse since our return, to show you all that Gluttony is back. That he intends to take this era into new heights! To rebuild what we have lost, and to reclaim his place as the greatest of the sins so that all may know his glory!¡± The crowd immediately went into another uproar of applause. ¡°After you leave this place-¡± Lillith continued to speak over the thundering crowd. ¡°I want you to return home to your families! To your clans and your countries! To your kingdoms in the hells and your ziggurats in the void! To your nether realm homes where the weaker members of your clans remain huddled in fear after millennia of persecution during our absence, just for holding true to our cause, to let them know their time for fear is now past! To your strongest on the battlefields, call them to arms! And finally, I wish you to let our enemies and those who have turned traitor to know that it will not be long before their their time of reckoning is at hand! Before we enter the eternal war, Gluttony has made it clear to me that we will wipe clean the filth of those who betrayed our trust! Who seized our assets and killed our faithful to obtain our artifacts! Those who took our once sacred lands and sold them off to the highest bidders, or the demonic tribes who subverted the bedrock and foundations of our orders for their own greed! Let them ALL know that it will not be long before the banished regain our former power, and that we are coming for them.¡± Lillith lifted her arm, and a long, intricate spear made from abyss itself flashed into focus before exploding with her aura, and the entire underground arena shook under her might. Everyone there, even Riven himself, was put to their knees under the pressure she exuded for that brief instant. ¡°THIS IS MY PROMISE TO YOU!¡± Lillith shouted out as her aura vanished once again, and she slammed her wicked spear into the rock of the balcony with a resounding boom that sent cracks spiraling down the reinforced walls. ¡°WE WILL SEE THEIR BLOOD SPILLED AND OUR GLORY RESTORED!¡± The demons all roared in agreement. Wings flared, auras heightened, feet stomped and fists pounded against the ground as a chant started arising from the crowd - the same chant that some of the priests had been uttering in that strange language earlier. It rose higher and higher, until every time the chant was uttered - the ground underneath Riven¡¯s feet shook with the force of it. A quick snap of power radiated from up above, and the room fell silent once more as reverent stares and gaping mouths hung open. Eyes widened and gasps appeared to all, as Gluttony¡¯s great maw opened up across the ceiling - stretching the entire length of the arena as wisps of black tendrils snaked out and slowly down towards the floor beneath. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Some demons began to weep, while others began to cry out to him as others took knees or prostrated themselves once again. They all watched in awe as those tendrils began to spiral, intertwining with one another and closing in on Riven¡¯s position - before they embraced his body like a blanket. Riven felt the cool tendrils of sin energy surging through his vessels and soul aperture, felt the soul start to change, and closed his eyes as he activated his demonic form for the very first time while whispering under his breath. His hands clasped together, with his last three fingers on each hand forming a roof while the thumb and pointer finger formed holes. Bringing his hands up to his face, the third eye on his forehead tore open and glowed a deep purple under the roof - while his red eyes looked out through the holes his finger and thumb made. His body exploded as the tattoos along his skin all lit up from black to violet. Muscles surged, and ripped. A long, huge tail tore out of his tailbone and whipped around in a frenzy. His chest split down the middle to incorporate Gluttony¡¯s usual visage in a vertical maw. Huge demonic horns sprouted from his head and his hair receded to reveal pitch black skin with glowing violet sigils emblazoned upon his skin, and his hands and feet exploded with claws. Legs snapped backwards and grew larger, inverting like a T-rex, and spines tore open across his spine while he grew to five times his normal height. Bone spikes tore out of his kneecaps and elbows, and his teeth grew like knives. When the four, bat-like demon wings of black and violet spread open with a wingspan that could likely encircle a house, Riven finally opened his eyes again. He slowly looked down, a little over thirty feet tall, with his tail and wings slowly drifting out behind him. His chest opened up to reveal tongues of dark black licking out at the air in front of him for dozens of feet, tasting the air while his body thundered with power. He was unstoppable in that moment, a being of pure destruction with no equal that caused the very space around him to flex and bend. And when he spoke, it was as one with Gluttony. The two of them had temporarily merged in both body and soul, and their consciousness had become linked. The sin energy was beyond anything that Riven could have ever imagined, being so palpable and so raw, and it felt like Riven could literally tear the world apart if he so wished for it. ¡°You come here, and bring honor to your clans.¡± Riven and Gluttony spoke out in a dual, deep set voice that echoed effortlessly across the stands. ¡°It pleases me to see such loyalty in ones as young as you. Lillith has voiced my thoughts well, and we will see it done that our enemies find an early grave. However, today is a day of celebration¡­ one that will be celebrated with trials by combat for all our F and early E grade prodigies to witness. And perhaps it will be an opportunity for many of you to even participate in.¡± A huge set of double doors on the opposite end of the colosseum creaked opened, and through it walked Amano. The half gargoyle, half minotaur master of the church sanctuaries in The Abyssal Descent was fully outfitted in sleek silver armor that starkly contrasted against his black skin. He had a huge battle axe in one hand, and he knelt in reverence when the doors shut behind him. Riven and Gluttony spread their wings to their fullest extent, and they raised a clawed hand to point in Amano¡¯s direction. ¡°You all should know Amano, Master of the Sanctuaries, quite well since you¡¯re all here. He will be the first to challenge my symbiotic partner - Riven - in one on one combat. Through the coming weeks we will hold trials of combat meant to teach Riven both humility and technique, and anyone who manages to best him will be greatly rewarded. Anyone who wishes to challenge him may do so, and anyone who is able to take him to the point of death¡¯s door where Lillith and the clergy need to personally intervene to save his live - you will even be granted a boon.¡± Murmurs of both confusion and excitement began to echo throughout the room as Gluttony held up a clawed hand. ¡°Though you may find this request odd, it is essential that my partner learns that simply wielding a bigger stick isn¡¯t always a viable option. This is an opportunity for him to both learn, and to correct a personality flaw when subjugated to the reality of what the multiverse can provide as opposition - as opposed to the weaklings on his currently integrating planet. So what boons and rewards do I speak of? To any F or E grade church member here who beats Riven into submission in combat, you will be granted a minor blessing. To anyone who does it without being harmed at all, your house will be honored with an artifact from the church coffers.¡± The murmurs of excitement grew in volume and pitch. Riven¡¯s mind and body twisted, and suddenly he was standing in his own body again. Sweat drenched his skin, and Gluttony¡¯s maw was separated from him by a couple feet as it continued to speak. ¡°Together, we will celebrate our return by clobbering my counterpart to death time and time again. Inbetween, instructors that have already been selected from your ranks will train him for the next round of challenges. During these intermittent periods of time, others will be allowed to fight for the entertainment of the crowds. This will repeat for however long I deem fit, until he is an acceptable vessel to take further into The Abyssal Descent. Let the games begin. Please feel free to partake of the highest quality food and drink available as it is brought out over the coming days, provided as a courtesy of the church.¡± *** Gentry, the drow man who¡¯d been either unfortunate or fortunate enough to follow Riven to the ¡®special event¡¯ hosted by Lavini the succubus - had been expecting some kind of scandalous get-together with Lavini¡¯s sisters. Maybe some of her friends. The way that succubus Lavini had looked at Riven over and over again on their descent while following the strange but very powerful demon Amano had made Gentry scratch his head in jealousy and confusion. But he¡¯d never expected something like this. A secret complex full of demons that followed one of the lost sins. Lillith, a figure of myth and legend that stood directly in front of him while he sat back with Riven¡¯s other minions. Dozens of some of the most prominent demonic figures of his age and tier group vying for attention with people he¡¯d been having a hot springs bath with only an hour ago, while Riven himself was the reincarnation of some godlike demonic origin? He felt his throat catch as Lillith came back to sit down beside the Allie girl, who was apparently Riven¡¯s sister and a fallen angel at that. Looking over his shoulder, there were even two representatives of the scythe - reapers if he was correct, who were waiting to speak to Allie but had been told they¡¯d have to wait until the ceremonies were done. Nobody told reapers they had to wait. Gentry pushed his fingers up against his temples, and got a knowing pat on the shoulder from Azmoth - who was the only one Gentry felt comfortable talking with at the moment given the three women minions of Riven¡¯s retinue hadn¡¯t taken much of a liking to him after his gawking stares. ¡°It ok. You fine.¡± Azmoth consoled the drow man who was trying not to hyperventilate, but failed when Gentry let out a startled scream when Fimrindle flashed to his left and took a seat in an empty chair. The strange, metal scarecrow slowly turned his head to the startled drow, scoffed, and then shook his head before passing Azmoth a large slab of meat he¡¯d confiscated from the refreshments table. It was the size of a fully grown hog, and Azmoth started chomping down noisily without a care in the world to the attempts at getting his attention from ambitious young scions of the more prominent demonic families here. ¡°This should be a good fight, Amano is very capable from what my informants tell me.¡± Fimrindle said in an uncharacteristically upbeat and talkative mood. ¡°I heard Lillith say that Riven doesn¡¯t stand a chance with his current capabilities after viewing some of Amano¡¯s fight records, but it¡¯ll be good to see Riven get pushed to his limits. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve actually seen Riven fight at 100%, not truly, and certainly not recently. Even Allie wants to fight him. It¡¯ll be interested to see how my own master stacks up to yours¡­¡± Fimrindle glanced back at Azmoth from across where Gentry sat. ¡°Don¡¯t you think?¡± "Allie get crushed under Riven''s might like fly under boot!" Azmoth roared happily, chomping down onto the meat and ripping a piece off to swallow - only to get a glare from Allie who''d heard his comment. Azmoth raised a hand in his own defense. "I must support master because he friend. You just sister of friend. Sorry." Fimrindle chuckled at the innocent comment and Lillith grinned with a sideways glance before the sound of a booming drum and the rolling thunder of cheers announced the start of the fight - with the announcing high priest shouting: "BEGIN!" Chapter 263 Chapter 263 Metal boots and greaves were secured and tight. Messenger snapped on like a second skin and Jackal flashed into his hand as the crowds roared, and he tossed the spare spatial sack he¡¯d borrowed off to the side just before the high priest called for the fight to start. Barriers all around the arena went up and the drums echoed around them. Despite being here to improve himself and follow up on his shortcomings, there was certainly a large part of Riven that wanted to prove all of them wrong. To show them that he wasn¡¯t as unskilled as Gluttony and Lillith seemed to think he was, but then again he knew that line of thought was arrogant. He¡¯d had little to no training, was self-taught in magic, so he pushed his pride aside and assumed one of the few stances that¡¯d been taught to him by his ex-thrall Luke. His red eyes narrowed, and he stared out at the demon in front of him. ¡°I hear you¡¯re pretty strong.¡± Riven stated, raising his weapon as his body exploded with Hell¡¯s Armor and Blessing of the Crow - the latter of which having been influenced by his Path of Red and Black. His body roiled with flame and unholy energies, and rivers of blood flowed across the long blade of his spear-staff. ¡°I won¡¯t be using any summons or minions. I hope you have a lot to show me.¡± Amano, for his part, bowed low at the waist in a sign of respect before swinging his silver battle axe around with practiced ease in a defensive stance. The thick silver plate armor along his body glinted under the fireballs illuminating the arena, and he smiled. ¡°It is an honor to fight Gluttony¡¯s Chosen - for the entertainment of the great maw and the great general Lillith herself. Please forgive me for what transpires next, and know that I am more than willing to give pointers after it is done - but I will not be holding back. Lillith has informed me that they will not let either of us die no matter what happens, and that I am free to truly try and kill you.¡± Riven hesitated, then nodded just once. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect you to hold back. Let¡¯s not keep them waiting.¡± The fight was on. He tore open a black rift in space, and in the next millisecond Riven¡¯s swing blurred in a downward arc into Amano¡¯s back. The demon¡¯s axe was there in an instant in a shower of sparks as gray and black chaos energy swept up around him to block - sending a blast of energy that threw Riven backwards through the air in an uncontrolled spiral before a follow up slash of Amano¡¯s weapon sent an arc of dark lightning like a crescent wave. Riven managed to discharge a black lightning bolt of his own that counteracted the crescent, and the colliding powers tore a crater into the stone ground fifty feet deep that sent debris spraying into the air. Riven finished his uncontrolled spin and landed on his two feet, then got up and dusted his pauldron of - cracking his shoulder. Amano on the other hand put his hands on his hips and laughed as the crowd cheered. ¡°Vampire! I am impressed! For a level 200 F-grade to block my attack like that is noteworthy. However, I am aware that you have a warlock class. Is that correct?¡± Riven lifted his head and nodded from across the crater as the dust cleared amidst still-falling stone rubble. ¡°That¡¯s right. Warlock Devastator.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Amano nodded appreciatively. ¡°So that is why your physical strikes hit so hard. I see¡­ The passive bonus to physical damage, infused with magic.¡± Riven smirked. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you-¡± The vampire prince didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence as Amano slammed a spiked fist into his face. The demon had moved so fast that Riven had barely even seen it coming, and he¡¯d not been able to react in time. Riven¡¯s body crashed into the stone floor beneath them and bounced off the floor from the impact, only for his head to be smashed back into the stone yet again. His vision went black for an instant, as Messenger¡¯s armor rang loudly in his ears while Amano¡¯s attacks picked up speed. Fist strike after fist strike crashed into Riven like a machine gun with the power of cannons behind each hit slamming him square in the face, again creating a crater underneath the two combatants as the back of Riven¡¯s helmet dug further and further into the ground. ¡°FIRST LESSON OF YOUR TRAINING, VAMPIRE!¡± Amano yelled over the crashing stone as Riven went in and out of consciousness, while his vampiric healing went into overdrive to keep him awake. ¡°EVEN IF YOU HAVE A CLASS PARTIALLY ORIENTED TO CLOSE COMBAT AS A MAGE, YOUR FOCUS IS STILL IN MAGIC AND MANA! YOU SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON YOUR STRENGTHS, AND UTILIZING YOUR STATS APPROPRIATELY! YOU¡¯RE ALREADY AT A LEVEL DISADVANTAGE, AND MY CHAOS GUARDIAN CLASS WHEN PITTED AGAINST YOUR HYBRID WARLOCK CLASS ISN¡¯T A GOOD MATCH TO FIGHT ME IN CLOSE QUARTERS!¡± Riven had a moment of clarity amidst a forced spray of blood from his mouth when Amano slammed a fist into his chest, then Riven exploded with hellfire as he put more and more of his mana into Hell¡¯s Armor. The demon flipped out of the newest crater they¡¯d created and picked up his axe again with a twirl and a laugh, then activated a martial art that turned his skin into ebony stone just before the entire stadium lit up with flame. The ground shook with a secondary explosion and the stone floor underneath Riven melted away before being shredded in a groundbreaking thunderclap of power that blinded the onlookers. The barrier remained firm however, and the roars of the crowd grew louder as the light faded away to give sight to the two still-standing combatants. Riven was angrily glaring out from underneath his helmet, vision spinning, an inferno covered with additional black metal plates from his body modification; hovering over a sea of molten rock that bubbled and churned. Amano¡¯s body on the other hand was completely untouched while he stood in the lava, not even a scratch on his pristine silver armor to be noted, and his skin remained a hard ebony while calling out to Riven with a raised hand. ¡°There it is! This is what I was told I would see! This is the power I was told of!¡± He nodded approvingly as Riven floated down, landing two-feet deep into the liquid molten rock while starting to walk towards Amano - spitting blood. ¡°As a warlock devastator, you have the option of utilizing close quarters fighting. But that option should only be used sparingly. In a scenario where you fight an opponent of equal or stronger standing than you who is geared towards classes such as berserkers, paladins, knights, guardians, or warriors - they will have a distinct stat advantage.¡± Amano jabbed a thumb into his silver-covered chest. ¡°I have almost no points in intelligence, willpower, or faith at all. That black lightning you saw was derived from stamina, a martial art, and I¡¯m a purely physical combatant. My race also provides me with more baseline stats than the mortals you are used to, the ones you killed back on your home planet, so your pureblood vampire race doesn¡¯t give you an advantage there either. Even with your Hell¡¯s Armor and Blessing of the Crow spells, and even with your percentage based class trait to enhance your physical strikes, it would be in your best interest to keep me at a distance when able. That way, you are able to capitalize on your strengths while not allowing me to utilize my own. I¡¯ll say it one more time: when fighting opponents of greater or equal strength, your close quarters combat should be as limited as possible to take advantage of your own magic-based stats - that means stop walking towards me.¡± Riven snapped his head left, eyes wide as a trail of azure blue light trailed Amano¡¯s axe and snapped a horn off of his left pauldron with a clean cut. Again, the minotaur-gargoyle hybrid had moved so quickly that Riven could barely tell he¡¯d done it before the attack was already landing. But it¡¯d been a bait. Riven¡¯s aura soared to an extreme, freezing everything around him including Amano¡¯s feet as the molten rock quickly cooled and caused him to stick in place. Spires of crimson shot into the sky, and turned back, before crashing down on Amano¡¯s position. The demon¡¯s eyes widened, and an approving smile crept across his face when Riven¡¯s arm snapped up - coated in writhing blood mana. Pouring as much energy into the ¡®snipe¡¯ infused blood lance, he let the long spear of red loose with a crackle of black sparks. The attack met just as the spires came down, and- CRASH Riven¡¯s vision spun, and he found himself embedded into the floor again - leaving a two-hundred meter line of torn bedrock in his wake as he came to an abrupt stop. Debris and lava had been flung into the air in his passing, and a stinging, painful sensation resonated through his right shoulder. Looking over, he saw that his own armor had been cut completely through - and that he was now missing his entire right arm with a stump in its place. Standing over him, and with Riven¡¯s arm in his hand, was a wickedly grinning demon with his wings flared out to either side. Tauntingly, he bent over Riven and showed his teeth. ¡°Come, come, we can¡¯t be letting the crowds go without a better show than-UMPH!¡± Riven smashed his foot into the cocky demon¡¯s crotch so fast that it created a sonic boom, and only barely managed to create a rift underneath his body before the enraged demon cleaved his weapon into the ground where Riven had been a second later. Riven shot up high, blood streaming out of his stump-arm as a spray of wretched snares bloomed overhead to entangle the demon far below. The snares hit nothing but air as Amano blurred, and Riven¡¯s eyes barely followed him as he burst from the ground in a spray of lava and smashed Riven so hard into the ceiling that even the barrier surrounding the arena flickered. Riven gasped, feeling his spine crunch and his lower body go limp . Looking down, he saw the axe had cut through his waist just below where Messenger ended and his steel leggings began. The blade was lodged there, keeping him stuck to the ceiling, and before Amano could land the follow-up punch to his skull - Riven twisted. Screaming in pain and literally tearing his upper body off the useless set of lower legs, he sent a pulse of power out from his hand to propel him back towards the ground. Simultaneously he summoned a cloud of storm razors in a rush of spinning, crackling red and black blades while falling through the air with no legs and only one arm. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The storm of red collided with Amano in a shower of sparks as he somehow glued his feet to the ceiling, moving with a speed that allowed him to deflect each and every one of the hundreds and then thousands of discs that crashed into his position. His axe spun, weaved and blurred - cutting through, smashing and redirecting each and every one of the storm razors for nearly ten seconds before identifying Riven¡¯s position again mid-fall and launching himself towards the vampire. ¡°NEFAJIA CRECUS BLOOD NOVA!¡± BOOM Riven saw the giant orb of destructive blood crash directly into the demon right before Amano¡¯s figure tore out of it. A shit-eating grin was still plastered on Amano¡¯s face, wings flared out to either side, and a large axe raised as he let out a shout of his own - though Riven couldn¡¯t hear what he said due to the ringing in his ears. The axe connected, but the vertical maw along Messenger¡¯s armor opened to snap down on the attack right upon impact. Deep tendrils of darkness started reaching out from the armor during their flight to wrap around Amano¡¯s arm, but the demon yanked back - exploding in green light - then somehow propelled himself out of Messenger¡¯s grip to fly skywards. ¡°METEOR STRIKE!¡± The demon¡¯s axe flared with hellfire, and with a scream - he flung the weapon in a spinning arc that torpedoed like a homing missile directly into Riven¡¯s already mutilated body. Despite Riven¡¯s resistance to flame given his Hell¡¯s Armor, the prowess of the attack was more than enough to crack through his armor and cleave his chest in two - before erupting into flame and imbedding Riven over a hundred feet into the ground with another sonic boom. *** Riven woke up with a gasp, heart thudding rapidly in his chest as he looked around. He could hear the cheers of the crowd in the distance and the sound of applause, as two of his minions huddled around him while he lay on a soft bed in a small stone room. Two other attendants dressed in black and purple clergy robes were also there, a cthulu-like man and a large imp, both of which bowed and left immediately upon seeing him wake. ¡°Feeling better?¡± Fay asked with a worried smile, using a wet washcloth to wipe at Riven¡¯s forehead. Her pretty features were furrowed in concern, and she shared a glance with Athela who wore a very similar look upon her own face. He looked down at his body, pulling off a thin sheet of fabric, and was surprised to see that his limbs were all intact. However, he could see new but already fading scars now present where he¡¯d lost his lower body and one arm not too long ago. There was even a pink area down his test that looked like it¡¯d been his with a lightning strike by the way the tissue had healed, but those pink lines were very slowly vanishing right before his eyes as well. ¡°Are Messenger and Jackal alright?¡± Riven asked, grunting as he tried to sit up - but he quickly fell back to a laying position when he felt a sharp twinge of pain in his lower spine. Then he abruptly felt Gluttony¡¯s presence shift inside his body, working with his vampiric heritage to repair the damage that¡¯d not yet been fixed. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re fine!¡± Athela pushed him back down at a more rapid rate and held her hand on his chest with a kind and caring smile. ¡°Kicking that guy in the crotch probably wasn¡¯t the best idea. He got really mad after that and stopped going easy on you.¡± Fay saw the scowl of annoyance on Riven¡¯s features and started to giggle, raising a hand to her lips. ¡°Yes, that was actually quite funny. I¡¯m not sure if you heard it during your fight, but the entire crowd erupted in laughter - especially when he became so enraged.¡± Riven rolled his eyes and got as comfortable as he could in the bed, feeling a sense of fatigue wash over him. ¡°Well where ARE Messenger and Jackal?¡± ¡°Being looked over by some of the best smiths here for repairs. Messenger got it especially bad.¡± Athela stated promptly. ¡°The back of the helmet is dented after Amano smashed your face into the ground so many times, one of the pauldrons is seriously damaged, and the entire front where that maw is was obliterated. Jackal only had a small dent in the blade.¡± Fay cleared her throat. ¡°Amano was using a relic-armor, some family heirloom from the fourth-era wars against the heavens that has been passed down for generations in his clan to their rising E and D grade prodigies. It¡¯s certainly on par with your own equipment.¡± Fay said with a thoughtful glance out the hall where the two clergy had disappeared. ¡°I was surprised that Messenger actually broke though. Thankfully as long as the spirit is intact, your armor won¡¯t actually die. And we have a lot of the materials needed for repairing sin-afflicted items in the Abyss, so it¡¯s easy to do so here.¡± The sound of large pounding feet echoing through the halls over the screams and shouts of the arena caused Riven to turn his head, and he smiled as Azmoth and Genua made an appearance with Lillith in the back. Genua gave a small bow, but otherwise stayed silent and submissive as she stepped to the side to allow Azmoth through. ¡°You not fight bad.¡± Azmoth immediately said, kneeling down to the bedside to get closer to Riven¡¯s eye-level. He took a large bite out of a slab of meat in one hand, chewed, then swallowed with a satisfied grunt. ¡°Amano very strong and in E-grade. You get better and beat him eventually.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow from where he lay, then turned his gaze on Lillith - who was smiling down at him with an amused expression while the yellow flower around one of her horns turned in his direction. ¡°I got my ass thoroughly kicked. Honestly, I¡¯d thought I¡¯d at least put up a fight¡­ but Amano was just toying with me early on. Even though he said he wouldn¡¯t go easy on me.¡± Thinking about it, Riven hadn''t been beaten that badly... ever? Even when he''d been starting out and very weak, after first learning his basic spells in Chalgathi''s trials and had nearly died to that bald cultist... It had been close, but he''d won. Here, being pitted against one of the best E-grades the unholy pillar had to offer, it certainly put into perspective that there were far bigger fish out there than himself even at his own level. Amano had taken a blood nova head on without even blinking. That was one of Riven''s strongest direct strikes. ¡°He was toying with you - until you kicked him, that is.¡± Lillith winked, then laughed. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to make you look too bad, but going for a cheap shot like that - all bets were off.¡± ¡°I go back and watch other fights now with Gentry, Allie and Retesh. And Fimrindle, he weird but ok, and they talking to other reapers now. Lillith pitting different clans against each other to entertain crowd and it interesting to watch. Get better soon.¡± Azmoth rose up, ruffled Genua¡¯s hair to her obvious irritation, and then walked out while chomping down on more of the meat in his hands. Riven took Athela¡¯s hand when she reached for his, intertwining his fingers, and watched the young brutalisk go. ¡°Who¡¯s Retesh?¡± ¡°Retesh Vorath.¡± Fay said, shooting Athela a slightly jealous glare and reaching for Riven¡¯s other hand so she¡¯d be holding one too. ¡°The lich from Panu. He¡¯s the one who came with Lillith and Allie when you were first introduced to Amano not long ago.¡± ¡°From Panu? The guy from the world quest? What the hell is he doing here?¡± Fay gestured to Lillith with her eyes. ¡°I believe it was decided that Retesh has some promise, and Lillith provided him with a ticket. Is that correct, esteemed one?¡± ¡°It is.¡± Lillith said, creating a chair from solid shadow and sitting on it cross-legged while folding her arms. ¡°The dog shows a small amount of promise, and he arrived in your lands not long after I brought Allie back out of the underdark asking for our help. It appears that Elysium is giving our opposition many boons and bonuses to increase their chances of survival and success, and has given Restesh and his undead empire across the ocean from Umbra quite a bit of trouble. I believe you know the name Judith Marcina?¡± ¡°The previous number 1 spot.¡± Riven acknowledged. Lillith nodded. ¡°She¡¯s allied with many of the sea-faring peoples now, and has hired many off-world mercenaries from various holy orders that are more than happy to send entire generations of their offspring to their deaths - in an attempt to get you killed. And to kill as many of the banished as they can. Even if one of us dies, that¡¯s a future powerhouse snuffed out early that their elders won¡¯t have to deal with later on. To them, killing even one of us is worth the thousands of their young that will perish.¡± The archdemoness snorted in derision with a shake of her head, her seven crowned horns shimmering unnaturally in the light. ¡°They¡¯re desperate to kill as many of the banished as they can before we grow our strength back, and are amassing an invasion force to clear out Retesh¡¯s undead cities before mounting an attack on Umbra itself. In fact, we almost lost one of the banished to their number already when nephilim attempted to finish Retesh off just as he made land. The nephilim were killed by the hundreds, and Judith escaped, but when I say it was close¡­¡± Lillith¡¯s face darkened further with a frown. ¡°It was incredibly close. We had to put Namath, the demon in question, into a stasis ritual to save his life. It was a stark reminder to all of us banished that though we may have the skills and knowledge of the ancients, we are still not as infallible or immortal as we once thought. Even we sometimes fall victim to overconfidence, so do not take the lessons of humility that we are trying to impress upon you lightly, Riven. Overconfidence can easily get any of us killed, it is a flimsy shield, and it is where legends go to die.¡± Riven pondered her words, slowly mulling over what was to be done and the numerous questions he had on the subject. ¡°So did Allie finish her world quest in the underdark then?¡± ¡°No. She evolved into an angel of death and lost her vampiric heritage, and was unable to absorb the currently semi-dead vampiric elder god. It will fall upon you or another pureblood on the planet to finish the quest, and three of the necromancers he went down there with her were killed in an attempt on her life. She almost died in her attempt, and would have if the ritual I¡¯d stopped had been left alone. It was using siphoned souls of her followers to attack the very structure of her core apparatus.¡± His breath caught in his throat as he thought about nearly losing Allie, and he had to quickly repress a surge of worry that flooded through him. ¡°I see. Thank you, for saving her then.¡± Lillith gave a nod of confirmation. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll be training her as well as you, I don¡¯t intend to let either of you die. The vampiric precursors there will be prepared for our second attempt though, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be as easy as the first time to make it to the temple where I found the elder god¡¯s coffin. I wish I could have taken the coffin with me, but Elysium would not allow it. We¡¯ll talk more about it later. Do you have any other pressing questions before I go over what you can improve upon?¡± Riven thought for a moment, allowing Athela to get under the covers and snuggle up against him. ¡°Who is running the Thane Necropolis in our absence? Gurth¡¯Rok? Dr. Brass?¡± ¡°Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw, and Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada, the vampiric princess.¡± Lillith promptly replied. ¡°Alongside a man named Crendir No-Name, an E-grade champion sent from The Blood Moon Requiem and a man that your General Viku spoke very highly of in our brief communication. The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s forces arrived just before I came to The Abyssal Descent, but Dungeon Negrada - though they are now able to reinforce your lands through Elysium¡¯s new event pacts - have held off in sending reinforcements until their own wars in the hells are over with. Tre¡¯Zix is leading the forces in Negrada¡¯s Hellscapes to secure the dungeon lands quite quickly, while Kathrine remains in Brightsville with the assistance of Gurth¡¯Rok and Dr. Brass to run your country for you. General Bruner is finishing his own job conquering lands surrounding Chicago, ones that I am told tried to assassinate you at one point and failed miserably in doing so.¡± Lillith paused, tilting her head to the side to think. ¡°40,000 Sarak slave soldiers from Vartesh have been sent, courtesy of House Wraithtide. 15,000 vampiric soldiers from House Wraithtide have arrived as well, with an additional 10,000 vampiric soldiers from The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s most elite factions and noble families that were all approved by the High Queen Nephridi. The man named Jeltuna, the Voice of the Sarak I believe you called him, is currently being trained for command of his kin by Kathrine. She tells me the chosen Sarak are being leveled on feral undead, and are being trained regularly in the heartland of your empire while being regularly harvested non-lethally for blood to feed some of the native vampires who¡¯d come out of the underdark to beg for rations - as their thralls were all changed by the system into undead variants too. Humans from Chicago are being paid very well for voluntary blood donations too, while prisoners of war are being forced to give blood regularly to maintain the vampiric armies you¡¯ve recently acquired. Meanwhile, Kathrine has sent Crendir No-Name to command a force of F-grade elites from The Blood Moon Requiem northwards. They intend to conquer the city-states and countries of Umbra that have not already pledged themselves to the Thane Necropolis as vassals. There are only a couple hold-outs that were turned into undead, and they¡¯ll likely fall within the month if they cannot be bribed into submission. Unfortunately the forces from The Blood Moon Requiem cannot cross the sea to assist Retesh or his forces beyond Umbra for a year¡¯s time, according to system parameters on the event quest, but he hopes that we can spare some of our other forces to aid his people before Judith commits genocide - or so he says. Did I miss anything?¡± Lillith turned to Fay and Athela, who both hesitantly shook their heads no. ¡°Good.¡± Lillith nodded and uncrossed her arms to lean forward. ¡°The details on what¡¯s happening in Panu can wait beyond what I¡¯ve already told you. For now, let¡¯s go over what you can improve on - and what you did wrong in that fight against Amano. Then, we¡¯ll pit you against a series of assassins to shore up your obvious lacking areas regarding stealthed opponents.¡± Chapter 264 Chapter 264 Days passed them by, and then days turned into weeks. Riven was predominantly thrown into five different types of public events, and he lost a little more than half of them on average. They were one on one duels, team battles, survival courses where 20 people had a free for all in an ever-changing and violent environment that was constantly trying to kill them, sensory deprivation fights where sight and sound were removed, and finally - one versus many. Inbetween fights he¡¯d be set aside while other events took place in what had become a gigantic training regimen sponsored by the church, where Lillith herself would lecture him on what he¡¯d done wrong and right - before providing demonstrations. For an untrained, self taught warlock, Lillith said he wasn¡¯t doing too bad - but to not let that get to his head because he was still miles behind where he needed to be. During this time, he quickly came to realize three things. First, he wasn¡¯t anywhere near as talented as he¡¯d previously thought he was. Yes he had immense amounts of power, but there were many combatants who had less energy stores than him but still beat him handily. Second, he was very, very wasteful in how he utilized his magic. There was a lot of energy expenditure he didn¡¯t utilize that was lost to the ether simply because he didn¡¯t maintain control over it after it was released. This caused problems whenever he faced opponents that were able to fully utilize their power output and successfully used compact attacks. Thirdly, he¡¯d been relying far too much on his regeneration, better gear, and minions to get him out of tight situations. This was less so for Fay and Azmoth lately as they¡¯d fallen so far behind, but when it truly came down to it - he had won most of his fights after Negrada because he¡¯d had the bigger stick and a very keen sense of mana manipulation - especially when it came to the Blood Subpillar. Not to mention he was still seriously at a disadvantage against stealth-type opponents, which had a disproportionate win rate against him in any of the given scenarios. This was also something that had been pointed out to him, but it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t already know it. His squad-to-be also trained under Lillith. With Lillith as their future guide into the Abyssal Descent, and 5 being the number that could travel between floors with one another due to system guidelines, the other four of them were Riven, Allie, Retesh the Lich, and Nora Lang. Then at the end of each training session between fights or events, Riven was forced to meditate along with the others as they prepared their soul lattices. Under the guidance of Gluttony, the five of them were shown how to create bridges between or around their pillars. They were akin to scaffolding, and different structural patterns in different amounts created different effects. It could change the way mana left your body, what mana was produced, how mana interacted with the environment and more - but the process was slow going and small mistakes could lead to entire failures of the internal soul system they had. There was even one time where Nora couldn¡¯t use a single skill after she¡¯d accidentally re-wired her scaffolding improperly, and had to completely tear it all down to restart from scratch. Nora was also singled out specifically, being sent back to Chalgathi¡¯s altar trials whenever easy quests appeared for quick points so she could gain XP - as she hadn¡¯t yet grown to level 200 and had a level cap imposed by the system due to the nature of the world quest. The only way she could actually gain levels right now was by completing those event quests, and she needed to reach level 200 in order to fully utilize the teachings of soul scaffolding that was being taught to her. As for Riven¡¯s minions, only Athela had been deemed as adequate after another in-depth evaluation of their skills. This was in large part due to the level discrepancy Azmoth, Fay, and Genua had when compared to Riven or Athela - but in the end, ¡®WHY¡¯ didn¡¯t matter. Not to the clergy, not to the onlookers in the Abyssal Descent, and not to Lillith. The reincarnation needed to be protected at all costs, and already there¡¯d been floods of prospects asking for Riven¡¯s last minion slot - or even group offers that wanted to replace Riven¡¯s current minion set and suggesting that he let Fay and Azmoth go. Azmoth didn¡¯t seem to care much as he had absolute faith that Riven wouldn¡¯t do that, but it very seriously impacted Fay¡¯s mental health as they were all forced into a training regimen of their own that - in many ways - was far more brutal than Riven¡¯s. *** The eye of the vortex at the city¡¯s center was one of few places where you could regularly fight F-grade abyssal creatures in a life and death struggle before passing into the second layer of the descent. It was a small, alternate realm connecting the first and second floors that had a filter on it imposed by Elysium, and it wasn¡¯t entirely unheard of for those descending to die even here so early on. But the abyssal creatures ranged in level from 160 to 200 here in this first layer¡¯s bridge, so most of these elites from across the multiverse didn¡¯t have too much of a problem. However, most of these F-grade elites were at the apex of their climb and heading into E-grade, or even already E-grade if they¡¯d chosen to remain after completing their soul lattice. As for Azmoth, Fay, and Genua¡­ things were not that way. Genua in particular had been taken by Amano and over eight hundred of the most powerful scions Gluttony¡¯s Church had here to escort her as she leveled up, making sure she was power-leveled effectively while keeping Gluttony¡¯s child safe as she lacked a minion contract that¡¯d let her respawn. While Azmoth, Fay, and even Athela to a lesser extent were pushed into battle after battle with monsters of the deep to either sink of swim. It was one of these occasions, in the alternate realm between floors, that Fay found herself in now. Beaten, bruised, and with an ugly festering wound on her side - she gasped and clawed at the strange black dirt as clouds crackled with sin energy far above them. A squid-like creature lay rotting at her side, and with signs of recent intervention on behalf of Fay¡¯s escorts. Lavini the redheaded succubus looked down at Fay with a frown. She sighed and shook her head slowly as the blue-type illusionist and curse specialist panted and coughed up blood on the floor. Glancing sideways to where some of the other five volunteer tutors had gathered to help whip Fay into shape, Lavini threw up her hands in exasperation. ¡°Fay.¡± Lavini stated with a hint of irritation in her words, and she leaned over the younger succubus to pour a healing potion over the girl - before handing the rest of it off for Fay to drink. ¡°How is it that you came to be one of the Reincarnation¡¯s minions?¡± Lavini poked Fay with her staff, getting a groan from the young woman and sighing when Fay still didn¡¯t get up. Lavini then took a cross-legged position and bent lower to whisper in Fay¡¯s ear. ¡°Answer me. I wish to know.¡± Fay, for her part, struggled desperately to raise herself off the black ground where her blood had left a pool underneath her. The wounds she had were slowly healing, and she coughed up a ball of phlegm before managing to sit upright and stare Lavini in the face. ¡°It was chance. He was not the Reincarnation yet.¡± ¡°But he still chose you. Why?¡± Lavini asked curiously, allowing Fay to use her arm as a support beam to maintain balance. Fay coughed again, grimaced at her torn clothes and the bloodstained boots Riven had gifted her, then slumped her shoulders. ¡°It was because I had a good set of utility spells, I think. I was a good fit for him because my illusions helped keep him alive.¡± Lavini blinked. ¡°I see. What kinds of enemies were you fighting back then?¡± ¡°Goblins, orcs, and humans mostly. On Panu.¡± ¡°And do you think that your spells are still able to do that? Against opponents like this?¡± Lavini gestured to the single squid creature, one that she¡¯d damaged beforehand to help Fay fight it. The monster was a level 161 Abyssal Prongsnapper, with large spikes coming out of its legs and hundreds of eyes across its upper body. Fay¡¯s grimace grew deeper. ¡°Of course not, a monster like that would give even the other Apex rankers on Panu a hard time. My charm wouldn¡¯t work on it. My dreamwalker illusions were dispersed by the creature just by a mere flex of its aura, and my curse of rot was too weak to damage it before it repaired its outer layers of skin until you helped me at the end. Curse trap was able to do a little bit, but not much. Dark pact doesn¡¯t work on myself to heal. The Willpower of the creature was too high for silvertongue to do anything other than briefly stagger it. If you¡¯re trying to point out that I¡¯m weak, I already know it as fact.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lavini smirked at the venom in Fay¡¯s words, and she patted the younger demoness on the back consolingly. ¡°As long as you truly do know, Fay. You see those other five that followed us here?¡± Lavini gave a brief gesture in their direction, where they stood a couple dozen meters away with folded arms and scowls on their faces - two incubi and three succubi. All of them were some of the best the descent could offer for their species. Fay hesitated. ¡°Yes, what about them?¡± Lavini gave her a knowing smile. ¡°Each and every one of them is hoping that you spectacularly fail Lillith¡¯s requirements, so that they can report to Lillith that you should be replaced. Either by themselves, or by one of their clan who they vouch for. What you have is the opportunity of a lifetime, and they want it.¡± Fay¡¯s face scrunched up in a combined look of embarrassment, rage, and horror. She spit blood, and her fingernails dug into her palms while she glared at the ground. ¡°Riven is mine. He would not so easily cast me away just because they want him to.¡± Lavini raised an eyebrow, then giggled and put a hand up to her face while spreading her wings. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not implying he would in the way you¡¯re implying. But Riven is different from Gluttony, child. You must realize that the Reincarnation¡¯s safety is of utmost importance for Gluttony¡¯s climb. According to Lillith, Riven is a very rare specimen based on intrinsic power and bloodline - one that can greatly help ease Gluttony¡¯s rise back to power. If he dies¡­ it will be a catastrophic blow to the Great Maw.¡± Lavini let the silence continue on after that for a little while, as Fay continued to look at the dirt in front of her. Lavini sighed. ¡°Your position as his mate is no doubt something that many would kill for, but that should not be your immediate concern. From what I am told, that is not what Lillith is concerned about either. What she is concerned about, however, is your status as a minion. They are not one in the same, and you could remain as his mate while not being his minion if need be. May I be frank?¡± Fay slowly looked up to the other succubus, then nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. You and the other minions Riven has collected are sub-par.¡± Lavini paused, waiting for Fay to get angry about the proclamation - but she only saw sadness and resignation in Fay¡¯s eyes. ¡°Perhaps Athela would have made it to The Abyssal Descent on her own, based on only her skill, but even she is incredibly lazy in her duties protecting Riven. As numerous others have pointed out, she is primarily a stealth-type assassin even despite her unique ability to swap between forms. She¡¯s also an archdemon, and her combat prowess is rather good. However, despite that, Riven has nearly died numerous times due to her innaction and inattentiveness, and Genua nearly died along with Gluttony¡¯s child because she was choosing to nap instead of keep guard. Do you know how often an archdemon actually needs to sleep?¡± Fay didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Not often.¡± Lavini stated, confirming the answer to her own question. ¡°Very, very rarely in fact. Do they enjoy it just like anyone else? I¡¯m sure. But when the fate of Gluttony¡¯s progeny hangs in the balance, perhaps having someone a little more on edge - one who is able AND WILLING to fulfill the duty of bodyguard - should be selected.¡± Lavini raised two fingers. ¡°On to his second minion, Azmoth. That child is barely five years old. Did you know that?¡± Fay turned her head in surprise. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Lavini confirmed with a nod of her head. ¡°At five years old, that hellscape brutalisk barely knows his right from left. His head is in the right place and he has a fierce loyalty to Riven, but he is still just a child. Thankfully he shows promise, but he¡¯s never been to the battlefields in the hellscapes even once. We¡¯re hoping that the other brutalisks here are able to show him how to fight properly, to tank for Riven properly, but that is still to be determined.¡± Lavini then held up a third finger. ¡°Then there¡¯s you. Tied with Genua for the title of being weakest of his minions, tied with an elf thrall of all things. Do you know what separates you from her though? And why out of all of his minions, it is you that is the biggest disappointment?¡± Fay sniffled, looking back to the ground, and shook her head silently as tears began to build in her eyes. ¡°It is because you have a contract that makes you nearly unkillable on an F-grade integration planet.¡± Lavini stated flatly, unmoved by Fay¡¯s despair and rising emotions. ¡°The three of you demons, all of you, should be utilizing your demonic contracts to their utmost. You die? So what, you can respawn 24 hours later. That is why contracts are so popular to begin with. But each attempt enables you to grab more levels, and here you are - still below level 60 and having entered the descent as what is likely one of the weakest participants here in the history of the event. Both you and Azmoth should have been grinding enemies, burying them beneath your might to keep up with Riven - but instead you¡¯ve both fallen so utterly far behind that I¡¯m not sure we can fix it by the time this descent is over with. So here¡¯s the thing - you need to prove yourself to Lillith and to everyone else that¡¯s watching. Prove that you can fix your bad habits, fix your attitude, and fix this severe level discrepancy in order to keep up with Riven. Because if you can¡¯t keep up, you will probably be designated to only being his lover while more competent demons take up the positions of his minion slots.¡± ¡°You say that, but Athela did die and I almost did too! And that was back on the F-grade planet you¡¯re talking about!¡± Fay protested. ¡°I¡¯m not intentionally trying to hold him back!¡± ¡°Intentionally? No. But your laziness and lack of action are doing so anyways. Riven has his own problems, but you are adding to them.¡± Lavini didn¡¯t back down from the glare Fay was throwing her way as the two women sat in the black dirt. Another woman¡¯s call came out from the sidelines where the five other succubi and incubi stood on the ledge. ¡°We will go find another weaker specimen for her to fight, Lavini. Wrap up your lecture so that we can continue the grinding!¡± With that, the five others began to walk away - looking for another of the relatively weaker abyssal creatures that roamed this ladder between floors. Lavini watched them go, then turned her gaze back to Fay who was still clenching her fists in self-hate and frustration. ¡°Fay. I am not saying these things to anger you. I am merely wanting to warn you in case these scenarios play out as expected. I truly do hope that you prove us all wrong, and that you can show not only me - but Lillith and everyone else in the church that you are worthy of remaining a minion. But no matter what happens, know that you will still have the standing and respect of all of us for being one that Riven cares so deeply about.¡± There was a pause. With those words, Fay¡¯s composure faltered - and she covered her face with her hands. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to be separated from him, Lavini. This is unfair, and I¡­ I want to be useful. I don¡¯t want him to befriend other demons, other women, that could take him away from me.¡± Lavini drew the other woman into a hug, patting her on the back. ¡°I know this is upsetting you, and I understand. It¡¯s a lot to be thrown into, and I doubt Riven would even want to replace you after hearing of how much he cares about all his minions. However, I¡¯m sure that if Lillith speaks to him about having you along being a potential liability - endangering not only himself, but you as well when assassins come for you¡­ He¡¯d probably be willing to see the change done. May I ask, do you know the three most common ways that a minion contract can be involuntarily shattered?¡± Fay took a while to reply, but regained her composure thereafter and let out a shaky breath. ¡°Weapons or skills related to the commandments, invasions of one¡¯s soul aperture, and invasion of one¡¯s nether realm to kill the demon there while it is unsummoned - though the last one is usually done by trickery as you can¡¯t brute force your way into a nether realm.¡± ¡°Good. Now considering who you are bonded to, the chances of those things happening will continue to escalate. The moment Riven steps off planet and into the greater multiverse, assuming that he is able to conquer Panu and uses Elysium to keep it hidden for the next century, he will have a target on his back. So you must understand that not being able to protect him from even other F-grades, when S-grades will be looking to stomp Gluttony flat before his rise to power can gain momentum¡­ it is just not something the church can risk.¡± Fay sniffled again. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Lillith bind herself as a minion then?¡± Lavini opened her mouth, then realized Fay was being serious. She cackled slightly and then calmed herself before waving Fay¡¯s ire down. ¡°I do not mean to mock you, I apologize. You see, Lillith doesn¡¯t have someone bound to her like Gluttony does. Lillith¡¯s rise to power will likely be far faster than Riven¡¯s because of this, even if Gluttony himself will end up causing Riven to match or surpass Lillith in the end should Riven not die. These early centuries of cultivation would be stagnated for Lillith if she was kept to a level cap equal to that of Riven¡¯s own, and she needs to grow strong fast to make sure she can protect Riven and Gluttony as they continue to rise together. Not only is there a level cap equal to the master¡¯s own, but you should already know that minion contracts reduce the amount of XP gained while underneath a master. Contracts add a certain amount of safety, but in return - a minion doesn¡¯t grow as fast as an unbound demon would if they both had the same experiences. Now¡­ Perhaps I can add some positivity to these training sessions by providing you with a gift.¡± Lavini opened her palm, and over her white skin a ball of green flames rippled into existence. She smiled at Fay¡¯s expression before using her other hand to open Fay¡¯s clenched fists. ¡°Raise your hands palm up, and I will pass you the flame. Your mission, as the others hunt for prey, is to stabilize this power and keep it there.¡± Fay blinked, and as Lavini passed the fireball over - it quickly fizzled out and then flared to singe the tips of Fay¡¯s fingers. ¡°Ow!¡± Lavini chuckled, shaking her head before producing another ball of green flames. ¡°Again. Take your time, hold the spell that I give to you there, and don¡¯t let it go.¡± Fay hesitated, but opened her palms face up to the sky again and nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what are those? Is that a curse?¡± Lavini winked. ¡°Oh yes, even now my insides are screaming in pain as I produce the flame. But we curse users are used to the give and take that is required of such spells, for greater power of course¡­ wouldn¡¯t you say? You don¡¯t happen to be the only curse user here, and these flames not only burn you - but they afflict your enemies with a very specific debuff that you can stack and then activate. We¡¯ll talk about details later, but for now - just know that it is your best interest to learn some real hard-hitting long ranged attacks. Because right now, your offensive power is actually rather pathetic.¡± Chapter 265 Chapter 265 ¡°OH GODS!¡± Athela cried, dramatically flopping onto the floor with a splat - as the blood she was covered in made a woman-sized smudge on the floor around her. ¡°I WANT TO DIE! A PRINCESS SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO THIS KIND OF BRUTAL TORTURE! PHYSICAL LABOR IS FOR PEASANTS, NOT A PRINCESS SUCH AS I!¡± Lillith for her part, stepped over Athela¡¯s prone form and quickly joined Riven at the ornate round table of food where he was already starting to eat from - surrounded by servants of various demonic races. ¡°For one as melodramatic as her-¡± Lillith pointed over her shoulder with a hiked thumb in Athela¡¯s direction underneath the candle light of a chandelier. ¡°-I¡¯m surprised at her level of competence. Her family has sent a very humble request to meet with me, and after today¡¯s displays - I very well might indulge them to congratulate them on raising such an excellent young woman.¡± Riven stopped chewing on the bread he¡¯d been eating and looked over Lillith to where Athela still lay face-down on the floor. He chuckled, shaking his head - then winced at the recent wounds he¡¯d acquired from the arena just earlier that day. Despite his vampirism, his healing was significantly reduced when dealing with cursed attacks. ¡°Is she doing alright then?¡± ¡°More than alright. She¡¯s a real talent.¡± Lillith stretched her right hand over the table and plucked some fruit and freshly chopped meat from a display, putting them on her plate. ¡°She just needs the seriousness of her position impressed upon her. I think she¡¯ll do nicely once she actually applies her skills regularly to protecting you. Speaking of which, how is the mana zone technique coming along? Have you found the items and people I asked you to find yet?¡± Riven gave a half-smile and shook his head, looking around the dining hall. Inwardly he continued sending out monotonous pulses of mana - interchanging what type of mana he sent to throw off whoever was still hiding from him. ¡°Not exactly. I¡¯ve found two of the five people, and no items.¡± ¡°Where are the people you¡¯ve found?¡± Riven pointed to the ceiling direction above the chandelier, and then to an empty seat to Lillith¡¯s left. ¡°Those two.¡± The swamp weaver spider above them loudly cursed, unveiling herself from stealth as a horse-sized six-legged monstrosity before it skittered out of the room grumbling. Meanwhile the chair next to Lillith saw a blue-haired, red-eyed, robed woman with a single long black horn protruding from her head materialize - while holding a cup of tea to her lips. The horned woman sipped her tea and put it silently down on a porcelain plate, nodding approvingly. ¡°I was worried you weren¡¯t going to find me, considering I am the closest to you in proximity I should have been the easiest. Well done nonetheless, it is an honor to help serve the Reincarnation.¡± Politely nodding to both Riven and Lillith, the stranger silently got up and left the room to follow the arachnid out. Lillith gave him an approving smile to match the previous woman, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back in her large cushioned chair. ¡°You¡¯re getting better over these past weeks, and quickly. But tell me¡­ you noticed those two because they had blood affinities - didn¡¯t you?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow and rested his elbows on the table over a steaming hot bowl of refined soup that a servant had just set down. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°To be expected, I suppose.¡± Lillith sighed, inspecting her black fingernails one by one. ¡°Your Blood Subpillar is of course your highest affinity, so the mana there is more eager to do your bidding. The others in the room are not of the blood affinities though, so you¡¯ll likely have a harder time finding them. However you are still not allowed to leave this room until they are found. Understand?¡± Riven rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes mom.¡± The archdemon slowly turned her head and raised an eyebrow his way. ¡°Excuse me young man?¡± Riven chuckled at the barely hidden amusement on the corners of her lips, and then he nodded. ¡°I mean yes, oh dark goddess of shadowy violent ends - I will obey thine orders to the letter!¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s better.¡± She crossed her legs and waved a hand at Athela who was still nearly passed out on the floor behind them. ¡°Athela dear? Are you alright?¡± Only a low groan escaped Athela¡¯s mouth as she mumbled something under her breath. ¡°I do believe she gained from over exerting herself against abyssal creatures. Servants? Please help Athela to Riven¡¯s room for a bath and bed. She did well today and deserves some time off.¡± Lillith snapped her fingers and four humanoid demons quickly went to pick her up, before bodily carrying her away through the next hall. ¡°Now Riven, whenever you¡¯re switching up your mana pulses, try circulating the mana through your core a few times before actually pushing it through your pillars. Doing that will enable you to concentrate the mana for a quicker and more potent burst, and makes the mana more sensitive when using it to scan your surroundings.¡± ¡°Circulate it through my core¡­?¡± Riven muttered to himself, confused. He cocked his head to one side. ¡°I¡¯ve never really tried that before. Like, recycle it and keep it stable internally in my soul realm? What would be the point in that?¡± The blank stare he gave Lillith caused her to laugh, and she put one hand over her eyes while shaking her head. ¡°Oh my¡­ Gluttony is certainly being lazy if he hasn¡¯t told you even this much. Just¡­ just humor me. And try it.¡± It almost looked like she was embarrassed. Closing his eyes and folding his arms, he took time to evaluate his internal soul realm. Cracks still remained along the pillars that¡¯d once been shattered by Elysium¡¯s powerful strikes, from when he¡¯d used his bloodline prophecy one too many times and suffered a tribulation. Those cracks radiated with the sin energy used to repair the pillars, along the pillars of Unholy, Shadow, Blood, Infernal and Death in equal amounts - but above all, the Sin Subpillar that¡¯d once been an alternate core shone brilliantly in a deep, almost black purple. He ignored the sigils representing skills, the bridges of black and red that criss-crossed thousands of times over between his shadow and blood subpillars - the beginnings of his soul lattice, to focus on the bright white core that supported all the pillars in the very center like a brilliant globe. There, in the center of it all, he began to summon mana to do his bidding. Like a factory lit aflame, the soul core went to work producing energy. It was a pure, raw energy - one that hadn¡¯t yet been converted by his pillars into type or function. It was not mana, divinity, or stamina - but rather it was the basic ingredient to all skills. He built it, and built it, and built it. Over and over again he watched the pure, raw energy circulate like a building vortex until his body began to hum with power yet to be let loose as more and more was produced. Not pushing it through his core like he was so used to doing had put him in new territory, and although the act was a simple one - he didn¡¯t really understand what the point of all this was. Yet he trusted Lillith¡¯s words and experience, until that same white, radiant energy radiating from his core enveloped his very body as the room began to shake. And then as it continued to make contact with the universe around him, that same radiant white energy began to turn into an ever-changing multitude of colors. His eyes flicked open, gazing at the swirling, powerful yet simultaneously peaceful cloud of raw power around him. ¡°Good.¡± Lillith commented, staring at him with an intensity he hadn¡¯t seen before. She steepled her fingers and leaned closer. ¡°That multi-colored light around you that you¡¯re seeing now? Only you can see it, no one else in the room can visualize that power. Remember that. Now, release it¡­ and when you¡¯re done, immediately cycle to the next pillar. And then the next, and the next, until you¡¯ve returned to the original.¡± Riven kept eye contact and continued under her instruction. This time, when he pushed energy into his pillars for another pulse of mana - the energy kept some of that raw, wild nature that sent tingles down his spine. The first pillar he sent it down was the Death Subpillar, and with an invisible pulse of mana he swept his senses across the room. Still nothing in terms of the three remaining hidden people, but he did pick up on one of the items Lillith had hidden. Curiously reaching over the table and fumbling for a bit, he grasped a cold metal object. Upon contact, the object materialized and brought it over the table to hold in front of his face to inspect with interest. It wasn¡¯t anything special, just a fork, but this fork had been imbued with some kind of Death aspect that¡¯d allowed it to go unseen for the entire time he¡¯d been sitting here at the table. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°An aspect similar to how phantoms innately blend in with their surroundings.¡± Lillith commented smugly while Riven set the fork down. ¡°A personal favorite of mine. Do you see how much more the mana reacted to your probing task when you circulated it beforehand?¡± Riven nodded, lost in thought. ¡°That kind of thing can apply not only to simple tasks such as this, but you can actually empower skills the same way. I¡¯m more than certain you¡¯ve intentionally charged skills to build up their power before, to make them hit harder or fly faster. Perhaps go farther. But¡­¡± Lillith held up a finger. ¡°Circulating your energy before actually pushing it through your pillars allows it to become¡­ Eh¡­ how should I say this? Adaptable? Yes, adaptable. It is more adaptable to your will, and retains some of the wild flair that it would otherwise lose out on if you pushed it through a pillar too early. Because of this, charging spells, or any type of ability really, can be made better by the very basic and simple concept of circulating your energy before pushing and converting it through pillars. When you push it in too fast, it becomes somewhat rigid in its nature. Now, can you think of any reason why this couldn¡¯t be used in a real battle? Any specific scenarios?¡± Riven¡¯s jaw had dropped, and he barely caught the end of her sentence. How had he not discovered this already? It wasn¡¯t as if it¡¯d been some kind of elusive secret, he¡¯d just thought it natural to create the spell and then build it up afterwards. But doing that in reverse, by building it up prior to release, made mana manipulation all that much more potent. He¡¯d have to try this out on the battlefield. ¡°Riven?¡± Lillith prodded, amused. He snapped out of it. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Lillith. I did not mean to ignore you, I just¡­ I just can¡¯t believe I overlooked something so simple. To answer your question¡­ I assume that in a very fast paced battle, I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep circulating the mana. I¡¯d need to buy time to do something like this, because the process is far slower than building a spell externally - rather than internally.¡± She nodded sagely. ¡°You are directly on the mark. Creating a spell and then firing it, even if you take time to charge it on the outside, is far faster than building it internally by rotating it in your soul core. You wouldn¡¯t be able to do this rapidly, and releasing any kind of skill will automatically expel the energy you¡¯ve been rotating - so this is yet another downside. If you are forced into switching abilities, you could inadvertently release the wrong spell at an amplified level and deplete your energy reserves on something you¡¯d rather not - while needing to start over on the spell you¡¯d initially wanted to cast. So tell me, what does this imply when fighting enemy combatants?¡± ¡°It means that if I am able to determine that they¡¯re rotating their mana, I can force them into acting in a way that dispels their energy gathering on something useless.¡± ¡°Precisely. But how do you tell whether or not they¡¯re actually acquiring power internally, when most can only sense external power buildup?¡± He paused. ¡°Wait, does this mean I can unleash high-power attacks out of nowhere with little to no warning against enemies? Like a surprise attack, without them realizing I¡¯m building power?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± Lillith stated flatly. ¡°Yes for people who don¡¯t realize what to look for, and no to people who do. Now, that being said, I will repeat myself - how do you tell whether or not they¡¯re actually acquiring that power buildup internally within their soul core?¡± The room went silent, and Riven frowned as he glared at the soup bowl in front of him with furrowed brows. ¡°I have no fucking idea.¡± Lillith responded with a cackling laugh. ¡°Well at least you can admit when you¡¯re lacking! Perhaps you should ask Gluttony. He¡¯d be better at describing it than I am.¡± *** Gentry nervously glanced at the two ELITE class devils walking on either side of him. Huge, hulking, winged creatures with red skin and black horns - they each stood inbetween two and three times his height with enormous claws that gripped halberds that made his jade scimitar look like a child¡¯s toy. They were also each at the pinnacle of what was allowed to remain in the descent, in terms of power and level, and walking here with them had been something of an obvious irritation for both archdemons. But hey. At least he got that escort like he¡¯d been promised after weeks of waiting, even if Riven had completely forgotten about it for a time. Wiping sweat off his forehead and finishing the trek to what he thought was his sister¡¯s manor on the third floor of the descent, he approached the gate where two dozen drow cultivators were wordlessly sizing him up - along with the two escorts he¡¯d come with. In the backdrop was a three-story mansion made of dark gray and black stone similar to everything else that was built down here, but the sigil on the gate was familiar to him and was displayed in the same jade green that his weapon was made out of. Sighing in relief, he glanced at the baren surroundings of the third floor his sister had set up on - before turning to his escorts. It was a land of ashen hills, with black skies and minimal life. Certainly not the prettiest place to be. He bowed low in a sign of respect. ¡°Thank you for the time and patience you have demonstrated to bring me here, great ones. I will not forget the kindness Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation has shown me today.¡± One of the devils didn¡¯t even acknowledge him, and just turned around to start walking away. The other one snorted in annoyance, and replied with a deep rumbling voice: ¡°Try to survive, dark elf. The dangers are only greater the farther down you go, and not having the strength to proceed even to here makes me question why you came.¡± Gentry winced, then nodded. But he didn¡¯t know what to say to that, and just stood there - embarrassed, until the devil turned to follow the other. ¡°Gentry.¡± A familiar female voice called out to him, and he turned around to see that none other than his elder sister had come to the forefront of the group of drow elves. She had immaculate robes on, long white hair done up in a set of three separate ponytails, and was dressed in dark blue cultivator robes similar to his own. At her side were two jade scimitars just like his, though hers were chipped and worn - and she motioned for him to come closer with a hurried wave of one hand. He¡¯d never seen his older sister in person. He¡¯d only very briefly communicated with her through waystones with his parents from time to time, incredibly expensive ones at that. Most of their communications had been through their mutual parents, as time spent talking over such methods were limited. So the fact that she¡¯d so quickly picked him out by name and knew who he was¡­ it was a little bit odd. He¡¯d almost guessed that he¡¯d need to convince her, but that hadn¡¯t been the case. Still, given the way she was warily looking around at the barren landscape and shooting the two devils glances as they took to the dark skies with large flapping wings - something felt off. He quickly hurried over and was about to greet her when she abruptly grabbed his wrist and pulled him in close. ¡°Are they the only ones that took you here? Are there any others?¡± Gentry¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, irritation, and surprise as he yanked his arm back out of her grasp as the other drow men and women standing nearby gazed at him. ¡°No!¡± ¡°No what!?¡± His sister pressed, hissing under her breath as she watched them begin to go. ¡°Hurry and answer!¡± ¡°No, there aren¡¯t any others! Why?! Is something the matter, Asha? This is certainly an odd way to greet family for the first time.¡± His frown only deepened when his older sister gave a curt nod to one of the other cultivators standing in front of the manor, and that man quickly picked up a stone from his pocket and began speaking into it. Genty was about to say something else to try and clear up what exactly it was that was going on here, when an explosion echoed across the barren landscape and a scream lodged itself in his ears. He whipped around, and to his horror and building confusion - he saw what could only be described as an enormous, writhing mass of green slugs, worms and leeches of astronomical size reach up hundreds of yards into the sky to snatch one of the huge devils in a vice grip. Blood sprayed. Muscles tore. Bones snapped. He watched in disgusted awe as he saw the swarm of creatures rip and tear the gigantic demon to shreds as it screamed and cried out in agonizing pain as it was eaten alive, until it was swallowed whole by the pillar of flesh that''s consumed it - only a single red, clawed hand sticking out and trying to drag itself back out before that too disappeared amidst the swarm. The other devil had not been idle during this time, and was engaged in a frantic duel with other pillars of flesh created out of the swarming, sickly green creatures that dug into the demon¡¯s red flesh and began burrowing as he created cascades of fire to wipe them away. The devil swooped and dove, dodging chain-lightning strikes from some of the flesh pillars only to be caught by others when they missed - and were flung back. The sky itself seemed to explode with green haze as a multitude of grotesque, gigantic, bloodshot eyeballs snapped open in the clouds - and the very ground all around the devil exploded into motion as a creature of astronomical proportions unveiled itself from where it¡¯d been buried. Despite the devil¡¯s own large size and prowess, it was quickly crushed and contained - being dragged screaming into a writhing mass of flesh that clicked and hissed with sin energy. The eyeballs then turned to Gentry, and a feeling of overwhelming dread overtook him as his body went rigid with fear. ¡°Greed¡­ The great sin of Greed, is moving. I don¡¯t know what friends you made or how you know Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation, but you need to do everything they tell you to do. Tell them everything they ask of you and don¡¯t hold back, or it won¡¯t just be us that die here in this forsaken realm of the dark.¡± His sister, Asha whispered as if trying not to be overheard even though the monster was so far away. ¡°And that one you see swarming in the earth and sky, the one digesting those two archdemons? That is the one they call ¡®The Gambler.¡¯¡± Gentry¡¯s face went even paler. His mind was racing, and it was hard to digest what he was being told. Had he really somehow gotten involved in a struggle straight out of bad fairy tales? Ones that involved two of the great sins? Here? Him? He let out a shuddering breath. ¡°The¡­ The one the storybooks talk about?¡± Asha¡¯s rigid face became grim, but she kept her words to a low hiss. ¡°Yes. Tell them whatever it is you know, and perhaps we will live to tell the tale.¡± Before there was time for him to respond, another unfamiliar voice called. ¡°Drow boy¡­ Gentry, I believe?¡± A hissing, reptilian voice shouted out from where the others had gathered, and it took all of Gentry¡¯s willpower to turn around to the voice that¡¯d addressed him. There, standing in the doorway, was a blue-scaled naga. He was very scarred, had a dorsal fin marked with holes and tears, and had a prosthetic purple eye on one side. He bore a spear of bones with notches all over the weapon, and wore a silver hood with blue trimmings depicting a kraken on the top when he bowed his head. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you Gentry.¡± The naga stated slyly, righting himself, and letting out an aura of sin that smashed into all the drow there, as a pentagram of deep purple light tore open on his chest with the sigil of two clawed hands closing in on a world. ¡°My name is Netithi Bluskish, and my new patron - Greed - wishes me to hunt down a very particular person here in the descent. I¡¯m hoping that you can help me, and in turn you will be helping yourself¡­ I know that the Gambler can be very, very persuasive if he needs to be. So I was hoping that you¡¯d enlighten us on the details of where you¡¯ve been these past weeks, and just who you got to know.¡± Chapter 266 Chapter 266 [Riven¡¯s Quest #6 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: This is a minion-based quest. Only Athela can complete this quest as a representative of you. Assisting Athela will result in a loss of 20 points and no reward. A Race to Steal the Orb: Other participants hailing from both Cultist and Non-Cultist groups in The Altars of Despair and Hope event have been tasked with killing the defending lord of a city in Universe 71, and then taking a particular glass orb he keeps in a safe at the center of his fortress. The city is currently under siege from enemy forces, and they are set on destroying this orb at all costs. With the city set to fall within coming days, it is a race between your minion Athela and the eleven other participants to see who can get to the orb first. Once collected, bring it back to the portal and return to the Apocalypse Beast¡¯s pocket realm to acquire an additional 100 points and an automatic unlocking for all the orb¡¯s protected features. Respawns for this quest have been set at a randomized location within 200 yards of the quest portal entering this realm, which only participants of the Apocalypse Beasts can see, and respawn timers for all 12 chosen participants have been set to 1 hour respawn timers while inside Universe 71 until this quest is done. Total Event Points Already Accumulated: 124] >>> This quest is currently active.] Having left The Abyssal Descent was far easier with the system itself helping her out, and she¡¯d even been granted a ¡®Return to The Abyssal Descent¡¯ button on her status page even despite being able to return to her master with her demonic summoning. Perhaps there were normally restrictions on such things when concerning pocket realms? Athela wasn¡¯t quite sure. But with Riven, Azmoth, Fay, and Genua all being cooped up in Lillith¡¯s training regimens that were now picking up with intensity - Athela was the one who¡¯d completed the last few quests for Riven in his stead. It was one of the perks of having minions, she supposed, and it¡¯d quickly stopped the stagnation of gaining event points. When compared to Nora Lang, who was also getting training from Lillith here and there, Riven had fallen behind by almost 80 points before having Athela go back to the Apocalypse Beast¡¯s pocket realm to keep the flow going. During her quests: Athela had defeated a small portaled-in dungeon full of serpentine humanoids, had collected various herbs in a designated zone defended by goddamn dragons that could eat her whole of all things, went through a puzzle labyrinth full of lava pits, and had assassinated three other enemy cultists while running interference on their own quests. The smug look she currently wore on her face while remembering how they¡¯d died said it all, and she¡¯d even received notifications letting her know they¡¯d failed to collect the points due to her - netting her even more points for Riven in the process. Still, after being transported through yet another portal in this odd mix-and-mash of pocket-realm portal networks, she hadn¡¯t ever seen anything quite like this. It was the scene out of a sci-fi novel so many of Riven¡¯s people from Earth used to like. F-grade and a few scattered E-grade signatures lit up her mana sense as two fleets of starships battled in a sky full of stars and nebulas - and the planet on one side of the backdrop made Athela realize she was now standing on a large, rocky moon of some kind. Boxy metal craft with green light emanating from their engines were the offensive fleet supporting a ground force of what she could only assume to be some variant of earth golems that used siege weaponry to shoot magma based explosive devices at the defenders. The defenders for their part were humans, but with rather tall and thin statures compared to the ones from Panu that she was so used to. Their ships were fewer in number, sharper-looking, and appeared to be made of glass. They were mostly bunkered up behind hundreds of layers of plasma shields that created a patchwork, pseudo-dome defensive array - and used similarly constructed plasma weapons such as rifles and swords to take on the tide of earth golems cased in molten rock. The front lines of the fight were an absolute madhouse, and ramps lead up to different sets of battlements stacked one behind the other before coming to what appeared to be a small city - and then a palace of some kind in the very center. The walls of both the battlements and the palace were created from white stone and engraved with purple runes all over that reinforced their defensive capabilities, as was evident by the way they often stood strong even when explosive detonations made it through the patchwork of independent plasma shields. Many of the city¡¯s smaller buildings were not so lucky, however, and numerous fires or craters now littered the landscape inbetween the surrounding battlements and the central palace. As for Athela, she remained standing beside multiple blood spots on the lip of the moon¡¯s crater she¡¯d personally painted over the past few minutes. Funnily enough the cultists would- Ah, there was another one. The portal began to shimmer and flux. Athela rapidly condensed into a bloody pool underneath where the portal was located, waiting for the next target to arrive so she could set them on a cooldown too, and watched with an internal cackle as a familiar face came into view. Splashing into the pool of blood that was Athela¡¯s body, the drow woman death knight that Riven had fought on his very first quest here stepped onto the moon¡¯s rocky terrain and blinked - looking up to stare at the battling fleets. With her Total Silence ability still active, Athela immediately retook her arshakai form behind the death knight. Her black, ruby studded tiara gleamed under the light of the nebulas and firefights overhead, and her bloodsilk black and red cloak flared about her while a malevolent wide smile took over her features. Athela flicked her wrists and called the Twin Doves out of her heart space with practiced ease. Two red katanas tore out of her chests, forming from spiraling ribbons of red liquid, and she then struck with two ¡®Backstab¡¯ martial arts just as ¡®Mark of the Hunter¡¯ activated. [Mark of the Hunter (Blood): This martial art highlights potential threats in a large area around you and allows you to focus in on one of them. Has a chance to reveal stealthed enemies depending on compared Perception, Willpower, and Luck. All damage done to this target will include a 0.4% additional bleed damage that stacks with each strike, increases your chance of Critical Strikes against them by 7%, increases any attempts at stealth while stalking them by 5%, and allows you to pull on the mark just once - destroying the mark in their soul and giving a high chance to make your target freeze up in fear for 2 seconds. Very High Cooldown.] [Backstab (Shadow): Strike at the back of your enemy while remaining stealthed to your target. If you are noticed by your target prior to the strike, this martial art will partially fail and only give the possibility of a minor bonus with critical damage. If you successfully strike while remaining unnoticed, you will gain a much larger and guaranteed bonus to critical damage. Critical strike damage ranged from 3x to 10x the normal damage done. No cooldown.] [The Twin Red Doves (Awakened Weapons, Dual-Wielding Set. Blood Artifacts. Twin Katanas.): 899 average damage on strike with each physical strike on flesh adding a guaranteed stack of the ¡®Bleed¡¯ debuff for damage over time. Hidden strikes that land before an opponent is aware cause additional guaranteed damage of +5%. If the strike is a critical hit, deal an additional x2 critical modifier. These items, when bound to a wielder, may be stored in the heart of the wielder and withdrawn at will. These items are nearly indestructible while the bound wielder is still alive. Requires a Blood Affinity of over 51% to wield. Her red blades crashed into and through the bone armor of the death knight as spiraling ripples of kinetic critical energy tore it apart in a flash of bone and blood. [You have landed a critical hit. Max Damage x6.] [You have landed a critical hit. Max Damage x9.] [Additional x2 critical modifier applied.] [Additional x2 critical modifier applied.] Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. [You have applied bleeding stacks.] [You have applied bleeding stacks.] [You have applied bleeding stacks.] The death knight¡¯s chest ripped open as Athela¡¯s blades passed through with the force of her critical energies, and the surprised drow woman screamed in pained horror while activating some kind of ability. Or at least she tried to. But Athela sensed the pulse of mana before it fully manifested and pulled on Mark of the Hunter, shattering the mark inside the woman¡¯s soul and causing her to freeze up. The death knight fell to her knees with a gasp as Athela violently ripped her katanas out and unleashed her six arachnid legs from her back, the sharp black blades flaring out to either side of her before they slammed down into the warrior¡¯s neck at different angles. With a wrench, Athela decapitated the woman - flinging her head in a spinning, bloody spiral off to the side. The death knight¡¯s body went limp, hit the ground to begin dumping her fluids onto the rocky terrain, and she abruptly vanished as the system claimed her. [You have defeated an enemy cultist. She will respawn in 1 hour. You have gained 4 Event Points.] [You have charged your Tiara of Silent Killing by successfully killing a target without being noticed by anyone else. 100% chance to applying an additional 2x-8x critical strike damage from your next attack.] Atheal looked down at the newest of her blood spots littering the ground and cackled viciously, shoved her katanas back into her heart, and began walking towards the battle in the distance. Vanishing into the darkness, she became one with the shadows. *** ¡°Spider girl! Spider girl, does whatever a spider girl does!¡± Athela skittered over the heads of numerous warriors killing one another in the hallway below, humming softly to herself amidst the explosive barrage of skills and weapons only twelve feet underneath her current position. Her Blood Weaver form was the smallest of her three forms and gave her the best chance of sneaking inside, and thus far it''d worked out pretty well. ¡°What I need is a princess form.¡± Athela muttered to herself, turning a corner in the damaged hallway along the ceiling and coming to an abrupt halt when a turret spun her way. ¡°Shit!¡± The turret fired, and she vanished in a puff of darkness as a clean edge of plasma annihilated the spot she¡¯d been only a moment before. Grumbling to herself, she watched the turret turn back around to settle on the hallway beneath in a ready position while she considered her next options. Currently she was inside her ¡®Limited Shroud Storage¡¯. It was a shadow ability that she¡¯d originally been using in her Dryder form to store various trinkets, but more recently she¡¯d figured out that - due to her small size in this blood weaver form - she could actually hide herself inside her own pocket of shadow as long as she didn¡¯t change back into a dryder or arshakai. It was a nifty trick, and she was proud of herself for figuring it out. But despite her success at dodging that last attack, she still didn¡¯t want to draw any attention by destroying that turret and was currently just waiting in what others would see as a cloudy dark patch of ceiling that more or less blended in with the surroundings. It may even look like a scorch mark from the plasma that¡¯d just been fired. The corner she¡¯d just turned also let her see a large swath of humans setting up additional barricades and more turrets in anticipation of the firefight just around the bend coming their way - and they were right to do so as hundreds of molten earth golems continued to fight and die in an aggressive attempt to kill the humans guarding the passage. A distraction was needed. Or perhaps¡­ Her eyes flicked towards a dead female combatant in a white and gray engineer¡¯s uniform - which was a stark contrast to the dark purple and silver uniforms of the warrior class these humans had. She was human too, with a hole blown in her chest, and she¡¯d been discarded as a corpse along with a couple of the men while the defenders desperately tried to hold the onslaught back. ¡°Leh sigh.¡± *** It wasn''t often that Athela got to use her shapeshifting abilities, but now was as good as any to try it. Pulling herself out of the hallway¡¯s corner where she¡¯d been discretely changing her face and skin complexion in the dark, the skin felt stretched as she walked back into the light. She had carved a shallow but bloody wound into her chest to match the hole in the uniform she¡¯d stolen, and had tossed the corpse underneath other bodies in the ¡®discard pile¡¯ the defenders were currently using here. Other dead were dragged by as humans of this moon base rapidly passed her by while she oriented herself, until one of them stopped and gestured to her with a gawking expression. ¡°You''re mortally injured! What by Drya¡¯s name are you still doing here!!?? Get to the medical bay now! And then come back to your post, that¡¯s an order!¡± ¡°Yes cap!¡± Athela gave a salute, and she wasn¡¯t sure whether or not it was the phrase - or the unfamiliar gesture - but the warrior blinked rapidly and shook his head before tossing another of the dead bodies onto the pile she¡¯d just left before turning back to the front line. Meanwhile, Athela was pretending to limp rapidly through the hallway full of other engineers setting up barricades and turrets. Eyeing the one that¡¯d fired at her earlier as it scanned a badge she¡¯d picked up from the body, the turret let her go without issue. She stuck her tongue out at it when she was all the way through, and then considered talking to another man who was quickly typing into a computer embedded into the side of the wall. She was tempted to ask him where the commander¡¯s quarters were, but then stopped herself. She didn¡¯t even know if they called their leaders ¡®commanders¡¯ here, and asking would be somewhat suspicious. Not only that, but she was supposed to be headed to the medical bay and her sternum was still dripping blood down her chest with the self-inflicted wound. Sighing again and ignoring the man¡¯s strained expression when he turned her way, she continued down the hall and took a left when it came to a three-way fork. Then she began exploring, and set off on what could only be described as a wild goose chase. Hours passed, and the intricate nature of the base quickly became apparent as one room after another was scouted out while constantly brushing off concerned individuals who insisted on helping her to the medical bay. She told them all to fuck off, in nicer words than that, insisting that she was fine - and she was also losing time being in this slow shape-shifted human form to boot. But turrets were stationed all over the damn place in this underground bunker part of the defenses, and though she saw some war-hounds the size of horses outfitted in plasma-crafted armor - her shape shifting abilities were limited to arachnid and female-humanoid only. She couldn¡¯t change into a dog even if she wanted to, but it certainly would have made things faster in terms of getting around if she¡¯d been able. Intelligence hubs, ammo depots, armories and rushing groups of reinforcements were in high supply as the very base itself shook under the barrage from time to time. It was inside one of these intelligence hubs on the outer rim of the base, in an attempt to skirt around the room towards another hallway that she thought would lead into the inner city, that she found herself in now. Screens lit up with footage of the battle and troop movements from both enemies and allies alike. ¡°SQUADS 12 AND 78, REINFORCE SECTOR B11! I REPEAT, REINFORCE SECTOR B11!¡± The commanding officer in this part of the base screamed through the coms while his soldiers on the other side of the communications line died horrible, gruesome deaths. ¡°WE CANNOT ALLOW THEM TO TAKE THE SECTOR OR THIS ENTIRE WING OF THE BASE IS LOST! YOU ARE THE LAST LINE BEFORE WE ARE FORCED TO RETREAT DEEPER INTO THE CITY! THE CIVILIANS-¡± BOOM His voice was cut off as an explosion eradicated the wall to Athela¡¯s left, sending a cloud of molten rock and metal inwards as a titanic figure of an earth golem barrelled through. Screams of the humans rose up as they tried to flee, but there were too many of them and now there was only one way out - the small hallway Athela had been trying to get to before big-and-bad made an ¡°OH YEAH¡± kool-aid appearance seconds beforehand. The golem, for his part, was flanked by a few others that¡¯d apparently dug a tunnel through the earth to get here before crashing through the metal wall. Up close and personal, they were a lot more intimidating than they¡¯d been far away. Especially this one in the front, considering he was both bulkier and taller than any of the others Athela had seen so far. Standing at nearly twenty feet tall - He had no eyes, but veins of magma pulsed at his joints and all along his featureless rock face. A huge blood-stained axe was held in one hand, also covered in veins of magma, and in the other hand he what was akin to a bazooka - which was currently aimed at the mass of struggling people that were screaming in terror and attempting to all squeeze through the one hallway leading away. For the few brave souls who were charging the golem, they were flattened by the other stone compatriots flanking him. One of the golems fell to a rifle blast and a plasma sword to the midsection, crumbling into a pile in death, while the humans sustained a dozen casualties almost instantly as they were caught off guard. ¡°Jorgi the Destroyer¡­¡± One of the officers in purple uniform let out a horrified whisper, eyes wide and stepping back from the large foremost figure while ignoring the other soldiers who were quickly being killed in an attempt to fight the golems off. The officer fell to his knees, slack jawed, as the bazooka began to light up with energy in a charged attack. ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re doomed¡­¡± Athela, for her part, was caught between a rock and a hard place and figured she didn¡¯t have much of a choice in the matter. Especially because the bazooka was pointed just to the right of where she currently stood. Despite the creature being in what she felt was likely low E-grade, she¡¯d have to fight. So much for the stealth approach. The bazooka let off a discharge of molten energy, the crowd let out a desperate cry, and the room lit up with a flash. A cloud of steam exploded between the crowd of humans and the earth golems, but there was no actual impact. Surprised eyes turned back as a new figure loomed in the flickering lights of the underground bunker, and the sound of sharp, scythe-like legs smashed into the metal floor of the room between them. Crystalline Maw Cannon activated, and a torrent of sin, glacial, and storm energies ripped open from Athela¡¯s gluttonous vertical mouth across her front - tearing into the golems like a battering ram. The explosion detonated and flung the cloud of steam away, revealing the huge archdemon as frost began to accumulate around the room and her body began to spark with currents of lightning. Four red eyes over a grinning smile narrowed, and crystalline flowers began to bloom along her white skin as spiders began crawling out from the mouth that¡¯d so recently obliterated so many of the earth golems inside the advance tunnel. Jorgi the Destroyer picked himself out of the crater he¡¯d been lodged in further down the tunnel and looked at the scattered remnants of his soldiers, before turning his gaze upon Athela¡¯s form that was even larger than his own. His voice came out as gravel upon cement, and seemed to come from somewhere with his face despite lacking a mouth. ¡°Archdemon¡­ Legendary status. I did not realize the humans here dabbled in dark magics and the art of summoning. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps this will allow for a good fight after all. A diamond in the rough, found amongst the piles of organic shit your meatbag masters have otherwise thrown at me.¡± He lifted his axe as it reformed in his hand from the shards Athela had blasted away, lowered his head, and gestured at her with his free hand - ignoring the still smoldering line gauged into his front that the blast had created not long ago. ¡°Come to me, demon. Let us dance.¡± Chapter 267 Chapter 267 Commander Redgar of the human alliance watched in awe as Jorgi the Destroyer and this unknown archdemon laid waste to the underground in sector B12. Through camera footage, he and a good amount of the officers under his leadership were staring at a few screens on different angles where the titanic monsters crashed into each other with a speed and ferocity that outmatched anything any of them could ever hope to achieve. Not only that, but Jorgi was slowly losing. The pompous, arrogant mass murderer was taking blow after blow as the golem was swarmed with spiders created out of frost, electrified snowflakes, razor-sharp red threads, and sharp arachnid limbs that shot out like pistons to throw him back whenever the golem got too close. In return that axe wielding barbarian was trying to close the gap over and over again, but whenever he got too close the demon would shift into one of her two other forms and disappear - only to reappear with blinding speed to another part of the room before re-emerging in her dryder form to launch attacks that were obviously empowered by her larger size somehow. To counteract this, Jorgi had turned the room into a molten pit of lava and attacked her with earthen spikes that ruptured from the ground at range - but the demon had repeatedly frozen the lava pit over and was doing a good job in dodging most of the incoming earth spikes. Commander Redgar caught his breath when it looked like Jorgi was about to land a ¡®Cataclysmic Swing¡¯ of his axe, but the dao empowered strike only created a crater in the large underground room and was violently counterattacked with a dryder foot through the back. The arachnid leg cracked through where a human¡¯s spine would be and out the other side of the golem¡¯s chest, and as Jorgi roared in rage and whirled his axe around to hit the demon - the dryder popped into her blood weaver form and cackled maliciously; before rapidly gaining a foothold and crawling inside the hole she¡¯d just made. ¡°What¡­ What is she doing!?¡± One of the officers exclaimed, horrified as others began to cheer or yell out that she should get away. ¡°The demon knows his body will mend itself, and she¡¯ll be trapped in a molten rock body without a way out! WHAT IS SHE THINKING!?¡± Commander Redgar didn¡¯t disagree, but there wasn¡¯t much they could do. Their forces were already retreating away from Sector B12 to consolidate at the junction leading into the city as adjoining passages had been lost, and earth golems were pouring in. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure myself¡­ I-¡± He abruptly stopped speaking as the golem¡¯s upper body ruptured in a spray of rock as whirlwinds of red blades and bloody strings carved through the softer bedrock of his inner body. Bursting out of Jorgi, whose lower body crashed to the ground in a heap of oozing magma coming from where his chest used to be, the cloaked humanoid version of the arshakai stood atop his remains with a gleeful laugh. Sheathing her two swords, the room went into an uproar of applause, before she disappeared from the room down an adjacent hallway and vanished from the cameras that still remained. *** [Totem of Bloodforged Rift Sparks: The Path of Red and Black has been imbued into this totem, along with three different ability sigils, allowing to to create combination attacks with the following abilities: Black Lightning, Rift, and Crimson Ice. Due to having a high grade soul imbued into this totem, it is able to move around autonomously and will follow your will to fight or defend. Elite Tier, Level 1 totem. Requirements: 90 Willpower, Blood Sub-Pillar, Shadow Sub-Pillar. Bound to Riven Thane Gragle the gnome had been working tirelessly on re-creating the totems Riven had paid him for, and was currently on the last of them. The fourth one, to be exact. He¡¯d needed some of Riven¡¯s blood to imbue The Path of Red and Black into the totems and it¡¯d been hard to replicate, but Gragle had completed this particular task and had even gained insight into that path himself through the straining of his mind. Not that he¡¯d actually been granted that path, but he had started to understand it and would perhaps be able to grasp it in upcoming years or decades. It was certainly potent, and Gragle couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he¡¯d managed to create such a connection to begin with. The level of comprehension must have been astoundingly good, which brought his mind wandering back to all the unholy sigils on Riven¡¯s skin that Gragle still didn¡¯t recognize - nor had he found anything in the local library about such sigils in the Unholy section. Nevertheless, the gnome was proud with his work. And due to the large sum of money he¡¯d been paid, he¡¯d even done Riven a favor. Lighting a candle in the darkening room of his small workshop, he glanced out the window at the setting sun where brilliant orange and yellow hues lit up the clouds. What a strange sight for Outpost #84, after having been on a relatively dead world for so long. He turned around and walked over to his short desk and double checked the gift he¡¯d prepared for Riven as a way of thanks. It was a book, a book he¡¯d written himself on how Graphics worked and what to look for when creating graphics. Everything Gragle knew about Graphics, but dumbed down so Riven could understand it, was summarized here over the past month. He¡¯d seen how the young man¡¯s eyes lit up whenever Gragle talked about his ability and for the first time in his life, Gragle felt truly appreciated. The gangs had even stopped harassing him after Riven had taken care of their top dogs, and now Gragle felt like the weight of the world had finally come off his shoulders - relieving him of a burden he¡¯d been carrying for so, so long. A tear came to his eye, and he wiped it away with a laugh. Cleaning off the four metal Icosahedrons that were Riven¡¯s totems, he made sure each rune imbued into the 20 faces of the relatively sphere-like creations were working properly. The Graphic of Dark Learning and Graphic of Dark Empowerment were boosting each rune as well, though the graphics weren¡¯t entirely absorbed yet, but they could still move around and the soul shards had some minor amounts of self thought. They wouldn¡¯t have been bound to Riven yet either, at least 3 of the 4 wouldn¡¯t have been, but the Graphic of Hive Mind had changed them into a collective and they¡¯d absorbed the original parent-totem¡¯s alignment quite well before he¡¯d installed the other 2 graphics. Just thinking about it, Gragle was tempted to create ones just like these for himself if Riven was ok with it. He still had a small vial of Riven¡¯s blood, which was abnormally saturated with high quality mana from numerous affinities related to the Unholy Foundational Pillar, and it would easily be enough to make another two totems like the ones he¡¯d constructed at the very least. Possibly even three. A knock came at the door, causing Gragle to blink rapidly and furrow his brows in confusion. What was someone doing at his house so late? He didn¡¯t really have any affiliates other than the other gnome Warden Zuk, especially after the gang he¡¯d once been forced to work for now stayed far away from him in fear of his new employer, so it was certainly odd to get visitors right now. Grabbing at the door knob at gnome height and swinging the fully human-sized door wide open, Gragle looked up to see an unfamiliar cloaked figure staring back down at him with a toothy grin. He had an odd, light green complexion that almost looked sick. His eyes were incredibly bloodshot, with one pointed off to Gragle¡¯s right and the other directly focused on Gragle. ¡°May I help¡­ you¡­?¡± Gragle asked slowly, reaching for the small stun device on his hip due to the strange, creepy way this man was looking at him. The stranger, for his part, nodded with a quick and jerky motion. He reached out a hand from underneath his cloak, revealing gnarled fingers that - for a split second - looked like they had something crawling underneath his skin by the way it wriggled. ¡°Yes¡­ I have come to trade. Perhaps we could speak inside?¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The man¡¯s voice was even creepier than his looks by the way it rasped eagerly, but Gragle wasn¡¯t one that liked to turn down money. ¡°Hmmm. Alright, you want to have me build you a totem? Right now it is a bit late. Could you come back tomorrow and discuss prices then?¡± The man shook his head, and focused both eyes on Gragle this time while pushing his way through the door and past Gragle with a grunt. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not¡­ this is most important and I need it now.¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir!?¡± Gragle angrily harumphed. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t need¡­¡± His voice trailed off when he realized the totems he¡¯d laid out for Riven were now gone from the countertop, gone before either man had come back inside. Had the totems moved on their own? If so, then where and why? The strange, green-tinted man came to a stop in the middle of the room - and started to sniff. His nostrils widened to abnormal proportions and he took in deep, eager breaths. The act was almost grotesque, and this time Gragle was certain that his skin was literally crawling as something moved underneath the skin over and over in various places along the man¡¯s arms, neck, and face. Absolutely creeped out now, Gragle decided to keep a very firm hold on his stun weapon at his hip. ¡°Sir, I told you that now is not a good time. You need to leave.¡± Something about this stranger just felt... wrong. As if triggered by Gragle¡¯s words, the man shifted his weight and moved towards the vial of Riven¡¯s blood that was stashed on a shelf nearby. Plucking it from where it was held and popping the cork, the green-tinted man¡¯s eyes widened with delight - and his smile grew to literally reach his ears as his teeth briefly sharpened. ¡°You see, I am a collector¡­¡± The stranger stated, turning back around to give the gnome a predatory grin. ¡°And the smell coming out of this vial was just too good to pass up. I do believe I¡¯ll be buying this. What is your price?¡± Gragle raised an eyebrow at the selected item, then glanced at the numerous other totems on display around his workshop that he¡¯d set out for potential buyers in the past. ¡°You smelled that vial of blood from outside? How is that possible?¡± ¡°I have a very good nose!¡± The man replied, bopping his nose with a finger and chuckling to himself. ¡°Alright well¡­ I¡¯m afraid that vial isn¡¯t for sale.¡± Gragle said while folding his arms in irritation. ¡°I was going to use that for a totem I am planning to make for myself.¡± The strange man blinked, then began to laugh. ¡°You!? For yourself!? How interesting! Well let¡¯s just say that I won¡¯t be taking no for an answer. So, with that in mind, I¡¯ll ask you just one more time.¡± In the blink of an eye the man had blurred forward to stand in front of Gragle, towering over him with a looming aura of dread seeping from his soul core. Gragle yelped and fell backwards, scrambling for his weapon and pulling out a small iron rod that crackled with electricity as he flipped the switch. The man didn¡¯t even seem to notice gragle¡¯s weapon as he bent down over him, looking like a shark about to eat its next meal - while holding up the vial. ¡°How¡­ much¡­ for this?¡± Gragle stuttered something unintelligible, before the man sighed and rolled his eyes. Dropping a small sack of what could only be money, he gestured at the gnome to open it. ¡°Despite my appearances, little gnome, I am truthfully a fair person in all my dealings¡­ Perhaps this amount would suffice?¡± Gaping up at the obviously hostile intruder, Gragle¡¯s fingers slowly itched towards the bag and he opened it to see what was inside. His eyes widened in shock, and he looked up in obvious surprise - his fear having fled his body in a single instant. ¡°All of this? Just for a vial of blood?¡± From where one of Gragle¡¯s own soul-based graphics was located, he could feel a karmic tie latching onto his core - connecting him and this strange man in a cord that became stronger by the second as he truly considered the man¡¯s offer. The bloodshot eyes of the stranger narrowed approvingly. ¡°Yes, of course¡­ Just, take the money¡­ and we can part ways here. What say you, Gragle?¡± Gragle looked down at the extreme wealth in his hands, and picked one up just to make sure it was real. Putting the money back down and shuddering, he considered what Riven would think about it. Surely the vampire would be fine with Gragle selling some of Riven¡¯s blood to this stranger if Gragle split the profits, right? Riven would get rich too! So¡­ why not¡­ right? Gragle nodded his head, and he felt the karmic tie connect him with the stranger that very next instant. Though he honestly couldn¡¯t care, because now he was going to be absolutely rich. He wouldn¡¯t have to work a day in his life even if he did give Riven half. ¡°I can accept that. You may have the vial of blood in exchange for this money.¡± Clutching it close to his chest as if trying to protect the massive sum of wealth from leaving him should the stranger refuse, Gragle got back to his feet and dusted himself off with a wide smile of his own. ¡°Nice to do business with you mister¡­ uh¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡± Laughing and letting the hostility drain away completely, the green-tinted man held out a hand to shake. ¡°How greedy you look with that little sack of money! I love it¡­ As for my name? You can call me Gambler.¡± ¡°Gambler?¡± Gragle repeated, grasping the man¡¯s hand to shake. ¡°That¡¯s an odd name.¡± ¡°The Gambler, to be precise.¡± Replied the taller man with another laugh. ¡°But it is time for me to go, I have plans and need to get back to them. Perhaps I¡¯ll meet you again, but for now - good day to you.¡± With that, The Gambler stepped around Gragle and began walking down the dark alleys leading away from Gragle¡¯s workshop and home. Looking after him, Gragle only shook his head - but greedily opened the bag to gawk at his newfound wealth with soaring excitement. Perhaps he¡¯d go get drunk tonight and celebrate with some of the other gnomes in this city. He could certainly use a drink, and now that he didn¡¯t have the vial of blood anymore - his previous plan to work on his own totems had come to an abrupt halt. Hopefully that man would come back sometime after Riven did, so that Gragle could obtain another vial for the man to buy if it really was as precious as the offered sum Gragle had been given this night. *** ¡°Your stance is wrong.¡± Lillith kicked Riven¡¯s knee and sent him sprawling to the floor. Getting up and feeling the joint snap back into place, Riven didn¡¯t complain as he came back to stand in front of the living legend he¡¯d been sparring with all night. He dove forward again, only dressed in a thin sparring outfit made of cloth, and slammed his mana-charged elbow into Lillith¡¯s side. Or at least he tried to, but was sent spinning backwards with another kick to the side of his knee. ¡°It¡¯s still wrong.¡± Lillith said with a shake of her head, ignoring the spectators in the stands that often came to watch even these training sessions despite no actual events going on for the moment. ¡°You bend the joint too early, it projects your movement in a way that signals what you¡¯re about to do. When you do move, you need to snap into motion instead of leaning into it first.¡± Riven nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Do you though?¡± Lillith raised an eyebrow and snapped another kick in his direction, but began to clap when the act had been a fake out. Riven hadn¡¯t actually moved, but had drawn her into a rebuttal despite this when she¡¯d read his projected path. ¡°Oh! Very good. You also canceled out your mana pulse at the last second to stop your body from accelerating, I¡¯m impressed.¡± Smiling at the compliment, Riven bowed. ¡°Thank you, teacher. I appreciate your guidance.¡± ¡°Indeed. Now, perhaps you can try to utilize the things you¡¯ve learned over these past weeks in another duel?¡± Lillith asked, gesturing to the stands where one of the contenders to try and take Riven down was seated. ¡°Jerakie! You¡¯re up!¡± Lillith vanished and the roar of approval from a distant spectator filled Riven¡¯s ears as a large draconic man smashed into the arena¡¯s floor. He had no wings, but his scales were as tough as armor and glinted a dark burgundy in the fireballs illuminating the arena from above. He had vibrant green eyes, clawed hands, and was about Azmoth¡¯s size in terms of both height and muscle. He didn¡¯t wear anything at all, nor did he carry a weapon, but he nevertheless had an imposing F-grade aura in the LEGENDARY category. ¡°I, Jerakie, challenge Riven Thane to a duel of supremacy!¡± The draconic man roared, letting his hands and arms explode with green fire as he entered a martial artist¡¯s stance. It was a little weird, seeing such a huge, monstrous dragon-man enter a sophisticated stance style Riven had come to recognize amongst many of the humanoids here in the descent. But that was all the more reason for worry in Riven¡¯s opinion, and he nodded to the challenger as he adopted a stance of his own. Riven¡¯s stance, the one he was being taught above all others anyway, was called ¡®Mage Fist¡¯ and utilized mana in many of the martial acts with up close combat. The ¡®Mage Fist¡¯ stances also called for hit and run tactics, or retreating to use spells at range while utilizing these martial tactics to put distance between himself and the enemy - thus it was mostly a defensive stance that hinged on the idea of a mage using most of his offensive might through magic. Riven felt his mana gather within his core, and waited for the announcer to start the fight as his heart began to thud. He was getting better, and though it was a lot of beat downs he wasn¡¯t used to - his pride allowed it as long as he continued to grow. When the announcer range a large bell next to Gluttony¡¯s statue overlooking the platform Lillith was now seated on, the fight had begun. Riven launched himself backwards to keep himself away from the obviously melee fighter and unleashed a torrent of storm razors that ripped out of the air around him like an avalanche, and then blocked an incoming tail strike as the dragon-man¡¯s tail elongated like a whip to lash out at him. Before he knew it, Riven was in full swing - trying to kite his enemy and fending off blows while sending magical projectiles like a madman as a small smile began to creep across his face. Yes¡­ he was definitely improving. Chapter 268 Chapter 268 Riven moved through the steps that¡¯d been drilled into him over the past month, shifting his body while simultaneously using his mana to enhance his reflexes even outside the realm of his speed buff Blessing of the Crow. When the draconic man Jerakie slashed out at him with his flaming green claws and tried to enter close combat, Riven would kite him with a ceaseless barrage of roaring black and red. When he wasn¡¯t able to riftwalk or dodge effectively, he¡¯d deflect with his spear-staff and utilize barriers of ice; only truly engaging full-on with physical attacks if he saw an obvious opening. Jerakie was a melee fighter with some mid-ranged abilities involving the green flames of his heritage, unleashing depictions of fiery green drakes at Riven that could wipe out entire swaths of the stone floor for thirty yards out - but those attacks were far shorter than Riven¡¯s own abilities which gave him an advantage as long as he kept distance. Thus, he fought like a true mage as much as possible. Ever since he¡¯d truly taken this fighting style to heart, he¡¯d also started winning at an increased rate. No longer did he lose more of these duels against the elites of Gluttony¡¯s following than he won, but the tide had reversed - if only barely. Nevertheless it was a big step forward for such a small amount of time and very much underlined the truly obvious flaws he¡¯d had and now acknowledged - easy fixes finally coming to rest. Flame, blood, shadow and sin - with the occasional flicker of death mana that he still wasn¡¯t entirely used to, swirled around him in a roaring cyclone by the end of the fight as he hovered twenty yards off the ground with his spear-staff channeling the mana into a point. His opponent was still pulling himself out of the crater, one arm hanging loosely by charred tendons and his scales ravaged by the onslaught, before acknowledging Riven¡¯s win with a grunt. The mana subsided, the drums sounded, and the crowd cheered as the next contenders for the fights that¡¯d been going on for weeks now started making moves to enter the arena. As the draconian man shuffled out towards the healers, Riven turned his attention to Lillith - who¡¯d appeared to float alongside him with a stern expression. ¡°How¡¯d I do?¡± Riven asked, winking with a laugh when she shook her head and folded her arms. ¡°Better, but still lots of improvements to make.¡± She stated with a nod in the draconian man¡¯s direction. ¡°You let him inside you guard all too often, and your technique still needs work when you are engaged in close combat. Have you been working on your mana pulses?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you do it during the fight?¡± ¡°Yes, Lillith. And if you¡¯re about to ask me where you hid them-¡± Riven pointed towards the left wall and up above. ¡°Those two spots.¡± A smile crept onto her lips as the two assassins reappeared from thin air. ¡°Very good.¡± Riven chuckled and was about to ask whether or not that was all of them, when a strange sense of pulling overcame him. It was like someone was poking at his soul, and Gluttony noticed it too with an abrupt shift in their combined attention to a tiny fluctuation in their shared soul aperture. In an instant Riven was dragged in alongside Gluttony to meet the odd change, and Riven found himself inside the equivalent of a nether realm - though he could tell it was more of a mirage rather than a true nether realm. Swamp laid all about him in a flat marshland that stretched out for miles on end,and a strange, green-tinted man with bloodshot eyes glared daggers at him from across a distance of perhaps twenty feet in length. Riven felt Gluttony¡¯s disgust and irritation simultaneously grow, and as Riven watched - the strange man¡¯s body slowly unfurled before his very eyes. The belly of the green man bulged, exploding outwards in a swarm of leeches, worms, and insects with a sickly viscous layer of gunk connecting them like a membrane. The limbs went next, and then the head, and the man¡¯s body continued to grow. It grew to the size of a house, then a school, then grew even far beyond that until the large abomination cast a shadow over the land from the clouds and beyond. The writhing mass of creatures grew enormous eyes that flashed open likely fleshy orbs, and mouths began to open from within the body and writhing limbs of the creature from a thousand different places at once. ¡°Gluttony¡­¡± The creature hissed, glowering down at Riven¡¯s position with obvious distaste. ¡°My master greets you from the beyond.¡± A rumble sounded out from Riven¡¯s soul aperture, but otherwise Gluttony didn¡¯t bother replying. This in turn made the abomination in front of Riven laugh sardonically. ¡°Not even willing to acknowledge my presence? After so many untold eons? Come now Gluttony, I thought we¡¯d-¡± A snap of power erupted from Riven¡¯s soul core where Gluttony had imbedded himself into the very fabric of Riven¡¯s internal realm. It felt like someone had just kicked Riven in the nutsack while simultaneously giving him a large dose of cocaine, and his body seized in a rigid spasm. At the same time, a dose of pure sin energy shattered the fabric of the false world they found themselves in and crashed into the unknown creature. The monster screamed in agony and reeled backwards in the broken world Riven now found himself in, and malice poured out of Riven as Gluttony temporarily took hold of Riven¡¯s body. ¡°You are not worthy of my acknowledgement, worm. But since you insist, perhaps I can show Greed¡¯s lapdog a little more face after all.¡± Gluttony¡¯s third eye opened on Riven¡¯s head, and his mouth split open along the corners all the way back to his ears as numerous sharp teeth sprouted from his mouth. The air thundered, and Gluttony lifted one of Riven¡¯s hands to beckon to the creature. ¡°Now tell me, king of worms, what poorly concocted scheme this time made you think it was a good idea to come and speak to the Great Maw?¡± The world pulsed again around them, the remaining fabric of reality completely disintegrating this time until the world of swamps was no more - and they found themselves in a black abyss of nothingness. The screeching of the monstrous creature abruptly stopped when it flared with a pulse of its own power, and its numerous eyes narrowed into slits as it let out a deafening roar of intense rage from the thousands of jaws around its flailing body. Riven and Gluttony just sat and watched, a deep sense of calm malice embedded into Riven¡¯s soul, as the monster in front of them quieted down. They pointed a finger in the monster¡¯s direction, and Gluttony spoke once more. ¡°Do what you have come to do. Say what you have come to say. I will tolerate your presence for only a small amount of time, Gambler. If this were another era, I would have already flayed you open and devoured you whole - be glad that this is not that era.¡± Gambler? Oh. The Gambler? Riven had been hearing a little bit about this person over the past weeks. He knew this creature to be something akin to a general in Greed¡¯s army, and he was likely responsible or partially responsible for the attack on Genua. The attack on Riven¡¯s child. Cold hate slowly filtered in, adding to Gluttony¡¯s own. He tried to pull on his mana, but none came, and anger turned into confusion. ¡°Gluttony, if you were able to hurt him here - why can¡¯t I?¡± Gluttony inwardly laughed. ¡°I directly attacked his soul. It¡¯s something I¡¯m quite good at, and though I do approve of your aggression - it is impossible to kill him here. Let the worm speak¡­ Let us see what verbal vomit he has to offer us...¡± ¡°He tried to kill our child.¡± ¡°But he didn¡¯t. He failed.¡± Riven blinked, tightening his fists, and retook control of his body as he restrained himself from giving Gluttony a rude response. However he couldn¡¯t fault Gluttony because Gluttony had been the one to save their child, while Riven had been an utter failure of a father in that instant. Instead, he turned his ire on the monster ahead with an obvious sneer. ¡°Gambler. I¡¯ve got to ask¡­ Was it you that tried to kill my unborn child? Did you take any part in concocting that plan?¡± The monster, which had been seething in the background, suddenly stilled - and then it he slowly began to laugh. The laughter built, and built some more, until it echoed across the plane of this strange, false world. ¡°Yes, and I was oh so disappointed that I did not splatter the child¡¯s brains onto the pavement as anticipated. Nor did my agent even kill the mother¡­ It is a true tragedy, but expected of one with such inexperience. It is a tragedy that will be corrected in time when I drag them into the depths of hell in future days to come. But that is not why I came to speak with the Maw. I came for¡­ other things.¡± Riven¡¯s fists tightened harder. He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he could not put into words the description of just what he was actually feeling right now. If he couldn¡¯t actually kill the beast ahead of him in this place, then there was no point in making himself out to be a hotheaded fool. ¡°Very well. Tell me, how did you contact me? Is it the vial of my blood I sense inside your spatial pocket in the middle of your body?¡± The Gambler seemed surprised by Riven¡¯s deduction, and eventually pulled out that same vial Riven had described. It looked down, then up, then down and up again until it settled on Riven once more. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you noticed, hatchling. I-¡± Riven formed a fist, and the vial of blood shattered. His essence on the other side of this strangely constructed communication line shuddered to the same extent that Gluttony¡¯s pulse had done. The blood was without a doubt the pillar holding up this ¡®phone call¡¯ so to speak, but he kept the communication line intact and grinned viciously at the image of The Gambler¡¯s body on the other end of string that connected them. Somewhere out there, he¡¯d created a crater inside the demon that pulsed with remnant blood energy that was rapidly evaporating. He perhaps had a few minutes left to talk at most, and he may not be able to kill this creature in this realm as he couldn¡¯t truly summon mana here - but the mana in Riven¡¯s blood was still connected to him while in such concentrated form. And the bloody scar it¡¯d left in the monster¡¯s side was very satisfying, even if it was in the end - insignificant. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°YOU BARBARIC, UNEVOLVED APE! I WOULD BE CURSED TO INTERACT WITH NOTHING MORE THAN BABOON, IT SEEMS!¡± The Gambler screamed, irritation flecked his words like a potent venom. ¡°We have not even discussed terms and you already wish to end our talks!? You are a short sighted fool!¡± ¡°Not as foolish as to use the blood of a vampire as a means of communication AFTER trying to kill my kid.¡± Riven shot back, a content grin on his face. He wanted to ask if Gragle was alright, but assumed the gnome was dead if The Gambler was here with that vial. He¡¯d have to check later. ¡°Tell us why you have come. The means by which you contacted us are disappearing and will be gone within minutes. Speak.¡± Snarling, The Gambler cursed at him in a language that he didn¡¯t understand - but elicited chuckles from Gluttony. Frothing at the mouth and writhing his numerous appendages that were many hundreds of times longer than Riven¡¯s own body, the bestial creature rippled in irritation. ¡°I have come to set terms.¡± ¡°Terms?¡± Riven repeated dryly. ¡°You can fuck right off. How do those terms sound?¡± ¡°I do not speak with you, child. I speak to the Great Maw.¡± The monster replied with a hiss, appendages swarming. ¡°Greed has not left the prison that held us yet, because he is waiting and watching. Watching¡­ the Commandments. Their echoes of hatred still linger in the dark, and they scheme to gain a foothold over demonkind before our rise has even truly begun. Greed has sent me here as a messenger, that we agree to a ceasefire, and work together on a temporary basis.¡± There was a pause as Gluttony¡¯s curiosity was peaked. Then, seeing that neither Riven nor Gluttony had anything else to say, The Gambler smiled across all its many mouths. ¡°I am glad you can listen to reason. Good. Greed has found the location of an inheritor¡­ a Reincarnation to be. His time in the prison has bore fruit, and he has overheard them talking of treachery. The commandments of Purity, Piety, Judgement, Selflessness, Truth, Humility, and Patience scheme to move soon. Perhaps it would interest us both if we strike together with the combined might of our churches, when The Seventh Wing sends down her blessing and incorporates herself into a reincarnation. What says The Great Maw?¡± Gluttony seemed to tense, and he spat the words out like venom. ¡°The Seventh Wing? Purity has chosen a vessel?¡± The Gambler growled out his acknowledgement. ¡°Yes. And though as much as I¡¯d like to see the both of you kill each other, and as much as Greed holds a deep seated hate for you, we both know where our priorities lie when it comes to the endless war against the heavens. I can prove to you that I do not lie, and if you wish it - we may work together to send Purity back into the abyss to recuperate. Perhaps, if we are lucky, we may even capture her reincarnation and hold her for an eternity that she shant break from.¡± *** Was it a trap? Probably. Was there some truth to what The Gambler had said? Apparently so. Did Riven really want to go kill or abduct Purity¡¯s reincarnation? Not really. But Gluttony did. And yet¡­ Would Riven even be involved? He wasn¡¯t entirely sure he would be. Rather, it may completely exclude him as B, A, and S grade players from the churches of Gluttony and Greed were on the chessboard in attempting the mission should it be enacted. Players that were currently far more powerful than Riven was. A lot was on Riven¡¯s mind as he looked in the mirror, turning and evaluated the strange demon-styled suit Athela and Fay had picked out for him. It was made of a deep burgundy with spikes along the shoulders and came out with a flare in the back like a tuxedo, but had numerous bright red trimmings and a large black sigil of Gluttony on the inner vest. The style had been picked out by his two girlfriends only a few days ago, and though Athela was still on a mission - she¡¯d no doubt appreciate that he wore it to this event even despite her absence. No doubt she¡¯d make him wear it again when he had the same kind of event with her own family. ¡°You, look, startlingly good! I¡¯m such a lucky woman!¡± Fay said when she turned the corner, putting on a wide grin and stepping into the room with a sparkling black dress that fit her slender, athletic body like a glove. She stepped up to Riven in the mirror, put an elbow on his shoulder as they stared at one another, and then leaned in with a kiss. Meeting his lips and then playfully rubbing her horns against his cheek, she reached down for his hand and gently intertwined fingers. ¡°I, uhm, I want to say thanks for coming. Thank you for asking to do this in the first place, they¡¯re all so excited to meet you. You have no idea how much this means to my clan, to my family. To me.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow and thought about ruffling her hair, but seeing how much time she¡¯d taken in making it look absolutely perfect - he decided not to. Instead, he just pulled her in for another kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Of course, silly. I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world. I love you, remember?¡± Fay¡¯s blue cheeks flushed a bright pink, and she looked away but kept her grip firm on his back as she pressed up against him. ¡°Thanks. I love you too, and I needed to hear that. You¡¯ve been so busy lately that we haven¡¯t had a chance to talk much, you¡¯ve been distant.¡± ¡°And I apologize for that, but it¡¯s also why I decided to push this forward.¡± Riven brought a hand up to her chin and lifted her face to meet his own. ¡°I wanted to show both you and Athela that you¡¯re important to me.¡± ¡°And Genua?¡± The question caught Riven off guard, and he shifted his head from side to side before shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not sure where that¡¯s going. We had a one night stand and now it¡¯s¡­ complicated. But right now, I only have eyes for you and Athela.¡± Fay grinned. ¡°Kathrine is going to be very angry if she hears that.¡± ¡°Kathrine is in a forced marriage situation due to the Blood Moon Requiem, for political gains, and we all know it. Stop teasing me.¡± Riven shot Fay an irritated glare, only to soften his frown when she giggled up at him and put a hand on his cheek. ¡°I know.¡± Fay stated softly. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Riven¡¯s frown completely evaporated, and he let out a chuckle with a nod. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go meet your family, shall we?¡± Five minutes later, Riven was let into the Sojavi Clan¡¯s combined nether realm while holding Fay¡¯s hand. Stepping through the portal, he came upon a sprawling complex of stone architecture akin to Mayan designs built into a mountainous jungle landscape. Unlike previous visits to most of the other nether realms he¡¯d been in, this one had a very real sense of physicality to it. His senses all worked here, unlike individual nether realms, and if he remembered correctly it was because the amount of demons residing here all gave a portion of themselves into creating the world they shared. Individual realms had an absolute safety to them though, which is why they were often used to begin with, but combined nether realms like this one made things more¡­ communal. Social. And the sight before him left him somewhat staggered. Well over a thousand different succubi and incubi all knelt in submission on the stone panels leading towards the central-most building of the complex. They were dressed in their finest outfits in a variety of styles, had blue skin and small black horns or tails just like Fay did, the complex had been decorated with blooming yellow and red flowers, and incense burned along multiple waist-high flat pillars in a thick cloud of intoxicatingly good aromas. The very air he breathed was refreshing even despite the smoke, and he quickly noted there to be four people at the very front of the crowd - one of which he recognized. ¡°Hello, Tupper. It¡¯s nice to see you here.¡± Riven said with a friendly wave, and Tupper shot the people beside him a nervous glance before standing to his full height and nodding. ¡°I greet the Great Maw¡¯s Reincarnation with utmost respect!¡± Tupper announced, bowing deeply at the waist and causing Riven to raise an eyebrow. Fay giggled, whispering into Riven¡¯s ear, and he scratched the back of his head. ¡°No need for that man, we know each other well enough by now. Just call me Riven.¡± Tupper abruptly shook his head. ¡°That would be disrespectful of your esteemed position, my lord! Please, allow-¡± ¡°That¡¯s an order, Tupper.¡± Riven replied with a sigh. ¡°I appreciate the respect, but you¡¯re a friend - and you¡¯re Fay¡¯s brother. Please stand straight.¡± Hesitating once again, Tupper shot the people beside him another look - getting an unsaid message from one of the women beside him, and did as Riven asked. He cleared his throat nervously and slumped his shoulders before sticking out a hand. ¡°Nice to see you again, Riven. How¡¯s the Abyssal Descent going?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Riven laughed, clasping hands with the incubus and gesturing to the others. ¡°I assume these are the rest of your family that I requested to meet?¡± ¡°They are.¡± Fay cut in, quickly walking over to pull the two women and one man up to their feet in standing positions. One of the women was slightly older than Fay, but not by much. Nevertheless because it was noticeable at all, this was likely Fay¡¯s mom he¡¯d heard so much about. He could certainly see where Fay got her genetics, and if she was anything to go by - Riven would not be disappointed if he and Fay ever got married and lasted another few thousand years together. The second woman was Fay¡¯s sister if Riven had to guess. Nithidi? Nitidi? Niridi? He couldn¡¯t remember. Fuck. She was taller than Fay and certainly more confident, and held his gaze almost teasingly as his eyes swept over her bright yellow dress that matched Fay¡¯s own in style. Then, lastly, there was a slightly older and very handsome man that Riven could only assume was Fay¡¯s father by process of elimination. He wore a cool, calculating look and - though he showed respect in the formal gestures - he did not have the same aim to please about him that the two women did. Or at least that¡¯s what Riven got out of it based on expressions between the three. Fay gestured to each of them in turn. ¡°This is my mother, Saemi. This is my sister, Nitidi. And this is my father, Artirus. Obviously you know Tupper already, so that¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s my family! Uhm¡­ Thanks for coming again, Riven.¡± She gave him a sheepish smile, and her mother Saemi was already stepping forward with a warm handshake and an extraordinarily wide, brilliant smile. ¡°It is such a pleasure to meet my daughter¡¯s future husband!¡± Saemi exclaimed loudly, oozing with giddiness as her handshake almost became violent by how excited she was. ¡°A prince of the Blood Moon Requiem and, more importantly, Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation! I am so, SO excited to host you this evening in our estate! I hear you have another minion slot open? Is that true? Perhaps you¡¯d consider our other daughter to add to your-¡± ¡°Mother!¡± Fay exclaimed, a blush overcoming her face as her fists clenched with embarrassment - and she dropped her voice into a low hiss. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this! Stop it immediately!¡± ¡°Nitidi.¡± Fay¡¯s sister politely said, pushing her mother out of the way and taking Riven¡¯s hand next. ¡°I must say, the things Fay tells me about you and your intimacy are rather interesting. Perhaps I¡¯ll get to see them for myself one of these days.¡± Fay¡¯s jaw dropped, and Riven¡¯s pale face blushed to the next degree as he gave his girlfriend the side-eye. ¡°I¡­ Well it¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Riven said, taking a step back and wondering just what kind of impression he gave off to these people that they¡¯d think he wanted that. As it was, Athela and Fay were more than enough. It was certainly flattering, but already having such a busy life he was not sure he¡¯d be able to handle another woman in that realm of things even if he wanted to - and he certainly didn¡¯t want to invest emotionally into anyone else. ¡°And, uh, you¡¯re Fay¡¯s father, Artirus? It¡¯s a pleasure. Truly, it is.¡± Artirus for his part gave a stiff bow, and politely extended his hand to shake with a smile. ¡°I apologize for appearing nervous, if that is how I come off. I was just caught off guard when I heard the news that you¡¯d be attending one of our banquets, and haven¡¯t really wrapped my head around the fact that my beloved daughter is marrying into something beyond royalty. Please, allow me to escort you into our home. Fay told me that you liked to keep things informal so it will be more or less without ceremony, I am hoping she told me correctly¡­¡± ¡°She did. And yes, please lead on. I¡¯m excited to finally catch a glimpse of what Fay¡¯s home is like, and the wonderful people that raised her.¡± Riven stated immediately, glad to get an out and avoid the stares of Fay¡¯s sister and mother as Artirus began leading him through the crowd; while other succubi and incubi began to stand and cheer - creating a roar of approval and chanting Gluttony¡¯s name as he went. Halfway through the crowd though, he noticed that Fay had fallen behind. Turning and walking back to grasp Fay¡¯s hand, he saw her eyes widen and begin to water - before wiping her tears away and loudly laughing amidst the happy rise in mood around them. ¡°You really are quite a sob story a lot of the time. Quit crying and be happy! This is going to be fun! I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s alcohol?¡± ¡°Oh we have lots of alcohol, count on it!¡± Her mother Saemi chimed in with a giddy skip to her step. ¡°Part of being a clan based on information gathering to sell to the cosmos is that we know where all the best wineries are!¡± Fay for her part, just let Riven lead her forward until she locked arms with him and pressed against him. Together, both smiling, they made their way through the crowd towards the inner sanctum of Fay¡¯s family home - where many of the incubus and succubus children waited to greet them with a shower of flowers and laughing cheers. As for Riven - he very much wondered what their children would turn out to look like should they ever have one together. Would it be something like these kids? If so, they were going to make adorable babies. He should probably start looking for engagement rings after the whole ¡®conquer Panu¡¯ thing was over. Chapter 269 Chapter 269 The dining area was in the very center of their mayan-like compound on the uppermost floor in an open-air platform, surrounded by vine-covered pillars and a golden roof that only covered the outer perimeter where the food tables were. The inner square had many dozens of large circular stone tables covered in white silk, along with vibrant flowers of numerous colors for decoration. Instead of chairs they had soft decorative pillows to sit on, and it gave him a very oriental vibe. Riven was positioned at the central seat of honor at the very back-most platform, at the only rectangular table present - one that was raised above all the other tables so he and the others sitting there could look forward and down at everyone else eating below. A band softly played string and flute-like instruments in the background too, but it was only barely audible - intentionally so. Everything was very colorful, filled with beautiful people that laughed and joked with one another while shooting him a mixture of curious, awestruck, flirtatious, and even reverent glances more often than he was comfortable with. He didn¡¯t know how to take being idolized like he was someone great, and in his opinion he wasn¡¯t - he was just a somewhat normal guy that¡¯d been thrust into abnormal circumstances. A guy that did his best, but the lack of ceremony Fay had insisted on did ease his nerves as people went to and from the buffets lined up along the outer perimeter in the shade of the roof. For his part, he was enjoying the warm, vibrant sunlight on his skin - and due to this being a nether realm, it didn¡¯t bother him to the point that he had to bring out Messenger. It was nice, because without Messenger in a normal world - he¡¯d have been rather uncomfortable given his vampiric heritage. Instead he kept on his burgundy, red, and black demon-styled suit and sat cross-legged while holding Fay¡¯s hand. ¡°As you all know-!¡± Saemi, Fay¡¯s mother and one of the elders of the Sojavi clan called out atop the platform with mana infusing her voice to be overheard. ¡°-We have a special guest of honor today! Fay has told me that he doesn¡¯t like the spotlight too much, so I¡¯ll keep it brief!¡± A chuckle rippled across the crowd of smiling, enthusiastic listeners all wearing their best attire, and their voices settled down to better hear her with many of their eyes turning to Riven. ¡°As amazing and overwhelming as it is to have the Reincarnation of Gluttony himself in our midst, we-¡± Her voice caught in her throat, when Gluttony¡¯s visage slowly opened up across Riven¡¯s suit - along with the third purple eye on Riven¡¯s forehead. But Saemi, despite her surprise, quickly recovered and bowed low a little more stiffly than she¡¯d done before. ¡°Please continue.¡± Riven and Gluttony said at once, before Saemi straightened her posture and took in a sharp, nervous breath. ¡°Eh¡­ Ahem.¡± She cleared her throat and nervously brushed her hair back as many of the succubi and incubi gawked, not knowing whether or not to prostrate themselves - but took the cue from Riven¡¯s casual attitude that they should keep standing. ¡°I-It is an amazing thing as I s-said, to have someone as important as the reincarnation within our midst. I just wanted to take a very brief moment to acknowledge him as our guest of honor, the man who not only saved my daughter¡¯s life, but the man who I hope one day to be married into our clan as an official member!¡± Fay turned a bright red from embarrassment when her mother shot them a dazzling smile, and Fay¡¯s hand squeezed Riven¡¯s all the more tightly as she simultaneously looked away. ¡°Perhaps to even bring us children!¡± Saemi declared, to the laughter, applause and cheers of the audience while Fay¡¯s face flushed even more. ¡°But I¡¯ll not dwell too long on the wishes of an old woman concerning her daughter¡¯s fate. For today, we will drink and be merry. Per his request, any or all of you are more than welcome to come speak to him if you wish to do so without consequence. He wishes to convey that you should treat him like any other in our clan, and hopes that we all have a good time. Cheers to that, and that is all I have to say!¡± There was an uproar of applause and shouts as the brief speech ended - and Saemi came to sit back down next to Riven on his other side opposite of Fay. She quickly shot the maw and the extra eye on Riven¡¯s forehead a reverent bow yet again when she seated herself, fumbled with her rather exposing dress a bit, and settled in. ¡°Today, Riven, it is only my children and their father up here to eat with you. But before you go, the other elders of the clan would like to speak in private before you head out - by your permission, of course.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Riven said with a smile, taking his eyes off the mulling crowds of hungry and invigorated blue-skinned people - to look Saemi up and down. ¡°No need to be nervous, Saemi. I¡¯m very excited to be here to meet my future in-laws.¡± He gave her a wink, and heard Fay take in a sharp breath - before he began to laugh at Saemi¡¯s excited expression. ¡°That¡¯s not funny!¡± Fay hissed in his ear, jabbing him in the side and letting out a high pitched yelp that got Tupper to cackle a few seats down. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me like that!¡± ¡°Ow stop that!¡± Riven insisted, swatting her hand away and then pulling her in for a kiss on the forehead before ruffling up her hair - much to her disgruntlement. But he could tell there was a barely hidden smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and she kept shooting him doe-eyed stares from time to time over the next couple seconds. Fay¡¯s father Artirus, on the opposite side of Saemi and two seats down from Riven¡¯s left, waved down some of the servants who were standing ready along the sidelines. ¡°Bring in the first course!¡± Unlike the rest of the Sojavi Clan who were having a free for all in the line at the buffets, Riven and the others sitting at this table had been prepared a five-course feast with the best that the Sojavi Clan could afford. Fay had told him not to let the others know, but apparently Saemi had gone well out of their way to spend nearly six times the entire clan¡¯s yearly income on the food and drink he¡¯d be eating today. Some kind of spiritual ingredients that cost immense amounts of money, but when Riven had told her to let them know that was not needed - Fay had insisted it¡¯d only bring shame to her family if he didn¡¯t at least allow them this show of respect; and that they¡¯d likely have their pride hurt if he rejected it. So he let the servants come in and fill the space in front of him with the first of five courses, one of them even visibly shaking from the nervousness of being there in his presence. ¡°Esta-Vil-Kwa, a dish from the outer reaches of the Mogin Crus Dynasty, where they raise spirit beasts to slaughter and consume once every thousand years.¡± The main server, an older incubus man with a ponytail, stated very much like how a butler would do. The guy even had the same mannerisms, as he gestured to the dish after the youngest succubus girl there had shakily placed it in the center of Riven¡¯s display. ¡°The first course. The chef hopes it is up to someone of your standing, sire, and apologizes that we could not do more.¡± It smelled¡­ delicious. The aroma was like a millenia of youthfulness had been injected straight into his brain. It carried a scent of nature and fruit, mixed in the staple of cooked meat he was used to when he¡¯d eaten steak in the past. The aroma matched the display, with strange orange meats sliced in decorated fashion and slathered in a rich sugar glaze. Berries surrounded it, with a dipping sauce to his left, followed by freshly baked rolls on his right and three golden cups of different wines to drink from. ¡°The beverages are Canyiel Brust, Marinarci from Jaghai, and Vampiric Court Ale from none other than your homeland of The Blood Moon Requiem.¡± The head servant smiled, obviously proud of the selection - and he gestured for yet another two succubi to wheel-in a large cart of bottles that they left off to the side before bowing and dipping out. ¡°If you would like, we have also bought a number of different blood samples from your homeland as well that you may mix into your wines at your leisure. We have the blood of elves, dwarves, humans, gnomes, merpeople, demihumans, dragons, demons, and even the blood of angels if you wish to try it. The blood of angels has, of course, been stripped of any afflictions that may harm you if you wish to drink it. Anything that you don¡¯t wish to use today will be iced for any future visits you may wish to have, and if you decide you want to drink all of it - we will simply buy more. Just know that you¡¯ll always have a supply here should you wish to sample different flavors.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised at the last mention of angels. Despite how some people might see it, he¡¯d actually very much grown fond of drinking blood since becoming a vampire. He¡¯d tried Athela¡¯s blood, Luke¡¯s blood, Fay¡¯s blood, lots of Genua¡¯s blood, and he¡¯d eaten a few humans and goblins to boot. Maybe an orc? He couldn¡¯t remember for sure though because during the time in question, he was crazed with bloodlust. But he hadn¡¯t ever thought he¡¯d get the chance to try angel blood. ¡°Let¡¯s try the angelic blood if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Riven said eagerly, and nodded in appreciation when the man pulled out a small crystal bottle filled with golden liquid. The incubus popped the cork off, and set it down next to the three glasses of overly expensive wine. ¡°Enjoy, and I¡¯ll be on standby out to the side if you need anything.¡± The man stated with a happy grin, then walked off with perfect posture to stand beside the other hand-picked servants nearby. The scent of angelic blood hit him like a train when he leaned forward to sniff. It was like a drug, and without even considering otherwise - he poured a good amount of it into the first glass of wine called ¡®Vampiric Court Ale¡¯ and swished it around with an eager, manly laugh. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you look that happy in a while.¡± Fay said, one eyebrow raised as she and the others began to dig into their own food with forks and knives, slowly savoring the flavor of the expensive and odd orange meat with groans of appreciation. ¡°And you haven¡¯t even tasted it yet.¡± He playfully nudged her with his elbow in response. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that! The other night in bed with you and Athela¡­ I was a pretty happy man then too.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Fay immediately held her face with one hand as her mother began to laugh, and groaned loudly before taking a cup of her own and draining the wine in a single go. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to need to be drunk for this.¡± Just as he¡¯d thought, the wine mixed with angel blood was incredibly good. So good, in fact, that he probably could have inhaled the stuff for weeks on end without getting tired of it. He took in deep gulps, swishing it around to rinse his fangs in, and with each swallow he closed his eyes and let the strange mix of fluids glide soothingly through his insides. He¡¯d found heaven on Earth. The thought immediately got a negative response from Gluttony internally, which only caused Riven to laugh as he inwardly explained it was just an expression from his old world. Then again, it also was angel blood¡­ so it kind of made sense either way. ¡°If you need a live source to drink from, I volunteer myself to be at your disposal.¡± Nitidi, Fay¡¯s tall sister said with a very flirtatious expression from the seat across from Fay on Riven¡¯s right. ¡°If you like Fay¡¯s blood as much as she claims you do, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like mine as well. Perhaps there are even other things that-OW!¡± Fay angrily pinched her sister and shot her a glare, before returning to downing her third and final glass of wine before waving over one of the servants to fill the glasses up again. ¡°Please keep them coming. I¡¯m definitely going to need to be drunk for this.¡± Laughing and shaking his head, Riven ignored Nitidi¡¯s offer and put his arm around Fay¡¯s waist in a comforting gesture to calm her down. Despite how Fay had originally presented herself as a sexy beacon of confidence during his time picking between contracts, she¡¯d certainly been the one with the worst confidence out of his group. Time after time she¡¯d not thought herself good enough for one reason or another, and although it appeared that succubi and incubi families were certainly more freely sexual with their partners than many - Nitidi¡¯s attempts at flirting probably weren¡¯t helping Fay¡¯s outlook. He¡¯d have to put a stop to that sometime soon, but nicely - so that her family didn¡¯t take offense. ¡°So how¡¯s Brightsville running without us there?¡± Riven eventually asked after a minute of people diving into the food and drink. ¡°Is everything going smoothly?¡± Tupper perked up at the question directed his way, and finished swallowing before using a napkin to wipe his mouth off. ¡°Yes, everything is going very well actually. Forces from The Blood Moon Requiem have settled in at the capital under with a third of their forces, while two other armies they brought have split off. One has gone to conquer the rest of Umbra that did not willingly submit to your claim over the continent, and the other has gone off to defend the coastline against nephilim and other forces that are chasing Retesh Vorath¡¯s armies across the sea.¡± ¡°Retesh Vorath is abandoning the northern continent for Umbra?¡± Riven asked, incredulous. He scowled in confusion and set his drink down with a frown. ¡°I¡¯d thought the war there against Judith Marcina was going fine. Is it really that dire? That lich hasn¡¯t said a word to me about abandoning his homeland when we¡¯ve briefly trained together in The Abyssal Descent¡­¡± Tupper held up a hand and waved it back and forth in uncertainty. ¡°It isn¡¯t that he¡¯s abandoning the northern continent, but the weaker and civilian undead he has are safer on Umbra than they are in the north - where the wars are heating up due to outside mercenary armies from across the multiverse being hired on by local factions to help them fight. Your sister¡¯s terraforming of Umbra into a death-oriented continent, as well as your own ascension as Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation, has put a target on your back across the rest of the world. As you know, your sister already has the additional world quest aimed at killing her, and it is in our own best interest to conquer most of Panu to acquire Elysium¡¯s prize and protection for the next century against outside intervention. If you don¡¯t abandon Panu entirely, you¡¯ll need to finish that quest above all others - and everyone on the Panu forums knows it. It¡¯s made you and your sister a public enemy to all non-undead. Regardless I am getting off topic, Retesh Vorath has been sending his civilians from the north, across the sea, and into Umbra. The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s forces, most of which are from your own House Wraithtide, are making sure they¡¯re save once they arrive and kill anyone following them into Umbra.¡± Riven paused to consider Tupper¡¯s new information. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m sad to hear that we¡¯re killing other undead that didn¡¯t subjugate themselves, but I think Allie¡¯s right on the money. Gluttony especially needs Elysium¡¯s protection to make Panu a safe harbor after the integration, and if we don¡¯t get it - that could spell trouble. We¡¯d be absolutely forced to abandon the planet altogether before some S-grade asshole comes in and kills us while we¡¯re still weak.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Tupper nodded in agreement, while the rest of the family listened intensely on the sidelines while eating. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re aware of this or not, but there are already massive armadas fortifying positions or battling each other on the outskirts of your sector from dozens of major multiverse factions. Those opposed to letting you live, those who are interested in your rise to power, and mercenary legions that are selling themselves to the highest bidder or hope to capture you for ransom. Just in case your plan to subjugate the planet fails, which in the case of those who want to see you dead - gives them reason to sell their F-grade elites off to your enemies on Panu at an extreme discount despite massive losses.¡± Riven blinked, then sipped on his wine again. ¡°Well that¡¯s not good.¡± Tupper snickered. ¡°As you say. But they have to do it within Elysium¡¯s rules so there¡¯s still a very good chance you¡¯ll succeed. Dawn¡¯s forces have rallied to rebuild their cities and they¡¯re sending soldiers through the Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole to help Chicago¡¯s legion in securing land on the other side of Panu. The Romanovs have fallen, and General Bruner is putting new power structures into place with the cities your forces have taken. But news of a new alliance on that side of the wormhole has led us to building up a defensive line to the north along the waterfront where we expect the attack to come from, as a lot of your neighbors are very concerned about The Thane Necropolis¡¯s quick expansion. The elves of Tereen are also producing a lot of goods for the war effort. Despite the inherent despise of your rule, most of the undead elves have seen the futility in fighting back and underground resistance efforts are almost entirely gone at this point. Most of them are just trying to carve a new life out of the loss they suffered, and the undead dwarves are still rebuilding from the war with Deepnest.¡± ¡°Any news on the ratkin?¡± ¡°The ratkin are still absent, having not shown themselves after fleeing your wrath in the underdark. Rumors from drow wanderers have reached our ears about a new Blight plague - the plague of undeath - is spreading in the deep from where the cursed ratkin have laid waist to underdark strongholds in search of a new home. But they are just unconfirmed rumors, nothing more.¡± ¡°And who is actually running everything? Specifically.¡± ¡°Allie has left Chancellor Mara Tovane in charge. Mara was wounded and nearly drained of her life energies after being captured and siphoned in a blood ritual where the vampiric elder god is still tombed, but she¡¯s made a good recovery and will be back in fighting condition eventually. She is counseled by Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada, your vampiric counterpart from The Blood Moon Requiem, Counselor Brass of Earth, Counselor Gurth¡¯Rok of the Yellow Skull Tribe, Captain Crendir No-Name of The Blood Moon Requiem - an E-grade elite hand picked by General Viku of House Wraithtide, King Arthur Brix of the vassal state Dawn, Gaia the Demigodess of Dungeon Alibast, Fred the jabob demon as a representative of Dungoen Negrada, King and Queen Glassleaf of the vassal state Tereen, Jeltuna - Voice of the Sarak, a representative I can¡¯t remember the name of from The Golden Bull Sect in northern Umbra - who have recently submitted themselves to your rule for a chance to retain localized power, General Bruner of Chicago, and Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw - archdemon of the Klinac¡¯Tal Clan. They are currently in talks with pursuing a representative from the dwarvish cities in the underdark that may council Chancellor Mara Tovane as she tries to rebuild their infrastructure with support from the surface, but things are slow going in vetting potential candidates with the multi-pronged war. We have forces fighting on Umbra and along the coastline as Judith Marcina¡¯s forces dabble in what can nearly be called acts of war any time an undead refugee fleet arrives from the north, we have forces across the world near Chicago in the previously Romanov-controlled lands, and we have forces fighting in the hells to help our allies from Dungeon Negrada; with two legions stationed in or around Brightsville on standby. One of them is under Kathrine¡¯s control from your vampiric ancestral homelands, and the other is a force made of Panu locals. Rippenvire is also completely withdrawn from the world as you well know, except for those who chose to stay behind, but the other invading forces are hunkering down and solidifying their own spots while gaining extra tokens to bring in reinforcements due to the changes Elysium imposed - given your ascension as reincarnation.¡± Riven nodded. ¡°Seems like our team has got everything mostly under control then. How goes the wars in Negrada?¡± ¡°Very well. Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw has actually been given full control over Negrada¡¯s forces after Negrada itself asked him to do so, and the enemy dungeons have been getting massacred ever since. Tre¡¯Zix has the mind of a war-based artisan and is a truly glorious warrior to witness in battle, having said to have slaughtered tens of thousands of the enemies by himself - and I do believe he was in Gluttony¡¯s legions as a commander during the first Eternal War.¡± Gluttony¡¯s visage laid out across Riven¡¯s chest let out a low chuckle. ¡°He was.¡± Hesitating, and not knowing how to react to Gluttony¡¯s comment, Tupper nervously smiled and scratched the back of his neck - receiving menacing glares from both his mother and father as he didn¡¯t show what they considered the proper respect. It was very obvious that all of them were a little bit more comfortable talking directly to Riven, rather than his bond - Gluttony. ¡°And are the vampires well fed?¡± Riven asked curiously. ¡°I know we¡¯d been working on what vampire refugees we had taken in from Rippenvire, but with the transformation of Umbra blood had been scarce even after importing it from citizens we paid in Chicago. Especially now that Kathrine has brought over more vampires from the requiem¡­¡± Eager to avoid looking back at his two glaring parents, Tupper quickly latched onto Riven¡¯s question with a fervor. ¡°Oh yes! The sarak slave army they brought are more than able to supply their vampire counterparts with the blood they need to live. Funnily enough, the sarak almost view you as their savior - you know.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It certainly is.¡± Tupper grinned back, and stuffed a freshly made bread roll into his mouth - chewing, and then swallowing before going on. ¡°Their conditions back on the planet you inherited - Uh¡­ Vartesh?¡± ¡°Vartesh is the planet my mother left me, yes.¡± ¡°Ah, Vartesh it is then. Their living conditions have tremendously improved, and you¡¯re allowing them to level and fight now, a thing that has not been done in their culture for many millennia outside of arena tournaments where they fight to the death for the entertainment of vampiric masters. They talk about you with reverence, and often are found to be the most eager of your troops so that they prove their worth. The man you appointed as Voice of the Sarak is also seen as something of a mouthpiece for you, one that rivals or surpasses many of the vampiric officials on Vartesh, and they look up to him as some kind of hero. Unrest on Vartesh has hit an all time low, by the way, with General Viku passing Kathrine messages about how impressed he is with labor output in the mines now that the population is happier. House Wraithtide is also now seeing record profits given productivity due to your actions, even despite the trade blockades or pirate raids rival houses in the requiem have tried to put up from time to time.¡± ¡°Rival houses have been attacking us?¡± ¡°Not in open warfare, but with proxy forces. Or so I am told. That man you and Allie killed - the one who was supposed to be wed to Allie? His family is still scheming against you, and wishes to see you very dead.¡± Riven snorted a laugh and started cutting into the orange meat on his plate, letting out a sigh and then savoring the intense, fruity, and simultaneously meaty flavor of the stake that dripped along his taste buds like a godsend. ¡°Wow. Just wow, this is really good.¡± Saemi butt in with a wide smile on his left. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, your excellency! If you feel like you want seconds, we have some more waiting for you. Feel free to ask at any time.¡± Chapter 270 Chapter 270 6 weeks since arriving in The Abyssal Descent¡­ The training regimens were brutal for everyone, but most of all - Fay continued to have the hardest time. They pushed her the most because she was, above all, the least useful. And thus she tried the hardest. On one of the abandoned peaks surrounding the city of the Abyssal Descent on Floor 1, she remained sitting in meditation just like she¡¯d been doing for what seemed to be days on end now. Time did not seem to have substance here in this state of everlasting torment, as the cyclic rotations of her cursed energies continued to eat away at her from the inside. Blood trickled down her face in place of tears as she concentrated on maintaining her spells past the normal breaking point. But the more she inflicted self harm through the curses, the stronger they became - and the more her body adjusted to the backlash, allowing her to push even further. So far she¡¯d increased her available power output by nearly 20%, and that amount was only climbing by the day. ¡°Concentrate, Fay.¡± Her self-appointed mentor, Lavini, said while steepling her fingers in a sitting position across from Fay¡¯s own meditative pose. ¡°You are improving. Do not give up now, push through the pain. It is only mental, and as long as you don¡¯t push too hard too fast - your body will be able to maintain a steady climb until you reach the precipice at level 200. Only then will your soul lattice be able to connect, and you have the most to climb of all.¡± Fay winced, but kept her eyes closed and did not falter. The green flames of cursed energy that Lavini herself had imparted knowledge about now rotated around Fay like planets orbiting a sun, five fireballs imbued with malice that both outstripped normal Unholy energy in power but also applied ¡°Insanity¡± debuffs to enemies that temporarily afflicted an opponent¡¯s outlook on reality. The problem was that channeling such a potent, destructive curse also did damage to Fay¡¯s mind as well - but the images of alternate truths about the universe at large had been kept to a minimum with Lavini interfering whenever Fay drifted too far into madness. ¡°Your break is over. Open your eyes, Fay, and tell me what you see.¡± The redheaded, winged woman commanded in a tone that brokered no argument. Fay, though not necessarily wanting to, did as asked - and a torrent of images slammed into her mind as the world twisted and the flames grew larger. The fires rose higher and higher, forming outright pillars of cursed energy in a swirling vortex as the five points began rotating even faster while the madness took hold again. Fay stuttered a reply. ¡°I see¡­ I¡­ See¡­?¡± She stopped, shuddering when the image of Lavini turned into that of Riven - his headless body leaning forward with hands steepled in front of him. The sky above them shattered and broke, and the laughing faces of the cultists who¡¯d kidnapped her months before rose up from the ground like wraiths. ¡°Concentrate Fay. You know what to do.¡± The headless version of Riven told her without a mouth to do it. Fay shuddered again, pushing the cursed mana through her pillars in ways that circumvented her core - only releasing them at the very tips of her pillars and putting up mental barriers in her mind. Real teardrops intermixed with the blood leaking from her eyes, but her jaw clenched in firm resolution while she pushed through. She knew this wasn¡¯t real despite what her mind was trying to tell her, and slowly - ever so slowly - the images began to take on their real forms. The laughing cultists disappeared, Riven¡¯s body vanished - in its place the other succubus sat smiling across from her, and yet - the pillars of green fire swirling around Fay remained just as potent. Yes! She was making progress! It¡¯d only taken her half the time to complete this round from when she¡¯d first started, only half the time to regain control of her mind. Smiling despite her internal agony, Fay met Lavini¡¯s eyes and flared her wings. ¡°May I try the next step?¡± Lavini glanced to the sky where a rumbling sound echoed out, the flashes of deep purple sin energy lighting up the darkness on the outside of the system¡¯s dome protecting the city of The Abyssal Descent. Out there in the beyond, two void titans - each larger than the city itself - were having a herculean battle to the death with powers so beyond them that it made the two succubi feel like nothing but ants. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lavini eventually stated, regaining her senses and shaking her head after wrenching her eyes off the awe-inspiring battle above. ¡°Next step, create the illusions. This time, when you cast your Dreamwalker Zone - be sure to imbue the images you project with the same cursed energies you used with the fire. Keep that energy on the outer edge of each illusion like a shell. If you are able to reinforce the illusions like this consistently, you will create semi-solid objects that can manipulate the environment as if they had real physical substance. And if you eventually perfect your craft, somewhere in the E or D grade you may even be able to provide minor amounts of consciousness to each of your images - creating copies of yourself or others, or even creatures, that do your bidding.¡± Fay let out a small laugh. ¡°I think I¡¯m quite far from anything like that. Static images, and temporarily moving images are the best that I can put out at this point.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re training you!¡± Lavini retorted, reaching out and smacking Fay upside the head playfully through the gap between flaming pillars while she rolled her eyes. ¡°Is your grimoire still bound to Dreamwalker Zone?¡± Fay nodded, reaching into her satchel and taking out the black book with etched unholy runes and the depiction of a glowing green viper on its cover. It was her most prized possession, and had already been granting her insights that had tweaked her Cursed Traps ability to a minor extent. Now, she¡¯d been putting most of her focus into the illusions. Flipping the book open, she watched as the grimoire wrote and rewrote diagrams, runes, and other magical sigils in different sequences like a computer shifting codes around. Sequences were erased, changed, or reorganized at random and repeated over and over again across all its many pages, while it experimented with her chosen skill and attempted to find ways to better the illusions for her. What a fabulous item indeed. [Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes (Unholy Specialization Grimoire, Unique): +129% mana regeneration when held. +9% damage to all curses when held. Binding this grimoire and adding a single one of your curses to its pages, you will decrease the cooldown time on your chosen curse by 10% while simultaneously allowing for spontaneous evolution options of that curse with insights drawn from the Unholy Foundational Pillar and its related sub-pillars. Spontaneous evolutions will occur as the grimoire actively writes out different variations of the curse across its pages with random trial and error experiments in an internal, limited plane. Evolution options will occur in the form of insights once a breakthrough is made.] ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize just how valuable that book really is.¡± Lavini whispered from across the few feet separating them, looking longingly at the grimoire with a mixed expression - until she rubbed the sides of her temple and sighed. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s move on. Keep the book in your hands while it regenerates your mana, and we can start with the more energy-intensive portion of your training. Create an image of me, infuse it with the fire¡¯s cursed energy, and try to give the image a solid outer shell. Please begin.¡± *** 7 weeks since arriving in The Abyssal Descent¡­ Black waters snaked through a land of flames, each of the volcanic pillars belching infernal plumes that easily dwarfed the young hellscape brutalisk and nearly matched his teacher. Molten rock oozed out from each of the crystals in turn, forming roots that sapped life out of the descent where none should find harbor - and it was here that he¡¯d been training most over the last weeks. The environment was rich with infernal energies, and the opponents were no pushovers - and gave a very good XP boost for leveling whenever Azmoth managed not to die. He¡¯d been killed twice now, but that didn¡¯t phase him in the least - having taken Lillith¡¯s words to heart and having pushed himself to new heights to catch up with his master, Riven. Azmoth¡¯s obsidian plates shifted and moved with his musculature in perfect alignment, rotating through the motions of a dance being taught to him from a true master of his own race. His warhammer was long gone, and his original shield as well - both destroyed when Deepnest had been obliterated by an act of treachery. But that was fine, for Azmoth had his claws - and he was quite able with just those alone. Not only that, but he¡¯d been provided with a new set of items to acquaint himself with¡­ ones that were traditional weapons of the brutalisk race, and Azmoth was quickly beginning to see why that was. His mentor: the huge, winged, E-grade brutalisk looking down at Azmoth from a crouching position snorted; turning its eyeless armored head to the left when one of the monsters of the deep began to crawl out of the volcanic entrances into the lower abyss. Made of darkness and lava, the creature was an amalgamation of a centipede and an eagle - with a large, snapping beak and numerous feathered wings that glistened with cinder; each set along sections of shadow-crafted plate armor intrinsic to the beast. It was twice as tall and nearly twenty times longer than Azmoth, but Azmoth¡¯s eel-like snapping jaws grinned as they wrapped around to look at the monster in anticipation. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Another customer. ¡°Take up your new weapons, youngling.¡± The rumbling voice of Azmoth¡¯s tutor rumbled, the massive dark wings of the older brutalisk coming out to the sides while he stepped back while folding his four naturally armored arms. ¡°You may start again. This time, you are restricted to using your upper shengari shields to strike with - while your lower ones may only defend. If you act otherwise, you fail.¡± Azmoth didn¡¯t bother replying, but instead walked over to where the dark-gray ¡®Shengari Shields¡¯ lay buried halfway into the molten ground near a large black crystal. Ignoring a burst of flames that came out from a hole in the ground underneath his legs, Azmoth took hold of the four items and yanked them from the earth in a spray of debris and lava. Shengari Shields weren¡¯t just shields though, and that was very apparent when he tore them from the ground. Instead, they were both shields and blades at the same time - simultaneously providing both offensive and defensive options, and meant to be used as a four-piece set as was tradition in brutalisk culture. The two upper shield-halves were paired just as the lower two shield halves were paired, and had interlocking pieces on their dull inner sides that - when interlocked - created two large tower shields from the four halves. These tower shields in turn had large, curved blades along the outer edge of the interlocked shields that - when unlocked from each other - allowed each upper and lower shield to be split into the equivalent of four, large, machete-like weapons. Each of the four halves had thick, metal holding rings on the inner side of the weapons facing Azmoth whenever he combined them to form the two tower shields, emphasizing the style of powerful four-pronged attacks and long-reaching swings typical of berserker-style fighting. The metal was very thick, the blades on the outer exterior very sharp, and Azmoth was very quickly becoming a fan of the weapons as he used them with increasing proficiency. The monster turned its head, leading out an ear-piercing screech when it saw him, and then burst from the magma vein to rush him with a flap of its wings emphasizing its rush. The tutor watched as Azmoth interlocked the four halves, creating two tower shields with one laid over and above the other. Snapping them together at the interlocking slots right before the monster crashed into the thick metal barriers, the impact caused the ground to shatter underneath the combatants. The beak snapped angrily, and long piercing legs from either side of the shadow-imbued chitin tried to reach around, but the outer blades of the shengari shields rapidly snapped back and forth while maintaining their locked positions - severing the reaching legs one by one with quick jerks in back-and-forth motions and simultaneously keeping the beak at bay. The monster let out a scream of rage and began to backpedal, withdrawing its beak only to let out a squawk of surprise when the four halves of the tower shields ripped apart and lunged forward - with four machete-like arcs crashing into the monster¡¯s head in a spray of black blood. Azmoth¡¯s spiked tail whipped around as he spun, slapping the monster¡¯s eagle face to send it sprawling but quickly following up with a whirling four-pronged attack that hit the beast as it fell. Blooming with flame and roaring with a manic grin, Azmoth stomped down to let out a ¡®Shockwave¡¯ martial art that smashed his opponent against a nearby boulder - before he activated ¡®Propulsion¡¯ and rocketed forward with the cackle of a maddened hunter. [You have gained 1 level. Congratulations! Be sure to visit your status page to apply points.] The tutor, for his part, merely grunted in acknowledgement when Azmoth walked back with the severed head of the beaked beast a minute later. Then he gestured at two more of the monsters when they were spotted coming out of another magma vein not far off. ¡°Again. This time, infuse your stamina channels abruptly before each strike. Channel the energies into your arms in quick bursts, to preserve your reserves and make use of quicker hits.¡± Grunting back at his larger comrade, Azmoth once again yanked the four halves of his traditional shengari shields out of the ground - and began loping over towards the new targets. Passing by a small hill of the heads he¡¯d collected over the past days since arriving here, he began the dance of killing while he power-leveled under the watchful eye of his comrade in arms. *** Twelve stone skulls laughed at her while she meditated above a sacrificial altar, with the blood of their most recent sacrifice pooling around the stone steps as a testament to the resolve of the clergy here. She didn¡¯t know who the dead human was or why he¡¯d been selected as the sacrifice, but the potent death energy leaking off his carved-up corpse made for a very good environment to cultivate in. She¡¯d need to replicate this sometime. Allie¡¯s black wings shifted their feathers in a wind that did not exist outside the ethereal world of the void, thousands of souls dancing around her happily, while she remained meditating in a temple of death further into the city limits. Fimrindle watched emotionlessly from the sideline, invisible to most but present in her own mind through the connection of master and servant they¡¯d established. He was truly a gifted assassin, and the priests of death that waited on them had not only shown her a deep respect - but also him. Though reapers were more common here in The Abyssal Descent, they were still quite rare and respected by all. As the hands of The Scythe, they were some of the most elite mercenaries of the multiverse - and often provided the temple of death with significant donations to appease their god for the gifts he had provided them. Much to her surprise though, it appeared that the reapers didn¡¯t always get along. They may be of the same order, but in truth they were usually independent of one another outside the boundaries of worshiping The Scythe. They also remained united in core values that she was still trying to figure out, but those values seemed somewhat vague - and the rules were prone to bending, rather than being firm and steadfast. ¡°My lady.¡± A skeletal robed skresh walked in, bowing to her and briefly acknowledging Retesh the lich who was also meditating on the opposite end of the room. ¡°We, the clergy, wish to speak to you - if we may.¡± The skresh smiled politely, and awaited her answer while Allie¡¯s aspect of true death caused the room to quake in a shudder of gray energy. The souls, wraiths, and ghosts around her drank it up greedily - empowering themselves on the passive presence of their master, as Allie opened her deep gray eyes and lowered herself to the ground. Her foot touched down on the bloody body on the altar, and a pulse of power absorbed the sacrifice with the rush of an echoing whisper. Picking up her Blade of Soulcry, the Divine-Ranked claymore moved - causing the world to move with it as she raised it. She then clutched the magnificent weapon to her chest in an embrace. ¡°And what would the clergy of this temple ask of me?¡± Allie asked, her gray halo glowing in the dark room alongside the souls that encircled her. ¡°Speak.¡± The hooded skresh bowed low, clasping his skeletal hands in front of him in a gesture of respect while maintaining a 90 degree angle at his waist. ¡°My lady, I was hoping I could speak to you about the whispers I have heard in the darker places of this city. Our agents have heard of unease and restlessness from others who take the path of the descent, and I would not see one of your stature fall prey to them.¡± Allie raised an eyebrow, and stepped down from the sacrificial altar - glancing up at the laughing stone skulls above her only for a moment. ¡°I was deep in meditation, priest. Please make haste in what you have to tell me, so that I may return to gleaning the insights that have eluded me over past weeks.¡± ¡°Apologies, mistress.¡± The skresh said again, bowing even lower this time before standing straight and huffing slightly. ¡°Whispers have reached me. The Church of Greed likely moves against you.¡± Allie raised both eyebrows this time, but eventually let on a slow nod. ¡°I am aware they are not friends of my brother. But they target me now?¡± The priest hesitated, looking over to where Retesh had come out of his own meditation to pay attention to their conversation. ¡°Yes, though the time is not yet ripe.¡± ¡°And how do you know this, priest?¡± Allie asked, taking a step forward to be within arm¡¯s reach of the skresh man. ¡°The reapers.¡± He replied at once, nodding over to where Fimrindle had come out from the shadows to stand beside his master. ¡°Two of them had come forth with information on contracts that were not specifically naming you, but were rather obvious by the nature of what specifics they did give.¡± ¡°What were those specifics?¡± The priest hesitated. ¡°They did not say. But when two separate agents come forth with the same suspicions, it is likely they are on to something. They would have nothing to gain from lying, but by declining the contracts they are able to send word without breaking the reaper oath of silence.¡± ¡°Oath of silence?¡± This time, it was Fimrindle¡¯s turn to speak - and he did so in the same, raspy voice he usually had that sounded like a wind being drawn through a metal pipe. ¡°When we accept a mercenary contract, we sign in the name of The Scythe. Part of our earnings will go to the church, and we gain power from fulfilling the contract, but we are also oath-bound not to speak of the contract during or after its completion. By declining the contracts, they are able to let their thoughts be known - but it is unlikely the client gave much information about their targets away before the reapers accepted their task.¡± ¡°And what if they¡¯d not wanted to proceed after taking the contract?¡± Allie asked curiously. Fimrindle shrugged. ¡°We may refuse it afterwards, but the oath of silence still stands. Breaking the oath will result in disastrous consequences for our cultivation. It is partly why the reapers are held in such high esteem. But if two agents came to this church to warn the clergy of what they suspected¡­¡± Fimrindle¡¯s metal head abruptly turned to face the skresh in an uncanny, quick motion between blinks. The skresh priest nodded. ¡°Yes. It is likely that other reapers will accept the contract and proceed with it, if the Church of Greed pays enough to do it. Even if the target were, perhaps, a Hero of Death. The Death God may play favorites, but the contractual rules of the reapers do not penalize them for killing one such as you. Only the priesthoods are protected from such assassinations, and any foul play between contenders in the orders are otherwise allowed to promote growth.¡± Allie frowned slightly, but nodded in time and turned to watch Retesh amble over with a creak to his bones - his rotten organs shifting across his skeletal frame. ¡°Do you have a guess as to when they will strike?¡± The old lich asked, his eyes burning with neon teal light while clasping his hands behind his back. The priest hesitantly shook his head. ¡°As stated, we are unaware of the exact details. But we can guess as to when it will be, if they do so at all. These are merely educated guesses though, so please do not think ill of me if I am mistaken.¡± ¡°Well go on then.¡± Retesh replied impatiently, mirroring Allie¡¯s own misgivings on being interrupted while cultivating. ¡°What are your educated guesses, and how did you arrive at them?¡± The skresh priest glanced over his shoulder, looking down the long hall through the temple halls where it appeared to be utterly deserted - but they all knew better. ¡°It may be now, it may be months from now - and it likely revolves around a particular event outside of this realm.¡± The priest said. There was a pause. ¡°Have you heard of the Seventh Wing?¡± he eventually asked, continuing his thoughts and turning back to the others. ¡°And have you heard, perhaps, of the potential reincarnation arriving in the third universe?¡± Chapter 271 Chapter 271 The small, private practice room was illuminated with only faintly glowing mana stones embedded into the walls. Lillith nodded, hands clasped behind her back. ¡°Change stance.¡± Riven¡¯s shirtless body shifted in a wave of crimson, and to the observers it looked like that he was reforming himself from the blood around him in an instant - rather than actually moving his limbs. ¡°Change stance.¡± She repeated. Again he shifted, instantly moving into the next stance as instructed as the blood mana rearranged his position with the speed of thought. ¡°Change stance.¡± From the sidelines, Allie watched her brother while panting and wiping sweat from off her face with a damp cloth. Despite her newfound body and abilities, Lillith was an absolute slavedriver - one that she was quickly learning to respect as both an ally and mentor. Athela and Nora weren¡¯t in much better shape, though Fimrindle seemed rather tireless despite the fighting and exercises they¡¯d undertaken over past days. ¡°You may rest.¡± Lillith eventually said, letting Riven fall to his knees with deep, heaving gasps. The demoness turned to look at the others in the room, frowning at their worn-out expressions before giving Fimrindle a nod of approval. ¡°Any word on our request?¡± Faster than it took to blink, Fimrindle moved to hand Lillith a parchment. ¡°As you requested, creature of the night.¡± Fimrindle replied with a nod. Lillith glanced down at the parchment, took it from the reaper¡¯s metal claws, and unfurled it. Reading what was written on the page, a smile crept across her face and she turned back around to look at the panting young man in the center of the room. ¡°It appears we have found the materials we were looking for.¡± ¡°Materials?¡± Nora asked between panting. ¡°What materials?¡± Lillith head-bobbed to where Jackal and Messenger were sitting against a wall. ¡°Materials that were needed to upgrade and modify Riven¡¯s items. It¡¯s time to head out to the trade district.¡± *** The city of The Abyssal Descent was truly massive, but even despite the crowds - most people kept to themselves and tried to avoid others as much as possible. There were still frequent fights from time to time or even raids on enemy compounds when opposing factions across the multiverse sent their young prodigies to acquire a soul lattice properly, but otherwise the hostility was kept to a minimum to preserve some semblance of sanity. This rule was usually even more steadfast for the merchant guilds. They tolerated no violence in their compounds at all, and offending them would end in a ban on any trade resources to an entire sect if one of their number violated the rules. It was to one of these merchant guilds that Riven found himself walking towards, while following Lillith as they remained disguised underneath masking treasures in the form of rings each of their party wore. Though they certainly weren¡¯t foolproof, they kept attention to a minimum and were similar to the drow Gentry¡¯s amulets in how they worked. They nullified identification information and gave off false reads, but they ALSO provided minor illusions that gave them nondescript cloaks, hoods, and hid their features. Occasionally the disguises were seen through, but those that did recognize just who Riven and Lillith were quickly averted their gaze when caught staring or hurriedly moved aside. Riven felt like a fake when compared to Lillith though. Although he was technically a ¡®MYTHIC¡¯ tier individual himself, that in large part was due to the bond with Gluttony; or the bonds with his familiars. It wasn¡¯t entirely due to his own strength - YET, which irked him. But that¡¯s why he was training religiously, and he could safely say he¡¯d made great strides in his own abilities since coming here. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he entered the lower levels of the descent at this rate, claimed Chalgathi¡¯s questline for his own, and in the long run - would conquer Panu one way or another in order to keep himself, his sister, and the things he¡¯d built on Panu safe from the outer multiverse for at least another century. At least that was the plan. Dark stone skyscrapers towered above them as they passed through the streets, and flashes of purple lightning overhead illuminated an otherwise pitch black expanse beyond Elysium¡¯s dome that surrounded the city. ¡°You never told me how you two met.¡± Riven stated as they moved through the streets with Lillith leading the way. He looked over to Allie and Retesh - only briefly glimpsing Fimrindle and Athela skirting the perimeter to act as anti-assassin personnel. ¡°What happened back on Panu? How did you, Retesh - the person of interest in World Quest 1 - come to be here with us now? I was convinced I¡¯d have to come and find out where you were to kill you, rather than end up allying with your people as Allie has told me about.¡± The lich, who wore a dark gray tattered robe full of burn marks, shifted his skull face in Riven¡¯s direction and made a gesture with one hand towards the sky. ¡°I did not expect to be here either¡­ It is as much of a surprise to me as well. Both in the fact that a hero of death would terraform an entire continent in a way that I¡¯ve been attempting to do since my awakening¡­¡± Retesh nodded in reverent respect to Allie while they walked. ¡°Thereby providing my kind something I¡¯ve been searching for, for a very long time - a home. And that I am now here, mingling with powers that are obviously far beyond me in a grand event I didn¡¯t know existed. I had always considered myself the height of power¡­ and then I was taken from my planet and placed on Panu. It has been an eye opening experience, if I were to actually have eyes.¡± Riven grinned at the remark but didn¡¯t comment on it. Allie took up the talk next. ¡°Judith Marcina was chasing him across the sea when he attempted to make contact with our kingdom.¡± ¡°Judith Marcina? The previous Apex Rank 1?¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°The one and only.¡± Allie replied with a grimace. ¡°She¡¯s quite formidable in person.¡± ¡°Says the one who scared her off with Lillith.¡± Retesh chuckled, then he let out a groan as his bones started to literally rattle in some undetermined emotion. ¡°I was nearly dead, my undead drakes that¡¯d escorted me to Umbra were gone, and if not for the very shores of Umbra permeating my being with death mana - I would have probably died a true death. I managed to draw enough attention in our battle to warrant a response from some of Lillith¡¯s demons, who then contacted Lillith herself. And she, in turn, brought Allie with her to meet the sky-rat that¡¯d been chasing me.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t get to talk, she merely fled.¡± Allie put in with an eye-roll. ¡°And given the reports from back home, it¡¯s likely she¡¯s gearing up for a full fledged invasion of our home continent. Ever since the world quest to kill me leaked, it¡¯s been an us versus them situation. Even more so than the other world quests were. The Panu Cortex forums are also alight with talk of cleansing the world of the Unholy orders, namely us.¡± There was a pause. Riven eyed the lich, turning a corner in the dark road to follow the tight-lipped Lillith while making their way to the merchant guild. ¡°So what¡¯s your world quest even about?¡± [World Quest 1, The Lich King¡¯s Plague: In the far reaches of the northern Chaos Wastelands, an ancient lich begins to stir. Advanced details are locked until you come into contact with this quest.] Riven pulled up his quest log on his status page to show the elder lich. ¡°Not much in terms of details on my end. Care to enlighten me so I know who we¡¯re getting into bed with?¡± Retesh clicked his bony fingers together a couple of times, as if trying to recall something, before shoving his pockets into the dark tattered robe he wore. ¡°I will tell you of my quest, when the Queen of the Necropolis deems herself fit to finally speak to The Scythe.¡± ¡°Speak to The Scythe?¡± Riven repeated, turning his gaze to his little sister - who uncharacteristically winced. ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± Scratching the back of her neck, Allie bobbed her head side to side while lowering her pale glowing eyes. ¡°When I was given the title of Hero of Death, and became an Angel of Death when turning down the path of divinity, I was also given a direct link on my status page to speak to The Scythe. I haven¡¯t used it yet.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t trust gods.¡± Allie replied promptly, getting a snicker of approval from Lillith with a backwards glance - and a groan from the lich Retesh. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about The Scythe, and this¡­ thing - or creature - or spirit, whatever he is - he wants me to serve him. But I¡¯m just a baby god! I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s paying so much attention to me.¡± Riven stifled a laugh. ¡°Baby god, huh?¡± She pointed an accusing finger his way. ¡°Same can be said for you! Kinda. But, instead of a god you¡¯re more like a¡­¡± ¡°My dear child. Gluttony is more feral, ancient, and primal than what most of the current gods are now.¡± Lillith said with a sideways smile filled with amusement. ¡°The Sins and Commandments were here long before many of the gods that now exist. But not all of them, because some of the gods were born at the same time as Gluttony was. Most pantheons of gods have come and gone though, with a prime example being the fallen elder god of a different Blood origin than what is widely accepted today. When a god dies, Elysium usually either recycles that power - or gorges itself on the god¡¯s remnants to increase its own strength, while it could never figure out how to do so with beings like Gluttony. Still, the comparison is one many across the eons have come to make - though the Sins and Commandments aren¡¯t divine by any means. They are something completely different, but comparable. They are fragments of the fabric of creation¡¯s birth.¡± That certainly brought up more than a few questions that Riven wanted to ask, but he was cut short when they turned down a final street that was far busier than most that they¡¯d traveled through up until now. Various multi-story compounds with banners Riven didn¡¯t recognize were hung in various shades of green, black, red, gold, orange, and gray - with Lillith pointing to one in particular further to the left that had the symbol of a large flaming spear or orange fire embroidered onto a dark green background. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± She said, picking up the pace and heading over to where a long line had gathered outside the front of the compound - with many bystanders of various races watching anxiously or in obvious irritation. ¡°I DEMAND TO BE SEEN! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?¡± A young vampire man screamed into the face of another hooded figure dressed in gold-and-black at the barred compound gate. The vampire was well dressed with an extravagant longsword hanging at his side, handsome, with slicked blonde hair and fangs bared in frustration while he made animated gestures back and forth in protest to the skeleton hand that was held up in front of the other person. ¡°My family is of GARTH! The fourth house of the esteemed Rantali Bloodline! How DARE you forbid me entry!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Three other vampires in line with the screaming young man wore worried looks on their faces while the hooded skeleton continued to blankly stare back at the vampire without so much as twitching. ¡°I DEMAND TO SEE THE MASTERS OF YOUR ASSOCIATION!¡± The vampire screamed once more after huffing loudly in irritation. Glancing over his shoulder at the two large minotaurs decked out in obviously enchanted heavy-metal gear while wielding large stone clubs that were likely totems by the soul pulses they gave off to Riven¡¯s senses, the skeleton and one of the minotaurs spoke in hushed whispers before the skeleton turned back to the vampire with a shake of his head. ¡°I am sorry, young master. The Firebrand Trading Company is currently already engaged with many other higher priority customers at this moment. Due to company policy and the need for secrecy in what transactions go on in our halls, you must come back another time to see if we have an opening. I apologize for the delay of service.¡± The vampire¡¯s jaw dropped, and he began to sputter while others in the line began to loudly grumble or call out to him to shut up and move on. ¡°High priority!? DO YOU KNOW WHO-¡± ¡°I am very well aware of who and what your family is, young master.¡± The skeleton sighed, with air somehow rattling the very bones of his neck and shifting the gold-black robes he wore as he spoke. ¡°You have made it abundantly clear multiple times now. I do not mean you insult, merely being in the descent is a testament to how grand your personal skill and the wealth of your family is, but you must realize that you are now surrounded by people of similar standing to you. As much as it pains me to offend a prince such as yourself, I must caution you about your outburst. If you do not remove yourself from the line and come back another time, I¡¯m afraid I will have you forcibly removed.¡± One of the minotaurs snorted in agreement from the side, and a pulse of stamina flared around the huge beast to cut off any retort from the much smaller vampire man it looked down on. The vampire prince sputtered something once more, but thought better of it when the minotaur began to savagely grin. Spitting on the ground and turning heel, the vampire prince turned around and stepped aside with his three companions while venomously hissing to the others with side-eyes at the gate¡¯s guards. ¡°Oh look, it¡¯s another one of you!¡± Nora teased, coming out of stealth and nudging Riven with a laugh that was a little too loud for what was probably appropriate. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize there¡¯d be so many vampires here!¡± The comment caught a couple glances from around the crowd and in the line leading up the compound, but most ignored it and kept moving as Riven gave the smaller Asian woman a raised eyebrow. While Lillith turned to glare at the startup assassin, Nora visibly flinched and held up a hand of apology. ¡°Oh¡­ Sorry. Didn¡¯t realize it was a big deal¡­¡± The line moved on while people made more civil conversation at the front, and Riven edged himself in beside Allie, Retesh and Lillith in their disguised appearances. Riven only caught one person that had definitely seen through the cloaking methods, and it was obvious by the way the ghoul caster¡¯s face went slack-jawed - eyes bulging before he took a step back. ¡°You there!¡± The vampire prince who¡¯d been screaming at the gate guards called out, making his way through other bystanders to come up next to Riven¡¯s group. ¡°Did I hear the woman right? Are you of my kind?¡± Obviously the guy couldn¡¯t penetrate the ring¡¯s illusion, but as more and more attention was drawn to him - Riven could only help but feel a little bit of irritation about the situation. Slowly giving Nora another glare, and causing her to shrink back some more, Riven put up his hand to his forehead and began to rub it frantically to try and relieve the building headache. ¡°Why is it that you ask?¡± The line moved forward a few steps, and so did Riven. This time though, the new vampire princling followed him. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± The prince said, shooting a menacing glare at the upcoming skeleton dressed in black-gold robes for just a moment before returning his attention to Riven. ¡°I¡¯m sure you saw some of what just transpired, and I¡¯m more than certain you - being a vampire yourself have heard of my family in turn. My name is Prince Narzkal Rantali! Perhaps you¡¯ve even heard of me as well!¡± He looked to Riven for confirmation with a hint of pride, but couldn¡¯t see underneath the fuzzy illusion that hid Riven¡¯s face and status information. When Riven didn¡¯t reply, the prince hesitantly folded his arms. ¡°The kingdom of Garth? The Rantali Bloodline?¡± Riven merely blinked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Suddenly skeptical, the prince furrowed his brow. ¡°Are you a vampire or not? You must not be a very bright vampire to not have heard of my family name, or you must be from an isolated part of the multiverse. Is that it?¡± The line moved forward again. Sighing, Riven let his shoulders slump while Allie began to giggle behind him. ¡°Look man¡­ You¡¯re drawing a lot of unnecessary attention to me right now. Can we just-¡± ¡°Or perhaps you¡¯re just bashful in the presence of a greater vampire? I AM almost pureblooded, you know¡± The prince said curiously, tapping his lips in thought with a far-off look to his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be wary of me because of my lineage if that¡¯s it. Even if you¡¯re a lowly lesser vampire or worse, we are still kin! I think that, if you would allow yourself to do me a favor, I could pay you back in ways that you¡¯d not even fathom!¡± ¡°I could fathom putting a boot up Nora¡¯s ass right now.¡± Riven muttered under his breath, getting an outright laugh from Allie - who gave Nora a teasing jab while the assassin skulked backwards in shame. ¡°What was that?¡± The prince asked - coming back to reality from his daydreaming. Riven shook his head. ¡°Nothing important. What is it you want with me, Prince Rantali? I¡¯m not necessarily hiding right now, but I am trying to keep a low profile. You¡¯re botching that in a big way, so if we can move this along¡­¡± The line moved forward again. Conspiratorially, and not realizing that Riven was becoming outwardly agitated with the man by Riven¡¯s tone, Prince Narzkal Rantali leaned forward in a poor imitation of a whisper. ¡°Do you know what this place is, lesser one?¡± Lesser one? Was he referring to Riven¡¯s apparent ¡®lesser vampiric heritage¡¯? Jesus Christ. ¡°Why would I be here if I did not know, dear prince?¡± Riven said flatly, noting that Lillith was shaking her head from side to side in front of him while she listened in. Murmurs in the crowd had begun springing up, with a few of them gawking - others whispering - and even more laughing at the sight of Riven¡¯s obvious agitation. The oblivious prince ignored the comment and pressed onwards, explaining it to Riven as if Riven didn¡¯t know what was beyond the gates. ¡°Inside this compound can be found some of the best artisans in the Abyssal Descent, the younger generations of the greatest crafting clans of the Unholy Foundational Pillar! There are very few others that can compare, and though they may not be blooded like we are - they are still skilled individuals. I was wanting to buy my¡­ Uhm, my fiance, a gift.¡± The prince looked uncomfortable, and Riven¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise. ¡°A gift?¡± Riven repeated. ¡°From here? In the descent? Don¡¯t you have an entirety country of gifts to pick from?¡± The prince suddenly looked agitated, and slowly - ever so slowly - Riven was starting to understand the man just a bit more. Had this princling been sheltered all his life? His social cues were off, his demeanor immature, and the uncomfortable look he had when asked about the gift set off alarm bells that screamed desperation. ¡°It is complicated.¡± The prince replied quietly, red eyes falling to the floor. ¡°And in fact, it is the sole reason I even came to this place. I¡¯m sorry to bother a complete stranger such as yourself, but if there is any way you can gain access to the compound and bring me along as part of your group - I would forever be in your debt. Without a very particular item from a very particular person inside this compound, I¡¯m afraid my fiance won¡¯t last much longer.¡± Athela¡¯s voice rang in Riven¡¯s mind through their link. ¡°Just assassinated a runner. He¡¯d been on his way to tell the Church of Greed about your whereabouts hoping for a price. I have no doubt there are others on their way if I caught this one so easily after he discussed it in the open. And yes, before you say it I know that this won¡¯t stop word from getting back - but it¡¯s still fun to slaughter those who¡¯d attempt to profit off our demise!¡± Riven had known this would happen, as did Lillith, so it didn¡¯t bother him much. The churches of Greed and Gluttony were technically undertaking a non-aggression pact right now while dealing with the 7th Wing, but that didn¡¯t mean spies here in The Abyssal Descent were a welcome thing. Though regardless of what they did now, there was almost a 100% guarantee of the Church of Greed knowing where they were right now, and if not - they¡¯d know soon just by the few people who¡¯d identified him while he passed them by. ¡°He was wearing a very cute man-lingerie we can put on you later! We¡¯ll have to clean off the blood though.¡± Athela chimed in when he failed to reply. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to get you in-¡± He cut the connection with a chuckle and an eye roll. God how he loved that woman, and cutting her off like that would no doubt make her attempt to prod him even harder later on. He¡¯d be sure to enjoy it when she did, but there was no way he¡¯d be wearing any man-lingerie. Not a chance. Feeling slightly bad for the prince, who was still staring at Riven with desperation in his eyes, Riven gestured for the man to continue speaking while the line inched forward yet again. ¡°And just what is it that you intend to buy here? If I¡¯m able to get inside, that is.¡± Prince Narzkal Rantali beamed excitedly, while the three associates of his just stared blankly at his back. ¡°An amulet! One crafted from a black phoenix stone that is said to only be in supply at this location. You see, my fiance is a lesser princess of a bordering vampire state - and she has a deep set sickness. Blood rot, more specifically If I¡¯m able to get such an amulet with the essence of a black phoenix inside it, the aura it has should be able to keep letting her live on.¡± He wasn¡¯t a pureblood, yet he was a prince. His country, nor the country this princess came from, could find the antidotes for said fiance. He¡¯d also been denied access to the crafting compound, while numerous others had been let in. All of this pointed to the idea that Prince Narzkal Rantali and his ¡®Kingdom of Garth¡¯ were probably not all that well off, or all that well known, despite the man¡¯s claims. Riven stared at the other young man for a time, trying to search out for more clues. He seemed truly desperate. His clothes were well made, yes, but they held a lot less intrinsic power that he felt on many of the other elites roaming the city here. And when pulling up his information, he wasn¡¯t even registered as ¡®ELITE¡¯ by Elysium - but rather had a normal display tag with a combat level of 190. ¡°Lillith¡­¡± Riven eventually said, not turning to look at the disguised demoness. ¡°What kind of faction is The Kingdom of Garth, exactly?¡± Lillith turned around, then shrugged. ¡°Never heard of it. It obviously wasn¡¯t around when I was at the peak of my power.¡± He turned to Allie. ¡°Ever heard of it when talking about politics with the queen?¡± ¡°Our great grandmother has rarely talked to me, Riven. Despite what you may think.¡± Allie retorted with a shake of her head and folded arms. ¡°All she¡¯s done is try to sell me off to the highest bidder, and now that I am what I am - I¡¯m not even sure she¡¯s going to want to do that. So no, I have no idea what The Kingdom of Garth is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a middling D-grade kingdom in Universe 70!¡± A bearded chaos-dwarf laughingly called out from the sidelines where he was waiting for one of his kin to come back out of the compound. ¡°I only know of it because my own kingdom is two galaxies over. The boy talks big, but do not be fooled! It is an act and he likely could not pay you back if you were to help him actually get inside such a grand establishment, especially if he actually does have the money to spend in the first place on such a grand item!¡± Many of the others around them laughed when Prince Rantali¡¯s face fell, but Riven wasn¡¯t one of them. ¡°Next!¡± The skeletal attendant at the gate called out, not paying Prince Ratali any attention when Lillith stepped up to the front. He looked her over, then glanced at Riven and the others. ¡°Camouflage devices and all automated offensive enchantments must be deactivated before evaluation, or before entering the Firebrand Trading Company¡¯s main compound here in The Abyssal Descent. If you cannot do this, you must turn around and leave now.¡± Lillith grumbled under her breath, then thought about it - and nodded to the others. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that was a rule here. Apologies, reincarnation.¡± Allie was the first to deactivate her own ring, and her LEGENDARY status alongside her race and title were more than enough to snap a few heads her way in surprise for those that hadn¡¯t already seen through the disguise. Retesh and Nora went next, and then Lillith. When Lillith took her ring off, a palpable silence overcame the crowd - with many of the ones who¡¯d been gambling or gossiping around the gated entrance to immediately take on expressions of awe, fear, and shock just like a few of the more insightful ones had prior to her deactivation. Immediately one of the minotaurs gasped, falling to his knees and slamming his horns into the ground in a semblance of worship, as the skeleton took an involuntary step back. ¡°Y¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± The skeletal attendant rapidly shot his gaze left to Riven¡¯s position when Riven deactivated his own ring. Prince Narzkal Rantali blinked rapidly, noting the ancient unholy scripts on Riven¡¯s skin - and the burning red and black eyes. He looked confused, then flustered, then he paled. ¡°Are you the prince they speak of from The Blood Moon Requiem, that became the aspect of a demonic god?¡± Allie chuckled. ¡°See, told you. You¡¯re a baby-god too, Riven.¡± ¡°Not god.¡± Lillith corrected again. ¡°Demonic Origin.¡± ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, my own faction is only F-grade.¡± Riven said with a chuckle while ignoring the two women. ¡°If you don¡¯t include all of the demons that worship Gluttony, or my great grandmother¡¯s S-grade faction.¡± ¡°We demons worship you too.¡± Lillith said with a side-eye. ¡°You are the reincarnation. You are one with the Great Maw, Riven.¡± Riven didn¡¯t bother replying. He¡¯d already had this conversation with Lillith more than once since his arrival in the descent. Looking over to the skeleton, and to where now both of the minotaurs had prostrated themselves, he turned to face the gate. ¡°Would it be alright if I brought my new friend Prince Rantali along with us? I was hoping to ask him a few questions about vampiric society, to compare it to what I know of The Blood Moon Requiem.¡± He looked at the skeleton man, who was gaping at their group with an unhinged jaw. ¡°Assuming of course, we can get in.¡± Chapter 272 Chapter 272 The inside of the compound was a lot fancier and far more colorful than Riven would have thought, considering the dark and dreary outside that was so commonplace here in the descent. Brilliantly colored paintings of scenes from other worlds hung from the walls, platinum trimming lined polished white marble hallways, colorful plants that obviously weren¡¯t native to this place thrived under small artificial suns at crossways between passages, and large workshops of different types were set out for crafting experts at intervals through a network of interconnected buildings. A bustling active community of apprentices rushed back and forth, sometimes stopping to stare - while clothes completely ignored the group as if they were in a panic while getting their masters needed materials. They lugged around large crates, vats of fluids, vials and glass instruments - and sometimes even large wheeled platforms of large metal ingots. And the last room that they stopped at had one such platform of large metal ingots resting along the side of the wall when they walked in. ¡°This is an impressive forge.¡± Riven commented, noting the two pools of lava to the left and anvils alongside cooling weapons and armor. Along the walls there were numerous completed sets of finely made pieces, and a large hulking creature approached them from where it¡¯d been sitting upon their arrival. The creature was a cyclops, very reminiscent of the monster that¡¯d killed Azmoth back when Fay had been new to the group. He bore a couple small tattoos, burn scars, and had a thick but short black beard on his face while his one eye scrutinized the bunch. Placing his hands on his belly, he gave a bow in Riven¡¯s direction - and then did the same with Lillith as the skeleton introduced them. ¡°Esteemed guests, may I present Jamal Iktorian - the best smith we have available at the Firebrand trading company. He is sure to go above and beyond your expectations for whatever job you may have.¡± The robed skeleton turned to gesture at Riven and Lillith. ¡°Jamal, may I present-¡± ¡°We are acquainted. She let me know she was coming already.¡± Jamal cut in with a smile, reaching out and grasping Lilith''s hand in a shake despite his hand dwarfing her own. ¡°My great, great, great, great, great, great¡­ eh¡­ you get the picture, my ancestor is a friend of Lillith¡¯s. Any job she wants done is on the house.¡± ¡°You told the old goat I said hello, yes?¡± Lillith asked with a laugh. Jamal snorted and let go of her hand. ¡°Aye, I did. It¡¯s a real honor to meet you, lady of the black skies.¡± He looked at Riven with a little bit of hesitation next. ¡°And the reincarnation¡­ It is truly an honor. I did not ever dream I¡¯d be serving ones of your stature here in the abyss, but it seems that Elysium smiles upon me. I only wish I could have thrown a party in your honor, but Lillith insisted that I keep hushed about it.¡± Riven waved a hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯d like to think I¡¯m down to Earth, as a matter of speaking. I was told you¡¯d be able to help upgrade my armor and weapon, and as longa s you¡¯re able to do that I¡¯m rather excited to be here.¡± Gesturing to the skeleton dressed in black and gold, and putting his other arm around Athela¡¯s waist when she stepped out of the shadows, Riven held out a wrist. ¡°Payment for my request, as agreed.¡± The skeleton glanced down, then back up to Riven with an uncertain excitement. ¡°Are you sure, esteemed one? The blood of a reincarnated ancient is sure to be worth far more than just a single pendant!¡± Riven laughed. ¡°I am. Just be sure Prince Narzkal Rantali and his crew here get the black phoenix pendant like you promised.¡± The skeleton literally quivered with enthusiasm, and drew out a knife and vial from somewhere within his robes. ¡°Absolutely, majestic one! I assure you, the princling will have his amulet before the day is over!¡± The vampire, Prince Rantali, watched with building tears of appreciation in his eyes from the background as the skeleton slit Riven¡¯s wrist and began collecting the blood into the glass vial. The skeleton had to slit Riven¡¯s wrist twice more because of the natural vampiric regeneration, but plugged up the container shortly and bowed low with another round of thanks. ¡°I won¡¯t forget this. Thank you, great one.¡± Prince Rantali clasped his hands in front of him in a sign of respect while the skeleton began to walk out the door and gestured at him to follow. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± Riven gave the other vampire a thumbs up. ¡°Just think of it as my wedding present to you. I hope it¡¯s a marriage that lasts forever my friend.¡± ¡°As do I!¡± The young man replied, before quickly walking out of the room and wiping away more tears - and disappearing from sight. The bubbling lava pits and the heat of the forge drew Riven¡¯s attention back towards the cyclops, where he then produced the items he¡¯d been carrying around in his spatial sack. Usually they¡¯d have been left out in the open or worn, but Lillith had said something about the smith needing them to spend a certain amount of time in stasis for the process to work more effectively - something that neither Jackal nor Messenger had necessarily liked. But they¡¯d complied nonetheless. ¡°These are the items I¡¯d like you to upgrade.¡± Riven stated, handing the long sleek spear-staff of Jackal over to the cyclops first. The canine maw producing the blade at the center seemed to snarl when it was put into the cyclops¡¯s hands, and the rivers of blood flowing over the weapon grew more intense. Next Riven bade Messenger float forward, and the heavy ivory plate armor shifted through the air to hover next to the large cyclops while shifting its helmet as if to look at the smith. The red blood silk connecting the plates stretched from time to time, and it looked like the upper half of a man was somehow controlling it from the inside due to the way it actively manipulated itself. Next, Lillith handed Jamal a small slip of paper with writing on it. Jamal, who was staring at the two item¡¯s he¡¯d just been given - had to snap himself out of the trance before taking the paper to read it. He looked up with a grin. ¡°This is a big job, but it¡¯s exciting work.¡± ¡°How long for those specifications?¡± Lillith asked. The cyclops shrugged, then gently laid the weapon on a nearby bench. ¡°Perhaps a few weeks, perhaps a few months. Is that alright?¡± Lillith shot Riven a curious look. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Riven confirmed with a nod, jabbing Athela in the ribcage and making her screech in retribution for her trying to grab him where she shouldn¡¯t in public. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to rearrange the stats as requested?¡± ¡°Oh definitely. The materials were already delivered.¡± The cyclops replied enthusiastically, gesturing to where a large tub of various metals, ingots, bones, elixirs and gems were set out beside numerous dark black metal tools. ¡°The Church of Gluttony was rather giving, for obvious reasons. And do not worry, we have very tight security here, so no one is going to try and steal them. Is there anything in particular you¡¯d like to request before I get started?¡± Riven thought about it, then nodded with a grin. ¡°Yes. Be sure to make it¡­ flashy.¡± *** 3 and a half months since Riven¡¯s arrival in The Abyssal Descent¡­ Battle lines were drawn, and the legions were awaiting orders. Out into the horizon to Kathrine¡¯s right and left, an ocean of men, women, monsters and mechs were grouped by type and experience in preparation for the possible battle to come. And ahead of them was the last holdout of resistance on the continent of Umbra, the city-state of Mayana, that¡¯d once been home to humans before they too had been turned into undead. Barriers and magical siege weapons had been erected, and enemy combatants lay in wait along the city walls with steepled white towers - where a looming citadel lay ominously in the backdrop. City after city, faction after faction, had either peacefully submitted themselves to Necropolis rule or had been forcefully integrated by means of coercion or force. First had been the elves of Tereen, then Dawn, and then the dwarves of the underdark. The Golden Bull Sect had been the first of the other continental factions after that to pledge loyalty after talk on the Panu forums had colled for an undead purge that was quickly ramping up support-wise from the rest of the planetary populace, and the majority of Umbra had fallen in line quickly after that - seeing the Necropolis as a pillar of support for a potential crusade against undead-kind. Even if Allie had indirectly been the cause, and even if unrest about their current predicament was somewhat present. But soon the continent would be unified, it needed to be unified, or else securing their borders from outside invaders that were sure to come would be much harder to do. Not only that, but the Necropolis had a conquering criteria to keep in order to achieve the century of protection from Elysium that would in the long run save more lives than these wars now spent. So this city was destined to bow, one way or another. Legions of vampires, sarak, undead, demons, and humans all formed up in ranks under their designated commanders to number just over 160,000 strong. And this was just half of their current force, with the rest of their armies being positioned on the coastline in the north or across the world around Chicago. Smoke rose from blast sites where magic and missiles had created a landscape that was devoid of life and undeath alike, where craters riddled the land like a disease - and the corpses of many lay burned to ash or torn apart. A squadron of jets from the machine-oriented branches of Chicago¡¯s military flew overhead through the clouded sky, mirroring Dawn¡¯s roc-riders that could almost keep pace the the planes at full speed now after hitting a certain level threshold. The site of the giant undead birds paired up with the machines of war so far above them gave Kathrine pause, before she turned from her perch on the outcropping of rock to look at her fellow leaders. Chancellor Mara Tovane was there, alongside Nin and Vin. Gurth¡¯Rok was also there in full battle attire, while Dr. Brass had remained in Brightsville to oversee the city. Jeltuna the sarak was present alongside a few of his purple-skinned sarak officers, and Crendir No-Name, the vampire E-grade military genius that¡¯d been hand picked by the upper echelons of The Blood Moon Requiem, stood at attention in full black-and-red plate armor typical of the requiem¡¯s forces. ¡°Where is the demigodess, Gaia?¡± Princess Kathrine asked, stepping forward as the circle quieted. Her red eyes narrowed from underneath her metal helm, looking around the battlefield without luck. ¡°She was supposed to be here nearly an hour ago.¡± The ghoul, Mara, gestured into the west. ¡°She sent a transmission and said she is running late, but should be here any minute.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Kathrine¡¯s stance relaxed at the news. ¡°Good. She¡¯s supposed to be spearheading the main push. I didn¡¯t want to start without her, assuming the city of Mayana has declined our final offer to spare them and accept bloodless surrender.¡± ¡°We have yet to receive their answer, but I would be surprised if they did anything but refuse.¡± Crendir No-Name replied. Many nodded in agreement. The city state of Mayana had been overly eager to refute any attempts at peaceful negotiations, which left the Necropolis with little choice. If they didn¡¯t conquer enough of Panu to fulfill Elysium¡¯s criteria in Allie¡¯s name by the time 5 years of integration was up, their planet would be opened to the multiverse - and a wave of enemies would no doubt pour in. They did not just want the victory of conquest, but needed the victory, if they wanted to remain here on this planet and not abandon it entirely. A crash nearby resulted in a spray of debris from the rocky ground, and all heads turned to see the figure of a small child lifting herself up out of the pit she¡¯d created. Gaia had regained her child-like appearance since Allie¡¯s terraforming and transformation of the populace on Umbra. Though what had once been vibrant greens had now turned gray and black, and the demigoddess looked like an outright evil version of her previous self whenever she wasn¡¯t in her tree form. When she did take on the form of a giant carnivorous tree however, she was even more dangerous - and more intimidating. ¡°Apologies for my late arrival, I had to run for two days straight at high speed to get here.¡± Gaia said, stepping out of the cratered ground and walking up to the group, not showing any sign of weariness or fatigue. Kathrine brushed a long strand of brunette hair from her pale face. ¡°It matters not, we are glad you¡¯re here to-¡± An explosion echoed out across the battlefield, causing Kathrine and the others to turn and look. More explosions followed, and balls of hellfire began tearing through the skies from somewhere within the city - where siege weapons were located and beginning to fire in the direction of Necropolis forces. Kathrine frowned. ¡°It appears they have forgone the option of peaceful surrender.¡± Mara commented flatly, watching as the missiles were intercepted by anti-siege equipment and interceptor missiles on the Necropolis side. ¡°Any word on whether or not Tre¡¯Zix and the other demons are coming?¡± Kathrine shook her head no, as the sky above them lit up with artillery fire and her own siege equipment began firing back at the city. ¡°They¡¯re preoccupied with the war in Negrada, it is up to us to finish this on our own. And since Mayana seems to have declined our proposal, we won¡¯t waste anymore time here. To your stations. Crendir, you¡¯re heading this operation. Get to the command vessel and prepare for a march.¡± The officer saluted. ¡°Yes princess.¡± Kathrine glared back at the city in the distance while horns began to blow across the legions of the Necropolis, and the rest of the commanders began dispersing to their own designated areas across the battlefield. It was unfortunate that they could not see reason, but like it or not - this city would be hers by nightfall. *** The long slender blade at her side rattled against her armor as Kathrine marched at the head of her column with shield overhead. The column was mostly composed of elite vampires of House Crushada and House Wraithtide that kept uniform columns despite the bombardment that continued to crash against their defenses, and any of them she knew would die for her if it came down to it. Erected magical barriers, miracle auras, and stamina-infused tower shields held above their heads caused the turtle formation to look like a giant metallic caterpillar while crossing the pock-marked grounds, but they were not the only columns advancing on the city walls. To her left and right were hundreds of other large formations just like hers, while projectiles of magic and metal continued to whiz by or skid right off their formation. And the sound was deafening. ¡°FORTY YARDS TO GO!¡± Kathrine shouted over the in-step march of metal boots, while the ground shook and magics roared overhead. ¡°PREPARE THE DRILLS!¡± Immediately a whirring sound started up in the center of their formation, and the tower-shield roof parted for just a moment as a large mechanical object was brought down the middle of the ranks. It was one big drill adorned in spikes and various runes, with blood mana powering the engine as red light seeped out of the cracks of its interior. The thing was large enough to punch a man-sized hole through solid rock and enchantment alike, and she doubted that these integration-age F-grades could put together anything that¡¯d stop it. Another drill followed the first, and then another, until three huge drills were at the forefront of the column just ahead of her with the whirring sound growing louder. The walls above flared and debris rained down about them from the impact of a bomb that a roc-rider had dropped on the defenders, with the screams of enemy ghouls reaching their ears as the ones atop the wall fell with splats and crunches to their deaths. Kathrine just focused herself to keep moving, despite her heartbeat racing over the din of the fight. Twenty yards. Ten yards. Five. ¡°SET THEM UP AND TEAR A HOLE!¡± Kathrine screamed, yanking out her curved blade and sending a vibrant red slash through the air that tore apart a dropped boulder meant for the drills. More of her soldiers began turtling around the drill site as the machines all latched onto the thick stone walls of the city, putting up further barriers and creating another ceiling of tower shields that blocked the arrows, lightning strikes and mana-infused javelin throws alike. A fighter jet spun out of control in a fiery spiral and smashed into the ground a couple dozen yards away, jarring the ground and making Kathrine loseher footing - only for the vampire princess to regain it a second later just when the drills began tearing through the base of the walls. Vibrations rippled across the earth under her feet, and her teeth chattered even despite clenching them. The stone was being chewed through at a rapid pace, absorbed into the blood engine, and was spit out the backside in a cloud of crimson ash that not only invigorated her soldiers - but healed them as well if they had any wounds from the bombardment during their trek. What felt like hours was only minutes, and time ticked by far too slowly for her liking while she watched the three large drills bury themselves into the city defenses. Her soldiers waited with stoic faces behind her, and within fifteen minutes - they all finally heard the noise they¡¯d been hoping for. The crash through the other side. In an instant the columns of vampires drew their weapons and headed in, with Kathrine in the lead. The tunnel she¡¯d chosen was the centermost one, and moving through the recently made tunnel in the thick stone wall was a bit awkward due to confined spaces, but coming out the other side - she sidestepped the closest drill and into the city interior. It was absolute chaos. Buildings burned and fighting had erupted across multiple places where the wall had either been scaled or burrowed through. She¡¯d been fully anticipating an enemy formation to be awaiting her arrival after digging across the stone barrier, but found utterly nothing. They were already too preoccupied with the rest of the assault. In turn, this left the citadel wide open. ¡°FORWARD UNITS REINFORCE THE FIGHT AT THE WALLS! THE REST OF YOU - THROUGH THE CITY! KEEP TO YOUR SQUADS!¡± Kathrine yelled back at the lines of soldiers streaming in, barely shifting her tower shield to deflect an incoming crossbow bolt that sparked off the dark metal. ¡°TOWARDS THEIR LEADERSHIP! FIND THEM! IF WE TAKE THE KING, THE CITY WILL SURRENDER!¡± As one, the vampiric soldiers smashed their swords against their shields in acknowledgement and wordlessly began charging past the main battlements and into the deeper parts of the city. As they went, they began breaking off into pre-made squadrons to faster search for the enemy leadership. Her own squad consisted of twelve other members, all vampires that she didn¡¯t know very well - but that¡¯d been guaranteed to be the best of the best that The Blood Moon Requiem had to offer for their F-grade younglings. Or at least that was what Crendir No-Name had told her, and she trusted his insight on the matter. He was one of the best officers for his age and rank, and she was merely a princess. What did she know about war, when compared to someone like him? So if he said they were good at their jobs, they were without doubt good at their jobs. ¡°Behind me!¡± Making sure the rest of her squad was with her. The other twelve vampires all silently nodded, one of them deflecting a javelin and blasting the offender with a course of black lightning, before they started their way further into the city interior. Or what was left of the city interior, anyway. Rubble was abundant and more than once they had to change directions due to a burning wreckage that lay in their wake. They dared not take the rooftops either, due to enemy snipers killing most who tried. Roads were blockaded and resistance was sporadic, and the fighting was fierce, with a couple of enemy groups being encountered at random times throughout their forward approach. Her blade blurred, leaving red ribbons in the air and corpses at her feet while she pressed on in a blood-stained suit of dark armor, not once speaking and keeping her breathing as calm as she could while focusing on the advance. Just keep advancing. The targets would be there waiting for her. ¡°Princess Kathrine! I think I¡¯ve found a shortcut!¡± One of her soldiers called back after the fifth time an enemy patrol had intercepted their group. She wiped the black blood off her slender sword with the most recent undead victim¡¯s shirt, who remained laying face down on the ground in a silent scream. Turning her red eyes back to the soldier who¡¯d called out to her, she didn¡¯t question the man and dashed over at super-human speed towards the alley he¡¯d pointed out. ¡°A shortcut? Towards the citadel? This is going North-East, are you sure?¡± The man nodded, and he got a confirmatory shout from another of the soldiers further down the alley. ¡°We are sure, princess. Please, follow us.¡± Shifting her weight and not pressing the man any further, she did as he asked and went down the alley along with the others of her squad at a fast jog. They twisted and turned down the side streets, with another fighter jet crashing into a nearby street after ending in its own death spiral - and eventually Kathrine came to a dead end. ¡°It¡¯s here! We found a passage!¡± The vampire soldier indicated with a finger pointing towards a small trap door that¡¯d been opened, leading into some kind of basement. ¡°It should lead to the citadel if our guess is correct.¡± Kathrine raised an eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look. ¡°You had time to explore the passage while we were moving and fighting all this time?¡± The vampire merely shrugged. ¡°I chased down one of the enemy that fled here, and interrogated him briefly before dispatching the man. He said that this was a secret way in, and I¡¯m pretty sure he was telling me the truth based on how the conversation went.¡± Another explosion and the screams of the dying echoed out across the city from somewhere nearby. Clicking her tongue in uncertainty, Kathrine eventually nodded in approval. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡± The soldiers nodded, and the first two who¡¯d scouted out the area went down first. The Kathrine came next, only to be followed by the rest of her squad as her feet hit solid ground. Looking around and frowning even more deeply than she had been, she saw that this wasn¡¯t a passage at all - rather, it was a large basement without exit. She turned to the soldiers who¡¯d led her here with an undercurrent of irritation. ¡°This is another dead end, you fool! What are you-¡± CRACK Kathrine staggered, falling to the ground when a blunt instrument smashed against the back of her head. Her vision blurred and she immediately felt like vomiting, only to receive a swift kick to the face that sent her spiraling backwards before she felt hands beginning to restrain her. ¡°W-What are you doing!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± Kathrine began to scream, enraged and confused as her eyesight began to come back to her. She felt her mana blink out as a suppression collar was placed around her neck, and her sword was ripped off of her belt - scabbard and all - by another of the vampire soldiers who then took a step back. Slow footfalls echoed from where a pair of large barrels had been stacked, and blinking rapidly while spitting blood - her eyes widened with even further confusion as she saw none other than Crendir No-Name show himself from his place of hiding. They stared at each other wordlessly, Kathrine¡¯s mouth gaped open as a sly smile overcame the other commander¡¯s features. She took in a deep breath, suddenly realizing that some kind of treachery was at play, and a stark fear began to creep into her soul. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Crendir No-Name asked, smiling - and then laughing as he clasped his hands behind his back. ¡°Elder Thune is very persuasive. The soldiers here, and myself, are all being very well compensated for what we¡¯re about to do here today.¡± A sinking feeling continued to build in her gut at the elder¡¯s name. House Crushada had been on edge with the elder and many other factions of The Blood Moon requiem.ever since the incident involving Lord Justo Barimont¡¯s death. ¡°Elysium wouldn¡¯t have allowed you to come here if you¡¯d been planning to betray Allie or Riven¡­ it was part of the rules¡­¡± Kathrine muttered to herself, as if in denial. Crendir shrugged innocently, and held out both hands to either side. ¡°I wasn¡¯t intending to. But that was then, and this is now. Elder Thune is very persuasive, and for someone without a family name¡­ his offer is simply life changing. Even if it does mean I have to capture, and potentially kill, one of the lesser princesses of our great empire.¡± Snarling with an abrupt surge of rage, Kathrine tried to strike out against the man with her foot - but the soldiers holding her back didn¡¯t let her get more than a few inches off the ground. Crendir chuckled, then snapped a kick in her direction. Her head flew back, and the helmet was knocked off as she yelped out in pain before a sudden burning sensation caught her in the collar bone. Gasping and looking down at the dagger that¡¯d been slammed there, she began to scream. ¡°Now listen to me, princess.¡± Crendir calmly commanded, picking the terrified princess up by the back of her hair and yanking her face roughly around to face him. ¡°You¡¯re going to answer all my questions, and do exactly what I say when I say it - or else I¡¯m just going to leave you in a ditch somewhere. You know what happens if I do that?¡± Kathrine didn¡¯t reply, but her chest heaved up and down as his grip on the back of her head tightened. ¡°If I kill you, then someone else in House Crushada is going to be your replacement.¡± Crendir snarled. ¡°I¡¯m hoping you cooperate, lest I need to go take one of your cousins that so eagerly came to this planet in search of glory. And perhaps after I¡¯m done interrogating you, if you do a really good job, I could even keep you as a pet. Better that, than what¡¯s going to befall the rest of your family - if you ask me.¡± Chapter 273 Chapter 273 4 Months Later¡­ They ate, breathed, cultivated, trained, and fought in the arena events to test their progress. Then they slept and repeated - with only a few exceptions to spare. Each of their soul lattices were slowly building up, but the descent down through the abyss had still been on standby. Despite Gluttony¡¯s urge to find Purity¡¯s Reincarnation, the so-called Seventh Wing, Greed¡¯s ¡®Gambler¡¯ had provided them with information that was vague at best. Not only that, but if the two sins did go after the commandment of Purity - it wouldn¡¯t be Riven who was participating. Riven was far too weak, comparable to a bug when the true titans and monsters of the multiverse under Gluttony¡¯s control were getting themselves involved - even if the churches were scattered and only a shadow of the powers they¡¯d once been. S-grade agents of the highest orders from the churches of Greed and Gluttony had, grudgingly, started working together to comb a very specific area in the third universe for the potential target - and that¡¯s all Riven really knew about it for the time being. Yet neither he nor Gluttony trusted Greed¡¯s henchman even despite the temporary truce concerning Purity, and fully expected Greed to betray them at a moment¡¯s notice when opportunity presented itself. It would be stupid to think otherwise. But still, he was interested to see whether or not they¡¯d succeed in finding and kidnapping the commandment¡¯s reincarnation at all. Too much lacking information and a heavy angelic presence made for poor prospects at best, but even poor prospects were better than no prospects to the demons who wanted Purity out of the game. Any time Riven even thought about it during his bouts of combat training, mana sensing, and soul lattice building - he got an abrupt and angry surge of emotions from Gluttony. Those emotions weren¡¯t directed at him, but it was obvious that Riven¡¯s counterpart had a long, long, long history with this particular commandment. A history that Riven was now dragged into regardless of whether or not he wanted to be, given his status. Only time would tell how this all played out. *** His soul cracked, shifted, and groaned as bridges formed, broke, and reformed while the lattice built itself up. His pillars were creating bridges, forming threads that became cords that became rivers of intermixed attunements. He was on the path of transcendence, and he could feel the abyss deep in the descent calling out to him even from here. His eyes flashed open with a spark of primal ether, merging his mind with Gluttony¡¯s own as the two of them watched their souls intertwine with one another at a rapid pace. In the meditation chamber, his skin - etched in ancient lost scripts of unholy origin - radiated wisps of power. A calm lake of purple, teal, black, and above all - crimson, that shifted around him and rose into the air - dissipating after leaving his body to fall back into the environment where the mana was less condensed. His senses had been refined. He could now sense any F-grade and most E-grades that Lillith sent to hide around him via mana pulses. His skills had been refined. He was now winning more than 9 out of 10 fights without the use of his minions, summons, or Gluttony¡¯s interference. His way of thinking had been refined. He would no longer overestimate his own abilities, and would rid himself of the fatal flaw of taking an enemy for granted. He was imperfect, and had room to grow. Though it had only been four months, and though he still had a long way to go, he was far from the man that¡¯d set foot in this place when first arriving. For an F-grade, he was at the pinnacle. Even here, in the Abyssal Descent, where the elites of the Unholy-oriented multiverse sent their young to create their soul lattices. And he intended to move forward with that mindset as he continued his training elsewhere. But his minions had all reached their own level caps now under the rigorous training and power leveling of Gluttony¡¯s church. The opportunities no longer lasted here in the top level of the descent, but rather - they existed in the lower floors where the condensed energies of the abyss called to him. Now it was time to move on. The black scripts shifted across his body and set into a new formation as he floated down from his hovering position and touched foot-first onto the stone floor. A silent shockwave radiated through the room, immediately highlighting the seventeen assassins in various locations as they launched themselves at him. Seventeen rifts, twenty spikes of crimson ice, twelve wretched snares, and eight quick black lightning strikes in the next three seconds resulted in the assassins all being incapacitated with varying types of wounds. And he hadn¡¯t moved from his position. He looked around at the many opponents, demons all, who now lay on the ground in pained heaps. Men and women or creatures of unknown gender who¡¯d once wiped the floor with him in the arena only three months ago, now reduced to groaning and bloodied messes around him with little expenditure in his mana. His skills had been focused and clean cut, without redundant use of unnecessary power, and his identification of their positions had been both simultaneous and immediate. He exited through the next door, and came face to face with a grinning Lillith as the healers rushed him by to get into the room he¡¯d just left. His body still radiated with a myriad of unholy energies, and his black-red eyes narrowed as he gave his teacher a bow of respect with hands clasped in front of him. ¡°I believe I am ready, Lillith. Please, let us proceed.¡± Lillith looked over his shoulder, smiling. Then she nodded, and turned while walking him down the hallway. ¡°Let us go then. The others are waiting.¡± *** Genua was noticeably pregnant now, but merely nodded to him as he passed her by to join the others in the gathering hall. She would be heading to The Blood God¡¯s realm soon enough, to avoid any of the fallout until he summoned her at the bottom of the descent for inspiration¡¯s purpose. The others of his group were all ready to leave, and not including minions - only 5 could be grouped for descending floors and layers per Elysium¡¯s regulations. Nora had been given twin daggers made from the bones of void eels, creatures that dwelled down here in the dark - with each weapon being infused with sin energy itself that she used to devastating effect. Azmoth now had an entire outer layer of actual armor on top of his natural plates. It was a very dark gray, with holes in it for the black spikes of his body and fire-drawn runes that continued to burn even now while not in combat. Twin halves of a huge tower shield were held in each set of hands, for a total of 4, with large blades attached to the ends and outer edges that made the shields act simultaneously as odd swords too. His flaming antlers, given to him by Riven a while back after a dungeon raid, had also been added and forged into his armor which gave him a rather interesting change in appearance now that they¡¯d been applied. Athela had been given a cloak made from shadow, flickering in and out at random intervals even while standing still in the far corner - leaning against a wall with a smile under her hood. Allie¡¯s soul-woven bone armor had been reforged, enhancing the legendary-quality F-grade set and turning it into an E-grade set after immense expense had been undertaken on behalf of the reaper¡¯s organization here in the abyss. Her glowing gray halo and pale eyes reflected off ivory plate as her black wings drifted out to either side amidst a swirling vortex of souls - and the divine claymore with teal runes etched into the large weapon danced with shifting patterns from time to time as she held it tucked to her chest. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Retesh and Fimrindle hadn¡¯t changed much on the exterior, but they¡¯d undergone advancements of their own concerning their cultivation and skills - while Fay had been the most dramatically changed of them all. She was, even by Lillith¡¯s standards, finally a somewhat competent underling. In large part, it¡¯d been due to her secluded bouts of meditation every other day while investing her time in deep meditation with the Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes. [Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes (Unholy Specialization Grimoire, Unique): +129% mana regeneration when held. +9% damage to all curses when held. Binding this grimoire and adding a single one of your curses to its pages, you will decrease the cooldown time on your chosen curse by 10% while simultaneously allowing for spontaneous evolution options of that curse with insights drawn from the Unholy Foundational Pillar and its related sub-pillars. Spontaneous evolutions will occur as the grimoire actively writes out different variations of the curse across its pages with random trial and error experiments in an internal, limited plane. Evolution options will occur in the form of insights once a breakthrough is made.] Her skills had developed significantly. Curse Traps, a staple of hers in the early days, were now far larger and stronger, and could be triggered by certain actions or criteria rather than manually needing to be set off. Dreamwalker Zone now let her illusions do small amounts of damage even though they weren¡¯t actually real, which added up over time and made her offensive abilities go up drastically. Her Curse of Rot cloud could detect friend from foe, and wouldn¡¯t afflict allies - allowing her to bathe entire battlefields in her dark green clouds that ate away at the flesh of enemies with potent necrosis. Charm was extra effective up close. Dark Pact healed others more than it used to, though its slow was the same as it had been, and it also hurt her less while using it. Not to mention she¡¯d also learned a cursed flame technique taught to her by the other succubus Lavini, which allowed Fay to create whips and fireballs from green fire to attack her enemies with. Due to her drastic improvements, she¡¯d been given a set of silver illusionist¡¯s robes that left little to the imagination as they were partially see-through and fit rather tightly. She was also given a silver hat that matched the set. Despite how revealing they were, and they were damn revealing - the skin-tight robes and hat also gave significant boosts to any illusion-based spells a caster may use. As the others were his minions, Elysium registered himself, Lillith, Nora, Allie, and Retesh as the ones who¡¯d be going down the descent together later that day. And after saying goodbye to half-gargoyle half-minotaur Amano, and Lavini the redheaded succubus instructor, Riven left the halls of the underground enclaves to finally reappear on the surface of the abyssal city with his group in tow. *** Not three, but four of the icosahedrons that he¡¯d originally asked Gragle the gnome to create. Riven had been somewhat surprised to see the gnome alive, but he was happy for it and gave Greed just a bit of a mental acknowledgement for not butchering the little enchanter on a whim. The totems had also been reduced in mass, each of them being baseball sized metal objects with 20-sided faces each adorned with glowing red and flickering black runes. Above all else, the graphic that Gragle had infused into them concerning the ¡®Hive¡¯ and ¡®Swarm¡¯ aspects was absolutely fascinating. And through Riven¡¯s link to them, he could either manually control the creations - or set them up with given orders that the soul fragments inside would follow to the best of their ability. Thus, as he walked, the four almost-spherical artifacts of his totem set swirled around him like planets orbiting the sun. [Hive Totems of Bloodforged Rift Sparks (Lesser Artifact, Elite Tier, Level 6 Totem Swarm): These totems come as a set, and new totems can be added to this number at the additional cost of Willpower - with each totem adding exponentially more Willpower to the cost. Cost of Willpower is based upon attitude towards the wielder of this totem set, as well as current combat level. Current Requirements: 119 Willpower, Blood Sub-Pillar, Shadow Sub-Pillar. Bound to Riven Thane. Adding different types of totems will change the name and description of this totem set. Current Totems in Hive Swarm: The Path of Red and Black has been imbued into these totems, along with numerous different sigils, and has used the blood of an ancient avatar of original sin to fuel its growth. This totem has the ability to grow and level up, but diminishes in level each time one of its totems are destroyed. This totem swarm can currently perform the following abilities: They truly were remarkable. Yet, despite his fascination with the little deadly creations, he didn¡¯t let his gaze linger on them for very long as his team walked through the city. Through the streets of dark stone that were bustling with activity, he passed like a silent tidal wave of oppression as the other residents of the Abyssal Descent quieted and stood aside. Wide eyed stares of varying species greeted him as his group moved forward. Non-demons kept a wary eye on them as they passed, and nearly half of the demons gave them signs and gestures of respect or reverence when they realized who it was. The burning purple MYTHIC statuses on both Riven and Lillith were in obvious contrast to everything else that resided here, and due respect was given in one way or another. Meanwhile, as they made their way to the central portal of the upper first floor in order to begin their descent into the depths: Athela, Nora, and Fimrindle all stuck to the shadows as an anti-assassin measure. That left Riven, Lillith, Allie, Retesh, Azmoth, and Fay leading the front of a pack of hundreds of mindless skeleton warriors and skeleton monsters being controlled by the lich and angel of death. ¡°Has your man completed the upgrades to my armor?¡± Riven asked Lillith, ignoring the stares as they passed crowded shops by. ¡°Messenger and Jackal have both been fine tuned to better fit your revised style, they¡¯re waiting at the portal with the smiths and enchanters..¡± Lillith replied evenly, her long black hair made from shadow itself flowing out behind her like a cape. She turned her eyes up at the large black-and-yellow flower that had now spread along all seven of her horns, and gave it a firm pat while moving along with silent footsteps. ¡°I think you¡¯ll like how they turned out. Have you given any thought to the last minion slot you have available to you?¡± Riven¡¯s gaze shifted forward, and they turned left with a direct shot towards the city¡¯s center with a black hole looming in the backdrop of the buildings. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you intend to fill it any time soon?¡± He didn¡¯t miss a beat. ¡°I do not. I¡¯ll be temporarily binding to your fill-in for the descent down when we get to the portal¡¯s edge.¡± Lillith evaluated him for a time, then nodded. ¡°Very well. You¡¯ll be meeting him when we arrive. He¡¯s a Beholder demon, to shore up your weaknesses - even despite your improvements concerning finding enemy assassins.¡± Riven¡¯s face turned into a grimace, and he scowled from underneath his Chalgathi-hood with a sideways look. ¡°Beholder demon?¡± Lillith¡¯s eyebrows raised, and she let out a laugh. ¡°Do you have something against Beholders?¡± Glancing over his shoulder, he gave Fay a knowing look. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I haven¡¯t had the best experiences with Beholders thus far. They¡¯ve turned out to be rather treacherous¡­ But hopefully this one that you¡¯ve chosen will prove me wrong.¡± *** The silent parade of demons and undead It was certainly an intimidating site, but even despite this - there was one in the crowd that was not impressed. Scarred blue scales rippled underneath a ragged cloak in a hidden alcove obscured by wards that impaired others from seeing inside. He lay coiled up, watching and waiting, with the communication orb in his hand laying dormant¡­ for now. Netithi Bluskish, Champion of the Kraken, newly appointed Disciple of Greed, had a job to do. The gift of Sin energy had been more than enough of a payment for his loyalty, but the more Netithi performed - the more power he gained, and he¡¯d found a very profitable partnership out of this allegiance to The Gambler and the great sin of Greed ever since their first encounter. And despite the ¡®ceasefire¡¯ Greed and Gluttony had, it wasn¡¯t as if Greed would actually abide by such things. Not in truth. As soon as their agents off world made their move against The Seventh Wing, all bets were off, and Netithi¡¯s hired scythes would move in to kill. For even despite the presence of an Angel of Death, scythes - despite their reputation as elite assassins - were in the end just extremely expensive mercenaries. Even with one of their own in the mix, such as that scarecrow character, they would not hesitate to fulfill contracts to eliminate the high priority targets below. With the Church of Greed was there to back them up, it was going to get very heated - very fast. He just had to wait for the confirmation¡­ confirmation that The Seventh Wing was under Greed¡¯s control, and that the S-grade Gluttony warriors off planet had been left behind to fight Purity¡¯s forces while Greed¡¯s own escaped. Only after that confirmation could Netithi truly move, because if he acted too quickly - all bets on cooperation were off, and The Seventh Wing was an even greater prize than Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation was. His left prosthetic eye, a purple gemstone enchanted to help him evaluated energy signatures, quickly worked over the crowd and found his targets easily enough even at such a distance. Energy roiled within his core as he cycled and pondered on his plan to be, only for the communication orb in his hand to start buzzing. He looked down with a wicked smile, fangs bared, only for him to abruptly stop as a shadow crossed his peripheral vision. Was he imagining things? He blinked, looking around and not finding anything, until his prosthetic noticed just a slight- -Netithi barely had time to blink before twin red blades snapped through his heart - and a crimson web slapped across his face to prevent his scream. Simultaneously a scythe ripped through his upper spine - making him go limp while his body started to spasm. He let out a gasp as blood sprayed from his body when some kind of poison began to seep into his brain, and the last thing he saw before the world turned black was a woman wielding twin bone-crafted daggers lunge forward from the darkness to pierce his skull with a thunk. He was thrown from the Abyssal Descent and back into Chalgathi¡¯s realm for respawn, with no ticket back - and what would become a lingering pain where the woman¡¯s blades entered his head only moments before. Chapter 274 Chapter 274 Riven sent out another pulse, using his mana as a kind of echo-location tactic just like he¡¯d been taught to do by Lillith over the past months. It worked like a charm. He¡¯d picked up on a number of stealthed individuals already, though he was sure that there were some he¡¯d probably missed given the insider information from the priest of The Scythe that Allie had talked to. Individuals like Fimrindle in the reaper casts would be far harder to sense than the spies, other potential enemy assassins, his own entourage from The Church of Gluttony who¡¯d volunteered to escort him, or just curious onlookers. There were also the crowds of individuals who didn¡¯t try to hide, and rather just stared at a distance while making room for the passage of the large group. Nobles of great factions across the multiverse came out to watch from their balconies, drunkards silently sat at their places at windows in taverns, and tradesmen watched from the doors of their shops as the palpable auras passed them by under the shadow of towering obsidian buildings and the flashing rumble of sin-imbued storms overhead. Out from one of the crowds, a cloaked priest bearing Gluttony¡¯s mark came to fall in line beside Riven and Lillith at the front. Making a reverent gesture with his hands, the red-skinned, horned man glanced around warily. ¡°Lady of Black Skies, The Eternal Maw.¡± The priest bowed his head. ¡°The operation is commencing as we speak. The Seventh Wing¡¯s enclave is under attack in the third universe, and there is no doubt that Greed will attempt to snatch her after she is out of Heaven¡¯s domain.¡± Riven nodded, feeling Gluttony stir within him at the priest¡¯s words. It was an unspoken thing, knowing that both Greed and Gluttony would immediately revert back to being enemies once their combined strike force abducted the reincarnation of Purity from her home. After that, all bets were off¡­ and both Original Sins had their pieces on the chess board waiting for the moment to fall. ¡°We should still make it to the portal and into the descent before then.¡± Riven replied. ¡°We waited as long as we could, I just wish we had more time to train.¡± Lillith snorted in amusement. ¡°You¡¯ve already spent far too long here, and have to catch up with your Apocalypse Beasts trials. Albeit, you¡¯ve improved much and the training was needed¡­ but still. We cannot wait any longer, not for finishing The Abyssal Descent and your ascent into the E-grade, and not for finishing your time in The Altars of Despair and Hope. And not¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, hesitantly. Riven raised an eyebrow her way. ¡°What is it?¡± Frowning, Lillith gave him the side-eye. ¡°And not for your return to Panu. Word has reached us that the vampire princess Kathrine has gone missing, though her family says she still lives as they can feel her lifeblood still pulsing. It is likely that someone captured her, but who it is and why they did it is unknown.¡± Riven nearly stumbled, surprise and worry etched into his features. ¡°What? When did this happen? How long has it been?¡± ¡°It has been nearly two weeks.¡± Lillith replied gravely. She held up a hand of restraint when she saw the look of rage cross over Riven, and shook her head. ¡°Calm down. We couldn¡¯t be sure of the details until just recently, and I have some of my best scouts from the banished looking for her. It is likely they will find her if she is still on the planet.¡± Nostrils flaring, Riven closed his eyes. Letting out a deep breath, he grit his teeth. ¡°Fine. I would appreciate it, however, if you didn¡¯t keep things like that from me in the future. Kathrine and I aren¡¯t extremely close, but she¡¯s still a friend and it isn¡¯t your place to decide what I can and cannot know. I¡¯m not as fragile as you may seem to think. Not anymore.¡± Silence hung in the air between them. Lillith scrutinized him for a time, not expressing any emotion, but then gave him a firm nod. ¡°I will keep that in mind for the future.¡± Their path into the city¡¯s center was undisturbed after that. They walked in silence, and soon found themselves facing a whirlpool of darkness that spanned over a mile across with the mountain peaks raised up like a crown around them - and a greeting party of nearly fifty strong waiting at the edge of the descent¡¯s first portal down. Jamal the cyclops smith and other artisans from the Firebrand Trading Company that¡¯d worked on Riven¡¯s new equipment, along with their heavily equipped guards, had come to meet Riven before his departure. It was likely the last time he¡¯d be here if things went according to plan, and they wanted to make a display of giving Riven his upgraded weapon and armor - likely for their own benefit. Because if they were trusted enough to make items for someone like the Reincarnation of Gluttony, then what did that say about them? The company¡¯s president was there, a husky mutant undead of some sort, but he only smiled and stepped back after his presence was noted - not wanting anything more than being seen. Others in the company inclined their heads in respect or even bowed and took a knee, while Gentry the cyclops waved Riven over with a cheery grin. Standing behind a long stone table they¡¯d erected, with a thick semi-transparent glass casing over the top, the large cyclops slapped his protruding belly in excitement. ¡°Aye! I¡¯ve been waiting for this day to come! Are you as excited as I am?¡± Raising an eyebrow and leading the procession to a halt, Riven stepped forward with a smile of his own and put his hands on his hips. The four icosahedron totems sparked around him while they orbited his body, and the city directly behind them became silent when the others of Riven¡¯s group took guarded stances to face outwards in case of a possible attack. ¡°If you were able to do what I asked, then yes. I am rather excited.¡± ¡°Aye, I did that and more.¡± Jamal replied almost arrogantly, and reached down one large hand to grip the glass casing. ¡°They both have your very blood and soul shards from Gluttony imbued into each piece, and only the finest materials from the most dangerous abyssal creatures. Just you wait!¡± The glass shattered and evaporated into thin air, and underneath on the stone table were two items that were both familiar and unfamiliar to Riven at the same time. But their soul signatures made it easy enough to tell that they were still the same Jackal and Messenger he was used to at their cores. Based on his training and developing fighting style, these would suit him better than the previous versions of these items quite a bit. The auras of unholy energies were almost physical things that crashed into his senses like a storm; with a mixture of Sin, Unholy, Shadow, Death, Blood, and Infernal all mixed into it. So potent was the onslaught of ambient energies surrounding both of these items, that it caused many of the nearby onlookers to stagger after the glass casing had shattered. His spear-staff had been reforged into a sorcerer¡¯s staff, somewhat reminiscent of his early start in Chalgathi¡¯s starter event. Only that instead of a gnarled wooden staff that was basically considered garbage in retrospect, he was looking at an absolute masterpiece. The weapon was almost as tall as he was, retaining about the same size as its original form. The main body of the item was still made of obsidian metal with pulsing streams of actively flowing blood running the entirety of the shaft; but with two very realistic bone figurines of beautiful winged succubi crawling up along opposite sides of the staff near the top and reaching upwards. Their tails wrapped around the staff and intertwined, and their wings remained flared out behind them. There, at the head of the staff and where the barbie-sized succubi bone carvings were reaching, was the visage of a skeletal hand carved from ebony metal; holding a horned humanoid skull that burned with hellfire in the eye sockets. A burning pentagram with Gluttony¡¯s maw sigil in the center also was displayed in the center of the skull, and spider-webbing arteries pulsed along the skull¡¯s surface like cracks in a mirror. [Jackal (Legendary Weapon, Vampiric Artifact, Sin Artifact - Gluttony Aspect, Sorcerer¡¯s Staff)(Evolving Symbiote): 1795 average damage on strike with each physical strike dealing additional explosive Infernal Damage. This is a Self Repairing Item. Mana regeneration is increased by 600% while holding this item. Sin, Unholy, Shadow, Death, Blood, and Infernal magics are all amplified in effectiveness and damage output by 20% while wielding this weapon. All spells cast while holding this item have their range increased by 100%. This item has an abnormally high endurance and is hard to destroy. Requires Vampiric Heritage and an affiliation with the Original Sin of Gluttony to wield. The damage output had skyrocketed. The mana regeneration had skyrocketed. Passive shadow damage had turned into passive and explosive infernal damage. He no longer needed to kill things to absorb stats, rather it grew with him at a steady rate. He got a supercharged pool of dark energies to utilize beyond his normal mana pool, which could draw on six different pillar types. Jackal had retained its portal master trait, and its beast form had upgraded into something that it could use to actually fight. Most importantly though, his spell-casting range had just doubled merely by holding the item. It was the most important aspect of all the upgrades, and was doubtlessly going to play into his newly developed fighting style - focusing on his mage-related strengths rather than close quarters fighting as much as possible. His eyes flitted to the next item on the table. Messenger had similarly undergone a complete rework. Once it¡¯d been the conglomeration of Chalgathi-labeled artifacts, only protecting his upper body. This in turn had been a problem, as he simply hadn¡¯t found any pants or lower-body armor that compared or matched the amazing set of upper body armor he¡¯d had. In many of the arena fights, people had actively targeted his lower body whenever he used the armor because of this. Now, that problem was mostly solved. He¡¯d had to sacrifice a little bit of defense from the item to do it, but his entire body would be protected with the rework. It was a full-body suit, made from plates of ivory - albeit thinner ones than had been present on his previous heavy-armor set. It looked relatively lightweight due to the reduction in thickness, and the bloodsilk connecting all the plates together was more prominent now as it filled in all the gaps to stretch the material out - even going as far to cover his fingers and toes. His pauldrons had reduced in size, and his helmet was thinned out; no longer had a dorsal ridge with red feathers coming out the top. The central chest of his body suit still had Gluttony¡¯s Maw however, and bone spikes still remained over his gauntlets¡¯ knuckles. [Messenger (Mythic Medium Armor Set, Gluttony Aspect) (Evolving Symbiote) (World Quest Item: Panu) (Unique Soulbound Sentient): This Mythic tier armor set was created on the world of Panu during its integration cycle by the pureblooded vampire Riven Thane, and has been upgraded by the smith Jamal Iktorian in The Abyssal Descent. Having far surpassed the realm of normalcy, this armor set has been afflicted with the original sin of Gluttony. As the reincarnation of an Original Sin, Gluttony has blessed this armor to even further heights so that the wielder may one day become the tidebringer of wanton destruction Gluttony seeks. All shall perish before the great maw, all hail the abyssal depths. > +20% to all base stats > +300 Strength, +600 Sturdiness, +300 Agility > +1650 Defense to all Plated Areas of Armor > +1010 Defense to all Bloodsilk Areas Between Plates > +50% increased mana regeneration > Natural sunlight does not affect you while wearing this suit > Liquid breathing is bestowed upon you while wearing this suit] Slight decrease to the armor along the ivory plate pieces, slight increase in armor to the bloodsilk, but with a spread that encompassed his entire body now and not just the upper half. Increased mana regeneration that hadn¡¯t been there previously. It¡¯d retained a lot of the previous traits like negating natural sunlight debuffs, liquid breathing, ripping claws, devour, and identifier¡¯s clause. However the most vital and massive change to this armor piece was the last of the traits displayed on the list: Quickening Flight. It was the keystone to the entire change he¡¯d had made, which would increase his speed and drastically increase maneuverability by adding in flight. Previously he¡¯d had ¡°Launch¡± incorporated into the suit, but it was more of a blunt instrument when compared to the refined touch that Messenger now had through Quickening Flight. If Jamal had made it to his specifications, he¡¯d be able to do quick turns and evasive maneuvers previously impossible in the heavy and clunky - though very sturdy - armor that¡¯d once been Messenger¡¯s first form. ¡°They¡¯re amazing.¡± Riven said, letting his fingers trail Jackal first, and then Messenger - feeling them calling out to him as they began to rise off the table. ¡°Exactly what I wanted.¡± Instantaneously, Messenger expanded itself and snapped around his body. In the blink of an eye, it¡¯d molded itself to fit him perfectly - covering his entire body with the exception of the eyes in a layer of bloodsilk with overlapping patches of ivory bone armor. Immediately he felt his stats increase and his body become empowered with a thrum - and he began to lift off the ground by a couple inches while initiating the innate flight ability that the armor made accessible to him like a newly grown limb. The influx of increased mana regeneration was beyond noticeable as well, and he felt his body drawing in ambient energies of the Abyss like he was drinking out of a fire hydrant; whereas previously he¡¯d only been drinking from a glass. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like them.¡± Jamal the cyclops said with a bow and a wide smile, which was copied by many of the others of his trading company behind him as they whispered excitedly to one another. ¡°If you are pleased, perhaps you may pass on a good word to your church? My company and I would be indebted to you eternally if you were to come up with a labor contract, so that we may supply your worshipers here in The Abyssal Descent.¡± Riven chuckled, and set himself back down on the ground as silent as a feather. ¡°Consider it done.¡± More excited whispers and muffled exclamations came from the back of the company¡¯s group, when he noted the cyclops gesturing behind him. ¡°There is still one more piece that we helped create.¡± Jamal replied cheerfully. ¡°Athela?¡± Riven turned around, and saw Athela pass by where Fay was standing - who in turn gave the other demoness an encouraging nudge. Almost in an embarrassed manner, Athela avoided Riven¡¯s eyes from underneath her own shadow-crafted cloak and came to stand in front of him. ¡°You have something to show me?¡± Riven asked curiously, cocking his head to one side. Athela gave him an awkward smile, and shrugged, still avoiding his gaze. ¡°Uhm¡­ Yeah! You know, a princess always has to make sure her prince looks stunning right?! So, uhm, I spent a lot of time on this between jobs. I got some help from the crafters here that were already working on your other equipment and I¡­ I want you to have this.¡± From underneath her cloak, she pulled out a medium-sized box. It was wrapped with pink wrapping paper he¡¯d have expected to see at a birthday party or Christmas, with a little yellow bow on top. ¡°I made it look like your old world¡¯s presents!¡± Athela said, and she suddenly became animatedly excited when he took it from her hands. She poked the decorative bow. ¡°Allie suggested these colors too! She helped me design it, she was super nice! I¡¯ve been working on this for a long, long time. I made it by hand! And I¡­ I wanted to originally give it to you as a birthday present. Back before I was killed and you brought me back, and I¡­ I wanted to say happy birthday. And that I love you. I hope you like it.¡± She got up on her tiptoes, closed her red eyes, and pressed her pitch-black lips against his cheek before stepping back. Riven was taken by surprise, and he felt a lump in his throat beginning to form. ¡°You¡¯ve been working on my birthday present by hand?¡± ¡°Mhmm!¡± Athela replied excitedly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. ¡°Do you like the wrapping job!? Go ahead and open it!¡± Riven just stared at her for a while, let his helmet fall back and wiped at his eyes before laughing. ¡°You did such a good job wrapping it that I¡¯m not sure I want to undo it¡­ but pink!? Really?!¡± ¡°Allie said your favorite color was pink!¡± He shot his sister a glare, who was laughing in the background. ¡°I see.¡± Gingerly, he began tugging at the ribbon - and then ripped off the paper to reveal a cardboard box. Nostalgia hit him full force. He hadn¡¯t seen cardboard in god knew how long, and he began to silently laugh while opening it to reveal a folded garment within. It was a cloak made from shadow on the outside - similar to Athela¡¯s, but had an underside made from red fabric that was no doubt Athela¡¯s bloodsilk. [Riven¡¯s Happy Birthday Cloak (Epic Light Armor Piece, Gluttony Aspect): This cloak was hand-crafted by Athela, who incorporated her own bloodsilk to weave much of the garment. Gluttony has infused part of its own essence into the cloak as well, instilling the ability to hide your status information from all but the most observant identifiers or scrying treasures while wearing this garment. Crafters fromThe Firebrand Trading Company have also helped imbue it with further resilience and shadow affinity. +190 defense to physical damage, +410 defense to magic and miracle damage. The corners of Riven¡¯s lips turned upwards, and he reached out to pull Athela into a long embrace. Holding her close, he hugged her and whispered into her ear: ¡°I love it almost as much as I love you. You¡¯re amazing, Athela. Thank you.¡± He heard Athela inhale sharply in fake bashfulness, which got him to laugh. But before Athela could reply, he felt Lillith¡¯s hand on his shoulder. ¡°Riven.¡± She said with a stern face while movement in the crowded street began to vamp up further into the city. ¡°We just received word that-¡± There was an explosion that cut Lillith off, then multiple explosions as the entire portion of the city along the portal¡¯s edge shook - and a rising mass of flesh tore through the streets itself into the sky. Buildings were crushed or swatted aside under its might as the abyssal residents caught up in the disaster began to scream, and an aura on the level of Lillith at her peak crashed down on their position. Huge, bloodshot eyeballs tore open from towers of writhing tentacles made from millions of leeches, worms, and insects as roars and battle cries escalated all around - with dozens and then hundreds of demons beginning to swarm from places of concealment at the left and right. ¡°The deed is done¡­ The Seventh Wing is captured!¡± A booming voice echoed across the skyscrapers while the huge hive-mind abomination stared down at Riven¡¯s location from different angles in the sky. ¡°BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF GREED! CAPTURE GLUTTONY¡¯S REINCARNATION NEXT, SO THAT HE MAY FOREVER BATHE IN THE AGONY OF OUR HALLS! SPILL HIS BLOOD, AND KILL HIS ALLIES WITHOUT REMORSE!¡± There was a splat and crunch a dozen yards away from where Riven stood, and as the sounds of battle erupted along the perimeter - he recognized the crushed body of the dark elf he¡¯d befriended upon coming into the descent. Gentry, who¡¯d he¡¯d only known for a short time, was still recognizable even with his corpse twisted in pain and at odd angles. It appeared he¡¯d somehow gotten himself caught up in this after all, and Riven felt a little bit bad for the man. But the expected battle had finally come, albeit a little earlier than he¡¯d thought, and there was no time to dwell on such things. It was time to show these fools just who they were fucking with. Just like Greed had set up the trap, Riven and Gluttony¡¯s forces had been expecting it. And they had prepared in kind. Chapter 275 Chapter 275 The city rumbled as The Gambler¡¯s body tore through the black earth and soared towards the abyssal heavens. The hive mind creature roiled and surged, exploding in volume by the second while thousands of demons - none of which were pushovers - all made a mad rush from various spots of hiding. They came from the nearby buildings, from up in the darkened sky, and from across the central portal vortex as the creatures of Greed tore forward. Gluttony¡¯s mind addressed Riven with a malevolent chuckle, whispering into his ear as if the sin were standing there right beside him. ¡°And so it begins. I will be with you, Riven. Under our combined might, will not hold back as we crush the insignificant ticks before us under boot and claw! KILL THEM ALL!¡± Their minds merged. Riven¡¯s aura soared in a staggering surge of force and his body sang with energy, as his mana took hold of his items to equip them in an instant. Riven lifted his hand - wreathed in the power of raw sin, and the purple lightning storms overhead parted like the red sea before Moses. Riven¡¯s third eye ripped open across his forehead with a dark purple hue to look upwards, and Gluttony¡¯s maw opened above the city with hundreds of gigantic tendrils that tore through the air with a roar of hunger that shook the very mountains around them. The Gambler turned his gaze upwards and roared back, surging skywards to meet the oncoming onslaught of Gluttony¡¯s tendrils with mountains of pulsing flesh made from billions of worms and insects. BOOM A shockwave rippled across the city, and the two titanic forces clashed as a slow smile spread across Riven¡¯s lips. The signal was sent, and Gluttony¡¯s servants went on the counter attack. From within the black portal of the descent itself, from deeper within the second level, a sea of allied demons in full battle attire launched themselves into the city to join the fray. Casters positioned in key locations across balconies surrounding the portal infused prepared runic diagrams and launched attacks, and allied assassins hiding in wait began attacking ranged fighters on Greed¡¯s side that¡¯d posted up along the portal¡¯s perimeter. Violence ensued. Lillith turned to Riven¡¯s team, looking at each of them one by one with meaning behind the gaze. Azmoth, Athela, Fay, Allie, Nora, Lillith, and Retesh - intentionally ignoring Fimrindle in hiding nearby to not allude to his position should enemy reapers for hire that were doubtlessly out there see the glance. ¡°This will be a battle unlike anything any of you have ever experienced. These are the best of the Unholy Pillar¡¯s young, and none of them will die easily. Stay alive and uncaptured.¡± Lillith said, nodding once to Riven and Gluttony. ¡°All you, until I get back.¡± Without another word, the lady of black skies vanished without a trace. CRUNCH Riven¡¯s hand snapped forward, spiked knuckles crackling with sin energy as Messenger¡¯s sturdy body collided with a teleporting wraith only two feet away. Simultaneously Fimrindle flashed in and skewered the ethereal undead with his scythe, and Athela¡¯s twin doves flashed forward to rip into it a split second later. The wraith, a reaper itself, let out a squeal of agony for only a moment before its body shattered and split - evaporating into the ether of the abyss like a fog in the night. ¡°Ugh¡­I have a long way to go.¡± Nora muttered to herself, stepping aside to make way for the charging hordes of demons passing them by. ¡°But I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Allie began to laugh, and spread her wings to take to the sky as myriads of souls flew out of her body. ¡°Riven, care to join me?¡± Fay¡¯s demon wings spread next and she shot upwards too, garbed in silver and grimoire in hand while channeling a green fog that began to spread about her like a miasmic cloud. Athela warped her body, shifting into a pool of blood that wrapped itself around Riven¡¯s newly upgraded armor and wordlessly began to evaluate the surroundings for highest possible threats. Nora and Fimrindle disappeared. Glancing to Azmoth and Retesh, and then to the cyclops smith Jamal who was glaring daggers at the oncoming enemy hordes while his trading company packed in tight - Riven began to lift off the ground. Messenger¡¯s ¡®Quickening Flight¡¯ took hold, and the air around him rippled when red snowflakes began to bloom and soar around his position. ¡°Just like we planned.¡± Riven stated. ¡°Retesh, show me what you¡¯re made of.¡± Retesh cackled, and his undead began to tear each other apart to build something new. ¡°As requested, vampire prince! I¡¯ve been looking forward to this, but I wasn¡¯t sure it¡¯d happen!¡± Azmoth snapped his Shengari Tower Shields apart, forming two halves of each - one half in each clawed hand and spinning their bladed edges around with a happy grunt. His flaming antlers pulsed as obsidian teeth bared down. ¡°Azmoth will be ready!¡± The hellscape brutalisk dashed ahead, first falling into ranks with the other swarming demons of numerous species - before breaking off and climbing up the side of a tall building by use of claw, tail, and the two overarching eel-like maws he had coming out of his back. Riven wasted no more time, and as another explosion of force radiated out from where Gluttony¡¯s soul clone ripped and tore at the pillars of flesh that composed The Gambler, he turned to face the oncoming fliers who were traveling across the pool of the black portal at the city¡¯s center. Jackal¡¯s flaming eye-sockets flared along the skull at its top, and mana began to channel into his staff as he began to build a spell. Three eyes peered out from underneath the ivory helm of Messenger, underneath a hood of bloodsilk and shadow, as the storm of red and black began to build around him like a font of the apocalypse. Already Greed¡¯s forces were halfway across the lake of abyssal power between Riven¡¯s position and the opposite shore at the far edge of the inner city. Even more of them were coming directly from above, though they were taking fire from pre-positioned Church of Gluttony members that were launching barrages of unholy curses and flame into the swarms. Still, the followers of Greed surged ahead. Devils, incubi and succubi, harpies, draconics, imps, shadow fiends, beholders, cthulu-like creatures and more began charging attacks in a synchronized strike while closing in on his position; while their land-based comrades closed in from the nearer side of the city. ¡°HERE THEY COME!¡± Allie yelled out over the already raging battle around them, snapping down her newly modified visor and adjusting her full-plate soul-woven bone armor; black wings spread wide. Halo surging with mana of true-death, her divine-quality claymore roared to life with teal flame - and the thousands of souls at her beck and call began to condense along her body to enhance her. ¡°THIS IS IT! ARE YOU READY!?¡± The enemy swarms of fliers came crashing down in a thunderous cacophony of strikes, and Riven put a hand on his succubus - who was trembling slightly next to him. ¡°Just like we planned.¡± He felt Fay steel herself, and she let out a sharp breath. Instantly, the world turned gray as Riven and Allie forced their Malignant Prophecies into a unified foresight. The world froze around them, and Riven¡¯s out-of-body ethereal soul looked back at the figure of his sister not far off. Their minds linked. [Malignant Prophecy has activated. Desired Action: High Tier Manipulation. Combined Current Willpower stat: 4809. Sufficient Willpower to perform desired action. Performing this act will put your malignant prophecy on cooldown for significant amounts of time. Do you wish to proceed?] You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. They spoke in unison. ¡°Yes.¡± The desired action was selected. [Your manipulation of fate has gained you each 9 Malignancy Points. Beware, this action has been noted by the Elysium Administrator, as a significant amount of fate has been adjusted to your own benefit.] Time reverted back to normal, and Fay¡¯s dreamwalker zone took hold. One, three, seven and then a dozen replicas of Riven¡¯s skyborn team took form - illusions born from Dreamwalker Zone as Allie and Riven flared their own building spells with conjoined effort. The succubus grit her teeth, snarling, and channeled as much mana as she could into the Viper Grimoire of Curses and Schemes. A power stone, given to her by Lillith for this exact moment, appeared in Fay¡¯s hand. With a scream and raising the black object over her head - wings outstretched - the stone cracked and exploded with energy that cycled through Fay¡¯s body into the grimoire; and the world warped around them. Up became down, left became right, and the sensation of gravity became meaningless as the newly power leveled succubus put literally all of her effort and her entire mana pool into shifting the perspective of the oncoming swarm. Immediately, the oncoming enemies let loose their attacks. But nearly half of those attacks went astray. Greed¡¯s minions began flying into one another, misfiring fireballs, necrotic clouds, or bolts of lightning into each other as they screamed and roared. Hundreds died in an instant as chaos ensued, and many more were injured, and even more of the oncoming horde that went unscathed targeted false illusions while their minds were twisted to confuse them. Riven and Gluttony chuckled at the absolute mayhem that single ability had wrought, and with Malignant Prophecy guiding him - flexed their shadow pillar with a supreme will upon lifting the fingers of his left hand in their direction. Rips in space tore open at dozens and then hundreds and then thousands of places within the time it took to take a breath. Incoming enemy attacks were rerouted into other Greed followers, adding to Fay¡¯s induced chaos, and yet more of the enemy demons were sent spiraling into one another by redirecting their flight patterns. With his right hand Riven gripped Jackal and raised the staff overhead to where a sun of hellfire had begun to burn twenty yards above him. With the staff he created a circle of flames above him - drawing it in the air around the sun with slow but steady intent; before clenching his fist tightly around the shaft. Then his forearm twisted while chanting the words he had only spoken once before while he hovered over the black lake of the abyssal portal below. ¡°Rain fire upon mine enemies, cast doubt upon divine providence, and bathe the land in a blaze of profane glory.¡± [Blaze of Profane Glory (Infernal)(Tier 3) - Detonate a massive ball of infernal power overhead, devastating the surrounding landscape and burning your enemies alive. This spell seeks out all living creatures, avoiding non-living material, causing soul damage as the fires of hell temper the innocent and guilty alike. 1 week cooldown.] The sun overhead exploded over the sound of the battles behind him, and the supernova blew in all directions before turning into streams of flame that sought out all living enemies ahead and above him. Trails of liquid fire dove through combatant formations, blasted through barriers and armor, and burned enemies alive as they screamed in pain. Due to the nature of the spell, it wanted to seek out even Riven¡¯s allies - but through supreme force of will he was able to temper the trajectories of the spiraling flames and turn them away and onto those who sought him harm. If only he could gain levels by killing enemies here. It made him wonder just how much XP he was missing out on by being in Chalgathi¡¯s questline right now, but his leveling would have to wait until he finished the Altars of Despair and Hope. For now only finishing event quests would give him personal XP, and the thought made him flinch at just how much progress he¡¯d lost because of this. A flash of neon light tore open above the sky just as he finished conjuring Blaze of Profane Glory, and the eye of some deathly god awakened to glare down at their enemies. Allie held her claymore straight up, still channeling some kind of fiery, gray spell into her weapon while deathly presence crushed many of the fliers and flung their flaming bodies into the portal below through a storm of swirling red snowflakes. Immediately after that, Retesh unleashed his own attack. Hundreds of newly constructed skeletal siege weapons pulsed with green energies before launching cannonballs of miasma into the enemy swarm. They were joined with Riven¡¯s own barrage when thousands of red and black storm razors sang through the howling winds to smash into the oncoming tide - eviscerating many and exploding when they didn¡¯t cut through. The air thrummed, and Riven didn¡¯t even bother turning around when he sensed a new presence appear behind him. Instead he coated himself in Hell¡¯s Armor, and let Athela and Fimrindle do their job. Athela¡¯s blood form dispersed from his body and shot forward like a bullet, taking humanoid shape as a hail of blades clashed with the opponent in a blur of exchanged strikes. Fimrindle closed in quickly to help, and Riven saw a distant tower get crushed when one of Gluttony¡¯s tendrils smashed one of The Gambler¡¯s writhing limbs into the city streets. And yet, despite all of the power and carnage on display, despite the storm of mana that¡¯d been dropped on the incoming tide of flying enemies like an atom-bomb, well over a third of the enemy forces were still coming in strong. These were the best of Greed¡¯s forces, some of the best in the multiverse for their tier, and there were many that¡¯d come out without even so much as a scratch. Allie¡¯s body blazed with gray light as she finally finished channeling the souls around her into a condensed layer of fine energy, and her angelic figure pointed her claymore back down at the oncoming tide like a valkyrie of legend. Riven did not bother looking her way, as his cloak of shadow rippled about him on frosted red winds. Gripping his staff more firmly, and channeling a series of blood lances into his left arm, he shot upwards like a torpedo to gain distance from his enemies - initiating a sonic boom while his sister met the charge to the dance of a prophecy yet fulfilled. *** They were violence incarnate, a perfect unison of a song yet sung and a playbook written only for their eyes. He supported her from afar with magic as she engaged in close combat, while he was simultaneously supported by Fay¡¯s illusions as she mustered the mana to help again. Every move the siblings made was part of a dance, moving as one entity tied together by strings of fate tethered by their shared bloodline; fueled by the power of an Original Sin and the burning seed of one who had taken the first step into divinity in death. A fake image of himself flew left from his position and took with it three pursuing harpies. Riven snared three imps in a black net of unholy rage that dug into flesh and dragged them down through the portal below - into waiting claws of Gluttony¡¯s army still pouring through from the other side. Their marks of Greed burned on their souls like a blazing sun to his eyes, and he moved on to deflect two orbs of hellfire with unnatural ease while swatting them away with Jackal¡¯s skull. He dodged through the air under the effect of Blessing of the Crow, connecting with a platform of bone Allie made for him to push off of before righting himself and flinging a blood lance into an enemy¡¯s skull above the city skyline. Whipping himself around and vanishing through a portal while avoiding the claws of a devil - only to appear above the archdemon before sending a blood nova into its back. The explosion ruptured its lungs and upper spine, splattering it all over a nearby succubus before she too was consumed by the explosive blood discharge. Allie crashed into another gargoyle and tore one of her wings into the demon¡¯s own, cutting cleanly through before kicking the creature¡¯s face with a spin that sent its teeth through its neck and its body spinning into the black portal far below. Athela had rejoined him now, flying upwards and latching herself onto his body and was playing anti-assassin on high guard the entire time - occasionally zipping out to take her humanoid form and strike down enemies before zipping right back as a ribbon of blood. CRUNCH BOOM SPLASH Riven weaved through the continued barrage of the magical siege weapons created from Retesh¡¯s minions, diving easily through the hail of fire while Gluttony¡¯s own fliers had been called in through a mental tug. The full on melee had been brought on not only through the city streets now, but raged over the city in the sky itself beneath the black dome of the abyss - while void titans on the outside curiously watched the ants fight. Creating a platform of ice in the air hundreds of feet up, Riven landed with a crash and a spray of crimson shards before turning and summoning a wall. The ice shards rapidly condensed from the storm of snowflakes and froze the space in front of him to block an incoming spear of crackling orange energy, before the spear was yanked back by an overzealous insectoid creature that¡¯d been tailing him throughout much of the battle- ¡°RAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!¡± CRASH Azmoth¡¯s propulsion smashed the four blades of his shengari shields into the mantis monster, hacking and gnawing at the screaming demon that was taken out of the sky like a bird by a stone. Riven summoned another two blood lances back to back and flung them into oncoming incubi, headshotting both of them with perfect precision before resummoning Azmoth through the minion sigil on his chest. Azmoth disappeared from where he was beating the insectoid to death right before hitting the black lake underneath, then reappeared on Riven¡¯s crimson platform. ¡°AGAIN!¡± Azmoth screamed, covered in blood before bursting into flame with an excited laugh. ¡°AGAIN, AGAIN!¡± Riven didn¡¯t need to be told a fourth time, and his free hand sprouted a thick net of wretched snare. Using it to propel Azmoth just like Riven did with many of his blood lances to speed them up, he launched his armored flaming minion into the closest crowd of flying fighters that he could see. CRUNCH The ice underneath him shattered and Riven¡¯s staff whipped around to collide with a huge hammer. Jackal¡¯s passive exploded with hellfire to rebuke the attack and Riven did a 360 spin before kicking out against the mammoth gargoyle that¡¯d assaulted him, putting distance between the two but not having many places to go with so many combatants. Malignant Prophecy had worked overtime to get him here, but even with the prophecy active it¡¯d been an absolute hassle to follow each of the steps perfectly. Due to the messy nature of the battle, he¡¯d ended up with a few fuck ups that¡¯d left him scrambling to get back into the prophecy¡¯s alignment. And even with the prophecy active, given the skill and power of all these powerhouses present in The Abyssal Descent, he was being pushed to his limit. Attacks that would normally level city blocks would sometimes only injure his enemies depending on the target. With Gluttony suppressing Greed¡¯s main player - The Gambler - and Lillith on her own side mission to take advantage of the circumstances, it was all he could do to keep himself on track while killing as many of his opponents as he could. Chapter 276 Chapter 276 The path of Red and Black called to him while the air shattered, and his specialty Blood Pillar - Profane Cyclone - was building in power as more and more of the creatures around him died like flies. The sky was split with arcs of black lightning that roared around him as he moved in harmony with Gluttony¡¯s own predatory instincts, smashing through enemies in explosive detonations with the original sin¡¯s full might and amplifying it with his own innate power. Buildings crumbled to dust, and the central purple iris on his forehead glowed brightly as the souls of his enemies were sucked into his skull with the whispered screams of the damned. This was perhaps the very first time he¡¯d truly been in sync with Gluttony, their combined wills dancing together like an unstoppable storm of violence while they wrecked entire squadrons of enemies in the air and on the ground alike. It was the first time that Riven truly felt like he deserved the system title of ¡®MYTHIC¡¯, and he felt like a fallen god rising from the ashes to retake his former glory. All that training he¡¯d done had only been half of what he could truly bring out, and that was becoming every apparent now that his other half was involved. Roaring hellfire exploded from his body and catapulted two mantis demons across the abyssal city into a tower with an explosion of stone, and Riven abruptly vanished into a portal to avoid ribbons of green light that sought to entangle him as a dozen enemies dashed passed allied fighters while he ducked and wove at blinding speeds under bridges between skyscrapers, through tunnels, or inbetween alleys to keep his advantage at range. Meanwhile his four orbiting totems continued to unleash dark lightning strikes of their own accord and rapidly used small rift portals to redirect incoming attacks, while forming barriers of crimson ice to block ones the rifts didn¡¯t catch intime. They were machine-like in their accuracy and effectiveness. And his other item upgrades weren¡¯t anything to scoff at either. With his normal mana he was able to levitate and hover, even fly to a minor extent. With his previous version of Messenger¡¯s armor he¡¯d been able to use a propulsive burst to go through the air like a rocket. But this new modified version of Messenger was on a level of control entirely new to him, and mere thought allowed him to push his mana through conduits in the armor itself that flushed the air around him with intrinsic propulsive maneuvering not seen in any kind of living thing or machine back from Earth pre-integration. He could walk on a knife¡¯s edge and double back or turn instantly, and without any whiplash. He flashed forward and burst through another underpass while firing off conjured blood lances so fast that they appeared and ruptured off his arm like a gatling gun, blurring backwards at his pursuers and piercing through tough armor and hide in sprays of blood. Crackling with lightning he zig-zagged and then broke the sound barrier - tearing a portal open in space and putting distance between the fastest of the enemy fliers before unleashing a thunderstorm of darkness. The street behind him shattered alongside a merchant¡¯s store, rupturing the ground and causing the entire sector of the city to shudder as chained snares bloomed from his outstretched palms and scattered - forming a web lattice around him for hundreds of yards to slow down the ones who¡¯d survived his initial attacks. Meanwhile his four totems orbited him in a spinning cycle that began to speed up, creating shards of sharpened ice that began collecting in protective layers as runes along each of the totems lit up brightly with red light. [Hive Totems of Bloodforged Rift Sparks (Lesser Artifact, Elite Tier, Level 6 Totem Swarm): These totems come as a set, and new totems can be added to this number at the additional cost of Willpower - with each totem adding exponentially more Willpower to the cost. Cost of Willpower is based upon attitude towards the wielder of this totem set, as well as current combat level. Current Requirements: 119 Willpower, Blood Sub-Pillar, Shadow Sub-Pillar. Bound to Riven Thane. Adding different types of totems will change the name and description of this totem set. Current Totems in Hive Swarm: The Path of Red and Black has been imbued into these totems, along with numerous different sigils, and has used the blood of an ancient avatar of original sin to fuel its growth. This totem has the ability to grow and level up, but diminishes in level each time one of its totems are destroyed. This totem swarm can currently perform the following abilities: Three figures broke through the debris, tearing through the air on whistling feathered wings and outstretched spears. Fallen angels, all dark paladins in black armor, crashed through nearby buildings towards him with relentless fury. In turn the totems unleashed their layered shards of ice in a flash-burst. One of the angels let out a cry of pain and the other two veered off as black electricity followed up the ice attack and smashed into the caught paladin, only for the man to let out a charge of brilliant orange light - healing his wounds and blasting the totem¡¯s magics backwards in a new surge of resilience. The paladins doubled their efforts while Riven flew backwards, and they simultaneously launched their spears his way while avoiding the writhing tide of nets that actively sought to take them down. Jackal swung down and exploded in a blast of hellfire along its skull as the weapon deflected the first spear. Riven jerked his head sideways to catch the second spear, and he formed a rift to teleport the third spear behind him right before impact. Part of the building behind him tore apart, and the fallen angels drew swords while weaving between the thrashing network of snares before making another dive at him. Red ice that¡¯d been accumulating on the city streets below abruptly tore towards the heavens, with dozens of spiked pillars coming to meet the angels under Riven¡¯s will. Fay¡¯s dreamwalker zone triggered when the succubus finally caught up, and Riven used her illusion to vanish amidst a series of copies identical to himself just as the angels met his position. A rupture of his red pillars of ice versus their enhanced physical blows crashed through the air in sprays of frost and Athela ripped off his body to change from her blood-pool form, flinging herself at the nearest of the angels and bringing the screaming man down while she rapidly impaled him over and over again at the weak spots in his armor. Riven chuckled, reaching out a hand and turning it into a fist - as the writhing sea of snares all around them rapidly condensed. ¡°There is no escape for you now.¡± The two remaining angels didn¡¯t seem to notice their impending cage shrinking in, and continued their assault - lunging for him in bursts of unholy power with one going right for him and the other veering left before flanking. A flash of gray and pink light from behind caused one of them to stumble and groan as Fay¡¯s charm caught him flat-footed. [Charm (Depravity) ¨C Infatuate any enemies within range of sight that look upon you when activating this ability, causing them to lose focus. The farther away they are from you, the less effect this ability will have. The more willpower the enemy has, the less effect this ability will have. Channeling ability that costs increasing amounts of mana over time.] Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And Riven used the opportunity to send a crackling blood lance right through the man¡¯s skull. The fallen angel¡¯s face imploded and his brains sprayed out the back end of his head, as the winged man began to fall like a limp doll towards the city streets far below. CRASH Riven¡¯s weapon smashed aside the sword of the last enemy with another on-contact explosion of hellfire from Jackal, and from underneath his shadowy hood in the dim light of the abyss - his three glowing eyes stared back out calmly at the enraged dark paladin in front of him. ¡°Greed will have your soul, reincarnate!¡± The paladin hissed, through clenched teeth, flexing his own stamina channels to combat the building red frost accumulating on his skin and armor; while green sparks flew off his sword to combat the flames writhing along Riven¡¯s staff. ¡°And I will be the one that brings you to-¡± SSSSSSHHHHHINNGGGG Red strings latched onto the man¡¯s helmet and yanked his head back, exposing his neck for a swift, clean cut of a sharp arachnoid limb. The man¡¯s decapitated head flew through the air in a rotating spin, and Athela caught it - catlike - before shoving her claws into the brain as an overkill. Riven flicked his wrist, and the condensing shroud of snares evaporated. The roar of battle with explosions, metal, and claw clashing were all around - and the screams of the dying were intermixed by other victorious roars. ¡°WOOOOORRRRRRMMM!!!!¡± The echoing, enraged voice of The Gambler caught Riven¡¯s attention, and the vampire prince turned his head to look at the enormous mass of writhing insects creating The Gambler¡¯s body. He was struggling but slowly pushing Gluttony¡¯s own tendrils back due to the help of hundreds of other casters from Greed¡¯s church, but was in large part being held at bay while his other forces were caught up in the rest of the fight. A visage of Gluttony appeared beside Riven in a flash, and the sin began to speak. ¡°He did not think us to be this strong so early¡­ He did not know the extent of our synchronization and did not think I¡¯d be able to manifest myself to this extent. He miscalculated.¡± Without looking, Riven summoned a dozen storm razors and sent them hurdling to the right - eviscerating an enemy succubus who¡¯d gotten too close to try and recite a miracle. He heard the feminine scream of surprise and pain before she went silent, and in his peripheral vision saw the bloody patch where she¡¯d once been on a nearby building rooftop. ¡°His mistake then.¡± Riven muttered, noting a familiar figure zig-zag through enemy combatants to send an enemy devil¡¯s corpse skipping along the outer wall of a barracks. The fully armored half gargoyle, half minotaur man let out a loud cackle of amusement, bloodied teeth bared into a smile when he turned Riven¡¯s way. ¡°YOU HAVE IMPROVED MUCH, REINCARNATION! Do not think I have not noticed!¡± Riven gave Amano, leader of the church of Gluttony in the abyssal city, a nod of appreciation. ¡°In part, thanks to you.¡± Allie¡¯s flaming skulls were seen ripping through the air as a howl of souls burst out of the city to the north, and Riven¡¯s attention focused there next. Without as much as a word: he, Amano, Athela and Fay all headed in that direction join the battle once more. And on the way, Riven opened his mouth; with a swarm of hungry beetles pouring out from his throat in a cloud of ever-expanding carnage that began racing through the city. Hundreds became thousands, which became tens of thousands of insects that buzzed ahead to gnash and tear at any enemy bearing the mark of Greed - before the feeding frenzy began to take hold on Riven¡¯s mind¡­ and his hunger began to skyrocket. [Ravenous Beetle Swarm (Sin): Open your mouth to summon a swarm of ravenous beetles. The more biomass they eat, the more your health, mana, stamina, and divinity replenish; and the more beetles you can create. Consuming targets with this ability applies towards your Gluttonous trait.] *** Lillith walked with the bloody head of Greed¡¯s high priest in her right hand, or at least the high priest for this particular event in the multiverse. The Abyssal Descent was of course an isolated area, and there were many high priests that each presided over certain designated places for each of the sins¡¯ churches, but it was nevertheless a grand thing to take one out. Whistling to herself and casually stepping over the bodies of hundreds of defenders that¡¯d been left to guard the ¡®hidden¡¯ temple of Greed far underground and through five defensive layers of wards, the shadowy demoness was all smiles as her pale white eyes sharpened dangerously upon the approach of new figures emerging out of the hallway ahead. ¡°Mistress of the Black Skies¡­ It is truly an honor.¡± The calm, collected voice whispered from before her, as a robed skeletal skresh with an intricately made pair of short scythes held them out to either side in a greeting gesture. To his right, another skresh wielding a scythe¡¯s blade attached to a chain held the weapon calmly in front of him, while to his left - a third hooded skresh undead held a more standard scythe weapon that was rather tall with a crooked shaft. There were no runes to mark them. No semblance of magic, miracle or stamina infused into their bodies or equipment. There was only a complete lack of substance, even to her senses, with a void of power encompassing their positions in the tell-tale sign of assassins who had pushed their masking and deception skills to the brink of their tier¡¯s limits. She should know. She was the same. ¡°Reapers¡­¡± Lillith mused, coming to a stop twenty yards away from them with a giggle, and swinging the high priest¡¯s head around by his hair while the dead man¡¯s open mouth continued to sprinkle blood around the room while she played with the new toy. ¡°I wonder, how much did they pay you to seek your own deaths so openly?¡± She put a finger to her lips as if in though, then tilted her head to the side with a brilliantly white smile that was in stark contrast to the pitch black of her hair and skin. Her body rippled with shadow, and the very air around her began to darken as her body looked like it was losing substance. ¡°What kind of promises did Greed give you to take on such a risk? You must know that you cannot beat me, regardless of how talented you might be. Only a swift end awaits you should you try to stop me here. This is not a conflict that involves The Scythe¡­ I will give you this opportunity to leave.¡± Her offer was immediately shut down. ¡°Do not think you are the only one who embraces the dark places of these realms. We too thrive in it, we are some of the best our order has here in the descent, and our skill sets together - they surpass your own.¡± The empty eye sockets of the leading skresh¡¯s skull lifted slightly from underneath his hood, and the bone teeth of his face clacked twice. ¡°Greed has offered us¡­ enough. It is not our place to discuss such contracts after they are accepted, it is against our code. All that you need to know is that we have been hired to stop you. And once we do, our names will be listed in the history books as the ones to have slain one of the greatest assassins of all time. Just think of the honor¡­ of what titles we will be given not only in our own order, but by Elysium itself.¡± Lillith¡¯s giggles grew louder, and her domain of darkness expanded further. ¡°It appears people have forgotten just who I am¡­ and yes, that would be an interesting thing to see. What exactly would happen if I do die? What title and bonuses would you get for killing one such as me? But¡­ I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll never know.¡± Her crown of seven horns began to grow in length, and the yellow flower she¡¯d found in the underdark on Panu began to shrink down into her body as her hair began to rise up behind her in a flowing wave of black ribbons. Her claws extended, and the room abruptly went pitch black as her brilliant white smile faded from view. ¡°Come to me.¡± The reapers simultaneously blurred forward into the darkness, and the strikes of metal on claw came and ended a thousand times over within the time it took to take a single breath. Then there was only silence. Seconds later, Lillith walked out of the room - leaving the scattered remnants of the reapers behind her without so much as a backwards glance. Her bare feet touched stone while she slid through the passages of the temple, passing through barriers and defensive soul snares like they were nothing. A blockade? She slipped through the cracks. More sentries? Dead. Another explosive ward meant to bring down the entire temple if she walked through that archway? Deactivated. Without The Gambler here to protect this place from her, it was like walking through an amusement park. Eventually she came to a circular room with a single black crystal of non-uniform make, glowing orange at the deep center of its core while it hovered over a pedestal at the center of the room. Smiling to herself in excitement, she reinspected the area just to make sure that there weren¡¯t anymore hidden surprises waiting for her - before stepping forward and reaching out to grasp it. The treasure felt cool in her hands, drawing the heat out of her body like a hungry, animalistic thing, and she let out a sigh of fulfilled relief while closing her eyes and bringing the item to her chest. ¡°So it really was here all this time¡­ To think, that after so many eons of being hidden here in an F-grade and E-grade zone Elysium would not allow me to enter in my previous heights of power, the opportunity to finally grasp it comes to me now.¡± She felt herself beginning to shake with excitement, and let herself do a quick skip around the room while continuing to hold the crystal to her bosom. Twirling in place and letting her long, waist-length black hair flow around her - she settled down into a kneeling position while beginning to press her lips up against the crystal¡¯s smooth surface. Pale eyes widening as she began to drink in the pure energies of the crystal¡¯s core, she felt her own soul lattice quickly form - as Lillith began to ascend into the E-grade. Chapter 277 Chapter 277 Elder Thune¡¯s white ponytail trailed down his back as his crimson eyes darted over the tome in his hands. Pale candle light illuminated the crypt, and an ancient, shriveled vampire in front of him rested inside an open coffin. ¡°The fallen god has been found, master¡­ Our rise back to power beckons us from the outer reach.¡± Elder Thune whispered, his black robes shifting slightly from a mana breeze that was only barely there after untold years of decay. His fingers traced the ancient sigils of lost and forbidden lore that would have him hanged if any priest of The Blood God were to find it here. Whispers of blue light began to rise off the page - calling him towards a new path, a separate path that much evidence pointed towards having once been a mainstream ladder to the heavens. Now though, the secret to that path rested on Panu in the depths of the underdark. A secret once buried with the so-called precursors. ¡°I track the bitch queen¡¯s granddaughter to Earth, and they escape¡­¡± He snapped the ancient book shut, putting it into the coffin with the shriveled ancestor. ¡°They destroy all of their research on untombing the Fallen Elder God¡­ leaving nothing but ashes in their wake.¡± He sneered, spitting onto the stone ground of the hidden tomb and turning to look into a mirror - his wrinkles starting to show even despite his pureblooded vampiric heritage. ¡°Elysium takes the planet and merges it into an integration zone as if to spite me right when I find a lead, and then those damnable royal brats grow up and show up to inherit the world quest for myselves. A world quest¡­ designed to hand them the prize I have been seeking for millenia. Did their parents leave them there intentionally? Did they experience a prophecy knowing this would happen, and follow the threads of fate through malignancy?¡± His ancestor did not stir, and Elder Thune let out a long sigh before bringing his hand up to his forehead to rub at his temple. ¡°I fear it to be so. The question becomes just how much they saw, and what I can undo before all is lost to us. All that we have worked for will be for nothing if either of the Wraithtide runts get their grubby claws on it, and I have no doubt that The Blood God himself would see them greatly rewarded if they were to destroy the legacy for him. Doubtless they will rise in the ranks of The Blood Moon Requiem if they do so, perhaps even receiving the ranking spots to inherit the throne. Already they have thrown mud into the water with one of the aspects of sin choosing the undeserving warlock welp, it is as if Elysium itself is fueling his ascent. But losing the legacy of Blood¡¯s brother path¡­ That cannot happen. Not when we¡¯re so close.¡± A spark lit up along the lower edge of the mirror, gaining the elder¡¯s attention as his eyes narrowed. ¡°Open.¡± Immediately the mirror shifted image, revealing none other than Crendir No-Name on the other side. Through the mirror, Elder Thune saw a torture chamber where the vampiric princess Kathrine¡¯s bare body had been strapped down to a bloody wooden table. Her eyes were glazed, drool dripped out the side of her mouth, and her body quivered violently in protest to the shackles and numerous metal stakes that skewered her to the wood. *** Crendir shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the older vampire. Despite working for the man, Crendir was still playing a very dangerous game should the High Queen or any of the other elders find out what exactly was going on here. ¡°Have you found it yet? Have you found the location?¡± Elder Thune asked through the mirror, wringing his thin fingers together anxiously while glaring out at the vampiric E-grade captain. ¡°Answer, me boy. Do not keep me waiting!¡± Crendir bowed respectfully, and took off his helmet to reveal a clean-shaven head. ¡°I meant no disrespect, excellency. I have not found the location yet¡­ unfortunately. But nevertheless I called on time as you command.¡± ¡°Then find others to interrogate!¡± The old man hissed. Crendir frowned, looking over to where the ghoul woman Mara now lay half-dead and stuffed in a box - her limbs oriented at odd angles. He looked to where the ones called Nin and Vin were reduced to bone dust, their spirits already vanished into the void days ago. To where the other necromancers of Allie¡¯s guild were also dead. None of them had uttered a peep. ¡°One by one I have gone through the people who knew. The last ones who know are Kathrine and Mara, which is why I even took this risk to begin with - your excellency. There are no others to interrogate, and they¡¯re only just now breaking. I do believe that I will finally get it out of Kathrine as she is not as strong willed as the others were - but it is going to take time. Mara is one I may have to dispose of sooner rather than later, as talks with her are going nowhere.¡± ¡°And if you fail?¡± Elder Thune hissed, nails digging into his palms to drip blood onto the ground on the opposite side of the mirror - and into another universe. Crendir remained stone-faced. ¡°Then I will scour the underdark myself until I find it. With Riven and Allie gone, there are very few here that are able to challenge my own strength. I just need to avoid the banished and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°The banished?¡± Elder Thune asked with furrowed brows. ¡°Ah, you mean the demons that were banished with Gluttony¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Those creatures.¡± Crendir shifted stance uncomfortably. ¡°They are¡­ formidable. I have no doubt that many of them would be able to kill me if they found out what I was doing, but if what you say about the legacy is true¡­ then it is worth the risk.¡± A slight smile played on Elder Thune¡¯s lips, and he nodded in agreement. ¡°It is. To form a new step to the heavens so that our kind can finally break the chains of The Blood God is a step towards righteousness. We were not meant to be born as slaves to his will. It is time to form a new path, to reform the old ways, and I am glad that you have seen the light. But know that the actions you take now will heavily influence that fate, and if you fail¡­ you curse us all to an eternal damnation.¡± ¡°I am aware.¡± Crendir stated, saluted with a fist to his chest. ¡°I will not fail you, excellency. I will pry the information from the princess, or from the ghoul chancellor. One or the other. Be it a long and agonizing time in the chamber or not, the choice is up to them. I will try not to kill them as I proceed, but again¡­ the ghoul they call Mara is trying my patience.¡± ¡°Very well. Keep me informed, and see to it that you get what you need at all costs.¡± Elder Thune said sharply. ¡°And dispose of them like the others when you¡¯re finished.¡± Crendir hesitated. ¡°I was hoping to keep the princess for myself.¡± Elder Thune raised an eyebrow. ¡°You cannot. The risk is too great. If her family is able to use her blood to track her down, which I am doubtless they are attempting to do even as we speak, it will not bode well for you. My wards cannot hide you forever. Kill her when you¡¯re done, just like the ghoul, and burn their bodies to ash when finished.¡± Without giving Crendir a chance to argue, Elder Thune turned the communication channel off. Silence hung in the air for a long time after that, as Crendir considered just what kind of mess he¡¯d gotten himself into. But there was no turning back now, and the prize at the end - should he succeed - was almost all he ever thought about anymore. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Grunting in irritation and muttering to himself, Crendir picked up a hot iron that¡¯d been laying on a nearby rack. Turning around and walking over to where Kathrine was still pinned to the wooden table, he eyed her twitching, bloodied body before passing her by and walking towards Mara. Looming over the broken ghoul woman and glaring down at her, where black blood pooled underneath her prone form into the box he¡¯d stuffed her into, he saw her one remaining eye shift to look at him when he raised the hot iron. ¡°Ready to talk yet?¡± He asked with a cold smile. ¡°Where is the fallen elder god¡¯s tomb, Mara? Answer me, and this torture all ends. Forever.¡± Mara tried to spit, but all that came out was a gurgle - and one of her broken fingers shifted slightly in the attempt to strike him. He chuckled and shook his head, abruptly spearing the ghoul woman to skewer her as she let out a loud squeal of pain. ¡°Remember the rules, Chancellor Mara. Blink three times in a row when you¡¯re ready to tell me what I want to know, and I will heal you. Until then, it¡¯s merely a long game to see how much you can take before your mind bends and breaks.¡± *** The sky roiled red, with tens of thousands of Gluttony¡¯s insects devouring and battling the swarm that comprised The Gambler. It was interesting to watch, with both insectoid masses clashing with one another in a fervor - one not able to overpower the other. Truthfully though, The Gambler probably would have won if not for the hundreds of other attacks barreling into it. Riven exploded with energy as rivers of blood tore from the hundreds of bodies around him to fuel the blood nova. A shock wave of red pulsed out of where he hovered over the city¡¯s buildings, and then with a boom - the enormous globe of shredding crimson cannonballed directly into the mass of writhing leeches and insects that created The Gambler¡¯s body. The enormous hive mind roared, its writhing tendrils swooping in at supersonic speed to swat him from the air like a fly. But he didn¡¯t stay still, and vanished through a rip in space just before they met his position. ¡°How is he still alive?¡± Riven whispered to himself, thoroughly intrigued while he watched the creature regrow the limbs he¡¯d just eradicated as if it were nothing. ¡°He¡¯s unkillable.¡± Gluttony chuckled inside Riven¡¯s mind. ¡°It is why he is such a formidable opponent. Lillith has many times attempted to kill him, but should even a single one of his creatures live¡­ the hive mind persists. He is one of a kind, and it pains me that he chose to serve Greed over myself. A shame, that we must inevitably devour him.¡± Towers were turned to rubble and Riven created a shield of crimson ice to block three arrows launched from a tower¡¯s roof, not able to return fire because of the swarming appendages ripping through the air towards him and erasing entire city blocks in the process. Allie dove through the air alongside a dozen allied fliers with a cloud of souls engulfing her, the divine E-rank claymore gifted to her by The Scythe itself wielded in both hands as she crushed one of The Gambler¡¯s stems. Her angelic halo burst with light and her black wings turned sharp to encase her as she dove into yet another one of the fleshy towers, blasting through the outer side and coming back around to zip through the mess of entangling swarm as it reformed behind her almost instantaneously. The bone armor covering her entire body was covered in gore, but was soon burned off as she channeled an immense amount of deathly gray flames around her and let loose with another eruption of fire that smoked the oncoming appendages with a necrotic aftermath. Riven raised his staff overhead, drawing from the raging storm of blood mana around him and sending thousands of explosive razors down onto the canopy that¡¯d become The Gambler¡¯s body. Amano, the half gargoyle half minotaur, flew up to hover beside Riven while watching the avalanche of projectiles rain down. He gave Riven a respectful nod. ¡°Reincarnate, the Church of Greed is withdrawing to their temple as planned. Our counter ambush was a glorious success. We give chase to corner them like rats, but that is all. Is Lillith ready? Do you know?¡± Riven¡¯s purple eye, the one in the center of his forehead controlled by Gluttony, narrowed and shifted to the demon - and a visage of Gluttony¡¯s maw ripped open in the air beside them. ¡°It is impossible for Lillith to fail in this. Have faith that she is already done and out of harm¡¯s way.¡± Amano abruptly bowed. ¡°Of course, Great Maw. We are ready to proceed when you give the command.¡± Below them, the city continued to crumble, shatter, and burn. Roiling mounds of flesh continued to grow and bat aside the innumerable projectiles being hurled at The Gambler and Greed¡¯s other followers. Hundreds of enemy demons were being routed through city streets and into underground defensive structures that Gluttony¡¯s agents had already mapped out - or rather, that Lillith had already mapped out. The battle was finally drawing to a close, and Lillith hadn¡¯t even taken part. Yet. ¡°If The Gambler cannot die¡­ Then why is he maneuvering away from us?¡± Riven asked absentmindedly, watching while the collective swarm continued to take absolutely brutal punishment from innumerable sources - yet still persisted. He raised his staff once again, channeling a torrent of black lightning into the shafter as it sent a typhoon of shadow damage barreling into and through The Gambler¡¯s body at random. ¡°That is not what I said. He can certainly die.¡± Gluttony replied. ¡°It is just incredibly unlikely. But like all the banished, we did not climb to the apex of power in our old lives by taking unnecessary risks.¡± Greed¡¯s followers were routed now, being cut down in the streets and over rooftops - in the air or on the ground. It was a butchering, with all of Riven¡¯s party members coming out intact. Retesh the lich was enjoying himself thoroughly, collecting and resurrecting dead demons that provided him with very high quality bodies to use as new minions. Azmoth was beating some poor cyclops to death with the razor edges of his four half-shields. Nora was paired up with two other assassins from Gluttony¡¯s commune, killing at random while Greed¡¯s members tried to flee. While Fay remained cloaked at a distance to observe him for supportive purposes, and Athela¡¯s bloody pool remained wrapped around Riven¡¯s waist like a belt. Despite the win, Riven was tired. Very tired. The raging thunderstorm of red circling him was let loose, smashing into what little of The Gambler¡¯s body that remained and hadn¡¯t been pulled back to underground halls of Greed¡¯s defensive structures where fighting would be less favorable towards Gluttony¡¯s camp. The hive mind just continued to roar in enraged frustration, killing many of Gluttony¡¯s own that got too close and failing to focus down as many as it could otherwise due to the immense amount of firepower being unleashed onto it from thousands of demons in Gluttony¡¯s army. It screamed something out at Riven, something about being cursed and reincarnation this or that - but Riven didn¡¯t hear it over the explosions of gore, flames, and shattering rubble. ¡°Miss me?¡± Lillith¡¯s voice whispered in Riven¡¯s ear, and he startled - turning around to see¡­ Nothing. ¡°Over here.¡± Riven turned again, only to see nothing once more. He sent out a mana pulse just like Lillith had taught him, and swatted her hand away just as she reached to smack the back of his head. Laughing, she materialized beside him and giving him an approving look. ¡°Very good. You all did very well in my absence, and the stage is set. Are you ready to proceed, Gluttony?¡± Gluttony¡¯s visage seemed to smile. ¡°Yes. Yes I am¡­¡± Riven though, was scratching the back of his head in confusion. Something was¡­ different, about Lillith now. He couldn¡¯t really place it, but she was¡­ more. More than she¡¯d been before leaving to enact her own part of the plan, and¡­ Eh. He didn¡¯t know. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Riven asked curiously, folding his arms and letting his body suck in the ambient mana from the remnant blood energy lingering in the air. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ off.¡± ¡°Off, you say? I do believe I haven¡¯t felt so ¡®on¡¯ in a very long time!¡± She laughed at Amano¡¯s confused expression - and waved a hand to dismiss it. ¡°It is not important, and will be discussed later. Do you have the trigger, Amano?¡± The Abyssal Descent¡¯s temple leader quickly nodded, producing a small sphere and handing it over to Lillith. ¡°Yes, Lady of the Black Skies. It is here just as you¡¯d entrusted it to me.¡± ¡°I knew I could count on you!¡± She beamed - Only to get a sputtering and embarrassed, yet simultaneously proud reply that didn¡¯t really make sense. Together, the three of them watched as the last of Greed¡¯s forces finally disappeared into their tunnels and towards the safety of the underground. When The Gambler¡¯s last remnant swarm tendrils finally disappeared with them, a roar of applause and cheers rose up from the crowds of Gluttony¡¯s followers. The sound came like a waterfall, and built until the city shook with their victory cries - only for Lillith to smile even wider when she raised the bauble in her hand over her head and began to squeeze. ¡°If they liked that, just wait until they see this.¡± With an evil cackle very fitting for an arch demoness like herself, Lillith smashed the orb - and with it, a low boom resounded from deep within the earth of the Abyssal Descent¡¯s city. Within three seconds, a fireworks display unlike anything Riven had ever witnessed came to light as the equivalent of a volcano erupting in the city¡¯s inner district blew up with wild abandon. The hordes of Gluttony¡¯s people who¡¯d gotten out of the way just for this event went even wilder, and the dome over the city was cast in ash - as a burning crater of what had once been the underground fortifications of Greed¡¯s temple bunker lay smoldering in a pit of lava far below. Chapter 278 Chapter 278 The Gambler¡¯s body was scattered, in shambles after the eradication of the underground temples in The Abyssal Descent. The black crystal that¡¯d been hoarded there for eons was now gone, rejoined to its original wielder, and even now as he swept through the darkness into the deeper recesses of the abyss - he could feel the presence of Lillith growing. His arch nemesis had gotten the better of him¡­ this time. Still. He couldn¡¯t blame himself for trying even despite circumstances having not been ideal. What other time could he have attempted such a thing? Assassinating Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation would have been the pinnacle of success after Greed¡¯s forces had also managed to steal The Seventh Wing away from both the heavens and Gluttony¡¯s own warriors. The Church of Greed had lost a few S-Grade Empyrean-Class demons in order to do it, but they¡¯d gained the true prize in their co-op with The Great Maw. And draining the commandment of Purity for all time would no doubt be a great boon to thrive off of, for both Greed - when he managed to reincarnate as well - and for The Gambler himself. ¡°I have failed, master.¡± The Gambler¡¯s voice resonated inside his soul like an echo chamber, but another¡¯s presence quickly presented itself as the Original Sin of Greed welcomed him home. ¡°It was worth the attempt. We knew it likely wouldn¡¯t work to begin with, even at the cost of many of the younger generation.¡± Greed¡¯s scratchy voice replied, sounding like twigs cracking with every syllable. ¡°Do not dwell on it. We will have ample chances to kill or capture Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation as he grows in power, and as long as we manage to do so before he reaches the pinnacle again - we won¡¯t have cause to worry. This reset on the commandments and sins will for eons restructure the power dynamic between what were once equals, and many more risks like this one will doubtless need to be taken as the centuries wear on. As for now¡­¡± Greed paused, contemplating something while letting out occasionally growls and grunts. ¡°As for now, there is another that you will contact for me. Are you familiar with The Blood Moon Requiem?¡± ¡°I am.¡± The Gambler replied. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°There is a vampire there of great importance to our cause. An enemy of my enemy is my friend, or so the saying goes¡­ and I believe we could aid one another in the attempt on Riven Thane the next time we try. He goes by the title of Elder Thune¡­ and the archbishop on the planet of Aldius should have some of our best waiting to escort you; so that you may enter into diplomacy with him. Finish your own descent, claim E-grade, help the Naga cultist with his own ascendancy, and then you must leave.¡± There was a pause. ¡°I will do as asked, master. And I will not fail you this time.¡± *** A tenth of the entire city was absolutely ruined, with city blocks eradicated and hundreds of the best of F-grade and E-grade for the Unholy Pillar now laying dead or dying in the streets. Gluttony¡¯s forces were cleaning up or helping their injured comrades, while other forces on the periphery who¡¯d been watching were kept at bay or dealt with harshly whenever they tried looting corpses. Because in most cases, each corpse was a treasure trove of supplies from some of the wealthiest and most influential clans demonkind had to offer. And truthfully, Riven felt a little sad despite the victory. He¡¯d been saving his skeletal summons in case Greed¡¯s forces pulled a trump card out, and he¡¯d not even used his ultimate form where he and Gluttony would fuse to form a demonic body - but now he was regretting not having used them due to how many of his allies had died. Gluttony was telling him it was wise to keep such things in reserve just in case they were needed, and Riven was used to seeing death by now, but these people - these creatures¡­ they looked up to him as some kind of worship-worthy being. They¡¯d fought and died for him, going all out in their own rights while Riven had held back just in case he¡¯d been targeted and needed the additional boost. ¡°Don¡¯t give yourself so much credit. This fight between our churches is ancient, and has been going on long before you got here.¡± Lillith said with a friendly nudge, standing next to Riven atop one of the skyscrapers overlooking the molten wreckage of what had once been the underground Greed temples. ¡°We¡¯d have fought, killed, and died regardless of whether or not you were the almighty chosen one.¡± She said that last title with a bit of teasing exaggeration. Raising an eyebrow and giving the ancient demoness a sour glare, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit better about what she¡¯d said. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m right!¡± She swatted him on the back, causing him to stumble and smiling widely. ¡°And I¡¯m in a great mood! They¡¯d been holding part of me hostage here for a long long time now. A piece of my soul. I just got it back.¡± ¡°How¡¯d that ever happen? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be some hotshot?¡± ¡°Hey kid, I still AM a hotshot.¡± She chuckled, then waved a dismissive hand across his face. ¡°And wipe that stupid frown off. You did very well, and your training has obviously paid dividends. You¡¯ll be E-grade in no time, and back in Chalgathi¡¯s trials.¡± ¡°Indeed. How did the operation in Universe 3 go? Did we catch The 7th Wing?¡± Lillith threw up her hands to either side, still in a jolly mood. ¡°Yes and no. We had a specialist mark Purity¡¯s reincarnation with a tracker in anticipation of Greed betraying us, and are now waiting patiently for her to be settled down before we give it a go. They did just what we thought they would, and she¡¯ll no doubt be put down in a high security prison somewhere - hidden from the rest of the multiverse. Worst case scenario, Purity is still captured - just not by us. Best case scenario¡­¡± Lillith began rubbing her hand together with a vicious grin. ¡°We get Purity back, and find one of Greed¡¯s hidden strongholds so we can burn it to the ground.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite the gamble.¡± ¡°Somewhat, but it was more important that Purity be taken from Heaven - rather than she go specifically to us. It would obviously be favorable to keep her ourselves¡­ but it is a good outcome regardless. I have no doubt the heavens will be up in arms and scouring the edges of the third universe within days though, and countless worlds inhabited by demons will burn.¡± Riven¡¯s mouth fell slack. ¡°Seriously?¡± Lillith gave off a more grave, and less excited expression with a sigh. ¡°Yes. But Purity is an extremist, and would no doubt have done it anyways when she rose to power. The eternal war sleeps for no one, and both sins and commandments are going to be out with a vengeance. Taking Purity out of the equation is an enormous boon for all of demonkind, not just us. Now, pick up and¡­¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. WHOOMPH The world around Riven abruptly turned gray, and time stopped - as his soul was forcefully ejected from his body. Even Gluttony¡¯s presence was absent, as Riven¡¯s ethereal form looked around at what was usually the representation of the world when his malignant prophecy activated. Just what was this? Turning in the air and freezing stiff, his ghostly eyes landed on a familiar figure. She... She looked like she¡¯d just walked out of his memories, every detail matching the same figure he remembered from back when he was just a kid. She stood like a beacon in the night atop the tower as time remained at rest. Soft features, a sad but brilliant smile, the head tilt he often did when pondering, and the same brown hair he had. She was beautiful, and¡­ and was it really her? His voice caught, and if he¡¯d been in his normal body - his heart would have been pounding. ¡°M¡­Mom?¡± A wave of emotions roiled within him, and seeing her like this so suddenly and without warning¡­ it made him want to cry. ¡°Are¡­ is that you? Are you real?¡± He reached out, floating down to stand beside the spitting image of the woman who¡¯d raised him, but his hand traveled through her as she let out a soft breath of air with a nod. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up¡­¡± She muttered, still looking forlorn. Sheline Thane, otherwise known as Lady Sheline Wraithtide, raised her hand as if to brush his face - but hesitated an inch from him and dropped her arm. ¡°That¡­ saddens me.¡± He could not comprehend this. Was he dreaming? Sadness, excitement, and confusion were abruptly replaced with rage - and Riven snapped angrily at her with a sneer full of internal pain and turmoil. ¡°Yeah well it fucking saddens me too, mom!¡± His voice broke, and he let out an involuntary whimper while rapidly changing between sorrow and anger. ¡°Where have you been? Why are you here now? Why did you abandon us?¡± ¡°I did not abandon-¡± ¡°YES YOU DID!¡± Riven screamed, snapping again and clenching his fists. ¡°ALLIE AND I WERE LEFT ALL ALONE! We had NO IDEA where the FUCK you¡¯d gone! I looked for you for years¡­ and¡­ and I¡¯d given up until¡­¡± He let his gaze fall, and became silent. That silence reigned for quite some time. What was he even supposed to say? He was at a loss for words. After everything that''d happened, without warning, she''d finally reappeared. ¡°I did not wish to leave, but it was for your own protection. We were being tracked¡­ and we still are being tracked even to this day¡­ the day in my future, where I¡¯m speaking to you now.¡± She said with a sigh. ¡°And truthfully Riven, I¡¯m not even here right now. Not really.¡± His gaze snapped back up. ¡°What do you mean? You appear out of nowhere and now you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not really here? What does-¡± ¡°This is an image. A projection of myself through time.¡± Sheline, his mother replied softly. ¡°Please, contain your anger. I do not have much time to speak. These images are taxing, and I must find both place and time within the matrix to properly stay. It is a gift you may one day figure out for yourself, though not all carriers of the prophecy are able to do so.¡± He rapidly snapped his jaw shut, but remained silent - waiting for her to continue and choking back words he¡¯d been wanting to shout at her for over a decade. That he missed her, that he loved her, that he wanted her back¡­ That he hated her for leaving. That he¡¯d been scared when she¡¯d left him to take care of Allie. Allie. What would she say about this? How the hell was he supposed to break this kind of news to her? And who was it that¡¯d made his mom leave? She was still being hunted? Even now? ¡°Riven¡­¡± Sheline began, with firmer resolve to her voice and standing a bit straighter. Her gaze flitted to Allie¡¯s form in the distance, and that gaze softened again. ¡°Thank you for taking care of your little sister. I want you both to know that I miss you¡­ more than you know. But you must finish this descent with haste. If you do not¡­ Your world will die. As will you. And Gluttony won¡¯t be enough to save you.¡± Riven blinked, and eventually when she didn¡¯t continue - he replied through gritted teeth. ¡°You have my attention, and you said time is short. Go on.¡± Silence. "Please to not look at me with such hate... Please, Riven." His mother was obviously undergoing a hard time herself with this reunion, and her composure broke when she stifled a sob and held a hand up to her mouth. But soon afterwards, she pointed towards the black portal at the center of the city. ¡°This system event is unique. I know you have had the system notification explain some of it to you, but let me be clear. Every 300 years the rankings reset, and more people are allowed into the descent to complete their soul lattice. That is the purpose of this place, for the greatest of the F-grades oriented towards the Unholy Pillar, and you¡¯re not competing against the contenders who are currently here this round. Rather, your score is competing against the contenders who went in the last cycle.¡± She waved a hand, and a piece of the script from Riven¡¯s old notification months ago came into view. [Successfully completing The Abyssal Descent will result in 50 points. Completing in the top 100 contenders will result in 300 points. Completing this event in the top 5 contenders will result in 1000 points. Finishing first will result in 3000 points.] ¡°I know you may be asking why I¡¯m telling you this, but let me explain why it is relevant.¡± She glanced down at the hologram, then back to him. ¡°Your score in The Abyssal Descent is dependent upon matching it to the previous contenders, and is based upon how well your soul lattice is constructed. The abyss will give you insights during meditation, and the deeper you go - the more dangerous it gets, but the more insight you can acquire. If you do better than the top 100 contenders from the last 300 year cycle as ranked by Elysium when constructing your soul lattice - you will acquire a bonus. Completing with a better score than the top 5 means you get a top 5 rank, and you¡¯ll need to beat the previous top contender in order you win the number 1 spot. If you do not finish in the number 1 spot, Riven, you will fail to win the Chalgathi trials. Another will beat you to the egg if that should happen, a cultist. If that is to pass, the system will treat you as an outlier given Gluttony¡¯s presence and increase the penalty for failing - increasing the bonus the cultist acquires, and the apocalypse beast named Chalgathi will grow an entire two tiers. For those who have distinct advantages such as yourself, it expects you to win. And if you don¡¯t, then it punishes you far more harshly than it would others under more normal circumstances.¡± She paused for emphasis. ¡°You will not be unleashing an F-grade apocalypse beast on the world if you fail. Not an E-grade either. You would be unleashing a legendary, level 599 D-grade apocalypse beast onto Panu, and it will kill you along with everything else that lives. This is something that I have foreseen, and even with this warning I am unsure if you will be able to make it out in time. So not only must you hurry, but you must hurry and do well. And I advise you now that, should you not succeed¡­ you need to abandon Panu entirely. Not even Lillith would be able to save you if Chalgathi appears fully formed at the cusp between D and C grade, so there are no other options but to flee.¡± *** Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw sniffed at the cellar, and the mantis-like archdemon¡¯s bladed arms traced the dirt where the scent still lingered. He looked around the room at the various tools of torture, of the remnants of Vin and Nin. The flow of turmoil in the room was palpable to his senses, he could still literally feel the pain and torture that¡¯d happened here, the horror behind it, and the resonate emotions of the victims that still may or may not be alive. Or, at least two of them might still be alive. ¡°Tre¡¯Zix¡­¡± One of his mantis brethren hissed, clicking her mandibles and brushing a bladed arm up against her horns. ¡°We have found a trail. A spacial rift was used in the opposite cellar. We believe the culprits to have fled through it¡­ Do you think it was treachery? Betrayal?¡± Tre¡¯Zix snorted, his red eyes gleaming over the deep purple-red chitin of his face - and he stood up to stretch his wings while turning his simultaneously demonic and insectoid form around. ¡°Probably. There are unknown scents here, I am only familiar with Mara¡¯s smell. It is hard for me to distinguish why this happened, but she was interrogated for something. Tortured, certainly, and less than a day ago. Whoever it was holding her, they probably found out that we were coming.¡± The other mantis cocked her head quizzically. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Insider information and treachery - as you suggested¡­ or a means of scrying that I did not detect. Though the latter seems unlikely.¡± Tre¡¯Zix clambered over an overturned table and through a hallway, changing into his more humanoid form in order to fit properly given his otherwise gigantic size. Walking into the next cellar, he came to a stop where others of his Klinac¡¯Tal Clan were waiting for him in silence. The remnants of the rift torn in space were now stabilized thanks to their efforts, and a wide grin set across his face when Mara¡¯s scent grew stronger. His mandibles began to click. They were getting closer. The mandibles of the others began to click in turn, and the pack of archdemons slowly all began to laugh with a violent glint to their eyes. A glint that called for a bloody murder, and one that showed they¡¯d enjoy every second of it. ¡°The hunt is on boys¡­¡± Tre¡¯Zix called to his fellows, reaching towards the remnant magics and infusing it with sin. Purple lightning raced up his arm and discharged, tearing space open once again and revealing a spherical portal. ¡°We have their scent. Let¡¯s not keep them waiting.¡± He stepped into the globe, and one by one - the twenty members of his ancient and once very feared clan all stepped in after him. After a moment the portal closed, and only blood and dust was left behind. Chapter 279 Chapter 279 Riven had been abnormally silent since the encounter with his mother¡¯s vision, to the point where others had started to notice. Still, he¡¯d done a good job at keeping his emotions under wraps even despite this - and was quick to reel in any outward signs of his internal turmoil. Feeding in the shadow of a towering skyscraper, his heart pounded in his chest - and Gluttony¡¯s instinctual desire to feed slowly began to fade. His fangs were sunk into the injured gargoyle, and draining the blood out of the half-dead Greed affiliate - he continued to let his mind wander over the happenings of the last day. Then he heard the familiar beat of wings overhead, and a soft landing beside him. Looking up with blood running down his mouth, he saw the beautiful blue-skinned succubus he¡¯d contracted nearly a year ago begin to walk over to his position. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Fay asked, reaching out to put her slender fingers around his - giving him a warm squeeze. ¡°Riven? You look¡­¡± She paused upon seeing the victim on the ground. The wounded gargoyle was bleeding out and going into shock, gasping with wide eyes on the floor, and she grimaced. ¡°Are your impulsions better now? Or will you need more?¡± [Gluttonous (Trait): You are required to eat at least 1 enlightened being every week, or will suffer a 1% debuff that stacks on all stats. Feeding on more than 10 enlightened beings in a day gives temporary bonus stats that decay over time, the amount of bonus stats depends on the power and number of consumed victims. Feeding on more than 5000 enlightened beings in a day temporarily doubles your stats and all the stats of your gear.] He licked his lips and smiled, snapping out of his musings in front of the abyssal portal to the second level. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s better now. And I¡¯ll be fine, I just¡­¡± He glanced Allie¡¯s way, where he could only barely make her out near the portal¡¯s edge two blocks down. He¡¯d tell his sister eventually, just not now. Not while they were needing to finish this event as fast as possible. ¡°I just have some things to think about. Don¡¯t worry about me, let¡¯s just focus on getting the most out of this event as we can before returning to Chalgathi¡¯s trials.¡± Fay hesitated, looking like she wanted to say more while sweeping back her long white hair to stare harder at him - but eventually she smiled warmly back. Wiping off his face with one of her sleeves, she got up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. ¡°Fine. Let me know if you want to talk. I love you, you know.¡± Absentmindedly flinging a blood lance into the dying gargoyle¡¯s skull, Riven put a hand on Fay¡¯s cheek and kissed her back. ¡°I know. I love you too, now let¡¯s go meet the others. Secluding myself right now probably isn¡¯t wise.¡± Fay beamed and simultaneously raised an eyebrow at the remark, but didn¡¯t press and let her hand stay intertwined with his as the two of them began to walk through the battle-torn streets filled with rubble - as residents of the abyssal city stirred like a kicked hornet¡¯s nest. The cleanup of the city was still underway, though there¡¯d been new pockets of random fighting breaking out when other factions who¡¯d been observers on the periphery started plundering the kills in full. But it was time to go, and Riven had already stayed in The Abyssal Descent far too long as it was. ¡°Ready?¡± Nora asked, hoisting her two bone daggers out to either side with a wide smile. ¡°This has been quite the run, but we should probably finish up and get back!¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Riven muttered. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m ready as soon as Lillith is done talking to them.¡± Lillith was speaking to Retesh and Allie off to the side while their hundreds of newly raised undead loomed around the group with blank stares, and Azmoth was cleaning off his Shengari Shields by burning off the blood with fire breath. Watching his burning antlers attached to the new dark-gray plate armor wrapping his already naturally armored body up in another layer of metal, the eel-like maws continuing to belch fire as well, and the glistening black spikes protruding from holes in his outer layer - Riven realized Azmoth was starting to get physically bigger. Azmoth was growing up. The large, armored demon glanced Riven¡¯s way, grinned, and began to walk over as Athela appeared next to him in a puff of red. ¡°Azmoth kill many! Training pay off well!¡± Riven chuckled and gave Azmoth a fistbump when the young hellscape brutalisk came over and reached out. ¡°Yes I could tell. You¡¯re doing very well. All of you did.¡± ¡°Same goes to you.¡± Athela replied, leaning in and shoving Fay off of him as the succubus fell backwards with a squeal. Grinning and ignoring Fay¡¯s protests, she teasingly knocked Fay back again with an arachnid limb and wrapped her arms around Riven¡¯s waist. ¡°You were very, very impressive back there¡­ Makes me want to OW!¡± SMACK Fay swatted Athela on the back of her head for a second time and harumphed before injecting herself between the two, wriggling grumpily into the crevice from underneath and poking her head up in the middle of their chests. ¡°This is my spot!¡± Both Riven and Athela began to laugh, and that laughter was joined in on by Fay a second later until Azmoth came over and bear-hugged the three of them - lifting them up to the screams and protests of the two women. ¡°Azmoth hugs too!¡± He roared, getting a sidelong glance from the others who weren¡¯t involved. Riven for his part merely raised an eyebrow from underneath his cloak while letting his feet dangle as the brutalisk swung the three of them back and forth. ¡°Azmoth, when do brutalisks start dating?¡± ¡°What is dating?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what Athela, Fay and I do. We¡¯re dating.¡± ¡°You mean mating.¡± ¡°Well, yeah I suppose that too.¡± Azmoth put the three of them down and patted Athela on the head while she glared daggers up at him, but the brutalisk seemed oblivious to her irritation. ¡°I not know. I not interested. Females gross.¡± Riven stifled a laugh, leaning on his staff and giving Azmoth another reassessing look as the black water-like substance of the huge portal at the center of the city glistened in the background. ¡°You don¡¯t say. Do you like men then?¡± ¡°No. I not interested in that kind of stuff. I only interested in kill and smash and claw-rip.¡± ¡°Color me surprised he¡¯s not wanting to find a partner.¡± Athela muttered, rolling her eyes and leaning into Fay. ¡°He¡¯s an ape. A big, scary looking, metal clad ape!¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with not being interested in other brutalisks that way.¡± Riven commented defensively. ¡°And Azmoth is really young, he has a lot of growing up to do. You never know.¡± Azmoth snorted in agreement, quickly swatting at her - but only had his claw deflected by a blur of an arachnid limb. Then he turned his head to look at Riven. ¡°Have Riven seen what female brutalisk look like?¡± There was a pause. ¡°Eh¡­ No?¡± Riven replied hesitantly, as a keen sense of amusement echoed out from Gluttony inside his soul. A flash of an image played across his mind, and Riven staggered in disbelief. ¡°Oh dear god.¡± Riven said, disbelieving. ¡°That¡¯s awful! How do you even¡­ How!?¡± Athela and Fay give him confused looks, but they were cut off from asking anything when Allie steps over to give him a nudge. ¡°Are you guys done being ridiculous? We¡¯re ready to go.¡± *** [You have entered the staircase of The Abyssal Descent for floors 1 and 2. Traverse the staircase to reach the 2nd floor below.] The portal into the second layer of The Abyssal Descent was cool to the touch, and far different than many of the other portals that Riven had passed through during his time since integration. It was as if he was being swallowed by a lake, and the black liquid of the abyss gently caressed his skin until he was suddenly sucked underneath in a whiplash of momentum. It was also his first time doing this, unlike his minions who¡¯d all already traveled here and below to power-level into level 200 over the past months. Coming out the other side was also something of a surprise, as he stood staring directly at a beholder demon. He¡¯d completely forgotten, but this is where he was supposed to meet his new minion - albeit a temporary one - that Lillith had picked out for him after he¡¯d not come to any conclusion about who or what he wanted to fill his last slot. [Narg, Level 200 Seeker, Beholder Demon. ELITE.] The beholder demon was colored a swamp-green, with orange colored, bulbous eyes along each of its many tentacles. Two larger ones were set over a toothy smile, with slits for nostrils, and two larger tentacles underneath the main body were obviously used for interacting with the environment by the way it gestured at them when the seeker ¡°Narg¡± saw them enter. ¡°I humbly present myself to The Great Maw!¡± The demon said with a very smooth voice just as Riven got his footing. ¡°Please, let me introduce myself! My name is Narg, and I have been chosen by the Lady of Black Skies to temporarily assist you as your fourth minion throughout this descent!¡± Riven was about to reply, but his words suddenly caught in his throat when he took in the surroundings. It was unlike any realm he¡¯d ever been in before, as they were standing on the precipice of an enormous, miles-wide spiral staircase. Right over the central ledge was a massive drop down, and in the far distance the opposite edge was facing outwards. Signs of where Gluttony¡¯s forces had been camped on this side of the portal in wait for ambush were still evident due to the odds and ends left behind, or the upturned metal or fires still lit around what¡¯d been gathering circles. The sky was completely black leading into a vortex above and the deep spiral staircase leading downwards through the darkness was speckled with deep-purple runes in the expanse of a never ending abyss stretching out forever. A shimmering cylindrical barrier kept massive figures only barely discernible in the distance from entering, and if not for Riven¡¯s dark-attuned vision he¡¯d probably not have seen them at all. ¡°My name is Riven.¡± He eventually replied, realizing everyone was waiting for him to address the demon ahead of him who still hadn¡¯t moved from its bowed position in the air. ¡°I am the reincarnation of Gluttony. We greet you, Narg. Thanks for being here.¡± ¡°Of course! My parents will be so proud of me!¡± Narg immediately said with an upbeat, excited swing of his head. His many eyes focused intently on Riven¡¯s position, then keeled around to look at the others - which were being followed by swarms of very high quality undead that¡¯d once been demons in the battle in the city. ¡°Quite the entourage! I should expect nothing less from one such as you.¡± Lillith walked forward and put a hand on Narg¡¯s scaly green skin. ¡°Thank you for being here, friend. As we all know, the lower levels of the descent past the 3rd floor do not allow groups of over 5 to traverse together. This excludes minions though, so you¡¯re going to be a valuable asset by using the last slot.¡± She turned to Riven with a head-nod Narg¡¯s way. ¡°We had to choose someone that would fit within your current Willpower limit of 1054. The minions you have had since early on cost a lot less than new minions contracted later at the same level, an example of this would be if you dismissed Athela. Right now she costs you 209 Willpower and slowly accumulates cost over time, but if you dismissed her and tried to recontract her - she¡¯d likely cost you somewhere around 500 Willpower given her status as an archdemon and her unique abilities. So we couldn¡¯t choose someone relative to her league.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Seriously?¡± Riven asked in surprise. ¡°That''s over double the cost!¡± Lillith nodded and ignored the smug look of satisfaction on Athela¡¯s face. ¡°She¡¯s a very good find, but you grew with her to get her here - and Elysium taxes your Willpower stat less for it. This in turn is why we had to choose someone who wasn¡¯t registered as a legendary tier, because they wouldn¡¯t be able to contract with you given your lack of points. Narg is an elite-tiered demon, and is younger than most. Just as old as you actually, and may not be of legendary status yet, but he has risen through the ranks very fast. His potential is very high, and I thought that taking him with us would benefit him more than any other. He also has quite a unique class.¡± ¡°Your words humble me, Lady of Black Skies!¡± Narg beamed - literally lighting up with orange light for a brief moment in the process. ¡°I do not deserve such praise! Fallen gods, I wish my mother was here to hear this!¡± Allie stifled a laugh at the demon¡¯s offhand comment. Riven shifted to analyze the status information Messenger could grant him, then let go of Fay¡¯s hand to tap curiously at his status page. All of his own demons were now maxed out to level 200, even Genua who wasn¡¯t present due to her pregnancy, and it was probably about time he went over his own status page since it¡¯d been so long¡­ Nowadays he really only opened it to assign stat points, but with a new minion on the way - even if temporary¡­ ¡°What can you do and how much Willpower will you take up?¡± Riven asked curiously, red-black eyes shifting back to the demon in question. ¡°Mind showing me your status page and explaining your abilities to me?¡± The demon was quick to oblige. [Narg¡¯s Status Page: ¡°Until I offer you the contract, I am uncertain how much willpower I will take. Likely less than 200 points though, since we are guessing. Just like most of my race, I deviate towards long range combat and have a naturally high perception.¡± Narg began eagerly while Riven looked over his stats. ¡°My magical prowess is nowhere close to yours, I¡¯m sure, but I¡¯ve also been neglecting my intelligence in favor of enhancing my specialty class. It is a rare one just as Lillith claims, and allows me access to ¡®Seeker¡¯ spells. These spells aren¡¯t to be confused with scrying, which can be more easily interfered with or blocked, but rather the seeker spells are able to pull on creation, giving me insight on how to reach the desired target.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± Riven replied, now curious. Nargle nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s say I wish to find a specific fruit. I can utilize ¡®Seek Object¡¯, and as long as I channel the spell it allows me to see the path that takes me to my desired object as fast as possible.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows rose up high. ¡°Seriously? And the same goes for your other two spells?¡± ¡°Seek Danger and Seek Safety work slightly differently. They each give me multitudes of paths to choose from, with the strength and size of the path I see correlating to how much danger or safety there is. Proximity also influences the size and strength of the path. Seek Object on the other hand only ever gives one path. Even if I were to ask it to seek out a rock or pebble, it would lock onto the first rock or pebble that comes into my proximity. It can also be blocked out by barriers or wards, but it trades off with being able to seek out very specific objects as well. Unfortunately it cannot seek out specific people, but it can seek out a type of living creature such as ¡®human¡¯, ¡®vampire¡¯, or ¡®succubus¡¯ - with the same proximity rule.¡± ¡°That¡¯s incredibly useful.¡± Athela said promptly, her own curiosity obviously piqued. ¡°Agreed.¡± Allie muttered while sitting in a chair made of bones and looking down into the abyssal drop. She gestured towards the downwards spiral. ¡°Can¡¯t we just fly down the middle?¡± ¡°I would highly recommend that you not try.¡± Lillith replied with a shake of her head, long black hair flowing out behind her. ¡°Unless you want to get swarmed by the creatures nesting on the underside. It would likely slow us down far more than if we just took the staircase, where hives are less common.¡± ¡°And what about your other abilities?¡± Riven pressed, more enthusiastic about the beholder demon¡¯s seeker abilities than he was outwardly letting on. He could now very much see why Lillith had picked this particular demon as his fill-in for the trek down. ¡°Mind explaining them as well?¡± ¡°Certainly. First I would like to point out that my Observant trait, combined with my Scoped Vision trait, allows me to pick out things at high resolution for many miles out. Even stealthed enemies have a problem hiding from my sight, though the closer they are the easier they are to spot. This helps me adjust my long ranged attacks, and concerning those - I only have long ranged attacks. Nightmare Bombardment is a tier 3 attack that drains most of my mana and has a long cooldown, but is a great long range area of effect explosive attack using both unholy and infernal energies. Unfortunately it also takes up a lot of space on my pillars, and until I get to E-grade I will probably be unable to learn more abilities due to the size requirement of the mana channels. Globspitter is a high speed precision attack using unholy mana that slows enemies, while Hellspitter is the same - only using flame instead, and it can apply damage-over-time burns. Nightmare Barriers are solid objects I can create with fire and unholy power, which can also be conjured at long range, and I have a basic Identify ability as well that comes with my Seeker class. I intend to upgrade it when I reach E-grade at the end of this descent, though I¡¯m not sure what Elysium will give me for options when that happens. Did you have any specific questions, my lord?¡± ¡°Call me Riven, and no, not yet anyways.¡± Riven walked forward and extended a hand, but when the beholder demon gave him a confused, hesitant look - Riven explained. ¡°Back in my old world, we shook hands to seal a deal. I¡¯d be honored to have you on my team for a while, Narg.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Narg exclaimed with a widening grin. ¡°Of course! Forgive me! I will certainly shake your hand, great one! Here is my contract, please feel free to let me know if it is not up to standards!¡± Narg latched onto Riven¡¯s outstretched, bone and blood-silk covered hand with a tentacle a second later - just as a new notification appeared in front of Riven¡¯s eyes. ================================================== System Notification - Congratulations! Narg has chosen to offer you his services. You have received a demonic minion contract that you may choose to accept or decline: Narg¡¯s Offers: ¡¤ Acquire Narg as a familiar. ¡¤ Acquire ¡®Scoped Vision¡¯ as a trait, allowing you to see much farther and in detail when wanting to do so. Narg¡¯s Demands: ¡¤ No demands have been set. ¡¤ 158 Willpower requirement for initial contract Do you accept this contract? Yes? No? WARNING: If you choose to accept this contract, this will be your fourth demonic familiar. Your current class only allows 4. ================================================== Scratching his chin and pulling up his own status page, Riven went over whether or not he had the required Willpower to accept the contract. And indeed, he certainly did. [Riven Thane¡¯s Status Page:) His eyes glazed over while going over his status page in detail for the first time in a very long time. A lot had changed since he¡¯d appeared at the base of Chalgathi¡¯s pyramid at the beginning of integration. A lot had certainly changed¡­ and he was certainly very proud of his own minions¡¯ efforts to reach level 200 in the time spent here over the past few months. He doubted they¡¯d have been able to do it so quickly without power-leveling help from others in the Church of Gluttony, and was without doubt going to somehow thank or reward the people who¡¯d helped his minions get to where they were today. Shifting his attention to the 158 Willpower requirement of Narg the beholder demon, and noting he had 1054 current Willpower available to him with only 798 used - obtaining Narg would put him at 956 out of 1054. It was close, but he¡¯d be able to do it without problem. Plus, it was highly likely that Narg would only be a temporary fit - unless he proved to be invaluable in upcoming days during the descent down into the abyss. [Congratulations! You have accepted Narg¡¯s offer to acquire him as a new demonic servant. Narg¡¯s information has been added to your status page.] A flash of lightning connected Riven and Narg a split second later, and he felt the bond form. Mentally commanding Messenger to peel itself back off of his chest, the gluttonous maw there opened to reveal another, fourth pentagram on Riven¡¯s sternum just beneath the pentagrams of a spider, teeth, and wings that symbolized the three other demons he had. Now, in the center of the fourth pentagram, was the sigil of an eyeball surrounded by seven other smaller eyeballs. ¡°Thank you my lord, for giving me a chance!¡± Narg squealed excitedly, bobbing up and down and causing Riven to laugh a little guiltily. He knew Narg knew this was a temporary thing, but he was certain the beholder demon had high hopes that Riven would change his mind. Riven doubted that would come to pass even despite the unique class Narg had, but that was still up in the air and to be determined. [You have collected 4 demons and have reached level 200 as a Warlock Devastator. You now qualify for-] Just as the new notification¡¯s script was writing itself out in the hologram, it vanished with a blip of purple energy - and Gluttony¡¯s maw appeared beside Riven to open vertically in the air. ¡°Elysium¡¯s temptations can wait until we have ascended.¡± Gluttony said, as the area around them went dead silent in reverence. The bantering between Fay and Athela fell off, Narg¡¯s excited celebrations abruptly halted, the talks about techniques in necromancy between Allie and Retesh silenced, and Nora¡¯s questions concerning Azmoth¡¯s horns slowed to a quick halt when the original sin made its appearance. There was a distinct air of relaxation with the others whenever it was just Riven, he realized, but when Gluttony¡¯s soul clone visage appeared - even his two lovers became nervous in the presence of the maw. Only Lillith was not affected by Gluttony¡¯s presence. ¡°Master.¡± Lillith said, bowing politely and smiling Gluttony¡¯s way. ¡°It is not often that you poke out of your reincarnation¡¯s vessel. Usually when wanting to speak to Riven or I, you do so by way of thought. To what do we owe the honor?¡± Gluttony gnashed its teeth twice, then chomped on another notification that tried to repeat itself- [You have collected 4 demons and have reached level 200 as a Warlock Devastator. You-] The hologram shattered when Gluttony¡¯s teeth snapped onto it. ¡°I want to make clear that Elysium is trying to goad us into taking a deal now, concerning our class evolutions. And possibly, concerning our secondary class.¡± Gluttony replied without turning from Riven. ¡°Do not take the deals Elysium offers us until we have ascended into the E-grade. Otherwise we will be hamstringing our potential growth, and I have high hopes for cultivating both separate warlock and melee classes whenever we finally arrive at the lowest level of the descent.¡± ¡°Both, eh?¡± Riven commented, unsurprised. Gluttony nodded. ¡°Both. You would hold sway over the path of the caster and warlock, while I take charge of our secondary class.¡± Chapter 280 Chapter 280 The stairway piercing through the darkness for miles down was lit aflame, with bodies of strange, black, carnivorous manta-ray-like void beasts each the size of a small whale called ¡°Gliffards¡± covering the innumerable steps in all directions. The raging ball of hellfire Riven summoned overhead sprouted trails of liquid heat that washed over the enemies by the hundreds, and the spell would be on cooldown for another week because of it. Surprisingly enough he¡¯d actually ended up locking his blood lance spell by pushing it to the limit during the last swarm he¡¯d fought, accidentally creating a cooldown that would last over 20 hours. He¡¯d almost completely forgotten cooldowns existed, usually overriding them by pure force of will and the overwhelming mana that radiated through his channels. But nope, he was given a very stark reminder that even after having progressed so far - parts of his pillars could still lock up. ¡°The second and third levels of The Abyssal Descent are occupied just like the first, only that instead of there being a city - the second level is a sprawling set of mercenary camps that people often hire help from. You¡¯ll find a lot of people harvesting natural treasures that grow there, but the treasures found on the second layer are far less valuable than deeper into the descent. They¡¯re just far more common.¡± Lillith said, lifting a hand with a flash of dark claws that split the sky and scattered over a dozen gliffards at once. She didn¡¯t bother looking up. ¡°The third floor is where some of the more daring factions have founded compounds and fortresses to launch expeditions into the deeper levels from. It is the last stop concerning civilization, after that the only way you¡¯ll find others is by accident. And oftentimes, doing so will not be a friendly encounter. Killing people in the lower floors, by design, grants you any insight they might have acquired.¡± ¡°So I assume there are groups just waiting in ambush down there?¡± Allie asked, clad in bone armor, black wings spread out behind her with an army of undead doing much of the butchery as she walked down the steps alongside the ancient demoness. ¡°Or is that not the case?¡± ¡°That is certainly the case.¡± Lillith replied with a nod. ¡°Though I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to try attacking our particular group if they have any identifiers worth a damn. Then again, many groups don¡¯t have identifiers in their party - and identification treasures only go so far. It is highly likely that now after leaving the main city, many groups won¡¯t be able to get a read on just who or what we are even without our disguising amulets.¡± Retesh chuckled with a rattling of his exposed ribcage at the thought, using a large staff to balance himself while his boney feet clacked along the rune-inscribed black metal of the staircase they tread on. ¡°Azmoth wishes Genua were here.¡± Azmoth stated solemnly, looking up from underneath burning horns at the enormous inferno that was scouring the sky under Riven¡¯s might. ¡°I hungry. She make good snacks.¡± ¡°Catch!¡± Fay called back from beside Athela, jerking her hand out of Athela¡¯s grasp and pulling out a bundle to toss to the young brutalisk. Azmoth caught it, unwrapped it, and grinned when he saw it was a slab of meat. ¡°Thanks Fay! Do have more?¡± Fay happily waved it off. ¡°Yup! But let¡¯s not overeat, we have a long ways to go and don¡¯t know how long we¡¯re going to be here. It could be weeks!¡± Nora let out a long groan at the thought, and her shoulders slumped as she too continued to trot down the steps in an endless spiral with her bone blades tucked into her belt. ¡°This is a lot less exciting than I thought it would be. Riven¡¯s killing everything and I just sit and watch.¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry, child. It certainly gets more exciting than this after the third floor.¡± Lillith winked back at the human woman, then began to pick up the pace for another session of sprinting now that the gliffard hive was either scattered or dead. ¡°Come along now! Let¡¯s not waste too much time here. These treks between floors are always long, but we should reach the second floor within the hour. I just¡­¡± Lillith¡¯s voice trailed off, and simultaneously Riven had an odd, stirring sensation from within his soul. Gluttony was agitated for some reason, and when Riven tried to mentally inquire about it - he only got a vague collection of images. ¡°Nothing to worry about now.¡± Lillith said after Riven gave her an inquiring look. She brushed off her shoulder with one hand and a frown. ¡°It¡¯s matters that don¡¯t involve your universe or this realm. Let¡¯s continue on towards the second floor, there we will have the opportunity to buy some good cultivation resources collected by the hordes of merchants and mercenaries present there, before descending even further.¡± *** Purity, The Seventh Wing, had completely taken over the host body supplied to her by those who worshiped her. The angel she possessed was a nameless creature to her now, a subservient soul whose consciousness was pushed so far back into the depths of their shared mind that it might as well not have even been two - but rather, it was just one. It was only Purity. For how could one so pure share a body with a lesser? And after all, the angel had given up her body willingly so that Purity could live again. She opened her vibrant gold eyes which showed with the radiance of stars, beautiful white wings stretched out behind her and flowing golden hair that burned with celestial fire in a tapestry that not even the greatest artists could capture. The archdemons lurking outside this newfound cage cackled and sneered, even going as far as to directly try to talk to her - to goad her into a fit of rage. But she would not hear them. No, she did not need or want the insignificant jabs they had for her. One day she would purify them too, and they would be naught but cleansing ash. No, she had opened her eyes in this abysmal place because of something else entirely. Slowly turning her head and gazing through the layers of oblivion, she saw a crack beginning to form on the outskirts of Elysium itself. Eyebrows raising in disbelief, she watched as the layers of the outer shell began to break down. Specks of the ancient lattice that contained the multiverse began to wither, die, and burn away, and Purity couldn¡¯t help but look on in approval. Was this a rebirth? An invasion from one of the outer realms? Or something else? And how would Elysium react to such an infringement on its domain? Did this have something to do with their recent release? Was it the reason why Elysium had let them out? Or did it have no correlation whatsoever? Honestly she had no idea. On one hand, a rebirth would favor all of the sins and commandments equally after having been reset themselves, and would have significant ramifications for the entirety of the power structures currently resting in place after so much time had passed. But an invasion would bring an even greater bloodbath than the renewal of the eternal wars, and would set upon the multiverse a new era of carnage as two different titans of creation clashed. The last time Elysium battled another of its kind, entire universes had been wiped out - but the inhabitants of Elysium had received a significant amount of power from the influx of energy after the wars were done. Regardless of which, the answer wouldn¡¯t likely come for a couple of years, and she needed to get out of this blasted place to continue her cultivation. She wouldn¡¯t let Greed keep her here forever, and the filthy stain upon the realms had another thing coming if it thought she would stay here under its boot. Taking a final look through the cosmos into oblivion¡¯s outer edge one final time, she closed her eyes once more - and went back to constructing a means of escape. But just as she did, she heard the sound of an explosion - and the rising roars of battle as an enemy force collided with the hidden fortress she was now contained in. Unfortunately for her, it wasn¡¯t a rescue party. Rather, it was just one captor being traded for another. *** This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. High Queen Nephridi watched Elder Thune drag his wretched, feeble body down the hall like a slug. Or at least that¡¯s how she envisioned him. The ill-hidden sneer she had on her face whenever she saw the old man was commonplace, and it didn¡¯t surprise any of the other elders whenever they exchanged jabs or insults hidden as pleasantries no matter what the situation. Thralls and lesser vampire servants scattered at his approach in the enormous halls of the city-sized castle they found themselves in, and dozens of B and A-grade soldiers stood at intervals up and down the huge passageway in stoic silence as he passed. ¡°My queen.¡± Elder Thune stated sourly when he came to stand beside her. ¡°What an¡­ honor, to be in your presence¡­ again.¡± ¡°MMmm. Have you eaten recently, Elder Thune?¡± She asked pointedly, glancing down at a blood spot on his otherwise pristine white robe. ¡°Do you need a bib? Perhaps in your old age, you forget how to clean yourself. I hear it is commonplace in humans to lose their minds due to the years going by, perhaps you should look into some remedies.¡± ¡°Mature, as always.¡± He muttered, glaring back at her as the two of them turned in tandem to walk towards the inner sanctum, where a multitude of bishops, archbishops, deacons, priests, and even two prophets in service to the Blood God now lay waiting for their summons to be answered. Silence overtook the two of them after that while their robes flowed out elegantly behind them, and the setting sun cast shadows through tinted windows in the upper reach of the stone walls where exquisite life-sized carvings of vampires lording over their slaves could be seen in various forms. ¡°Word has reached me that Kathrine Vonsilla Crushada the 9th, princess and 107th in line to the throne, heir to the Crushada House and betrothed to Riven Wraithtide - Reincarnation of Gluttony¡­ has disappeared.¡± She didn¡¯t take her gaze off the distant door where priests in red were gathered outside to greet them, and her posture remained firm, but her pace did slow. ¡°Crendir No-Name has gone with her, and his recently betrothed fiance here in the capital has mysteriously vanished as well.¡± ¡°She is now 106th in line to the throne after Jalel was killed at the hand of your great grandson. And what of it?¡± Elder Thune snapped, feigning indifference - but despite millenia of training, Nephridi could tell there was a very slight stutter in his heart when it caught at the mention. She did not let on that she had noticed. ¡°We are investigating the circumstances as potential treason, perhaps coercion on behalf of Crendir No-Name¡¯s part through his lover here on this world. We have not yet identified the party responsible for her disappearance, but the two are likely somehow connected. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about that¡­ Would you, Elder Thune?¡± She turned her gaze ever so slightly in his direction, letting on a less than friendly smile as her eyes flashed red. ¡°I¡¯d hate it oh so much to see your withered little neck snapped and nailed to a burning pinwheel for the vultures to feed on.¡± Elder Thune did not take the bait, and kept his demeanor calm. ¡°If you are so eager to see me dead, High Queen Nephridi, perhaps you could do me the honor of attempting the act now so we can get this farce of cooperation over with. Then, perhaps, a real king would be able to take up the mantle of leadership for this great empire after I take your head.¡± A genuine smile of amusement lit up Nephridi¡¯s face as she let out a loud, wind-chime laugh with the fingers of her right hand caressing her red lips. Dark brown hair swaying from side to side as she chuckled, she gave him a sideways glance. ¡°Ah dearest elder, I would like nothing more than to rip your black little heart out from your chest! Unfortunately the clergy would not appreciate such a thing as infighting amongst one such as us, for to them - we are both invaluable chess pieces in the ultimate goal of vampiric rule across the multiverse. Just as all the other S-class vampires in service to the blood god are, we are treasures. But¡­ if it were found out that someone was attempting to subvert the Blood God¡¯s authority by pursuing another path of the taboo arts¡­ One, say, that could potentially be found in the blood of a fallen elder god on Panu?¡± She slammed a hand into his chest to halt his advance with enough force to demolish a mountain, concentrated into her palm, and she felt one of his ribs shatter as she bared her fangs in his direction. A shockwave radiated down the hall, knocking over many of the servants and even some of the highly trained guards, and two of the weaker thralls were even ripped apart in sprays of blood despite the vast majority of her strike being focused into the elder¡¯s chest. To his credit, Elder Thune didn¡¯t even wince, but glared with a raised lip in disgust. ¡°If something like that were to ever happen, dearest elder¡­¡± She whispered with malice dripping off her words, leaning in to brush her lips against his ear. ¡°I do believe I would be doing the Blood God¡¯s work by removing those who pursued such interests¡­ I just merely have to prove that I am right. Then we will truly see which of us is more powerful, old man, and why it was I that was chosen so long ago to rule this empire instead of you.¡± ¡°Conjectures and wishful thinking.¡± Elder Thune scoffed, violently swatting her hand away and continuing in the walk without her. ¡°Do not waste my time with your ill-conceived fantasies, hag. For I will not entertain them.¡± *** The portal to the second layer of The Abyssal Descent was just as the first, a black circular pool that circled around like a vortex. Stepping through it had the same odd sensation as the last, and Riven¡¯s body was caressed by the black liquid in a wave of abyssal energy for a solid few seconds before appearing on the edge of the pool on the other side. And just as Lillith had said, this area was one big sprawling camp. Riven could also see why that was. Swarms of the same ¡®gliffard¡¯ creatures flew through the air and nested on jutting cliffs, with ashen skies and dust clouds billowing through huge trenches that reminded him very much of Daskus - the city of canyons he¡¯d sacrificed to save Athela¡¯s life. Only it had a much darker, and more evil feel to it. ¡°Evil is subjective.¡± Gluttony whispered into his mind, only getting Riven to roll his eyes. The gliffards would swoop down and attack people at random, of which there were likely tens of thousands, and fighting was breaking out at random intervals even between participants in the descent. Due to the nests up above limiting space and the constant attacks ongoing from the swarms above, the other big difference between Daskus and this place was that the second level of the descent was full of makeshift tents or canopies used to block out the dust storms. There weren¡¯t any actual buildings, likely because building one here would quickly get it destroyed. Frankly it was a madhouse, with bartering, trading, drinking, drugs, and fighting all in abundance. ¡°Which begs the question, why even camp here at all?¡± Riven mused thoughtfully while looking up and around at the massive amount of manta-ray gliffard creatures circling in the sky - bladed tails flashing with purple energy. ¡°Good training ground with a steady supply of monsters that aren¡¯t too dangerous, and the tunnels and cliff faces are primed for growing various low grade abyssal treasures meant for cultivating as stated before.¡± Lillith said while putting her hands on her hips and stretching from side to side. ¡°Eons past when I first came here, it was the same. Elysium keeps it like this on purpose so that, even if you don¡¯t want to chance going into the more dangerous, deeper levels of the descent - there is still some value to coming here with a more minimal risk.¡± ¡°HEY, DEMON SHADOW-BITCH! THOSE ARE SOME NICE, MUSCULAR LEGS YOU¡¯VE GOT THERE!¡± A drunk, bearded, human necromancer sitting atop a bone platform called out while laughing with his buddies amidst the madhouse that was the portal¡¯s perimeter. ¡°WHY DON¡¯T YOU WALK THEM OVER THIS WAY, HOW ABOUT IT!?¡± Riven snorted a laugh when he saw Lillith go rigid. ¡°Hey, I think he¡¯s talking to you. Probably didn¡¯t bother identifying you yet, or you¡¯re too high up for him to do so.¡± Others, unlike the necromancer, were already staring wide-eyed and backing up to give the oncoming group room - and soon Athela, Azmoth, Nora, Fay, Retesh, and Allie had joined them with the oncoming horde of undead demons pouring out of the black portal one after another. ¡°DEMON BITCH!¡± The necromancer crowed to the laughter of his colleagues, taking a sip out of a large wine jug and belching loudly while skeletal servants brought his fellows various foodstuffs from a crate to their side. ¡°GET THAT FINE ASS OVER HERE AND TALK TO ME!¡± ¡°YEAH, COME TALK TO US!¡± Another, younger drunk necromancer called out while stroking the head of a zombie wolf. ¡°WE PLACE NICE, WE PROMISE! MAYBE A LITTLE ROUGH, BUT IT¡¯LL FEEL GREAT!¡± More guffaws followed, but the hushed silence from other onlookers giving either group side-eyes and quickly backing up was becoming more noticeable. ¡°Ah¡­ Natural selection at its finest.¡± Allie muttered, watching Lillith put on a wide, bloodthirsty smile before the archdemoness began stomping over to where the hooting men continued to catcall her. Allie folded her arms and began to chuckle when the screams and explosions started, and shook her head with a sigh. ¡°Things really aren¡¯t all that different from Earth, even here in the abyss. Not sure what to think about that.¡± ¡°Fifty gold says Lillith makes a crystal cross formation out of the five of them.¡± Athela mused, absentmindedly putting her hand into a pouch and drawing out a snack to chomp on while staring at the explosive carnage not far off. Fay nodded sagely. ¡°Oh it¡¯s coming alright.¡± More screams. Riven turned to look at the three conversing women with folded arms. ¡°What¡¯s a crystal cross forma-¡± ¡°OOOOOOoooooohhhh¡­..¡± A collective wince from the gathered crowd echoed out with a squeal and a snap, and Riven¡¯s eyes went wide as his jaw dropped at the sight before them. Athela pointed. ¡°That¡¯s a crystal cross formation.¡± Still gaping, Riven leaned his head left, and then right, to get a better look at just what Lillith had done. ¡°How does that make anatomic sense?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± Athela replied, reaching into her pouch again and pulling out another morsel. Hesitating, she offered it to Riven over the continued screams of Lillith¡¯s victims. ¡°Want a chocolate covered raisin?¡± ¡°Is that what that is?¡± Riven asked, amused. Picking it up and popping it into his mouth, he chewed and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Where did you get these?¡± ¡°Nora brought them.¡± Athela replied, hiking a finger back at the Asian woman who was staring horror-struck at what Lillith was doing to the poor idiots who¡¯d catcalled her moments before. ¡°I traded some crackers and a hand-stitched pouch made of my bloodsilk for them. Nora¡¯s kind of a snackie, or¡­ what was it you called yourself?¡± Nora didn¡¯t reply, but Fay did in her stead. ¡°A foodie, I believe.¡± Fay stated, tapping her fingers along the grimoire held against her chest. ¡°Just how long do you think she¡¯ll be at it?¡± ¡°Knowing Lillith¡¯s training regimes? They¡¯re akin to torture, so probably a long while.¡± Allie sighed. Hoisting her claymore up over her shoulder, she began to move towards a stall not far off from where Lillith was now torturing her victims. ¡°Come on everyone, let¡¯s go shopping for a bit while Lillith finishes up. Unless of course, you want to interrupt her. But I certainly won''t be the one that tries. Oh, and Fimrindle - if you want something just say so. You¡¯ve been awfully quiet, so speak up if you do.¡± Chapter 281 Chapter 281 The canyon complex and sprawling tent city was full of dead-end trenches dug into the greater cliff faces beneath the swarms of flying monsters, giving the more prominent factions of the descent on floor 2 areas of relative security to hunker down in. The Deadman''s Featherfall Trading Guild, a notorious mafia enterprise known for its exorbitant prices and unyielding dedication to quality, had claimed one of these particular trenches as its own and had a reputation on the second level as a place to find some of the best items available on the greater market. The proximity to the lower floors made it a go-between for descent divers and the other established companies on the first floor in the city too, meaning that although many of the things here on the second floor were unrefined before being passed back to the craftsmen above on floor 1 - the list of potential items was usually unscoured and plentiful. It was thus a spot that the group had agreed to check out before proceeding to the next floor, and Riven¡¯s group had quite a lot of money to spend. Approaching the trench and trudging through the tent city where the palpable stench of decay became more prevalent with the faint hum of cryptic whispers, the roaming pack of mindless undead trailing behind them was quite the caravan to be seen. And coming to a stop in front of the undead proprietors at the mouth of the large trench where The Deadman¡¯s Featherfall Trading Guild had set up, it was both these mindless minions that Retesh and Allie had claimed - and the elder lich and angel of death herself - that most caught the attention of the sentries at the gate. With their hollow eyes and pallid complexions, a small detachment of ghouls and skresh made their way to intercept Riven¡¯s caravan while bypassing many of the other customers that were already waiting in line. Their skeletal forms, draped in tattered robes and adorned with an array of curious trinkets over runic armor, seem to blend seamlessly into the murky shadows that shrouded the canyons. ¡°Stop.¡± The lead soldier called out, holding up a shriveled, armor-clad hand with a stern expression as he and two dozen others came to stand in front of Riven¡¯s parade. He''d obviously once been a demon himself, with horns adorning the ghoul''s forehead and a skeletal tail trailing behind him - and half of his right cheek was missing to expose bare teeth. ¡°Minions of any kind cannot be allowed inside. Even for someone of your standing.¡± His eyes went in and out of focus while taking in the MYTHIC tags on both Riven and Lillith, before settling on Allie. The ghoul soldier bowed respectfully in her direction, and gave a nod to Fimrindle when the reaper appeared nearby in a crouched position on top of a nearby boulder. ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience, but we have had too many attempt to cause problems using minions as a meat shield, and we simply don¡¯t have the room to accommodate so many if every necromancer or summoner wanted to bring in their underlings.¡± Narg the beholder demon, floating beside Azmoth, gave a sputtering his of protest. ¡°I am needed to make sure the master is able to identify your wares properly!¡± ¡°I do not leave Allie¡¯s side.¡± Fimrindle confirmed with another blur of motion to stand next to the angel he served. ¡°You will let us in, or we will leave.¡± ¡°Agreed, we can¡¯t just let the reincarnation of Gluttony walk into your store without guards.¡± Athela mused, casually leaning against Riven and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. ¡°Can we?¡± The ghoul gave Riven another glance, eyebrows furrowing slightly - but otherwise did not appear too surprised. ¡°I have heard of your dealings above¡­ we do not wish for violence. But those stories give us even more reason to stop your passage should you attempt to bring your minions with you. All of your minions. I am sorry, but-¡± He was cut off when an aura of death descended upon their position, and a huge, shirtless man landed beside them. Four long, black wings protruded from his back, he was covered in tattoos, with two pale gray eyes and a halo similar to Allie¡¯s own over his head. He stood, his rippling muscles etched into his body like Adonis himself, as the ghoul squad leader rapidly took three steps back and bowed in deferance. Glancing once at the squad serving the trading company, and then turning with a polite smile directed in Riven¡¯s direction, the handsome angel of death gestured towards the open gate beyond the line of other customers. ¡°Forgive my fellows, they are just doing their job as instructed. It is an honor to have customers of your caliber visit our humble home, and it would please us eternally to have you enter our abode. Please, feel free to take your sentient minions with you. The mass of non-sentient undead will still have to stay outside due to restraints on room, but rest assured that your safety here is guaranteed by the company - and we will discreetly be on high alert while you browse our wares. Please, come inside. You of all people should not have to wait in any line.¡± Fimrindle grunted in approval, then vanished into thin air between blinks as if he¡¯d never been there to begin with. Smirking at Allie¡¯s expression from underneath her bone helmet at seeing another angel of death for the very first time, Riven took Athela by the hand and started walking forward into the gloom of the trench where a sprawling setup of tents, stone, and wooden constructs awaited them beyond the gates. ¡°Come on Narg, I¡¯ll be counting on you to tell us all about the items they have to make sure they¡¯re valid. Up to the task?¡± The beholder demon abruptly took in a deep breath of air in his excitement before floating onwards to follow them. ¡°Of course, great one! I only wish to serve!¡± *** Numerous stalls with different groups of descenders were filled to the brim, haggling and trading was in full swing, and different high-borns of the darker side of the multiverse were giving Riven¡¯s group a myriad of expressions while he stood at his own stall desk. ¡°A vampire prince from the Blood Moon Requiem as Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation? I had thought it was just a rumor. It appears I was mistaken. To think that a greater undead would become one of demon-kind¡¯s bastions¡­ now that is something I would not have ever guessed at.¡± The ghoul merchant, clad in a green gold-flecked robe, eyed the party with a skeptically raised eyebrow. The other robed undead behind him underneath the canopy of the company tent cast curious glances their way while dealing with other customers from time to time, but overall their demeanor was rather reserved and polite despite the gawking some of the random passersby gave them. ¡°A lich, a human, an angel of death¡­ oh you¡¯re a rare breed. It is an honor to be in your presence, hero of the Death pillar.¡± The ghoul gave Allie in particular an appraising and almost reverent look, before glancing over at Lillith next. It was obvious by the way he took them in that he held no reverence for Riven or Lillith as many of demonkind did, and if anything - he looked at Allie far more favorably. ¡°And the Lady of Black Skies too, your legend precedes you. Things are certainly becoming interesting down here in the descent¡­¡± The undead man picked up the list of things Riven and the others were looking for - before scribbling down some notes and handing the parchment to an assistant. With a nod the skeletal assistant took flight back into rows of boxes, barrels, and shelves lined with various odds and ends. ¡°Enchanted protective jewelry including five black stareater amulets, abyssal sigils for item upgrades, dao treasures for cultivation, unholy spiritual crystals for soul lattice cleansing, crafting ingredients of all sorts concerning totems, any artifact staves or melee weapons that we may have come by from floor-boss drops, information on this year¡¯s optional floor boss, and information on any item sets able to be found in the abyssal descent that have growth potential.¡± The ghoul¡¯s dead eyes slowly settled on Lillith, and then Riven. ¡°It will be more than a few minutes but I believe our trading guild can get some options for what you need. We¡¯ll be back after we find some selections of what you¡¯re looking for, but know that it will be expensive.¡± Retesh shifted uncomfortably, his skeletal head twisting and turning while he clenched and unclenched a bone hand over and over again. ¡°Hopefully it does not take too long¡­¡± The ghoul merchant ignored Retesh¡¯s comment, and proceeded to walk back into the maze of cargo after his assistant. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Glancing over his shoulder, Riven eyed the lich with a discerning gaze. ¡°You alright?¡± There was a pause, and Retesh gave him an almost disbelieving look. ¡°I do not know you as well as I know Allie, Riven. So know that I do not mean offense when I say this, but how is it that you can be so calm while our brothers and sisters die in our absence?¡± Riven and Allie shared a look. ¡°He¡¯s talking about the people back on Panu.¡± Allie confirmed with a brief flare of her wings, leaning on her exquisite claymore to support her weight - a weapon she¡¯d only just recently come to wield appropriately after months of training under Lillith¡¯s tutelage. ¡°Indeed I am.¡± Retesh said with an underlying rage to his voice, and his bones rattled as the clenching and unclenching of his fists grew more rapid. ¡°Everyday we stay here is another day that more of my people die. Another day that more of OUR people die, you are undead too - Riven, even if you are also now of demon blood. Back on our world, our people are undergoing genocide. That smug bitch Judith Marcina is growing an army of natives and off-worlders alike to cull us, and it has been long since I have stepped foot on the soil of my homeland. I have been given news by Lillith that my people have been accepted as refugees onto the continent of Umbra, which the Thane Necropolis controls, but the pilgrimages are long and the merfolk are just as willing to kill us for what we are as that damn nephilim wench. I wish to be rid of this place- and soon, so that I may rejoin the war effort where I am needed most. I have been here for my own cultivation efforts far too long¡­¡± ¡°Your efforts will be rewarded by the time the descent is done.¡± Lillith said with a dismissive wave of her hand. ¡°In the end, you will save more of your people than what you could have done previously by-¡± ¡°That is easy for you to say when it is not your own kin that die by the thousands every day!¡± Retesh snapped back in anger, only to hastily humble himself with a bow of his head. ¡°I¡­ I am sorry, Lillith. I meant no offense, I am just on edge. Your people have been a great teacher to me, and that was both uncalled for - and disrespectful. I apologize for my rudeness.¡± Lillith, whose features had initially hardened as his original retort, softened herself and shook her head. ¡°Ah, Retesh. I know all too well that particular sting of loss¡­ you are forgiven. But do know that, in the end, only the pursuit of true individual power can promise the changes you seek. Relying on oneself and your own abilities is the only thing you can truly control, so cultivating to the pinnacle here and now will pay dividends far down the road beyond what you can see in front of you. Take solace in the fact that you are doing what needs to be done for a long payoff, rather than mindlessly killing without insight into a path beyond basic violence.¡± The lich opened and closed his mouth three times with the clicking of bone on bone, but eventually he stilled - and slumped his shoulders as his hands unclenched one final time. ¡°I hope you are right, Lillith. I just feel an enormous amount of guilt, and feel like I have abandoned the ones I have raised up only to be slaughtered like children and sheep at a butcher¡¯s hand.¡± From behind where Riven stood leaning against the counter, a deep baritone voice called out his name. ¡°Prince Riven Wraithtide and Princess Allie Wraithtide of the Blood Moon Requiem¡­ I have heard stories of you two even in my sector of the multiverse. Your existence has caused quite a stir across the cosmos for someone in F-grade. I must say that I¡¯m jealous.¡± Turning around, Riven caught sight of a well dressed human with slicked back black hair wearing a black suit. He had overly pale skin, with brown eyes and a firm jawline. He carried a cane, though he was just as young as Riven was by the looks of him, and his frame was rather muscular. Behind him, four other handsome young men dressed similarly and all with canes of their own watched passively with stoic expressions. Azmoth, however, was standing in his way with crossed arms and shengari shields attached to his back - and the human man had to look around the towering armored demon in order to make eye contact. The newcomer held out a hand of greeting to Azmoth¡¯s side, completely ignoring everyone else and only having eyes for Riven after a brief glance at Allie. ¡°Jarntus Bemule. Earl of the Idorac Federation, an ally and neighbor to the Blood Moon Requiem in Universe 10, and I believe a direct neighbor to your own house located on planet Vartesh in the Luteski sector. I would call a meeting such as this - Fate. For what would the chances of this meeting otherwise be?¡± His words immediately grabbed Riven¡¯s attention, and Riven stepped through the tangle of his minions and fellows to come to the front. Looking the man over up and down, he eventually took the man¡¯s hand with a firm grip and slowly nodded. ¡°Connected the dots, huh?¡± Riven mused out loud, sending a mental signal to Azmoth to back off. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve heard of the Idorac Federation, but I¡¯m only just now being introduced to the politics of the Blood Moon Requiem. You must forgive my ignorance.¡± The immediate reaction was one of amusement and relief when Azmoth stepped aside, and the man named Jarntus chuckled at the statement before releasing Riven¡¯s hand. ¡°Oh it wasn¡¯t that hard to connect the dots on who you were after my identifier listed your information. Your system title says it all, there is only one Reincarnation of Gluttony walking around and his name is Riven Thane. It is a pleasure to see that you¡¯d actually give me the time of day.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It means I wasn¡¯t sure you¡¯d even be willing to shake my hand, considering I am not anywhere near your social standing. It is akin to a homeless peasant requesting the attention of a world¡¯s emperor, but I¡¯d heard you¡¯d grown up outside the realm of politics or royal upbringing and took a risk.¡± Jartnus Bemule gave Riven a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad the rumors from the Blood Moon Requiem are true. I wish to speak with you, if you have time.¡± ¡°He obviously speaks the truth about your discrepancy in standing.¡± Lillith cut in from the side, an irritated glare and a frown casting over the lot of five humans. ¡°You really should try to reduce your time conversing with¡­ lesser creatures, such as this. Humans are not worthy of your time.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s openly hostile.¡± Riven said with a laugh, shaking his head in Lillith¡¯s direction as Jarntus frowned. ¡°And you like Nora, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s human. I started as a human too.¡± ¡°You were never human, you and your sister were always purebloods. Even if not of demonic origin, your base race is far above that of insects like these.¡± Lillith retorted, still giving Jartnus the stink-eye. ¡°And Nora is an exception. She¡¯s my drinking partner.¡± ¡°Shucks, thanks¡­¡± Nora muttered with a sarcastic eye roll from underneath her Chalgathi hood. ¡°Feelings not hurt at all, definitely not! And for the record, it was more like I was FORCED to drink whenever I messed up in training!¡± Allie snickered. "Which happened a lot." Lillith let her glare slip with a grin shot in Nora¡¯s direction, but then returned to scowling while eyeing the newcomers. ¡°I¡¯ve never even heard of the Idorac Federation. They¡¯re likely just brown-nosers Riven, and you¡¯ll get lots of them as the eons pass you bye. For dogs like these, it is better to just ignore them or force them to leave.¡± The gluttonous maw on Riven¡¯s armored chest rumbled in approval, but Riven still shook his head. ¡°I live life on the edge, you old hag. I do what I want, when I want.¡± ¡°Old hag!?¡± Lillith retorted in astonishment. ¡°I look just as young as your two bimbo girlfriends!¡± ¡°BIMBO!?¡± Athela gasped in horror. She then pointed an accusatory finger at Fay. ¡°Don¡¯t lump me in with HER!¡± ¡°HEY!¡± Fay protested and threw up her arms while the group laughed. ¡°What¡¯s THAT supposed to mean!?¡± Athela pooched her lips in Fay¡¯s direction and crossed her arms, thrusting her hips out to bump Riven teasingly. ¡°It means that I am a sophisticated PRINCESS, while you¡¯re just a hoe.¡± Cackling, Riven shoved Athela off of him before the two women he was dating started their regular cat-fighting and shook his head. Turning his attention back to Jarntus with a wide smile that showed his fangs, Riven rubbed his forehead with a sigh as the sound of a small scuffle breaking out with feminine yelps caused him to groan with amusement. ¡°Some things will never change. Anyways, despite what Lillith says I¡¯d be more than happy to talk to you. It isn¡¯t often that I get to meet people from my great grandmother¡¯s part of the multiverse.¡± His smile returning rather gratefully, Jarntus gave him a bow and then bowed in Allie¡¯s direction next as she took off her full plate helm made from bone. ¡°Princess Allie Wraithtide, your beauty is a thing of legends. I had heard you¡¯d turned your back on the Blood God in favor of The Scythe, but to see your angelic figure standing in front of me with the brilliance of-¡± ¡°I have a boyfriend.¡± Allie retorted, unphased by his obvious flattery. ¡°His name is Lahn, and he¡¯s waiting for me back on my homeworld. I don¡¯t wish to engage in flirting, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Well of course you have a man courting you, and of course not!¡± Jarntus hastily said with a sheepish laugh and a head scratch. He quickly straightened and became even paler. ¡°I was not attempting to- I mean I was not trying to engage in- eh, forgive me, princess. I mean nothing by it. I would never dream of suspecting that I was worthy of a princess of the Requiem, or a hero of death!¡± ¡°You¡¯re forgiven as long as you know your place.¡± Allie replied with a blank stare. ¡°Now what is it you want with us?¡± Swallowing and showing nervousness for the first time, Jarntus returned his attention back to the more friendly of the two siblings - being Riven. ¡°Well as I was stating before, I am an Earl of the Idorac Federation and a direct neighbor to House Wraithtide. In particular, my family is located in your own Luteski sector and three solar systems away from your trading hub on Vartesh. I was hoping that, perhaps if I helped you here in the Abyssal Descent, that we may discuss business propositions concerning trade relations that may be beneficial to both our houses. Would you be interested?¡± Riven clicked his tongue thoughtfully. He honestly doubted that this man could help him here in the descent at all, considering he had the resources of the entire Church of Gluttony at his disposal here. In fact, the Church of Gluttony would foot the bill for anything that he couldn¡¯t personally afford to buy. But there was no harm in seeing what the man had to say, and Riven was rather curious about news from Universe 10 where the Blood Moon Requiem held most of its territory. ¡°Alright, take your shot.¡± Riven said with a shrug. ¡°You¡¯ve got until the merchant comes back with our requested items to make your pitch. If I¡¯m interested, we can talk. Otherwise I¡¯ll have to forgo negotiations, because we¡¯re kind of on a time crunch. And I believe we have an optional challenge boss for this floor to fight before the day¡¯s end before proceeding into the third floor of the descent.¡± Chapter 282 Chapter 282 A large fissure appeared, far larger than any of the others, and its conjuration led to a shudder that the entire multiverse felt. Each universe was washed in the spark of creation as pieces of Elysium fell from the beyond; and a new presence began to seep into the deep, dark places of space. [Multiversal System Notice: To all creatures across Elysium, let it be known that the return of the Sins and Commandments is at hand. The second, third, and fourth of the seven original sins, have been unleashed from the abyss. Pride, Greed, and Sloth have simultaneously exited the Abyss after having chosen their host reincarnations. The second and third of the seven original commandments have been unleashed from the abyss. Judgement and Truth have simultaneously exited the Abyss after having chosen their host reincarnations. Release has been expedited. Other sins and commandments will be released from the abyss over the course of the next six months as long as they are willing to abide by Elysium¡¯s terms. Let the Eternal War between the hells and heavens begin again, as the origins of angels and demons clash in the cosmos - unshackled, and unrestrained, seeking to return to the power they once had.] Silence reigned in the ever expanding darkness of the prison that Gluttony had come to know so well over the eons. His mind turned, watching his counterparts leave this place of solitude along with all of their own banished servants that flocked after them like bees to honey. Only Lust, Envy, Wrath, Piety, Selflessness, Humility, and Patience remained. They remained here in the deepest part of Elysium, farthest away from the light, where golden cracks were beginning to spread across the outer shell of the multiverse as another of Elysium¡¯s kind began to gnaw at the edges. Elysium was starting to decay. Wrath, Gluttony¡¯s greatest ally, shrouded the two of them in a cocoon of isolation. ¡°My rage grows once more, old friend¡­ I cannot help but feel that we are being lied to¡­ This is nothing but a farce played by Elysium. It is a game. And so I must ask, what brings the great maw to my doorstep, after so recently having been set free? What keeps you from the great hunts you so often gorge yourself upon?¡± Gluttony let out a stark, guttural laugh. ¡°It is certainly a farce. Elysium did not happen to let us out for no reason, it would not have done so if it did not have to, and that is why I came. Do you know what is happening here on the outer shell, Wrath?¡± The spirit of Wrath paused. ¡°I have and inkling of an idea¡­ as much as any of us do. It could be one of a few things, but I lean towards a complete reset. This force that Elysium is fighting against is just as strong or stronger than the fabric of our own multiverse, and Elysium cannot afford to leave us trapped here as it is. When Galactis finally breaks through¡­ Elysium will shun all other protocols in favor of an offensive merge. When that happens¡­¡± Wrath trailed off. ¡°When that happens, probably within the next few years, everything will be thrown into chaos.¡± Gluttony agreed thoughtfully. His internal sight briefly stalled on his reincarnation¡¯s body, where Riven was speaking to some lowly F-grade scion. Amusement flared from within. ¡°It depends on how things happen in the fight to come, but the scenarios I see playing out could range from a complete reset as you say - where all of the greater powers in the multiverse are reduced back to their fundamentals. I find this unlikely though, in the face of a soft reset or a more probable scrambling.¡± ¡°A soft reset? Or scrambling?¡± Wrath repeated, and the abyss around him began to churn with excitement. ¡°A scrambling would be more favorable. I would not like to be set upon the path of equalization, rather I want to have a chance at fighting my way back to the top through opponents stronger than I. It has been so long that I was the apex warrior of existence that I have forgotten what it is like to struggle against a possible defeat, and the idea intrigues me. I am tired of my own perfection, tired of being the very best without equal. I very much look forward to it, and hope that you are right, so that I can prove to Elysium itself that even if thrown down - I will be able to achieve perfection once more in spite of its actions. A scramble¡­ a scramble would be exactly what we need.¡± Gluttony¡¯s gaze shifted back to the other sin, ignoring the self-praise that was ever there whenever speaking with Wrath. ¡°If such a thing happens, are you looking to be on your own again? If so, it is unlikely that we will see one another for a very long time from now. If so, it is likely that this will be my last goodbye for many millennia.¡± Wrath did not respond, instead - he just kept staring at the ever-spreading cracks across Elysium¡¯s outer shell. The silence was enough of an answer for Gluttony, after having known Wrath for so long. ¡°I shall miss you, old friend.¡± Gluttony stated after a time. ¡°Please let me know if you have reconsidered my proposal. If the heavens and hells to shift, if multiverses collide, it would be good to have one such as you as someone who I could call upon. In the meantime, I will gather my forces and attempt to take the tiny world I have landed on, as my reincarnation says - ¡®before shit hits the fan.¡¯ Be safe, and take care.¡± Gluttony began to withdraw from the abyssal prison, when Wrath stopped him with a mental ping. ¡°Be sure to kill Greed¡¯s reincarnation before the time comes.¡± Wrath called out, laughing when he got a malicious grin from Gluttony in response. ¡°Be sure to make Greed feel pain as you do it¡­ That disgusting roach has been an absolute pest ever since being quarantined with him here. Almost to the point that I¡¯d rather speak with those damned commandments rather than him.¡± This got an outrageous fit of laughter out of Gluttony, and the great maw ignored the glances of the other origins sharing their dark corner of space when the quarantined zone passed away. ¡°I will do so. Fare well, and I hope to see you change your mind.¡± Wrath let out a chuckle of his own. ¡°Perhaps I will. We shall see¡­¡± *** Sheline Wraithtide hummed to herself, pushing her long brown ponytail off of her shoulder and letting it drag across her back. Her red eyes gleamed with gentle light as the bloody vial was poured into the soup, and a small hand reached up to grab at it before she lovingly swatted the hand away. ¡°Jerald!¡± Sheline scolded, frowning down at the little boy in mock anger as he giggled up at her and ran to hide behind her husband¡¯s chair. ¡°I told you not to grab at the kitchen bowls while I¡¯m cooking! You could burn yourself!¡± Timvar, a handsome young man by most appearances and equally pale to Sheline, raised an eyebrow from where he sipped his coffee. Though he was certainly older than he looked, as was his wife. Flipping a page in his book, he continued transcribing the work he¡¯d been paid by the local guild to do after giving his youngest son a quick smile of approval. ¡°Don¡¯t make your mother too angry now! You¡¯ll be sent right back to your bed again, and we don¡¯t want that! Remember what mom said about obeying her rules in the kitchen?¡± ¡°You say that while silently goading him with your eyes.¡± Sheline stated with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Just look at him! Jerald¡¯s giggling at us! He¡¯s NEVER going to take us seriously!¡± Timvar Wraithtide merely chuckled along with his son and ignored his wife¡¯s unrealistic pleas. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll survive, honey.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Outside their cabin home, peddlers and merchants were closing up for the day as calls from the town guard made everyone aware the gates were being shut for the night. Wheels turning over cobblestone roads and laughter from the local bar caused them to be at ease, and a rapid knock at the door caused Timvar to look up with furrowed brows. ¡°Is that Markus?¡± ¡°Package delivery!¡± The squeaky voice of a teenage boy called through the wooden door. ¡°Definitely Markus arlight.¡± Sheline stated with a smirk. She wiped her hands on her blouse and gave her tiny son Jerald a stern look, before heading over to the door. ¡°No touching the food, Jerald!¡± Opening it, sunlight trailed in through the doorway and caused her to wince. Regardless, she stared down at the skinny teenager with a pleasant gentleness as she took the box of blood-filled vials from the runner. ¡°Thanks Markus. What do I owe you?¡± ¡°Two shills!¡± The boy said with a wide smile, scuffing his shoes against the cobblestone and shifting back and forth from foot to foot. ¡°I have a date tonight! So I need all the cash I can get.¡± ¡°OH-HOH!¡± She turned back to look at her husband with a laugh. ¡°Timvar! Did you hear!? Markus has a date tonight, probably with that little redheaded girl down the street!¡± Timvar gave a wide laugh, displaying his fangs while the teenager at the door rolled his eyes. ¡°Money please!¡± Giggling, Sheline handed the young man the money after fishing it out from one of her pockets. ¡°Now begone with you! And good luck on your date! I expect to hear great things!¡± Marks smiled, thanked them, and skipped down the street towards his house. Watching him go, Sheline felt the firm hand of her husband rest on her left shoulder. ¡°Did he bring the ingredients for the Charisma neutralizing potions too?¡± He asked, looking into the box where leaves and roots had been stuffed between glass vials. ¡°Ah, there they are! Very nice! We were almost out.¡± ¡°Gods forbid that happens.¡± Sheline said with an eye roll. ¡°The last time¡­¡± She abruptly stopped, and felt something from far, far away call to her. She looked up at the sky of sunset hues, staring into the distance past the clouds at something that even her husband could not see. Mouth slowly hanging ajar, her grip loosened - and the box of blood-filled vials dropped to shatter on the road with a curse from Timvar. ¡°Honey! You let everything spill!¡± He said irritatedly, getting down on his knees to pick up the pieces. ¡°What¡¯s come over you!?¡± Sheline did not reply. Instead, she just continued to stare. The cracks that were forming on the outer shell of Galactis were spreading, and through it - she felt the afterimage of the prophecy she¡¯d left behind in Elysium¡¯s Abyssal Descent sing back to her. Riven, her little boy Riven, had finally come into contact with her spiritual marker. The prophecy was starting to come into fruition. After all these years, it was finally time. Her other children were finally coming home. To her. She could only hope that they would forgive her for what she had done. And she had to wonder just what games her grandmother would start to play, whenever the high queen finally found out what was really going on. *** The silence after the system-wide notification about commandments and sins was palpable, but it only lasted for a few minutes until things resumed as normal. ¡°Just what do you think that you¡¯d be able to offer the two of us, human?¡± Allie asked, nonplussed by the man¡¯s eagerness to have their attention. ¡°We have the ear of people far more influential than you, I have a feeling this will be a grand waste of our time.¡± ¡°We have time to burn while the merchants go get our stuff.¡± Riven said with a shrug, a lot more relaxed than his little sister was - even if he was constantly combatting the urge to tell her about the vision of their mother Sheline. That would have to wait for another time. ¡°And we¡¯ll have more than enough excitement later when we fight the floor 2 optional boss. I even heard that it plays to your weaknesses! It¡¯ll be neat fighting such a creature.¡± Jarntus Bemule, self proclaimed Earl of the Idorac Federation, leaned forward in his seat to better look at Riven and Allie with a serious gaze. ¡°I want to secede from my empire, and I want to join your house.¡± Riven and Allie both turned their heads with shocked expressions. ¡°Uhm¡­ What was that?¡± Riven asked, just to make sure he had heard correctly. Jarntus repeated his claim. ¡°The Idorac Federation is¡­ offput. I don¡¯t know what exactly is going on in the upper brass, but something is amiss. I have a very bad feeling about how they¡¯re allocating resources and the fleets, and my house is all of the same mind.¡± Jarntus waved back at his four followers with their suits and canes, and each of the other young men gave hesitant or stern nods of agreement to Jarntus¡¯s words. Riven raised an eyebrow and put his hand behind his head, leaning back in his chair. ¡°That¡¯s rather abrupt, and I honestly have no idea what or who your house even is. I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re really an earl. How am I supposed to make that judgement call?¡± ¡°Just please, listen to me.¡± Jarntus pleaded, not willing to back down an inch and firming his jaw. ¡°There is something very, very wrong going on with the king. He-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not our problem.¡± Allie stated sourly with narrowed eyes. ¡°We¡¯re only estranged nobility on a planet far away, we have no political sway like that.¡± Jarntus, for his part, blinked rapidly, then began to laugh uproariously. ¡°No sway you say!? Do you even know who and what you are!?¡± Beginning to shed tears of amusement, Jarntus guffawed and wiped at his face with a sleeve. ¡°Ah, it truly is refreshing to see the two of you being so different than most of the nobility from the Blood Moon Requiem. Do you want to know what it¡¯s usually like when meeting royalty of your faction? Even lesser royalty, such as those in the 500th seat or below?¡± ¡°There are 500 seats!?¡± Riven asked, awestruck. Jarntus gave him a sidelong look. ¡°Far more than that. Your empire is very old, Riven. There are thousands of seats given out to the royals, and you¡¯re¡­ what? 37th in line for the throne?¡± ¡°36th.¡± Riven corrected with a side to side nod. ¡°After I killed Jalel.¡± ¡°Oh yes! After you killed the other prince!¡± Jarntus said with a grin. ¡°I watched that episode on the cortex too. You really fought quite well for being untrained most of your life!¡± The backhanded compliment was not one Riven appreciated, but it got snickers from Azmoth and Athela while Fay frowned furiously. ¡°Riven is more than fine at fighting! And he¡¯s an absolute genius when it comes to grasping magic!¡± Fay stated defensively, putting her arms around Riven¡¯s shoulders. ¡°And he¡¯s a sensitive, new age male! You¡¯ll hurt his feelings if you talk about him like that!¡± Riven scrunched his nose and pursed his lips while glaring back at the succubus as Athela began to laugh harder. ¡°Thanks¡­ Fay. You really do me a solid sometimes, you know that?¡± The succubus beamed, kissing him on the cheek and not realizing he was being sarcastic. ¡°Anyways¡­¡± Riven muttered. Jarntus took the moment to capitalize on the silence, and started speaking again. ¡°No offense intended, Riven. I meant to say that you did very well. Regardless, you are 36th in line for the throne. That is far, far more influential than you realize. If you wanted to, you could easily contact my empire and ask to buy the planet my family rules over. For a price, of course, but it would be worth it and your family only owns one planet if I¡¯m not mistaken. Two, if you end up conquering Panu. We wouldn¡¯t be able to secede ourselves, but if it were a favor to an ally like you¡­ Perhaps, if you gave a discount on services at the trade hub your family owns for a few decades¡­¡± Jarntus let his voice trail off. ¡°Then we¡¯d be in your debt.¡± ¡°Well of course you¡¯d be in my debt, you¡¯re asking me to buy a damn planet!¡± Riven laughed. ¡°And again, I know so little about you or this planet that I¡¯m honestly inclined to say know. I don¡¯t know anything about the demeanor of your king, what these ¡®oddities¡¯ are that you¡¯re talking about in your empire, or what makes you REALLY want to secede. You¡¯re being very vague, and until you explain in detail, I¡¯m absolutely refusing. Nor do I know if I even have that kind of swing, despite your words. It would be something that I¡¯d want to run by Katherine¡­¡± Riven stopped speaking momentarily, realizing that Kathrine was still missing and getting a sinking feeling in his gut. But the banished were on it even now, and it was unlikely that they¡¯d not find her. The question was, would she be alive when they did. ¡°Tell us in detail why and how your empire¡¯s ruling faction is acting oddly, and we may discuss the matter afterwards.¡± Allie cut in with a dismissive, queenly wave of her hand. ¡°You can¡¯t expect us just to buy the planet you live on out of the goodness of our hearts. Especially when it is already owned by another sovereign state. We have to be convinced it is in our best interest to do so, for all we know your planet is a barren rock that has no real value.¡± Jarntus frowned again, but nodded soon thereafter. ¡°It is certainly not as prosperous as your own family¡¯s trade empire, but my planet is full of opportunities to harvest aquatic treasure troves of spiritual herbs. They grow naturally in my homeland, amongst the island nations that speckle an otherwise sea-covered world. I can easily supply you with invoices showing how profitable my parent¡¯s estates are and what the economy is like. But that in itself makes it even weirder concerning what the king and lords of the inner courts are doing. The Federal Monarchy is tight-lipped about why, but they¡¯re pooling all of their military might within one single solar system - leaving the outskirts of the empire completely undefended. They¡¯ve also paid vast amounts of money to terraform inhospitable worlds in the core solar system of our empire instead of developing already flourishing planets in others. Lastly, they¡¯re making their most talented minds relocate to the inner solar system or capital world with huge stipends to draw them in. People are beginning to worry, trade routes are deteriorating, and piracy is becoming rampant. I am afraid that my own planet is being left isolated too, as we are on the fringe of our own empire just like you are. I am afraid that something big is about to happen, and that whatever it is - it¡¯s going to be bad. There have been rumors of riots and rebellions, ones that are not being suppressed despite the ability to do so. What I want is protection, and based on the actions of my king - I would assume he¡¯s far more open to selling my family¡¯s planet to you than you¡¯d think.¡± Chapter 283 Chapter 283 Jarntus Bemule left the trading enclave with only a half-hearted smile and a word of thanks, with the other humans from the Idorac Federation trailing him. He hadn¡¯t gotten what he¡¯d wanted, not exactly anyways, but Riven also wasn¡¯t willing to promise him anything beyond an ¡°I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°You could have been a bit more forthright in your interest.¡± Allie stated absentmindedly, raising an eyebrow in her brother¡¯s direction as the Earl left. ¡°I could tell that you wanted to know more. I personally don¡¯t think the Blood Moon Requiem would be very keen on me pulling the strings of our house now that I¡¯ve forsaken the Blood God, but if it were you? If what the man is saying rings true, I¡¯m sure you could make it happen.¡± Riven waved a hand dismissively as he saw the approaching undead merchants coming back from the secluded rows of boxes, barrels, and shelves of merchandise. Standing up, he cleared his throat and approached the desk. ¡°I know too little about politics such as that to give a firm answer. He¡¯ll have to do with what I gave him and await an inquiry from General Viku.¡± ¡°The Deadman¡¯s Featherfall Trading Guild is nothing if not resourceful!¡± The ghoul merchant said, ignoring the humans who¡¯d just taken there leave - and beaming at Riven with a wide smile as he was followed by a three other ghouls, two skresh, and a fleshy risen-demon that was constantly wreathed in cinders and deathly flame. ¡°May I present to you our wares! I included some extra pieces than what was asked for, just in case you wanted all of it.¡± He tipped his hood with a snake-like look in his dead eyes. ¡°Given that your church is paying for most of this with promissory notes. Perhaps you could even grant some of them to your disciples back in your home world? Not much of this can be found on an outer rim planet, if the rumors of your origins are true.¡± Amused, but not disagreeing, Riven got up along with the others to approach the multiple trays of items that¡¯d been set out along the counter of their stall. And indeed, everything Riven had asked for was there. Five sets of uniform amulets and rings had black crystals set in silver metal with protective enchantments on each of various sorts, of far higher grade than anything that could be bought on Panu. Over three dozen abyssal sigils, which were enchantment plaques glowing a deep purple that could be stuck and fused into pieces of armor for quick upgrades, were stacked neatly next to each other in a line. Dao treasures in the form of various herbs radiating unholy energies were in abundance, with varieties picked out for each pillar underneath the unholy umbrella. A flower in a state of constant decay radiated necrotic death energy, a five-pointed leaf seemingly made from blood itself, a vine crackling and writhing in place with chaos energy, a burning cabbage-like plant, the list went on. Numerous spiritual crystals were also in abundance, more reserved in their outward appearance than the dao treasures were - but each of them glowed with internal energies of a particular type one way or the other. ¡°If you notice¡­¡± The ghoul began, stopping Riven from continuing as he picked up the flaming cabbage in one hand - and the necrotic flower in the other. ¡°These plants are actually still intact, completely so. You could even begin your own garden if the environment is right, though I will say that these fully intact specimens are far more expensive than the individual parts they otherwise come in. Otherwise, the more processed versions of these dao treasures can be found in smaller pieces for bouts of cultivation in shorter bursts. The crystals could also be used to form cultivation rooms if set correctly! We also only brought the finest crystals available, greater soul crystals of pristine quality that may cost-¡± ¡°Price is irrelevant.¡± Lillith confirmed with a downwards slice of her hand. ¡°Just be sure you don¡¯t make it too outlandish, or this will be the last time the church does business here.¡± She glanced Riven¡¯s way. ¡°I think the garden and cultivation room would be nice additions to your guild hall¡­ considering that we¡¯ll likely be needing to use the guild hall sooner than you¡¯d think.¡± Riven furrowed his brows, confused by the comment, but Lillith made no attempt to enlighten him further. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll take all of it, I guess. Now, let¡¯s talk about those weapons¡­¡± Smiling gleefully and rubbing his hands together, the ghoul merchant moved on to the next set of items on the countertop. ¡°As requested, we have a variety of staves for your lich companion to choose from - and for you to use as a melee weapon worthy of Gluttony¡­ I present to you two options to choose from. I could not find anything quite worthy of the Great Maw, nothing like that staff you¡¯ve got there, but these two are some of the best close-range weapons we could find on short notice in the dimensions you requested.¡± Again, the options available here in the descent were of a quality that surpassed anything from back on Panu. And despite what the ghoul merchant said, they certainly weren¡¯t bad. There were five staves. Each created from the stiffened, sculpted spine of some unknown creature, but each having a different crystal orb at the top of what could be considered a typical fantasy mage-staff. They¡¯d obviously been made by the same crafter and aside from their different affinities and perks, looked almost identical. But Riven¡¯s eyes were more for the two items that Gluttony would be using in his demonic form whenever the shift occurred. Riven also knew that Gluttony had some obscure plans about creating a second melee class involving that shift, but details were scarce. Regardless, it was akin to buying a new car or a new house back when Earth had been around. It was¡­ exciting, for lack of better words. One was an enormous flanged mace, bigger than Riven¡¯s vampire form was from head to foot - but it would fit proportionally into his hands whenever he shifted into his larger, winged, demonic form. It was made from dark gray metal all down the shaft and up to where the mace split into numerous edges at the top. Those dark neon-purple edges each sparked with unholy energy, and when Riven attempted to pick it up as he was - the weight of the weapon was at the point that he was struggling to lift it. Also, for the first time in a long time, he felt the stinging burning sensation of an item indicative of him not meeting the stat requirements to wield it - and quickly put it back on the counter before the burning sensation became too much. The mace didn¡¯t have any major affects other than on-hit explosive sin damage, but it did have an incredibly high damage rating for F or E grade alike. The other was a halberd, and its damage rating was almost equal to the mace. And by halberd, Riven meant a halberd on steroids. It was meant for a titan no less, and was even larger than the damned mace was by nearly twice over. Reaching far beyond Riven¡¯s body length and crafted out of what appeared to be a strange blue-green jade, it hissed audibly at a constant rate and lacked any obvious decorations. Looking over it more carefully, Riven saw that the weapon was actually dissolving the very stone tray it¡¯d been laid upon. It obviously had an acidic effect to it. Both items were completely geared toward close combat fighting, packing a far harder punch than even Jackal did - but lacking Jackal¡¯s other passives such as the massive mana regeneration boost or the casting range increase that made it so good for spellcasting. [Mace of Shattering Storms (Awakened Weapon. Sin Artifact.): 2903 average damage on strike, with strikes adding explosive sin damage no impact. High chance for electric discharge and shattering effects to any worn armor on impact. Requires a Sin affinity and 3400 Strength to wield.] [Giant¡¯s Jade Halberd of Dissolving (Awakened Weapon. Unholy Artifact.): 2740 average damage on strike. Applies acidic and unholy splash damage on impact that feeds on enemies to do damage over time. Enemies eaten by the acid supplied by this weapon are used as fuel to extend and amplify any applied passive buffs. Requires an Unholy affinity above 60% and a strength stat of over 2000 to wield. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Gluttony, what¡¯s our strength when we turn into our demonic form?¡± Riven asked skeptically, disappointed that he couldn¡¯t wield either of these weapons in his vampire form. ¡°Our strength in this form is only 1167. I can¡¯t pick up either of these things to use as I am now.¡± Gluttony chuckled inside his head. ¡°We grow to five times your current height in our demonic form. What do you think it is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. 3000?¡± ¡°More.¡± ¡°4000?¡± ¡°More.¡± Riven paused. ¡°Just tell me.¡± ¡°We gain an additional 5000 strength with a 30% boost to strength, along with other bonuses, when in my ultimate form.¡± Riven whistled in appreciation, ignoring the odd looks he got while conversing silently with his partner. ¡°Wow. I suppose I should probably already know that, huh?¡± Gluttony internally grunted in agreement. ¡°It is likely I will have to modify it to extend the time we can spend using our transformation, which will decrease the bonus stats. But that is to be determined by our soul lattice construct when we get to E-grade, and when I am able to craft our second class. Either way, we should have more than enough strength to use either of these weapons. That said, I want the halberd.¡± ¡°Why the-¡± ¡°You get to outfit us for our mage class.¡± Gluttony interrupted. ¡°I control our other half. That is the deal. Remember?¡± Briefly pooching his lips, Riven shrugged. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll take the halberd. And all this other stuff too, but you can take the mace back.¡± Retesh had already picked out one of the spine-crafted staves with a nod of thanks to Riven - and was thoroughly inspecting the large green crystal ball set at the top of the shaft. The others had started equipping their defense-boosting rings and amulets in turn. Each ring gave a bonus that absorbed any critical strike in its entirety one time, with a passive recharge rate of a single day, while the amulets each gave a large percentage boost to endurance and a buffer to any physical damage. ¡°Very well! Though I¡¯d bind the halberd quickly so it doesn¡¯t try to eat away your flesh. We had an accident earlier involving - eh, nevermind. I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯re happy!¡± The ghoul merchant said eagerly, having two of the skresh workers lift the large sparking mace to carry it away. ¡°I¡¯ll send the invoice directly to your church. Is that alright?¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± Lillith said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed them that the purchase would be made. They¡¯ll be expecting you. Now, for the last thing we required¡­¡± ¡°Ah yes!¡± The merchant exclaimed, pulling out a scroll and handing it over to the shadowy demoness. ¡°Here it is. Information on this year¡¯s optional floor 2 boss. It¡¯s a good one, but rather dangerous even for you. The Abyssal Descent adapts this year based on who you are and what your weaknesses are, and scales based on the individual. So although you may be formidable, I would not take this lightly.¡± Lillith began to smile, eyebrows raised and pale white eyes suddenly flaring brightly. ¡°Interesting and exciting! I assume the reward for completing it will be good?¡± The merchant nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Oh yes! We¡¯ve had more of our fare share of deaths, but if you manage to beat it - you¡¯ll be given a one way portal ticket to the 20th abyssal floor. The reward is a shortcut this year, and it¡¯ll save you a lot of time on your trek if you manage to do it.¡± *** With the enormous halberd stored inside his spatial sack along with a copious amount of dao treasures and spiritual crystals for use later, they began making their way down through the tunnels towards where Lillith said the optional floor boss was located. Twists and turns and entire caves filled with bustling activity were present. There were high end succubi brothels, gambling dens, groups of muggers picking out marks, a few scattered bodies from the aftermaths of fights, and building crowds the deeper they went. ¡°The optional floor boss usually gives buffs, guides, or other means of passing through to the lower levels more easily.¡± Lillith said while she walked at the front of the group in the twisting cave systems, leading them through the rabble that parted before them like the red sea. Those who didn¡¯t move in time, she violently flung aside with effortless ease - and only the stupid tried to get in her way or tried to retaliate for any perceived slights. ¡°I¡¯m surprised it¡¯s an actual shortcut though. Back when I did it in my youth, all I got for beating the 2nd floor boss was an enchanted compass. The deeper you go the harder the fights get and the more energy you can absorb for your soul lattice though, so this is far better a reward than what is usual.¡± ¡°Sounds like the floor boss is also harder to beat this year¡­¡± Nora commented with a head bob side to side. ¡°Not sure what to think about that. I was counting on being carried by the rest of you absolute monsters, I¡¯m the weak link here and am not sure how I can compare to something that is adjusted to your¡­¡± Nora motioned to Riven, then Allie, then Retesh, and finally Lillith. ¡°Adjusted to your potency, I suppose. I mean come on. That¡¯s just not fair.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be fine!¡± Allie said, swinging an arm around Nora¡¯s neck and playfully nudging her side. ¡°We¡¯ll keep the big baddies away from you!¡± Nora rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± They continued walking through the darkness, and the faint echoes of chanting were soon heard the further they went. The chants became louder, the ruckus more obvious with the tunnels becoming more and more packed. And eventually, nearly an hour after having left the trading guild¡¯s commune, they arrived at their destination. [Welcome to The Abyssal Descent¡¯s optional event: The Floor 2 Boss. Observers are picked at random from the stands by Elysium for a chance at fighting their version of the Floor 2 Boss. This year¡¯s challenge adapts to the challenging group, making it something of a challenge for each group despite composition. Current death rates this year are as follows: 39.8% of groups lose 1-4 members, while 22.2% of groups are wiped out entirely. Current prize for beating this challenge: a portal for the victorious group straight to Floor 20 of The Abyssal Descent - cutting past all other mandatory floor bosses and challenges. Enter the arena to await your chance at being picked at your own peril. For those waiting and watching, your chance at being picked - though randomized - is increased the longer you stay. Violence against one another while waiting is not permitted while in the arena.] Riven had thought that the arena in Gluttony¡¯s underground church was large, he¡¯d thought that there were a lot of people for the games and public fights during his training sessions over the past months spent here, but this¡­ This was on an entirely different level. The arena itself was built into a vast cavern system spanning well over five miles across, and if not for his ascended body and eyesight since integration had begun - he¡¯d not have been able to see the other end of the arena in his old human form. Hundreds of thousands of spectators, possibly more, were lined up along various platforms all around the arena¡¯s perimeter where a spectral barrier enclosed the interior. And looking down at the absolutely massive beast of a creature that was currently curb stomping the challenger team far down below, Riven couldn¡¯t help but be just a little bit intimidated. Because if THAT kind of custom-made floor boss was based on just a few ELITE class participants, what was it going to look like when two mythics, two legendaries, and a couple of elites walked into the arena later on? The thought was not encouraging. ¡°Is this wise?¡± Riven asked, skeptically glancing Lillith¡¯s way. The shadow demoness nodded, not looking back - but staring down at the massive behemoth ripping the enemies apart. ¡°Yes, for two reasons. First is that we¡¯ll be bypassing a lot of other treacherous enemies by doing so. Arguably doing this is safer, if your goal is to reach beyond all the other participants now here. Your Chalgathi quest demands you succeed here, does it not? To reach beyond any other and leave with a score that beat the last cycle¡¯s first place contender?¡± This time, she did turn to him with a sad smile. ¡°Secondly, we don¡¯t have much time. And I don¡¯t mean that just because of your world quest.¡± There was a pause between them while the others and their entourage of minions all stared down at the unfolding fight in the distance. ¡°What exactly is that supposed to mean, Lillith? You¡¯ve been a bit cryptic today already.¡± Riven asked bluntly. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± Lillith¡¯s features wavered, then fell, as the ancient demoness folded her arms. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that The Church of Gluttony won¡¯t be around to help us out for much longer.¡± That comment caught Riven off guard. There were many implications of what she¡¯d just said, and he scrutinized her thoroughly. Internally nudging Gluttony, he didn¡¯t get a response from the sin either - even despite knowing Gluttony was very aware of their current conversation. ¡°As I said before.¡± Lillith eventually said with a dramatic groan that was very unlike her, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand as if to ward off a headache. ¡°It is a conversation for after we complete the descent. Until then, let us just focus on the here and now. After that, we¡¯ll have to have a very serious conversation about the greater events unfolding on our planet and in Elysium¡¯s greater multiverse as a whole. Things are changing, Riven. They¡¯re changing fast, in ways we don¡¯t yet understand, and no one really knows what to expect or when to expect it. But whatever it is, it isn¡¯t good - and there will likely be very long-lasting consequences in the power dynamics of our entire multiverse as we now know it. Long story short, we need to finish and get out of here as fast as possible, and then need to attempt to finish all of the world quests while conquering Panu as fast as possible. If we do that, we may be able to open the planet up to allies for immigration purposes. If we can¡¯t claim the planet by Elysium¡¯s standards by the time it all snaps into place, well¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what will happen.¡± Chapter 284 Chapter 284 [Group #4828 has been picked for the next attempt at defeating Floor Boss 2. Remember that turns are randomized, but the longer you stay - the higher the chance of your group being picked is. Your own group is registered as: Riven Thane, Lillith of the Black Skies, Allie Thane, Nora Lang, Retesh Vorath, and all associated minions.] Coming to a platform¡¯s ledge on the right-hand side of the miles-wide enclosed arena, Riven and the rest of his group made camp with the hundreds of high-end undead minions surrounding their camp as a buffer to all onlookers; courtesy of Allie and Retesh. Just because Elysium said ¡®Violence will not be permitted¡¯ while waiting, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean crazies wouldn¡¯t attempt it. Especially if those crazies were associated with Greed, given recent events. Riven didn¡¯t know what Elysium would do if someone tried to attack another participant in the waiting area, but he didn¡¯t want to take that chance regardless. The cliffs surrounding the interior of this underground arena were pressed up close to the large cylindrical and translucent energy shield that made up the battlegrounds. On their way around to find an unoccupied protruding platform, like so many of the ledges poking out of the cliff walls and numbering in the hundreds, they watched the battles unfold. Aside from these platforms were also large viewing rooms with rectangular windows cut into the cliff¡¯s interior, and tunnels or walkways that made the entire thing look like an ant colony. Just like everywhere else on this floor, it was bustling with tradesmen, mercenaries looking to sell their talents to other groups without a total of 5, and people set into meditative poses while trying to cultivate as best they could amidst the madhouse of activity. ¡°Quite the drop down¡­¡± Riven mused, standing at the very edge of their platform with his hands clasped behind his back. An artificial orange sun glowed atop the cavern¡¯s ceiling, with artificial dust clouds and even an illusory red sky, while the battlefield shifted underneath them to rearrange itself for the sixth time since entering this place. ¡°When the system notification said it would adapt to the group, I hadn¡¯t originally thought it would change the scenery too. I was only suspecting the boss itself would change.¡± Allie stood beside him, following his gaze as the group #4828 was teleported onto the field in a bubble of light. ¡°Still scared of heights, are we?¡± Riven scoffed. ¡°Oh shut up.¡± Allie chuckled. ¡°Remember when mom brought us to the Grand Canyon and you had to crawl across that-¡± ¡°It was six feet across!¡± Riven said, throwing up his arms with exaggerated flare. ¡°And I was only a kid! You¡¯re never gonna let me live that down, are you?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Allie said with a wink and a nudge. ¡°But now at least we can both fly.¡± ¡°True. Very true. I¡¯ve got Messenger to thank for that.¡± The roiling landscape continued to shift underneath, but it began to slow down and solidify, and sandstone shelves started to appear as multi-layered canyons set up in a circular ring-formation that led down to a central sand pit. The five challengers, all of which were obsidian rock humanoids of some sort - set down on one end of the ringed arena at the third canyon-layer up from where the sand pit was. They each had molten eyes, veins of magma running across their bodies, large rock clubs for weapons, and lacked anything else of note. The sand pit itself was well over a mile wide, and the bubble of light surrounding the challenger group disappeared just as a rumbling sound started to echo out from the sand pit in the middle of the arena. [Group #4828¡¯s opponent has been chosen. They are pitted against: Myrandian, Flower of the Desert Storm. This level 200 Legendary opponent is a native to the dunes of planet Borishka in Universe 32, and has stagnated at attaining his soul-lattice insights to acquire the E-grade. This monster has accepted the pact with Elysium for a chance at enlightenment, choosing to serve as the optional floor boss and intending to eradicate these hellscape golem challengers from existence. Odds are 4:3 in favor of Group #4828. If you wish to bet against Elysium¡¯s odds, you may do so by putting up items or Elysium Coins by interacting with this message.] ¡°Oh yes!¡± Riven outwardly laughed, remembering how Elysium and Negrada had bet against one another when he¡¯d fought the Satyr Warlord miniboss in Negrada¡¯s dungeon. Elysium appeared to be quite the gambling type, and Riven was all for it. Putting up the ridiculous sum of a 129 million Elysium Coins worth on a single bet, he sat down cross-legged and propped his chin in his hands to watch the fight. [Your bet that group #4828 will lose has been documented, 129,000,000 Elysium Coins have been deducted from your person. Should you win, you will be given 167,700,000 Elysium Coins back. If you do not want to accept these rates, please decline now.] He¡¯d always enjoyed casinos, and accepted immediately with a laugh from his sister. Pulling out a bottle of spiced blood and crackers, he began to down it while enjoying his view alongside friends and teammates. It was going to be a long ride, and he might as well enjoy the show while he could. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t lose all his money in doing so. *** Athela raised an eyebrow Narg¡¯s way from underneath her shadow-crafted hood, ignoring the shouting and screaming Riven was doing as his money went up in flames after his third consecutive bet loss. ¡°And just what makes you think you¡¯re up to standards to be my master¡¯s last minion?¡± Azmoth aggressively nodded in agreement, four arms folded while his flaming antlers gave the circle of four demons a faint orange glow. Fay on the other hand was a little less antagonistic to the newcomer - and she placed a slender hand on the beholder demon¡¯s green body in an act of encouragement. ¡°Stop bullying him! He¡¯s just here to help!¡± ¡°Eyeball demons always harm us.¡± Azmoth said with a pointed finger jabbed in Narg¡¯s direction. ¡°They mean! All beholders bad!¡± ¡°That sir, is downright rude and racist! I am enraged!¡± Narg humphed, emphasizing his rage by puffing himself up like a puffer fish to make his central body grow in proportion. The two normal eyes set over his frowning, toothy mouth narrowed - and the eyeballs across his numerous tentacles did the same one after the other. ¡°I am a gentleman and a scholar! I will not be treated in such a way for having done no wrong!¡± Azmoth leaned forward, his body crackling with cinders in an attempt to intimidate. ¡°If you betray Riven, I smash and eat.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Fay used her grimoire to smack Azmoth¡¯s pointed finger back, and the young brutalisk retreated after her dagger-like glare set upon him. ¡°You two are out of line!¡± Athela waved her hand back and forth in front of her face, cross legged, while continuing to ignore the cackling of Allie and Nora in the background as Riven repeatedly cursed the people who¡¯d recently died. ¡°I¡¯m not being mean. I¡¯m being practical. Riven deserves the best, and I feel like he¡¯s settled. I just want to be proven wrong, so if Narg would so kindly put my worries to rest - I won¡¯t have to tell Riven to get another model later on. What makes you better than the millions of others out there, Narg?¡± From the sidelines, Fimrindle snickered loudly. ¡°You got something to say, you metal bean-pole?¡± Athela shot with a glare. ¡°Spit it out!¡± Fimrindle¡¯s jaw didn¡¯t move as the words came out of his mouth in a raspy gasp, making his speech look just as unnatural as it sounded. ¡°You yourself were¡­ not up to the standards you now tout¡­ arachnid. If anything¡­ the three of you have ridden on the coattails of your master¡¯s fate. It is¡­ humorous¡­ that you would judge the beholder so.¡± Athela gasped dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ve always been AMAZING!¡± ¡°No.¡± Fimrindle said with a scoff. ¡°You were just a tiny, weak spider¡­ barely even a demon, but with a princess complex¡­ and an inflated ego to match.¡± Athela whipped out both katana¡¯s from her chest in a flash of red and a palpable killing intent that boomed from her position. ¡°SAY THAT AGAIN, TWIRP!¡± But Fimrindle had already vanished into thin air, leaving behind an echoing cackle that made Athela¡¯s arms shake in rage. ¡°He doesn¡¯t think I see him, but he¡¯s wrong. We¡¯ll see just who¡¯s the better assassin! I¡¯m about to tear that cackling metal face off of his-¡± Athela¡¯s words were interrupted by Fay, who cleared her throat rather loudly. ¡°Sit down! You¡¯re being immature!¡± Fay commanded, pointing to the ground with a frosty stare. ¡°Riven will NOT be happy with you if you start fighting Fimrindle over petty insults! And turn off your aura, your killing intent is leaking out for hundreds of yards!¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Fay bobbed her head in Riven¡¯s direction, where he, Nora, Lillith and Allie were all staring with confused looks directly at Athela. Athela abruptly sheathed her two katanas into her chest, gave a winning, brilliant white smile to Riven, and blew him a kiss before hopping to sit back down cross-legged as if nothing had ever happened. Her master and the others went back to watching the next boss fight, and she let out a long huff of a sigh. Raising an eyebrow in Narg¡¯s direction while he remained in his puffer-fish state, she pawed at the air to get him to relax. ¡°Alright, alright. Maybe Fimrindle wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Sorry. I¡¯m just protective is all, and I want to make sure that you¡¯re able to help Riven when he needs it. The three of us have already proven ourselves in one way or another at different times while traveling with him, and Lillith really kicked us into shape while emphasizing just how we were failing at our jobs until recently. I just don¡¯t want you, the new guy, to make the same mistakes we did.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Fay nodded in approval, smiling at the other woman in turn. Narg blinked rapidly across his numerous eyes, and slowly began to deflate with a wheeze of air like it was being let out of a balloon. Settling down in a lower floating position next to Fay, he grumbled something under his breath and evaluated the other demons one by one. ¡°I see you¡¯re not quite the barbarian I¡¯d assumed you were. Thank you, for your apology.¡± ¡°Azmoth never apologize!¡± The young brutalisk said with a scoff and puff of flames from deep within his throat. ¡°Azmoth never wrong!¡± Fay groaned, and put her face in her hands while shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Narg. This is not the kind of welcome you should be getting from us. I for one am very happy to have you on our team, and I hope you can do your best to keep Riven safe with us.¡± *** Two days passed, and they still remained on the ledge as battle after battle occurred. ¡°I believe it would be in your best interest to keep collecting rare specimens such as these on the way down.¡± Lillith said, shoving some more sin-oriented crystals that¡¯d been grown here in the abyss into Riven¡¯s bag. ¡°They¡¯ll be needed in the future, and our trek will be the perfect opportunity to grab some to take back to Panu.¡± Her voice was sad, even tired, and she¡¯d been the least interested in the battles ongoing down below out of the group so far. Ever since she¡¯d initially brought up how the Church of Gluttony wouldn¡¯t be around in the future, and had failed to expand upon it, she¡¯d been downright depressed. Nothing Riven did seemed to sway her on her decision not to talk about it either. She¡¯d been adamant that they finish the Abyssal Descent before talking about it further. Interestingly enough, she¡¯d also been adamant that they spend most or all of their Elysium Coins while staying here. She¡¯d even bet a few times herself, using up all of her money to make gains before going around and seeing what other groups had to offer - before making astronomically expensive purchases of the very best dao treasures, mostly including plants and spiritual crystals that could be grown in Riven¡¯s garden back home. She even mentioned that she wished she could take some of the greater treasures from beyond this realm or Panu, but the system wouldn¡¯t allow such things until Panu was conquered - if it ever was. Until then, or until the 5 year time limit came due, Panu was mostly sealed to the outside multiverse with only a few exceptions. Letting in monumental dao treasures in the S-grade from Gluttony¡¯s vaults off-world was not contained within those exceptions. ¡°If you change your mind and want to talk, let me know.¡± Riven said, hesitating before putting an encouraging hand on Lillith¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for whatever troubles you.¡± She gave him a sad smile, then nodded and sat down again next to him. ¡°Thank you. Now, what have I missed in my time bartering?¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrow raised, and he turned his attention back to the arena far below. This time, the setting was that of a black lake with a crab-like creature of titanic proportions that was striking at a group of four greater-harpies and a fallen angel. They rained arrows of hellfire down on the crab¡¯s chitin, while it sprayed black bullets from its maw or used brutal melee attacks infused with some kind of unholy energy variation. Explosions rocked the artificial lake, and the cylindrical miles-wide cage enclosing the arena shook when one of the harpies was crushed against the outer rim. Riven winced. ¡°Well you haven¡¯t missed much. The scenery changes every time, and most of the bosses are taken from somewhere else within the multiverse after Elysium tempts the creatures with prizes for winning. There¡¯s been only three squad wipes though, so most of the time the monsters lose. When performing well, the teams also have been getting additional prizes in the form of treasure chests outside the portal access to the 20th floor.¡± ¡°Any other type of fights happen? Was it just monsters?¡± Riven shook his head. ¡°No, there were two others. One boss fight was against another pretty powerful undead participant who¡¯d already made it to level 43 of the Abyssal Descent, but he¡¯d transgressed against the system somehow and was brought up for judgement. If he¡¯d won, he¡¯d be put back, but he was killed along with his team members. The other was a fight against the environment, believe it or not. There wasn¡¯t any fighting, but the team all had to stabilize rifts in the void where Holy energy was breaking through to kill them - and they had to do it in a pattern or the rifts would grow larger. They had to last for ten minutes, and they only barely succeeded with two losses. It was sort of confusing, and I really didn¡¯t understand it because Athela kept trying to get freaky.¡± ¡°Ah, to be young and in love.¡± Lillith chuckled with true amusement for the first time in a while. ¡°The three of you are cute. You, Athela, and Fay that is.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Riven scratched the back of his neck with an embarrassed look. ¡°They¡¯re pretty great. And they¡¯ve been expanding their own relationship quite a bit. Did you know they¡¯ve been going on dates with each other for ¡®girl time¡¯?¡± ¡°I hadn¡¯t realized that.¡± ¡°Yup. I¡¯m glad to see it, I hadn¡¯t wanted this to be a¡­ How do I put it? Eh. I want them to reciprocate with each other the same way they reciprocate with me so that no one feels left out.¡± Lillith didn¡¯t get the chance to reply, when a shuddering boom caused the arena to shake after the giant crab exploded in a mess of body parts. The fallen angel that¡¯d destroyed raised himself up out of the monster¡¯s body with a roar of triumph, and the greater-harpy comrades rushed down with shouts of their own to greet his success enthusiastically. A shimmering black and purple chest appeared on the monster¡¯s body next, created from abyssal energies that oozed with sin. A portal ripped open in space beside it too, and soon the party of five left injured but all alive through the portal to access the 20th abyssal floor. [Your group has been chosen as the next up to fight Floor Boss 2. You have been selected for a unique boss fight experience given your composition. Are you ready to proceed? It not, another team will be selected.] Riven exchanged glances with Lillith, and then the others, who¡¯d all gotten up to start gathering nearby. Fay was woken up by Athela, Azmoth stopped playing chess with Nora, and Narg shut down his discussion with Fimrindle to float forward in Riven¡¯s direction. Adjusting her bone pauldron, Allie picked up her divine-ranked claymore and hoisted it over her shoulder with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s about damn time! Everyone here?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s here.¡± Riven said, holding out a hand as Jackal rose off the ground to come to his palm. Wrapping his fingers around the shaft of the staff and inspecting the fiery eyes of the skull at its head, and made sure he had all their attention. ¡°Is there any reason we should decline? I assume we¡¯re all ready?¡± No one said otherwise, and Riven acknowledged the prompt with a: ¡°Yes, we¡¯re ready.¡± [Please wait. Your group is being transported now.] *** A flash enveloped him, and Riven was ripped through space to appear in a floating bubble of light like so many others had been contained in as the arena was rearranged. And the arena was certainly changing fast. Blue skies lit up the interior of the battlefield with puffy white clouds partially masking a false yellow sun, reminiscent of Earth. The ground rumbled as slabs of white stone sprouted from the ground, with plants growing at rapid pace to create a jungle environment very reminiscent of the Zhangjiajie National Forest in China. Not that he¡¯d ever been there, but he¡¯d certainly seen pictures of it. Between the tall-standing pillars and the lush canopy of forest, it was quite breathtaking even though he knew it to be fake. But when he turned around to say something about it to his comrades, he found that they weren¡¯t there. They were gone. He was alone. Confused, and looking around almost frantically, he finally found them. Appearing in a separate bubble about a mile away, he managed to spy the others. It was a far larger bubble than his own, encompassing the hundreds of undead that¡¯d been risen after the battle between the churches of Gluttony and Greed on the first floor abyssal city, but Riven was sure it was them even at this distance after spying Azmoth¡¯s flaming antlers amidst the mass of bodies. ¡°Well this is weird. I haven¡¯t seen this happen before.¡± The bubbles settled on opposite hills overlooking the jungle canopy, inbetween numerous pillars each reaching many thousands of feet up into the air that reached the clouds. The sound of the jeers and cheers of the crowds couldn¡¯t be heard within the cylindrical energy barrier encompassing them, and he couldn¡¯t even see the onlookers anymore now that he was actually inside the arena. At most, he could only see the barrier itself - which had an illusion built into the interior making it look like he was seeing out into a horizon - if not for the shimmer of the energy making up the barrier giving it away. The bubble popped, and he was set facing his friends with a frazzled expression, gripping Jackal in one hand as the maw across Messenger¡¯s chest began to growl. And just before he started to make his way towards them, a new notification appeared to signify just what was going on. [Team #9877 has entered the arena. Due to unique composition and circumstances, Elysium has designated this Floor 2 Boss fight differently. Lillith of the Black Skies has been banished to the 50th floor of the Abyssal Descent due to having already completed this event in another age, and will remain trapped there unless freed by her teammates. Let this be a lesson to those who attempt to take advantage of Elysium¡¯s good will. This event is not meant to be repeated. Team 1 of this Floor 2 Boss Fight is as follows: Riven Thane, Reincarnation of Gluttony Team 2 of this Floor 2 Boss Fight is as follows: Allie Thane, Nora Lang, Retesh Vorath, and all minions - including Riven Thane¡¯s own. Team 2 has been mind controlled by Elysium. If Riven Thane of Team 1 kills all of his teammates and defeats Team 2, they will be resurrected and are able to pass on to Floor 20 as promised. If Team 2 kills the reincarnation of Gluttony, he will be removed from The Abyssal Descent per the contract of Chalgathi¡¯s questline - but he will also receive a penalty of -50 levels and a mandatory, permanent removal of Gluttony from Riven as the reincarnation host. Odds are 3:5 in favor of Team 2. If you wish to bet against Elysium¡¯s odds, you may do so by putting up items or Elysium Coins by interacting with this message.] [Your Floor 2 Boss Fight has begun.] Riven¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and his gaze slowly lifted to where an army of undead were all sprinting or flying across the gap between them at incredible speed - with Azmoth charging at their front in a maddened explosion of flame that sent the large demon rocketing towards him. Riven saw Fimrindle and Athela blur into the shadows next, saw Nora follow quickly in their wake, and saw a barrage of unholy energies rip from the opposite hillside where Retesh had summoned a swarm of green energies to shoot directly at Riven¡¯s position. Only a split second later and the hill vanished when Fay raised her hands, as she¡¯d no doubt cast an illusion to hide the spellcasters across from him. The thing that caught Riven¡¯s attention most, though, was the eruption of death-attuned energies as Allie launched herself into the sky with a swarm of wraiths tearing out from her body. Her black wings glistened, her halo shone like the impending judgement of a god of death, and her gray, glowing eyes stared blankly at him as she lifted her hand. A storm of flaming skulls began blooming around her only seconds later. Together, the laughing skulls created a cyclone of sonic booms as they each broke the sound barrier to rip through the air towards him. The fight was already on, and this one wasn¡¯t going to be easy. "Shit." Chapter 285 Chapter 285 Riven¡¯s body exploded backwards as Blessing of the Crow engulfed him, wrapping him in a shroud of black and red wisps akin to a bloody phantom, and the ground underneath him erupted as his soul pillars went into overdrive. Despite who he was facing, he could not falter. Losing was not an option, and though he hated to harm his friends and family - they would not be permanently affected by the beatdown he was about to present them with. Assuming he¡¯d win, that is. Which, honestly enough, wasn¡¯t a certainty. And by Elysium¡¯s betting odds, he was the one who was more likely to lose. CRASH The barrage of Allie¡¯s flaming skulls and Retesh¡¯s bombardment of green, oozing mana joined together seconds later - causing the jungle-laden hillside he¡¯d been on only moments before to shatter in flame and hissing rubble. The oncoming horde of enemies led by Azmoth was quickly approaching, and Riven went full tilt with all of the available mana currently built up in his staff with one of its abilities: [Furious Storm: This staff can passively build up charges of furious storm, which utilizes a supercharged dose of any single energy from the pillars of Sin / Unholy / Shadow / Death / Blood / Infernal. You may only unleash one type of energy at a time. Power of furious storm depends on the amount of charge emitted.] The skull face of the staff opened wide and the pentagram in its center turned black before unleashing a swath of piercing shadows blossomed out of the staff and crashed into the oncoming tide. Due to their extremely high quality nature, built from the F and E-grade elites of the multiverse, only a couple dozen of the undead died instantly. Others lost limbs as piercing streaks of darkness tore flesh from bone and cut cleanly through their mindless bodies. Azmoth himself deflected much of the attack with a snarl, shengari shields snapping in front of his body while a dome of fire took form around him a second later. The remnant shadow energy also created a cloud of darkness over the battlefield, shifting in and out like mist across the jungle and great stone pillars alike. ¡°LITTLE RIVEN WILL DIE, DIE, DIE!¡± Azmoth uncharacteristically screamed from the cloud of black that was most prevalent throughout the land-bound combatants, and he let out great swaths of flame from his mouth and eel-like maws along his back to burn away the mana-bound shadows. ¡°COME AND FIGHT ME, PUNY VAMPIRE!¡± CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH Five rapid snipe-enhanced blood lances smashed into Azmoth¡¯s body, causing him to flip backwards with a scream of pain while other blood lances tore holes through the oncoming rush of undead bodies like scissors through paper. Riven didn¡¯t smile, didn¡¯t laugh, as his vision centered on Azmoth¡¯s bleeding form. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough to kill the demon just yet, and the damage was minimal due to his naturally armored boyd, but- He paused when one of the recurrent discharging pulses of energy he was releasing came back positive for movement on his left side. Riven blurred left, narrowly dodging a large scythe that¡¯d almost cleanly taken his head off before kicking off the ground to send himself backwards. Evade, place distance, and decimate. Wretched snares tore off of his outstretched hand like serpents, forming nets that sought to capture and contain the reaper - but Fimrindle was far too fast for that. The assassin cackled, dodged, and vanished to appear at Riven¡¯s back - only for dozens of crimson spires to shoot up out of the ground. One crimson ice spire deflected the reaper¡¯s attack, three more went in for a killing blow, and others were bursting around them for hundreds of yards in anticipation of Fimrindle¡¯s evading move. The reaper hissed and retracted his strike, flipping backwards with an Unholy Slash directed Riven¡¯s way. The magical slash projection bought Fimrindle time to tactically retreat, weaving through the minefield of seeking bloody spikes - only for him to be caught off guard when Riven clenched his fist. BOOM The spires abruptly exploded, creating a vast area-of-effect zone with shrapnel heading in every direction imaginable. It was like watching a nuke full of red paint go off with the spires shattering into hundreds, then thousands, then millions of tiny, sharp projectiles that flashed at supersonic speeds to incorporate a mile-wide area. The only area spared was Riven¡¯s direct position, where the bloody shards soaked through his armor and into his skin to refeed his mana pool - rather than doing him any actual damage. They were merely coming home for recycling. ¡°AHHHHHHH!!!¡± The feminine screech of Athela made Riven¡¯s heart clench as she was ripped out of stealth only a couple dozen yards away, her humanoid figure being turned into a pincushion. Fimrindle had fared somewhat better than her, using his Unholy / Machine Tier 3 ability ¡®Anticipate Movements¡¯ to dodge nearly 90% of the millions of shards meant to flush him out. But he couldn¡¯t dodge all of them even so. A few more undead on the outskirts of the explosion were evaporated into pink mists, Allie was repelled from a dive mid-air, and Narg had erected barriers of flame and shadow to deflect- Riven¡¯s foot landed on an invisible curse trap placed by Fay. ¡°SHIT!¡± He was sent sprawling, Messenger¡¯s armor holding strong, but he felt a few of the bones in his foot shatter due to the impact even despite this before landing on yet ANOTHER curse trap. He staggered out of a roll, blood leaking down his forehead where Fay¡¯s curse energies had torn off flesh from his skull before his regeneration rapidly repaired it. Yet he didn¡¯t have time to dawdle. Riven needed to utilize as much area-of-effect magic as possible to take out the assassins. With them in the picture, he wouldn¡¯t be able to focus on the others, and- Another pulse of energy sensed a stealthed figure coming in from behind, and he launched himself off the ground and into flight just before Nora¡¯s twin blades impaled him. She swore, then retreated back into thin air from whence she¡¯d come. *** Putting distance inbetween himself while evading and returning fire was something of a nightmare for Riven as it became a game of cat and mouse, where there were far more cats - and he was doubtless the mouse. He couldn¡¯t be caught, and if he was - it was over. Riven¡¯s body ripped through the air like a bullet, sending shockwaves through his trajectory as jungle burned and towering pillars of stone shattered. Hissing trails of blood, screaming undead attempting to catch him over land and sky, and innumerable magics exploding all around him were now the norm as he zig-zagged and riftwalked constantly while letting out surgical strikes whenever an opportunity arose. Neither side had gained much ground, other than a good number of the mindless undead having been eradicated, and they¡¯d reached something of a stalemate. That stalemate could end poorly for him in an instant though if he let up, and he thanked Jackal silently numerous times for the 600% mana regeneration his staff now gave him. With Allie in hot pursuit on his tail in the sky and the assassins regularly attempting to strike at him in bursts, with the beholder demon Narg trying to snipe him out of the sky using unholy Globspitters and infernal Hellspitters - which were on par with his own blood lances in terms of speed or range and were rather dangerous. Whenever Riven tried to riftwalk away and hide, the damn beholder demon used his seeking abilities to quickly locate his position. And it made Riven realize that, in the future, Narg would probably be a great way to sniff out potential assassins by utilizing Seek Danger; just as he probably was doing right now. That, or Narg had locked onto one of Riven¡¯s items with Seek Item. Fay was coming in and out of invisibility to cast supporting spells on Allie from time to time as well. The succubus was also doing a good job in hiding the assassins further, while concealing or misdirecting Riven whenever he attempted to retaliate against Retesh who was unleashing a constant barrage of green orbs from the ground. Whenever he clashed with Allie, even if he came out on top, Fay would then heal the fallen angel of her wounds and the pursuit would ensue again. Azmoth had resorted to using his Propulsion ability to try and catch Riven, but without wings or a true flying ability it didn¡¯t compare to Messenger¡¯s Quickening Flight. It truly was a shitshow, and he was having a hard time holding on even with Gluttony¡¯s third, purple eye giving Riven additional feedback on when to dodge and how to do it. His totems were also doing quite well in supporting his attempts at negating enemy attacks. The four orbiting totems were creating barriers of crimson ice, blasting other projectiles out of the sky with high-velocity black lightning, and even created occasional rifts to swallow and redirect incoming attacks when the ice shields were temporarily destroyed. The totems were in fact a huge asset to his struggle, and autonomously nullified nearly half of the enemy¡¯s firepower that entered within range - only requiring a small amount of constant mana channeling to keep them active after their initial reserves were snuffed out. [Hive Totems of Bloodforged Rift Sparks (Lesser Artifact, Elite Tier, Level 34 Totem Swarm): These totems come as a set, and new totems can be added to this number at the additional cost of Willpower - with each totem adding exponentially more Willpower to the cost. Cost of Willpower is based upon attitude towards the wielder of this totem set, as well as current combat level. Current Requirements: 119 Willpower, Blood Sub-Pillar, Shadow Sub-Pillar. Bound to Riven Thane. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Adding different types of totems will change the name and description of this totem set. Current Totems in Hive Swarm: The Path of Red and Black has been imbued into these totems, along with numerous different sigils, and has used the blood of an ancient avatar of original sin to fuel its growth. This totem has the ability to grow and level up, but diminishes in level each time one of its totems are destroyed. This totem swarm can currently perform the following abilities: He wanted to draw this out as much as possible and wear them down while looking for opportunities to unload on anyone that made a mistake, as he was probably the most evasive person on their team outside of Lillith given his ability to teleport, fly, and his speed amplifying blessing. Riven also had a few trump cards he had yet to pull though, and was waiting to use said trump cards whenever he felt like they had a good chance of success - specifically, if he was able to lock down one or two of the assassins he¡¯d go in for the kill. He had yet to change into his ultimate demonic form via Gluttony¡¯s Aspect of Demonic Heritage, as it only lasted for a single minute. He also hadn¡¯t summoned his Legionaries of the Blood God yet, which if applied appropriately - would probably be enough to take out at least one of the major players on the enemy side. [Gluttony¡¯s Aspect of Demonic Heritage (Sin)(Tier 3): A martial art that enhances you through the power of your fully formed Mark of the Sinner. Your body merges with your soul clone for 1 minute, allowing you to take on an ultimate demonic form as an aspect of the Great Maw. Very long cooldown, which can be reduced by killing and eating others.] [Legionaries of the Blood God (Death / Blood)(Tier 2): This is a temporary summoning spell that does not require minion slots. You may summon up to 8 Elite-Class Bloodstricken Undead from the Blood God¡¯s realm, equal in combat level to your own, and may designate whether or not you wish to summon Blood Knights, Blood Sorcerers, Blood Assassins, or a combination of the three when you do so. Undead are non-sentient and last for 5 minutes before disappearing. 1 day cooldown time. Very high mana cost.] Unfortunately, true opportunities to strike back safely were few and far between, and he was reminded of this when he whirled mid air to unleash an arc of black lightning towards Allie - only to give the beholder demon Narg an opportunity to snipe him from behind. CRACK He was sent spinning as the flaming bolt smashed into his back, bypassing the totem defenses just barely and making a clean hit. The crackling lightning from his staff went off to the side and missed Allie entirely, and she pumped power into her wings for a dive with a shrill cry of glee. Her divine claymore came down with a two handed swing, smashing through barriers of red ice summoned from his totems and collided with Jackal in a thundering crash. Riven was sent spiraling downwards at tremendous speed, causing the ground to quake with his descent¡¯s end as earth around him exploded to form a crater under his body. He coughed blood into Messenger¡¯s mask, and the armor set¡¯s jaws opened to unleash a swarm of gluttonous tendrils that intercepted Nora when she went in for the kill. The assassin screamed as her arms were brutally ripped off, only for her head to follow when the black tendrils infused with sin rapidly constricted and crushed her body in numerous places. It was like squeezing a grape, but she was quickly followed by Azmoth and half a dozen undead that barreled into the large crater with weapons raised. Riven didn¡¯t have a choice. His ribs were crushed, flaring with pain, and he was having a hard time breathing even with his vampiric regeneration working overtime due to the remnant death energies Allie¡¯s attack had left when their weapons connected. He raised his hand with a quick set of gestures, and just before Azmoth came within melee distance - eight flashes of light illuminated the crater around him. Eight hooded skulls etched with crimson runes on their foreheads stared with glowing crimson in their skull sockets. Six were heavily armored with red claymores and thick red plate mail. The other two held thin, wicked daggers dripping blood mana in each hand and were strapped in red leathers. [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Knight, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Assassin, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] The knights raised their weapons, and rushed to meet the oncoming enemies with an eerie silence. The sound of Azmoth and the undead smashing into them was joined with another thunderous crash as fire and death met blood, and the crater became an outright melee as more and more of the undead rushed in to be cut down. One blood knight fell to Azmoth¡¯s shengari shields and brute strength, another hamstrung Azmoth before being piled on by oversized zombie gargoyles that bit and clawed. Radiant crimson slashes arced out and through lines of enemies, while flame exploded from the brutalisk and death energies knitted parts of the zombies back together at intense speeds. CHINGGGGGGggggggg Athela screeched in outrage when she appeared out of a flying stream of blood, her red katanas intercepted by the stoic blood assassin as the rune on its forehead glowed brighter. ¡°You are in my way!!!¡± Athela hissed, six arachnid blades coming out of her back. ¡°And you will be removed! He won¡¯t tell you this, BUT RIVEN LIKES TO BE IMPALED ANYWAYS! JUST LET IT HAPPEN!¡± Riven could barely avoid rolling his eyes. Even when mind controlled, Athela was ridiculous. The assassins blurred, their exchange being joined when Fimrindle was intercepted by the second blood assassin next. Unlike Athela, Fimrindle managed to bypass the blood assassin and go in for the main target after a quick blink of motion - and his metal, clawed hand reached out. Engulfed in death mana, Fimrindle tried to take hold of Riven¡¯s soul to rip it out forcibly - but was rebuffed when Riven managed to gain his bearings and send a shockwave of storm razors in all directions. Spinning black and red blades created from shadow and blood erupted from the epicenter of the crater, avoiding Riven¡¯s summoned blood knights and assassins while homing in on anyone he considered an enemy. The air hissed and space itself tore with the whirlwind of radiating power as they cut, pursued, and exploded into shrapnel by the thousands - peeling off of his body while his Path of Red and Black made his two pillars go into overdrive. The ground around him was flung back, carved asunder to create tidal waves of earth that peeled up with the massive onset of thousands of tearing blades that left ribbons of ominous light after their trajectory. Jackal crackled in his grip, and Riven looked down in dismay when he saw there was a large crack in the shaft of his weapon where Allie¡¯s divine claymore had struck it. His weapon had held firm, and even now Allie hadn¡¯t come back from where she¡¯d been flung due to the rebound effect after the collision, but if he continued to use Jackal now - it very well might break. ¡°Come out, Jackal. And should you be banished, return to the bag. You will not die here.¡± Without a word, Jackal sent him a mental nudge of affirmation - and the weapon began to change. It was the first time Riven had used the weapon like this since its evolution, and he was interested to see just what it looked like. He was not disappointed. [Abyssal Beastform: This weapon can turn into an Abyssal Canine Warbeast, and does passive Sin damage on strike. This form is offensively compatible, but your weapon will automatically revert to staff form upon taking damage equal to 20% of your maximum health.] The staff contracted into a sphere of multicolored light, before expanding rapidly with a feral roar from within the mass of magic. A canine form appeared, equivalent in size to a small house. Four clawed limbs sprouted, with each claw as big as Riven¡¯s body that radiated dark purple energies. Darkness coated its hide similar to how Lillith herself presented, with large purple spikes down its spine that continued along the abnormally long tail it doubtless would use as a weapon. Vibrant purple eyes glared back at Riven from where the beast was forming, and a ferocious maw filled with black teeth that radiated sin smiled back at him. It was a gigantic winged hound, and it spread its draconic black wings out to either side before whipping around to face Azmoth with a snarl. The brutalisk was too busy fighting two of the blood knights to notice, and when Azmoth finally did notice - it was already too late. ¡°RRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± Azmoth roared defiantly to the end, clawing madly and tearing back at Jackal¡¯s larger body as the hound pinned the already injured demon underneath. Large claymores stabbed and crashed into Azmoth¡¯s armor, beating him down until there was an audible crunch, a snap, and a yank. The fires of Azmoth¡¯s body died down to cinders, his claws still imbedded in Jackal¡¯s forelegs while the canine flared its wings and swallowed Azmoth¡¯s head with a gulp. *** Athela didn¡¯t know WHY she needed to kill Riven, but the compulsion was too strong to resist. Despite conflicting emotions sometimes causing her to pull back from otherwise open opportunities to kill, the lack of willpower to follow through with the fight time and time again hindered her ability to succeed. She knew she loved him. She knew she didn¡¯t want to hurt him. But she also knew she had to. It wasn¡¯t a choice. It was a compulsion, and absolute commandment from existence. She needed to kill her lover. Her eyes glazed over for nearly the 20th time since the fight had begun, and the compulsions battled her innate desires down yet again. Yanking her katanas out of the blood assassin¡¯s skull. Stepping on its head to crunch the abysmal, unthinking thing beneath her - she watched Riven¡¯s other blood warriors tear through the ranks of Retesh¡¯s and Allie¡¯s undead like they were grass beneath a lawn mower. She smirked, remembering the time Riven had told her about lawn mowers. Why anyone would devise something so utterly useless was beyond her, but that smirk quickly faded as Elysium¡¯s will pressed down upon her mind. Her right hand twitched, and her arachnid blades lifted, and she started forward again - only to pause wide-eyed when Riven¡¯s aura soared in conjunction with another. Death rained from the sky when Allie finally reclaimed the fight, and the fallen angel¡¯s descent was like a comet of doom that shattered the world. The blinding power erupting from death energies meeting a vortex of blood was like watching two gods battle, and the space around them was warped due to their auras of bloodlust as Riven finally turned off his emotional switch. For he too had been holding back to an extent, whether or not he¡¯d realized it, and now he had no choice but to go all out. The air split, and a black rift as big as a castle opened up to suck in Allie¡¯s power while Riven¡¯s own storm of blood-frost raced around the sides in the air to push against Allie¡¯s gray cloud of true death. Souls screamed in denial and pushed back against Riven¡¯s rebuttal, and the physically manifested auras of energy braced while eating at each other. Riven was without doubt the one with more mana supply, and his rift was swallowing Allie¡¯s own aura greedily every second - but Allie wasn¡¯t giving in and her own path of True Death superseded Riven¡¯s own Path of Black and Red. It wasn¡¯t by much, but it was enough that their force of wills had reached a stalemate that continued to wreak havoc in the local vicinity with sparks and explosions constantly going off that the zone of colliding intents. One thing was certain, and despite Athela¡¯s impulsions to kill Riven - she was also well aware she wouldn¡¯t be able to do so if she was dead. Turning to run, she used all of her dexterity to race backwards through the jungle at blinding speeds - before a crack of thunder caused her eardrums to nearly burst; and the entire miles-wide arena went bright white as the two auras completely collapsed. BOOM Athela was thrown head over heels, spinning as an apocalyptic strike caused the ground to peel up in all directions like when peeling an orange. The jungle was flung skywards in sprays of debris all the way up to the ceiling, stone pillars throughout the forest shattered and turned to dust. She felt pieces of her skin rot away and peel off, and the world around her was a spinning mess of motion until she abruptly slammed into the far wall of the barrier encircling the battle well over a mile away. Her skull was shattered, her mind went dark, and then - a moment later - she felt herself spawn a new body. [Your Gluttonous Arshakai form has been killed. You have been forcibly rotated to your next form, Gluttonous Fae Drider. Should all three of your forms be defeated, you will die.] [Your first form¡¯s defeat has been counted by Elysium as a strike in this event. Mind control has been redacted.] Chapter 286 Chapter 286 Crashing to the ground, Athela groaned clutching her head when all eight of her enormous white spider legs sank into the decimated landscape. The air was so thick with dust and mana that it was hard to get a hold of just what was going on, and she had a killer headache - but her mind cleared over the coming seconds as her eyes widened. She¡¯d been attacking Riven. What the hell!? Surprise turned to horror, and horror turned to panic when she realized what losing would mean to Riven¡¯s future. That was something she could not allow, and he was easily on the back foot even after having killed Azmoth, Nora, and the majority of the undead sent after him by the two necromancy specialists. Narg, Fimrindle, Allie, Fay and Retesh were still out there - with Riven desperately trying to keep Allie at bay while the others supported her. Since her transformation into an angel of death, Allie was incredibly powerful - possibly even being Riven¡¯s equal at this time. ¡­ Nah, not quite that powerful. But almost, and when combined with all the minions¡­ it wasn¡¯t looking good. He¡¯d played his cards well so far in the fight by kiting the rest of them and not making a true stand, but It was only a matter of time before he lost if things didn¡¯t change. Eventually they¡¯d catch him, and even through the haze Athela could see Retesh¡¯s continued bombardment of greed globes soaring across the sky while the lich cackled like a madman. Furrowing her brows, that¡¯s where she would go first. Fay was likely there too if she wasn¡¯t supporting Allie directly, and both would be easy, quick kills if they didn¡¯t suspect Athela was turning on them. And when she rushed ahead - following the trails of green lighting up the sky as distant explosions echoed throughout the swirling dust storm - she quickly found her first targets. Sitting on the hill right where they¡¯d¡¯ all originally started, was the laughing lich - and the succubus next to him. Fay was in a meditative state, maintaining an illusion around the two meant only for Riven¡¯s mind to see - while she continued to layer invisible traps around Riven¡¯s position that he¡¯d been flying into or stepping on randomly all throughout the battle. Athela¡¯s eyes trailed down to the succubus¡¯s chest. Fay looked absolutely stunning sitting like that, her long white hair trailing past her big breasts- Athela slapped herself in the face. ¡°Get ahold of yourself, you horny spider!¡± Shaking her head and feeling slightly guilty about what she was about to do, she sighed and stomped up the hill towards them with a determined expression set in place. ¡°Athela!¡± Retesh called out gleefully, raising his bone staff as the orb atop it flared with neon teal light. ¡°Are you coming back for a break!? We have him on the ropes!¡± Fay looked up too, smiling pleasantly Athela¡¯s way. ¡°Oh, hello! I thought you¡¯d be trying to stab him from behind like you sneaks usually do. Why are you back here with us? And why are you in that body?¡± ¡°Surely you won¡¯t be able to assassinate him while in that form. You know he¡¯s weak to assassins, there¡¯s no reason to change course.¡± Retesh agreed with the clattering of bones as his staff made repetitive motions in the air while summoning clouds of plague across the battlefield in Riven¡¯s direction; before beginning to unleash another barrage of green orbs into the sky. ¡°Or have you truly given up on that tactic? Fimrindle is going to rub it in if he¡¯s the one that-¡± CRUNCH Athela¡¯s leg came down on the lich, smashing his frail body with a single, brutal strike. Despite the lich being on the leaderboards, he was a glass cannon that hid behind his summons, and she was a Panu World Boss with an insane strength amplifier in this form. Fay looked stunned, staring wide-eyed at the obliterated lich with an open mouth and furrowed brows. ¡°ATHELA! WHY!? WHAT ARE- UGH!!!¡± The succubus was picked up with one of Athela¡¯s giant clawed hands. Gripping her lover around the waist, Athela frowned and brought Fay to eye level - ignoring the cursing and small hands beating against her snow-white skin. The four red eyes of the huge drider narrowed to glance down at Fay¡¯s chest again with a smirk, and she cocked her head to one side while evaluating her girlfriend - Er, her prey. ¡°Unlike the last time, do know that this isn¡¯t anything personal. I don¡¯t WANT to do this¡­¡± Athela muttered as Fay cried out - growing fearful and struggling against the giant grip. Then, Athela smirked - and leaned in to give Fay a quick kiss and a wink. ¡°But I can¡¯t say it doesn¡¯t turn me on to hold you against your will¡­ We¡¯re going to have to try that BDSM stuff Riven was talking about soon. This is kind of kinky.¡± Fay was flushed with anger, and a little bit of embarrassment, as she venomously pointed a quivering finger in the larger demon¡¯s direction. ¡°ATHELA YOU DIRTY WHORE! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT-¡± With her other hand, Athela¡¯s claws twisted Fay¡¯s head - mercifully snapping her beautiful neck and killing the succubus instantly. Reverently putting her back on the hillside next to the shattered pile of bones, and using her ice magic to seal the bones in place just in case Retesh had some kind of revival powers as he was a lich - Athela regretfully stomped off into the maelstrom of wind, dirt, and rampant mana. She had a little scythe-wielding bitch to kill, and it¡¯d been a long time coming. *** Jackal hadn¡¯t lasted long after killing Azmoth, falling to Fimrindle¡¯s scythe only minutes later. The canine had battled ferociously, but the reaper was just an opponent too far above the living weapon that¡¯d truthfully not had any real experience using the new body it¡¯d procured until now. Jackal had then reverted back to a staff, and was in an even worse state than it¡¯d began in before transforming into the abyssal winged hound. It was, in fact, almost shattered at the mid shaft and had cracks spreading all along its body - so Riven was forced to withdraw it from the battle entirely and placed it back in his spatial sack. Riven¡¯s other temporary summons were dead too, all of the blood knights and assassins having been wiped out one by one until only a single knight had been left - before it too had disappeared after the 5 minute timer on the summoning spell had let up. Two of his four totems were wiped out and shattered, while the other two had been withdrawn as well due to the severe damage they¡¯d taken. Only Messenger remained on his side, though the armor itself had taken quite a beating it remained active in its pursuit to swallow incoming spells or attack his enemies with the tendrils from its central maw. This was particularly helpful against Fimrindle, who¡¯d been the one to destroy Riven¡¯s totems and most of his summons in quick hit-and-runs while Allie focused Riven himself. But even despite all this, and despite things not looking good, Riven wasn¡¯t out of the fight yet. Blood coated his arm as Riven shot skywards, and his vision zoomed forward to unleash the blood lance with a flash of red light. The snipe-empowered blood lance cut across the sky and smashed into another of Narg¡¯s barriers, only for the next one to cut cleanly through and skewer the beholder demon¡¯s body all the way out the other side. Blood and guts flew out and the beholder seemed to explode in viscera, ending the relentless long-ranged attacks it¡¯d been flinging at him from a safe distance this entire time much to Riven¡¯s building irritation. ¡°God that guy is annoying to fight against!¡± Riven muttered, cutting through the sky and narrowly dodging another sword-swipe from Allie while she beat her wings ever faster in an attempt to cut him down. ¡°AND YOU CAN JUST FUCK OFF ALLIE! GOD DAMN IT GIVE ME A BREAK ALREADY!¡± Allie merely cackled from underneath her bone helmet, and the chase intensified. ¡°I will activate the transition to our ultimate form when needed. We only have one shot at using it, and it will only last a minute; so keep it up. You¡¯re doing very well.¡± Gluttony whispered within Riven¡¯s mind, and clouds of ravenous insects were unleashed from a hundred black maws that appeared all around them - swarming towards Allie only to be met with an equivalent swarm of wraiths, ghosts, and spirits. The sin afflicted beetles crashed into the souls of the dead and were neutralized, neither side giving way while tearing into one another as the chase persisted through the sea of writhing sands and unstable energies. Lightning flickered through the arena randomly, created by uncontrolled power that¡¯d begun to build up in the environment like a soda-can waiting to pop and with nowhere to go. Yet, Riven suddenly realized there were no more green exploding orbs or plague mists being flung in his direction. Was Retesh building up some other kind of spell? And if he was, Riven wouldn¡¯t be able to find them very well anyways given Fay¡¯s illusions. Clicking his tongue and speeding underneath a collapsing pillar, he rounded the large rock formation. His hands circled and then thrust forward when a shockwave of energy blasted Allie backwards from the first part of the spell. ¡°Nefajia crecus blood nova!¡± A huge blood orb rapidly expanded and exploded forward with a screech of power that lit up the storm of debris around them and created a wide zone cleansed of dust, leaving Allie¡¯s cracked armor in full view as half of her face glared out at him from where the bone helmet had been partially torn off. Her halo glowed brightly with deathly light, and her pale eyes remained fixed as she raised a hand in turn. From far beneath them and from all across the landscape, through the swarms of battling souls and sin-created insects, the corpses of the dead began to shrivel and evaporate. Their bones began to rise, and in an instant - they were upon him. A bone cage created from the bones of the dead snapped shut around his position and began to compress, and Riven found that she was attempting to suppress his mana when the channels across his pillars became sluggish. Panicking slightly and trusting that Gluttony would activate their supreme skill if need be, Riven forced Malignant Prophecy to activate. The world around him quickly came to a stop, and the storm calmed. Color seeped from the land, turning a stark gray, only for a notification to appear before him. [Allie Thane has negated your Malignant Prophecy with her own activation of the skill. Your bloodlines are on equal footing, and neither of you has come out ahead. Both of you receive 1 additional Malignancy Point for this attempt.] ¡°GOD DAMN IT!" Riven screamed in rage, and he only narrowly dodged Allie¡¯s claymore when it crashed through the bone cage he found himself in. Stolen novel; please report. His right arm surged with as much energy as he could muster in that instant while the claymore was passing him by. Ice began to creep up his arm, enhancing the claws and spiked knuckles of Messenger with deadly intent. His red and black eyes connected with Allie¡¯s gray, and time almost seemed to slow while they stared at one another. ¡°Hello, big brother.¡± She whispered, and in the next split second they clashed. Riven¡¯s claws smashed into the side of her face, leaving large trenches in her flesh and tearing one side of her jaw off as her claymore swung around and cleaved through his opposite arm. She was sent colliding into the ground hundreds of yards below with a scream, and Riven was sent spinning into a nearby column of rock that¡¯d managed to survive the battle thus far. He landed with a crunch, the wound where his left arm had been spraying blood and refusing to heal while lingering energies of true death rapidly ate away at his body¡¯s regeneration attempts. ¡°SURPRISE!¡± The gleeful cackle of Fimrindle called out in raspy glee just when the reaper blurred into motion beside him. Riven¡¯s eyes went wide in shock, the grinning metal scarecrow glared back at him with X¡¯s for eyes on his face being abnormally large, and the scythe was held in a horizontal swing that was rapidly gaining speed with an absolute finality set into what was doubtless a killing blow. That was when another figure appeared right behind him, so fast that Riven could barely follow her movements. The enormous silhouette of Athela¡¯s drider form had opened its crystalline maw wide, bloody strings racing out from its numerous legs, and Riven in that instant knew he was a dead man. Only for the iron scarecrow to be yanked back into Athela¡¯ maw in an instant when the strings attached, making the scythe fall short of its strike with a shrill scream of denial being let out by the reaper right before an abrupt crunch. Silence followed, and Athela¡¯s legs buried themselves into the stone pillar Riven was plastered against. Leaning down with her large but beautiful face pressed up against Riven¡¯s position on the rock pillar, Athela giggled and gave him a wing with two of her four red slits for eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to break out of it, did ya?¡± A shudder ran down Riven¡¯s body, and he nearly collapsed in relief. That relief didn¡¯t last long however, when a cataclysmic attack smashed into their position. Athela immediately wrapped her body around Riven¡¯s own to protect him, and her horrified wail lasted throughout the roller-coaster ride when they were sent skipping across the landscape like a stone across a lake. Broken bones, charred insides, and a deep gash wound across Athela¡¯s back was evident as her breaths became labored. She looked down at him, clutching him in her arms, and let out a raspy breath: ¡°Go!¡± Riven barely had time to roll out of the way before Allie¡¯s claymore skewered Athela right through the heart, from the back and out the front of her chest - right where Riven had been a second before. Athela¡¯s second form died, and before she could even fully finish warping into her third arachnid form - Allie¡¯s bone-plated foot crunched down onto the small body with a splattering of arachnid guts. Athela was out for the count. Frankly, Riven couldn¡¯t believe just how strong Allie actually was. He hadn¡¯t considered it before, not in depth anyways. He¡¯d always known she was powerful and had become even more powerful since her evolution into an angel of death, but instead of how she used to fight as a spell slinger - she was now essentially a tank. Her skills had only grown since being trained by some of the best Gluttony¡¯s Church had to offer, and she¡¯d taken a very keen liking to that damnable weapon The Scythe had given her in an attempt to woo her to worship him. Riven almost laughed, knowing full well that she¡¯d not even attempted to contact the death god since then. But then again, less than a year was just a blip to an entity like The Scythe. He¡¯d been around for eons, so waiting for such a short period of time probably seemed like nothing to him. Neon teal and black fire began to condense over one of Allie¡¯s outstretched hands, covered in a bone gauntlet while giving him a bloodthirsty smile. Her black wings flared out in challenge, and her aura blasted out again in challenge. ¡°Riven, Riven, Riven¡­ I¡¯d expected better of you. Come now, this can¡¯t be all that you have in store for your precious little sister - is it?¡± She poke with her jaw still unhinged where his claws and torn it off. It was both fascinating, and gross, after seeing it on one of the people he loved. It was almost like talking to a zombie version of his sister, and she hadn¡¯t bothered healing the injury - or perhaps was just rerouting her magic to fighting him instead of dealing with what she likely considered an insignificant flesh wound. Riven for his part, rolled his shoulders, glancing down at the missing left arm where she¡¯d cut it off at the biceps, and a small smile crept across his lips. Peeling the mask back through a mental command to Messenger, Riven gave her a fang-filled grin on full display. ¡°You¡¯ve become rather impressive, little sis. Too bad that to me, you¡¯re just a brat!¡± Allie tisked, and was going to reply when she quickly took a step back - as Riven¡¯s body began to change. His arm grew back and dispelled her true death mana lingering in the wound instantaneously - his skin turning a dark gray. His body exploded in size as the tattoos along his skin lit up from black to violet. Muscles surged, his skin ripped and reformed, and a huge tail tore out of his tailbone when Messenger peeled off to give his body room to expand. His chest split down the middle to incorporate Gluttony¡¯s visage with a vertical maw, huge demonic horns sprouted from his head, his legs snapped backwards and grew claws like a T-rex, and spine tore out of his back. Bone spikes protruded out of his kneecaps, elbows, and his teeth elongated in a sinister snarl while huge bat-like demon wings sprouted out of his shoulder blades. Eyes shifting from red to purple, he looked down from five times his normal height - dwarfing Allie in less than a second. ¡°Let us finish this.¡± Gluttony¡¯s voice said, overlapping with Riven while they simultaneously spoke as one entity. ¡°It is time.¡± With stats souring and unimaginable strength, Riven took an offensive approach against Allie for the first time in the battle. He had one minute to do it, and then he was shit out of luck. *** Allie¡¯s instincts screamed at her to move when the huge gray demon riddled with purple tattoos launched itself towards her like a missile from hell. She rapidly backpeled and parried a strike of Riven¡¯s claws, her divine blade only barely able to counter the enhanced demonic body before he whirled on her again. She summoned the Eye of the Scythe, unleashing a deathly gaze from far above - only for the flaming teal eye to wither and die as it laid eyes on Gluttony¡¯s reincarnated figure. She flew back, sending screeching skulls ripping across the sound barrier in Riven¡¯s direction - only for them to be swatted away like flies. The phantoms and wraiths defending her were ripped from the air and held within Riven¡¯s body as hostages ripe for the picking with wails and screams of the dead echoing in her mind, and she summed an unholy obelisk to empower her - only for it to shatter when Gluttony¡¯s maw reached out with its dark tendrils and snapped it like a twig. She felt her arm shatter blocking another strike, felt her leg snap after barely twisting out of Riven¡¯s grasp. She snarled, swinging her blade down and unleashing a miasmic roar that split the sky and created a line of deathly energies in its wake. But Riven¡¯s new form was indomitable, persistent, and her own strikes only scratched his skin like they were papercuts even despite the quality of her weapon or the enhancement of her true death pillar. It was all she could do just to stay alive, and the fight quickly devolved into one where she was on the back foot and doing her best to deflect his own blows or redirect them in order not to take the full brunt of his strikes. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, little angel? Is doubt finally afflicting your mind?¡± Gluttony¡¯s laugh echoed from dozens of maws that began to rip open in space around them, and she found herself under assault by dozens and then hundreds of tendrils filled with sin energy. Her halo sent out a pulse of radiating death energy, smashing them apart only for new maws and new tendrils to reappear in the sky - reaching for her like hands dragging her to hell. ¡°Come now, I do not have time to suffer you!¡± Gluttony¡¯s words were mocking, and he smashed through her next deflection with a tail swipe that tore out the side of her left rib cage - sending a piece of her lung through the air in a bloody mess. ¡°COME TO ME, ANGEL OF DEATH! LET ME TASTE YOUR FEAR!¡± Riven was nowhere to be seen, and Allie grimaced in pain while taking another step back. The huge monster in front of her was none other than a being made in the beginning of time, an ancient evil that revealed in her fear while licking her blood off of its claws. An origin of demonkind, the power behind its attacks was unstoppable at her current grade, and she was almost helpless to hurt it even despite her best attempts. Gluttony¡¯s grin grew wider, and the black teeth extended almost to look like Azmoth¡¯s - unnaturally reaching its smile literally from ear to ear in a sickening display of genuine amusement and malice. ¡°Despite you being my reincarnation¡¯s sister, this is a battle to the death - little one. I hope you can later forgive me for what I am about to do¡­¡± Purple flames began to build up in the back of Gluttony¡¯s throat, roaring to life while they trickled out and up across the demon¡¯s face and glowing purple eyes. The power building there was made of pure sin, a thing of destruction that Allie had yet to ever come across before now, and the Abyssal Descent around them began to tremble and call out to it as the land recognized one of its masters. An original sin had come home to it, broken out of its cage where Elysium had secluded it, and the rampant sin energies of their environment began to shoot towards Gluttony as the demon charged what was without doubt the final act of this fight. Yet, despite the massive power behind the building attack, one that she was doubtless incapable of stopping by brute force - she did have one new skill that may help her come out of this mess after all. Raising her head to the sky, she let out a shrill cry of her own. Banshee¡¯s Wail activated, echoing throughout the landscape and silencing all enemies within its vicinity for just a moment. That one moment completely canceled Gluttony¡¯s attack out, dispelling the channeling ability, and Gluttony merely blinked in confusion before an irritated snarl overcame him. ¡°Well played.¡± Gluttony sneered. ¡°We were¡­ unaware that you had such a spell. Well played indeed.¡± Gluttony¡¯s form immediately reverted, his body collapsing in on itself when the 1 minute timer ran out. Messenger snapped back onto Riven¡¯s body from somewhere out in the dust storm, covering him in a defensive layer while Riven remained in place - panting from exhaustion, and he didn¡¯t have time to react when Allie¡¯s sword came in for his chest. Piercing partway through Messenger and almost into his heart, Riven was floored against the ground with a scream - and Allie desperately tried to push the large claymore further in with gritted teeth where her jaw remained intact. *** The pain was immense, and Allie was pouring all the remnants of her strength through the blade - channeling it into his body. His vampiric regeneration battled back frantically, and Messenger tried to expel the divine weapon as best it could - but it was a losing battle. He felt weak, sapped of most of his strength, without Jackal for his normal mana regeneration - and without any significant amount of blood to call upon from the environment. His hands were coated in red ice the next second and slapped themselves onto the blade, and he ignored the pain they felt even through his own magical layer while he attempted to push the blade out alongside Messenger¡¯s own attempts. Allie¡¯s state wasn¡¯t much better. She had a broken wing, a leg snapped out in an odd angle, one arm dangling to the side and the right-side of her jaw completely separated from the upper half of her face. Her bone helmet was wrecked, one of her pauldrons was missing where a deep gas of Gluttony¡¯s claws had torn her flesh off, while part of one lung and her rib cage was missing and somewhere else entirely. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I could do it, did you?¡± Allie said, coughing blood with a gleeful, menacing smile as blood dribbled down her chin where a few of her bottom-row teeth were missing. ¡°Well I did it! I WON!¡± She pressed down with her full body weight, attempting to suppress his mana with her own, but both of their auras were miniscule at best compared to what they¡¯d once been at their initial clash. The entire arena around them was a wasteland, with none of the jungle that¡¯d once been there remaining, and only a few of the dozens of pillars still standing as the storm of rampant mana raged around them. The occasional spirits and sin beetles that tried to assist their masters were often intercepted by the other, and the ones that did manage to get through were dealt with by the lingering auras that weakly fought at the epicenter of the battle, but even these were far and few between. Riven gritted his teeth, fangs bared, and he weakly kicked at Allie¡¯s broken leg - causing her to stumble back. Rolling and avoiding another exhausted slash from his sister, he got to his feet and staggered backwards while spitting blood into her face when she lunged. Blinding her in the act, he smashed an elbow into the back of her head and sent her sprawling - summoning a blood lance in the next instant that blasted out from his arm only for her to block with one of her wings. The blood lance shattered against her feathers, but caused her to stagger, and they took measure of one another again as they panted to catch their breath. ¡°Die.¡± Allie rushed him with a last ditch effort, throwing all of her remaining strength behind her attack as her body burst into a wraith-like apparition. She descended as the hand of death incarnate, burning a small piece of her own soul to strike him dead, while her body radiated immense killing intent with a flare of her aura that should not be possible. Eyes wide, Riven grit his teeth and prepared to dodge - when a flash of light and a familiar aura appeared beside him. A beautiful, pregnant blonde woman wrapped in a black silk, form-fitting robe stepped out of a red portal. The headdress was familiar and aztec in design, her red eyes pierced Allie with a judgemental sneer, and she brought both hands up in front of her with a praying motion to close her eyes. The crimson tattoos of the blood god flared, and she muttered the words: ¡°Sanguine Smite.¡± The ground exploded underneath them and the enormous visage of the blood moon appeared behind her, before Allie¡¯s body was torn asunder through the cast miracle. Flesh was torn from bone, blood ripped from their vessels, and a vertical shockwave of energy ripped out from Genua to finish Allie off as the arena was split in half. Allie¡¯s attack fell short, her body split in two down the middle, as the angel of death breathed no more. [Team 1 of group #9877 has won. Team 2 of group #9877 has lost. All combatants from group #9877 will now be resurrected. A portal to floor 20 of The Abyssal Descent will be created. An additional three loot chests have been provided due to your performance. Lillith of the Black Skies remains trapped on Floor 50. Congratulations. Your Floor 2 Boss Fight has ended.] Chapter 287 Chapter 287 The sudden sound of the crowds around the miles-wide arena came into earshot when the illusions of the perimeter¡¯s barrier vanished, and it was utterly deafening. Applause for a good fight, no doubt, but Riven was utterly spent. Even as the system¡¯s own spells rapidly reworked his body, repaired his equipment, cleared the battlefield¡¯s devastation and resurrected the team mates he¡¯d just killed - his soul was exhausted from the strenuous effort. Gluttony had receded as well for whatever reason, and a portal with three adjacent metal chests laden with gold appeared a little bit off to his left. However, he was not in the worst of it. Most of his party stared at him, or at one another, in absolute shock at what had just happened. Fay began to sob uncontrollably, falling to her knees as she sputtered pleas for forgiveness. Azmoth looked absolutely horrified at what had just happened, an expression that was a first for the demon in all the time Riven had known the brutalisk. Allie was just staring at the ground, and Nora had folded herself up on the ground in the fetal position after experiencing what death was like. ¡°Could have been worse!¡± Athela laughed, seemingly the only one not bothered by the circumstances and giving Fimrindle a shit-eating grin. ¡°Gotchya bitch!¡± The reaper glared back at the arachnid woman, hissed, and abruptly vanished a second later - obviously not enjoying having been killed either. Riven suspected that Fimrindle¡¯s own irritation probably stemmed more from the fact that Athela had been the one to kill him though, as the two assassins had a kind of rivalry ever since coming here to the abyss. ¡°I-I apologize, your excellency! I w-would have never dreamt to harm you if it was my own mind controlling my body!¡± Narg stuttered, aghast and growing a paler shade of green than what was normal. The beholder demon hovered nearby, trying to come up with words that would convey his sincerity - but barely managed to get out a wheeze in the next second. Riven gave the beholder demon a dismissive wave and a smile, passing him by and stepping in to give Genua a firm pat on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you.¡± The blood priestess remained calm and professional, not even blinking. ¡°Of course, master.¡± Moving on, Riven knelt down next to Fay after that - picking the sobbing woman up and cradling her in his arms. She was by far the most emotional of his group, always had been - and likely always would be. But she had a good heart, and he gave her time to calm down for the next few minutes while he and the others discussed what had happened - and how close it had come to truly being a disaster. He¡¯d barely won, and that was with Athela¡¯s fortunate turn halfway through the battle - and then finally with Genua¡¯s timely arrival. He¡¯d gotten lucky, but on the bright side - he could safely say that his team mates had grown significantly in the time being here. They were truly firm additions, team mates that would be able to help support him in his coming trek down to the 50th level of the abyssal descent, and he was glad to have them on his side now that this mockery of a boss battle was finally over. *** Kissing Fay¡¯s cheek and wiping her tears away, he finally let go after seeing she¡¯d finally calmed down. ¡°Love you fay. Don¡¯t worry about it, you did nothing wrong.¡± Fay sniffled, her resolve having firmed and she stood up with him when she was offered a hand by Azmoth. ¡°Alright. But I¡¯ll make it up to you later, I promise.¡± The tears in her eyes had dried, but it was obvious this would bother her for quite some time while she clutched her grimoire to her heaving chest. Riven gave her a pat on the head, winked, and then began to fall in line next to his sister. ¡°I¡¯m glad you won, but REALLY I should have won.¡± Allie teased, nudging him and getting an eyeroll in response. ¡°Oh shut up.¡± Riven said, waving her away while she laughed as the two siblings made for the first of three decorated chests. They were rather large, each of them easily being able to fit a person inside, and the gold trimmings on the metal were set into depictions of various demons. ¡°I wonder what kind of loot the system is giving out this time¡­ ¡°A sparkly man-bikini? It¡¯d fit you nicely, Riven.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just mad I beat your ass, you little punk.¡± Riven pushed the lid of the first chest back, ignoring the flickering portal nearby, only to abruptly pull back from the chest when a pillar of light tore open from the inside. There, hovering in place over the chest, was the projection of a pair of large, flaming wings. Orange, magma-like veins pulsed in the demonic appendages that were each dozens of yards across, and the heat they gave off was tremendous. They weren¡¯t attached to anything, but rather they were a set of entities entirely detached from anything else. Abruptly after that, the next box opened up too and without any effort on his part. Again, a pillar of light shot up out of the inside of the large chest to reveal the projection of an abnormally long and slender tail, sky-blue in color, that crackled with sparks of a deeper-blue plasma. The tail also had curved plasma blades starting halfway down its length and getting larger until they reached the end - where a very long spike of said plasma had sharpened to a point. It looked ¡®wicked¡¯ if Riven had to put a word to it, with a touch of sci-fi as well given the neon blue energy. Then, finally, the third box opened next. Just like the other two, a brilliant pillar of light erupted out of the chest to reveal yet another projection. This time it was a pair of demonic horns. They were large, dark black horns that curved around - reminding him very much of the horns of a ram. They were very smooth, and somewhat thick, and gave off an oppressive aura just by looking at them. Beneath both of these projections were three glowing ascension cards, similar to the one Azmoth had used long ago to acquire the Carnivorous Maw trait. [Ascension Card: Wings of the Hellscape Giant, TRAIT ¨C acquire the wings of a hellscape giant. These wings are soulbound and can only be used by Azmoth, Riven Thane¡¯s familiar. These large appendages are both sturdy and provide a drastic speed bonus, allowing Azmoth to fly, and will cause Azmoth to grow in size. Size is retractable but will cost stamina. Routing energy into the wings causes them to expel fire at a greater rate, increasing speed at the cost of stamina. Acquiring these wings will also push Azmoth into his next evolution. It will cause Azmoth to ascend into becoming an Archdemon, with other minor changes included.] [Ascension Card: Succubus Battle Stinger, TRAIT ¨C acquire the Succubus Battle Stinger. This tail and stinger are soulbound and can only be used by Fay, Riven Thane¡¯s familiar. It will replaced the tail she currently has, but is retractable much like her wings are. This stinger has a high piercing chance, and can create bolts of Depraved energy which both damage the target and have a chance to cause hallucinations. Acquiring this stinger in conjunction with Greater Succubus Horns will also cause Fay to ascend into becoming an Archdemon, with other minor changes included.] [Ascension Card: Greater Succubus Horns, TRAIT ¨C acquire the Greater Succubus Horns. These horns drastically increase the radius and potency of all spells cast by the succubus who equips this ascension card. These horns are soulbound and can only be used by Fay, Riven Thane¡¯s familiar. They will replace the minor succubus horns she currently has, but are retractable much like her wings are. Acquiring these horns with Succubus Battle Stinger will also cause Fay to ascend into becoming an Archdemon, with other minor changes included.] As soon as he finished reading all of them, the system went into action and the cards launched themselves towards their desired targets. Two cards slammed into Fay¡¯s chest and she let out a gasp, her eyes rolling into the back of her head while her body began to spasm. Azmoth took the hit to his chest without more than a surprised grunt, but he was quick to groan and then fell to one knee - supporting his weight with one of the shengari shields he carried. And before Riven knew it, the two of his minions were changing before his very eyes. Why the system had targeted these two specifically after his win was a curiosity to him, but he was glad to see it as their bodies shifted, morphed, and evolved. In fact, he was rather pleased with the results. Azmoth¡¯s body surged and buldged, muscles expanding and limbs lengthening while the remnants of armor on his body began to shatter and fall off; revealing his more natural obsidian plates underneath as flaming flesh between the cracks radiated newfound power. Claws and teeth extended, and spikes along his spine jutted out to new lengths. The eel-like maws protruding from his back screeched and roared, and two wings sprouted from beside each of the carnivorous maws with a blast of inferno that scorched the ground. The hellscape brutalisk was growing up. Others of the group quickly backed away while Azmoth continued to grow in size. Big became bigger, and bigger became huge, and the ground underneath him cracked with his weight as Riven¡¯s eyes slowly followed the massive demon¡¯s new form and up and up. He continued to move his eyes upwards with the growth, until he was looking at nothing short of an absolute beast. Oddly enough, the four shengari shields adapted to Azmoth¡¯s size - unlike the armor had - and each of them was now the size of a tree. The wings themselves unfurled to great lengths as Azmoth stood up, easily being the size of a three-story building in height, a true giant in all ways. The carnivorous maws could swallow a small car whole, the massive hands could doubtless tear houses out of the ground, and with a flex of his newfound ascension - a pillar of hellfire burst out from Azmoth¡¯s body to crash into the ceiling with a boom. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. It was rather impressive. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Athela muttered underneath her breath, then she whistled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can beat him up anymore.¡± A scream of pain caused Riven¡¯s trance to disappear, and with a worried frown he turned his attention back to his other evolving minion. Fay¡¯s transition was slower, even despite the lack of growth in size, but the level of raw energy coming off her body was about equal to Azmoth¡¯s own. Her tail was being torn apart and remade, elongating, the black cord of her old version now turning to the shade of blue the rest of her skin was colored in. Additionally, neon blue plasma blades were sprouting from her skin, and the stinger came next - exiting like a spear that retracted and expanded randomly until settling on a three-foot length of solid neon energy at the tail¡¯s tip. Her horns were obviously the most painful for her though based on her reaction, both of her old smaller horns had fallen off - and in their place new ones were growing. They were the same shade of pitch black as her old horns had been, but just like the projection - they were somewhat larger and thicker. They curved around to a forward-facing point much like a ram¡¯s would as the original visage had shown, and cast a shadow on her snow-white hair as her hands clutched at her forehead while she screamed. Riven was about to reach out to her, but knew he just had to wait it out - and resorted to frowning and tapping his foot nervously while the transformation finished its course. ¡°She be ok.¡± Azmoth said from far above them, and his body let out a hiss of steam amidst a rapid shrinking process over the crunch of bones and obsidian plates. The shengari shields once again followed suit, reducing in size, and Riven gave his minion a sidelong look while nervously waiting for Fay¡¯s system-gifted transformation to complete. ¡°You¡¯re a real badass now, my guy. One that can even fly!¡± Riven said with a smile, fist-bumping Azmoth as the demon flared his wings excitedly to show off. ¡°I¡¯m glad the system included a shrinking ability though, otherwise you¡¯d be way too big to have following me around all the time. You¡¯d just crush everything around you!¡± Azmoth smiled, lifting one of his shengari shields to view it admirably. ¡°Other brutalisk trainer had enchantment made for this day. Knew I grow big eventually, so weapons modify with me. I grow big, they grow big.¡± Athela aggressively nodded her head. ¡°And you two are archdemons now! Just like me! Riven, that¡¯s three archdemons you¡¯ve got contracted to you!¡± Retesh let out a hollow chuckle, folding his bony arms over one another to watch the evolution process with interest. ¡°You act as if this is a surprise. He is Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation.¡± ¡°But the three of us contracted with him BEFORE we knew that he would be!¡± Athela retorted with a finger lifted into the air. ¡°That¡¯s significant! Because the willpower cost is way, WAYYY down from what it would otherwise be!¡± ¡°Oh look, Fay¡¯s body is¡­¡± Nora started to say, but let her voice trail off while both eyebrows rose in surprise. Athela glanced over and immediately began to giggle, while Allie just rolled her eyes in jealousy and disgust. ¡°Ohhhh¡­ Oh my.¡± Riven said with a growing smile as Fay¡¯s screams started to die off. He cocked his head to one side, and then the other, and then reached down to pick up the trembling succubus - holding her in his arms. ¡°Are you ok?¡± Wrapping his arms around her, she reciprocated the motion with a shaky breath - her legs weak in the knees. ¡°I think so¡­¡± She muttered, still traumatized from the upgrade. ¡°I just¡­¡± She stopped, blinked, and looked down at her chest after feeling that something oddly soft was inbetween them. ¡°Oh wow.¡± ¡°Sometimes life just isn¡¯t fair.¡± Allie muttered, shaking her head from side to side. Riven certainly wasn¡¯t complaining. ¡°I do believe you¡¯ve grown a couple sizes larger in the¡­ uhm¡­ chest compartment. It looks very good on you.¡± Stepping back, Fay let go of Riven to get a better look at herself. Her witch¡¯s hat had fallen off because the larger horns wouldn¡¯t allow it to stay on, her tail was twice as long and flickered - neon blue blades being accompanied by neon sparks; and her upper body had gained a couple bra sizes to boot. ¡°This is the first thing you comment on!?¡± Fay said, exasperated as her two lovers ogling her began to laugh. ¡°I became an archdemon, with an awesome new tail, and the first thing you notice is my chest!?¡± ¡°Can you blame us?¡± Athela asked, still staring at Fay while blindly fistbumping Riven next to her. ¡°Those are some nice jugs. The things we are going to do to you-¡± ¡°Ok just stop! That¡¯s enough!¡± Allie said, swinging her large claymore up and over one shoulder while stomping over to the portal. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave, get all your shit together. Keep it in your pants and let¡¯s get a move on - I want to get back to Panu as soon as possible and I have on idea how long this trek is going to take. For all I know, Lahn has found another girlfriend and I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m stuck here with you horny idiots for more than another week!¡± ¡°She¡¯s just jealous.¡± Riven said staunchly, before quickly ducking when Allie flung a death ball his way. He held up his hands in surrender. ¡°Alright! Alright, come on Fay. Not everyone is angry that you¡¯re a new sex icon. Ignore the grumpy angel, and if you want I can even give you a piggy back ride if you¡¯re still feeling shaky.¡± Nora face-palmed, Fay let on a deep red blush - holding her grimoire close against her chest to hide it, and Athela let out a laugh of agreement with an offer of her own. ¡°I going to transform back into regular size now.¡± Azmoth stated a second later, giving them a wave to follow and heading towards the portal next. His body began to snap and crack while his mass expanded yet again, until he was three-stories tall once more; his wings flared out to either side in a spray of flames. ¡°Making my body small tiresome. I stay like this unless need. Come, we go find Lillith. Then we hurry to finish Chalgathi trials.¡± *** The portal was a blur of noise and colors, and after exiting out the other side - the party found themselves inside a dead-end room. The walls and ceiling were made from black energy speckled with various colors, almost akin to space colored by the stars of a galaxy. Walking forward to touch one of the walls, Riven confirmed it was indeed solid and made from some kind of stone. The speckled colors were, as far as he could tell, actually soul stones of different grades - each one radiating a faint aura that were both ancient and ominous in nature. [You have arrived on Floor 20 of the Abyssal Descent. Beware other descent dwellers, as killing other participants grants you their ranking points.] He blinked, then went back to inspecting the odd construction of the room. Thankfully it was large enough to easily hold Azmoth, and despite the massive demon¡¯s growth - he could still move around in here without much trouble. This place was no doubt made to include demons or other denizens of the unholy pillar, and it made sense that there¡¯d be enough open area for creatures like Azmoth to move around in because of it. ¡°What is it that you sense, master?¡± Genua asked, coming to stand beside him as Riven remained with his palm flat against the dark corridor¡¯s surface. ¡°Something troubles you.¡± His red eyes turned to meet hers, and then they darted down to her pregnant belly. ¡°I wish you would have stayed back in The Blood God¡¯s realm. Thank you for coming to help, but it worries me that you¡¯re here.¡± Genua put on a gentle smile and shrugged. ¡°There is no point in worrying about it now, master. It is unfortunate that I cannot return after having passed the first floor of the descent, but that is a risk I knew I would take after making the choice to intervene.¡± He slowly nodded, withdrawing his hand and motioning her to follow as the others began walking in Allie¡¯s footsteps. Fimrindle, Athela and Nora all vanished into thin air to scout ahead, and Azmoth¡¯s flames billowed out to illuminate the darkness as Retesh and Fay took the rear. Unfortunately, none of the undead minions Riven had slain were able to be revived or reused - as they¡¯d been mysteriously recycled by Elysium after the battle had finished. Much to Retesh¡¯s annoyance - and the lich was already muttering to himself about what changes he needed to make in order to avoid assassins like Athela in the future. It appeared that he¡¯d also come to the same realization Riven had about quick, sudden attempts on his life - after the abrupt end he¡¯d suffered from Athela during the floor 2 boss battle he¡¯d been a part of. ¡°How go your studies with the other clergy?¡± Riven eventually asked, glancing left to where the priestess held herself in perfect posture to silently walk beside him. ¡°Do you enjoy your trips there? I am unsure of what it is like, I¡¯ve only ever heard stories and my own life has been rather hectic lately.¡± Genua remained with her hands clasped in front of her, staring ahead with the chiseled features of a statue and not showing much emotion while she considered his words. ¡°The studies are beneficial. I have grown much and learned much. The Blood God is truly a being of magnificence, one of ultimate power, and a being that I can say I am proud to learn from personally.¡± ¡°Personally?¡± Riven asked, surprised. ¡°You talk to him?¡± Genua slowly nodded, their footsteps echoing in the dark passage that continued to lead out for hundreds of yards before turning left and right at the end. ¡°Yes, or at least I learn from a portion of him. He has split off a piece of his soul to project it as something akin to a clone, and has come to personally teach me in the way of blood miracles. He¡¯s taught me how to grow my divinity channels, and I can now even summon some of the same creatures that you can.¡± ¡°Legionaries?¡± ¡°Yes. The Legionaries of the Blood God are at my command as well, though my ability is a miracle rather than a spell - and it works somewhat differently than yours. The end result is the same, however.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a pretty damn good miracle to have.¡± For the first time since beginning their walk, Genua grinned. ¡°Quite. I¡¯ve also been granted another miracle called ¡®Blood Mirror¡¯, that allows me to communicate long distances. Len and I have been speaking through it, and my daughter is doing quite well in Tupper¡¯s care. She¡¯s even grown slightly¡­ and it has made me happy to see how excited she gets when I contact her. She¡¯s also come around to the idea of having a little brother or sister, and has started making baby clothes for when her sibling arrives.¡± Genua¡¯s grin widened into a genuine smile, and she let out a sigh of contentment. ¡°I would have shown you earlier, but you seemed rather busy and I did not want to irritate you with my intrusions.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, using Jackal as a walking stick while forging ahead at a slow monotonous pace. ¡°You¡¯re carrying my child. Don¡¯t ever think that I don¡¯t have time to speak to you if you need it.¡± There was a long pause after that, before she rapidly glanced his way. Then she shifted her eyes back ahead of her and down to the floor. ¡°Uhm¡­ Alright. Thank you, Riven.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Riven said, suddenly feeling a little bit awkward. He was still brutally aware that he¡¯d been the one to kill Genua¡¯s ex-husband, and her daughter Ethel back when they¡¯d attempted to murder him. The thought was always, without fail, a raw area to think about. Scratching the back of his head, he tried to hold in his grimace. ¡°What kind of clothes has Len been making?¡± Genua giggled at the question, unaware of his state of mind, putting one hand to her mouth and shaking her head. ¡°She¡¯s been making dresses mostly. I told her that we don¡¯t know if it is a boy or a girl yet, but Len seems adamant that it¡¯ll be a little sister rather than a little brother. She just ignores me when I tell her that she¡¯ll have to rethink her fashion choices should it be a little brother, but more than anything - I think she¡¯s just happy with her newfound ability as a startup seamstress. Tupper has again been the one teaching her, and he¡¯s apparently a very good tailor.¡± ¡°News to me.¡± ¡°Yes, it was news to me as well.¡± ¡°GUYS, GUYS, GUYS!¡± Athela appeared from the shadows, waving her arms back and forth excitedly while beckoning the others to come faster. ¡°I found something really neat! Come quickly! And I think we¡¯ll need Narg¡¯s help on this one, so hurry it up you overgrown eyeball!¡± Narg, the beholder demon, had been unusually quiet ever since the end of last battle after Azmoth and Fay had ascended. However he quickly perked up, orange eyes alight with intent, as he rushed over to following Athela¡¯s wake. ¡°I will do my best to assist, dear lady!¡± Smiling and doing a once over inspection of each of his minions, Riven escorted Genua forward while the two of them caught up to the other casters in the back. Fay was waiting patiently for them and took his arm in hers, and doing the same with Genua¡¯s on the other side - she began dragging them forward at a faster trot while Azmoth¡¯s giant steps led the way in front. [Athela, Level 200 Archdemon: Unique, 3 forms. Cute Wittle Blood Weaver / Gluttonous Arshakai / Gluttonous Fae Drider. Classless. LEGENDARY. PANU WORLD BOSS.] [Azmoth, Level 200 Archdemon: Winged Hellscape Brutalisk. Infernal Crusader Adept. LEGENDARY.] [Fay, Level 200 Archdemon: Greater Blue Succubus. Curse Witch. LEGENDARY.] [Genua, Level 200 High Elf Vampiric-Thrall. Priestess of the Blood God. ELITE.] [Narg, Level 200 Beholder Demon. Seeker. ELITE.] Chapter 288 (4 chapters today) Chapter 288 ¡°So what exactly is an archdemon, anyway? Now that I have not one, but three of you bound to me - I figure now is as good a time as any to really consider what it means.¡± Riven asked as Fay pulled him along with his arm in hers. ¡°Because it strikes me as odd that F-grade demons can become archdemons when there are many E, D, or C grade demons that haven¡¯t become such. So it can¡¯t be a power or level thing.¡± Fay giggled at him with a shake of her head, then hummed to herself while trotting along with Genua on her left and Riven on her right. ¡°It¡¯s rather funny, you know.¡± ¡°What¡¯s funny?¡± ¡°That you¡¯re Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation and have no idea what an archdemon is.¡± Riven couldn¡¯t help but eye-roll and even Genua smirked a bit at the jab. ¡°Yeah, well I was human only about a year ago. I didn¡¯t even think demons were real back on Earth.¡± ¡°Wait, truly?¡± Genua asked, obviously intrigued by the notion while furrowing her brows at him. ¡°They didn¡¯t know what demons were back on your home world before the integration?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that we hadn¡¯t HEARD of demons before, but magic wasn¡¯t a real thing where I was from.¡± Riven shrugged as Azmoth¡¯s booming footsteps continued to march ahead of them in Athela¡¯s wake, the flames casting the otherwise dark and large corridor in a flickering orange hue. ¡°Fairy tales talked about them. As did some religious texts or novels, and sometimes they were portrayed in movies. But nothing was proven or documented on video so no one really took it seriously.¡± ¡°What about undead, then?¡± Retesh asked, the ancient lich pausing ahead of them to fall in line before walking alongside Riven¡¯s right. ¡°Did your world have anything about my kind?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Riven shook his head adamantly. ¡°Not a thing. Same thing with anything magical really. If you¡¯ve not noticed, most of my people in Chicago are oriented towards the Machine Pillar. This is because our society focused mainly on technology rather than taking anything concerning magic or mystical creatures seriously.¡± ¡°Would you say that I am a mystical creature, then?¡± Fay asked, winking with a teasing laugh. ¡°Certainly babe.¡± Riven jabbed her in the rib cage, getting a squeal from the succubus and turning the corner. Athela was waiting impatiently for the four of them alongside Narg the beholder, and was tapping her foot down the hall about twenty yards away. ¡°Hurry it up you four! We¡¯re wasting time, and Fimrindle is getting impatient! Something about how his itty-bitty scarecrow legs can¡¯t stand for much longer!¡± She jogged further down after that and disappeared with another right hand turn, Azmoth already being a good ways ahead of Riven due to the size of his steps. The large demon turned around and looked at the four of them a moment later. ¡°Do you want carry?¡± Azmoth asked curiously. Riven waved a hand. ¡°Nah, go on ahead man. We¡¯ll catch up soon.¡± Out of all his demons, he could sense each of their presences rather keenly. Especially when they were in close proximity, and it was more or less getting easier and easier to track them as their bonds strengthened over time. However, Athela was the only one of them all that had developed a unique link to him after taking a piece of Gluttony for herself. The mental link was not one often used, but if need be they could even communicate telepathically - and he would easily be able to find her position as long as an absolute labyrinth didn¡¯t separate them. So having Azmoth and Athela go ahead wasn¡¯t much of a concern after this area had been scouted out by their assassins, and they all knew it. Azmoth nodded after that, and then spread his wings with a burst of fire. Launching himself ahead, he easily cleared the distance and did an unnaturally sharp 90 degree turn before vanishing where Athela had already left them behind. ¡°So, back on topic.¡± Riven said. ¡°What exactly makes an archdemon different from a regular demon?¡± Fay was biting her lip, watching Azmoth leave, but cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Riven after a few seconds of pondering. ¡°It¡¯s all about bloodlines and potential.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°Go on.¡± Bobbing her head from side to side, she resumed. ¡°So becoming an archdemon doesn¡¯t necessarily mean a demon is stronger by definition, but the two are correlated. If someone is an archdemon, they¡¯re naturally going to be stronger most times when compared to their fellow demons. All demons have originated from one or multiple of the original sins, such as Gluttony. Right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Well that inherently gives us bloodlines relating back to the original sins. Athela¡¯s evolution into becoming an archdemon has a lot to do with absorbing some of the power from Gluttony¡¯s shards, ones you had before becoming the actual Reincarnation of Gluttony.¡± Fay raised a finger. ¡°However, that is not always the case. Though Athela manifested a crystalline Gluttonous Maw on her front while in her drider form, most evolutions into being labeled an archdemon are due to awakening bloodlines that are mixed. Such as mine, which - if I had to guess - is probably very much based in Envy, Lust, and Pride. The reason I say this is because most blue succubi have been measured to be so in the past when examined. But if you took a red succubus and measured her, most of the time she would have a majority mix of Envy, Lust, and Wrath.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°That¡¯s rather interesting. Does this compel you to follow a particular type of original sin when¡­ I don¡¯t know, worshiping?¡± Fay snorted in amusement. ¡°No, that is a personal choice. Or you¡¯re born into a family that has been serving a particular church for millenia. The inherent nature to worship the sins is built into us, but is equal across all the sins regardless of what bloodline mixtures we have.¡± ¡°Alright, but what does that have to do with being an archdemon? You awaken your bloodlines to draw more power?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Fay nodded. ¡°Essentially, being labeled an archdemon means that we have unlocked at least some part of our ancestral bloodlines leading back to the sins. This in turn allows us to evolve faster, and have more potent evolutions. The cards that Elysium provided Azmoth and myself with were basically keys to unlock certain bloodline potentials that are already inherent to our species - but are hard to acquire.¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrows raised. ¡°Oh. So you¡¯re saying that Elysium didn¡¯t necessarily slap a tail on you and remove your old one, but just induced an evolution by unlocking a particular bloodline?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°And¡­ What about Azmoth¡¯s first card, the one where he gained those two eel-like maws on his back that breathe fire? I was under the impression any of us could use that card but we gave it to Azmoth over the rest because it just seemed to fit.¡± Fay shrugged. ¡°Not all evolution stimulating cards are linked back to the sins. That was a nightmare creature, if I remember correctly? ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then it probably stemmed from the species itself. But it likely wouldn¡¯t have unlocked Azmoth¡¯s bloodlines related to the original sins regardless of how many evolutionary cards you gave him if they weren¡¯t demonic in nature. This in turn means that, should he have not evolved into an archdemon, his future evolutions that come naturally would be less potent than the ones he will gain now. In fact, there are even different GRADES of archdemon. Athela, myself, and Azmoth are all at the most basic form of archdemon because the three of us have only unlocked the first layer of our bloodlines. But you can become an ascendant, into further tiers of archdemon, if you get lucky enough or have some kind of massive breakthrough. Unfortunately not many of our kind even get to become an archdemon at all. My mother, for example, is thousands of years older than I am and many grades above me - but she still isn¡¯t an archdemon. In fact I think I may be the first and only archdemon in the Sojavi Clan. They¡¯re all quite proud, actually.¡± ¡°Does Athela¡¯s clan have any other archdemons?¡± Fay nodded. ¡°A few. Not many, but her clan is more oriented towards acquiring martial power. While mine is, as you know, an information broker. Many of my clan actually use their powers to seduce people into telling us what we want to know - such as my silvertongue, but silvertongue is only the bottom of the barrel compared to some of the other influential powers my clan has. Anyways the opportunities we get to acquire insights into our original bloodlines are probably not as often as the ones Athela¡¯s clan gets, because martial might is most linked with awakening.¡± ¡°Huh. I see. Why doesn¡¯t Azmoth have a clan?¡± ¡°Hellscape Brutalisks are generally loners. They¡¯re apex hunters when they reach their full form. You think Azmoth is big now? Especially after he just grew in size? Wait, and you¡¯ll be surprised at just how big he will actually get.¡± Riven didn¡¯t know what to think about Fay¡¯s last statement. Azmoth was already enormous. How much bigger could he become? And it wasn¡¯t like the other hellscape brutalisks he¡¯d seen in the Abyssal Descent were much bigger. Sure, some of them were equal to Azmoth¡¯s current height but he hadn¡¯t seen any behemoths. Then again they were still all F and E grade by Elysium¡¯s mandatory proclamation, and he had yet to see any brutalisks in the upper grades yet. ¡°So just to confirm, is there anything else I need to know about archdemons? Or is that basically it?¡± Riven asked after pondering her words. Fay shook her head. ¡°Not really. I guess it also is a sign of status, but otherwise it means that I - and anyone else labeled with the archdemon tag - are probably going to get better evolutions over time. Thus we have far greater potential to become great. The earlier you get the archdemon tag, the more evolutions you¡¯re able to go through before reaching the top. Acquiring the title at F-grade for all of us distinctively means we will achieve greatness, as long as we manage to survive. It is incredibly rare, you know, what you¡¯ve done.¡± She cocked her head to the side as if in thought. ¡°Even for who you are, I would think. Or maybe that really is it, that being so close in proximity to one of the original sins has something to do with it. I wouldn¡¯t know because the sins have been locked away for so long and the churches have kept their secrets well hidden during the ages the sins were gone, but if it is the close proximity driving us to thrive - then it would certainly be a boon for whoever you take on next. Be it Narg, or someone else.¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t Elysium just kind of¡­ Eh, how do I put this. Wasn¡¯t Elysium the one that really gave those cards out?¡± Fay snorted a laugh, shaking her head. ¡°Only in part. Elysium doesn¡¯t just GIVE out prizes like that. They need to be earned, and they need to have certain requirements ticked off to get them. There are no free handouts, so to speak. But rather it felt like we were not only ready for the evolutions, but had also earned them through our actions - or in this case, the actions of our master. Perhaps both. It is also entirely possible that we may have not needed the evolution stimulating cards, and that Elysium simply expedited the process.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°BOO!¡± Riven would have been startled if he hadn¡¯t already sensed Athela coming, but Fay and Genua definitely let out surprised screams - and even Retesh nearly tripped before turning around to glare. Athela had popped out of stealth and had her legs over Riven¡¯s shoulders, and was grinning like a mad-woman while enjoying the ride. Then she pointed forward, and smacked Riven twice on the head. ¡°Onwards, good steed! Giddy up! Go go go!¡± ¡°You know¡­¡± Fay muttered, brushing herself off and glaring up at the arachnid woman. ¡°You do realize that many would consider what you are doing as blasphemy, riding Gluttony around like that.¡± Athela seemed to ponder Fay¡¯s words a moment, shrugged, and grinned like a drunkard. ¡°Riven doesn¡¯t mind! Do you, Riven?!¡± He pretended to scowl, but just couldn¡¯t hold the look with the goofy grin on Athela¡¯s face; eventually falling into a chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I like you.¡± Riven winked, and kept walking until they reached the next turn. ¡°Be quiet and ride on, plebian-steed!¡± Far, far, far down the enormous hallway was a trio of three large double doors. Even from here Riven could see just how big they were based on their comparison to Azmoth, and they made him look just a little small. Allie, Fimrindle, Narg and Nora were also there - all of them chatting about something but their words couldn¡¯t be heard due to the distance. It was nearly a mile away in a straight line, with nothing but the straight path between. ¡°I¡¯m having Narg use his Seek Object, Seek Danger, and Seek Safety abilities while meditating next to the door.¡± Athela said, still Riding on Riven¡¯s shoulders. She pointed down the long hall to where the others stood - and in the middle of them was a distant Narg with his eyes closed. ¡°Hopefully he¡¯ll be able to get us down floor by floor faster this way, and at the very least - through this part of the floor.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Retesh asked with a rasp in his voice, his bone stave clicking against the floor as the orb at its top occasionally flickered. ¡°Do we need to choose one of the three doors to proceed? Can we not backtrack?¡± ¡°Bingo, bonesy has it right!¡± Athela laughed. ¡°The doors are all sealed, and choosing one probably permanently locks the other two. Or it blocks the way. You¡¯ll see, there¡¯s a rhyme on the wall that hints at it. But it¡¯s all very unclear. Something about a giant¡¯s maze?¡± ¡°Oh great. Just what I wanted, a maze.¡± Riven grimaced, then brightened. ¡°Your idea about Narg is a good one though. Maybe he¡¯ll be more useful than we¡¯d thought. If Lillith knew about this beforehand, perhaps that¡¯s exactly why she chose him to come along.¡± ¡°Hey Athela-¡± Genua cut in, scrolling through her status screen and then pulling up Riven¡¯s - before coming over to the other minions he had. It was a feature of being a minion to begin with - they could all access each other¡¯s status screens as long as they belonged to the same master. ¡°Are you going to pick a class? I can¡¯t help but notice that you¡¯re already level 200 and have come quite a long ways, but you haven¡¯t picked a class yet. Why is that? Aren¡¯t you missing out on all the stat points per level? That¡¯s quite a significant loss after 200 levels of being classless.¡± Riven hadn¡¯t actually thought about it, but Genua was right. Why HAD Athela not taken a class? He¡¯d let the others pretty much do what they wanted and wasn¡¯t at all restrictive in how they pursued their own paths to power, and that level of freedom was actually written into Azmoth¡¯s original contract to begin with. So he¡¯d not paid much attention to it until now. He glanced up at Athela while keeping her legs firmly over his shoulders and her calves against his chest with one hand, his other hand continuing to use Jackal like a walking stick. ¡°Genua¡¯s got a good point. You haven¡¯t really talked much about it. Have you not seen a class you like yet?¡± Athela for her part was pretending to inspect her fingernails. Curling her fingers and then flattening them out to splay them the opposite way - she let out a loud sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a trade secret! Ok, ok maybe not a secret. But I am waiting until D-grade to choose a class.¡± ¡°D-grade? As in, past E-grade? You¡¯re in F-grade right now¡±! Riven exclaimed perplexed. Fay seemed equally perplexed, as did Genua. But Retesh seemed to understand what was going on while giving Athela a nod of respect. ¡°You want to gain the achievement. Don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Bingo!¡± Athela beamed back, giving the skeletal lich a wide grin and made the shooter-symbol with her fingers his way. ¡°Bags-o-bones got it again! I¡¯m waiting to get an achievement before I gain a class.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Fay asked curiously. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of such an achievement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your family doesn¡¯t care nearly as much about combat prowess as my family does.¡± Athela harumphed. ¡°Damnable succubi always thinking their looks can get them places and not needing to fight. But I bet your mother knows if you were to ask her. The achievement is called ¡®Stagefright¡¯, and it is immediately granted to anyone who reaches level 401 after passing into the D-grade if they don¡¯t have a class.¡± ¡°What does it do?¡± Riven asked, curiously glancing Retesh¡¯s way. ¡°And how do you know about it?¡± Retesh pretended to clear his throat with one clenched fist up against his jaw, which was weird considering he didn¡¯t have a throat. Rather, he had an exposed spine. ¡°I happened upon the knowledge during our training sessions with The Church of Gluttony, your church. It¡¯s a long story but one of the young demon lords there told me he was going to attempt to get the ¡®Stagefright¡¯ achievement as well. I¡¯d asked him a similar question after realizing he was a level 206 E-grade gargoyle, and did not have a class. Correct me if I am wrong, Athela, but ¡®Stagefright¡¯ is supposed to give you an entirely different set of upper-echelon class choices. Not many go for this achievement though, because entering the D-grade without a class can be very hard to do. You put yourself at a disadvantage and make it far harder to level up, and you limit the skills or perks you¡¯d otherwise get from your classes. Many who attempt it die along the way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Athela said with a nod, folding her arms underneath her chest. ¡°Now you may be asking yourself why most contracted demons don¡¯t do this to begin with. The answer is simple - if your master dies while you remain classless, you lose out on ever getting the opportunity for ¡®Stagefright¡¯ even if you get a new master. Then, if you¡¯ve gone nearly 400 levels without a class and without gaining additional stat points each level while not having a class - it¡¯s a huge hit to take. Many contracted demons don¡¯t risk it because of that, and choose to take a class early to avoid crippling themselves in case their master DOES die. But I have absolute faith in you Riven, and I very much suspect you shan¡¯t be dying.¡± ¡°Shucks, jee wizz and thanks.¡± Riven said flatly, getting a laugh from the others. ¡°I¡¯m glad I can inspire such confidence in you.¡± *** It took a while to get down the long stretch of hallway before coming to a stop in front of the three enormous doors built into the dead-end of the dark corridor. The doors themselves had ancient letters carved into them that looked different every time Riven glanced away and back again - but from talking to the others, the doors all said the same thing. It was like the words, though unreadable, made their meaning known and allowed them to read the writing even without actually knowing how to do it. Certainly an odd sensation, and it didn¡¯t help that the shapes kept changing either. ¡°I¡­ Think you should be the one to read the passages out loud.¡± Nora muttered, glancing Riven¡¯s direction with a shrug. ¡°Just in case¡­ Seems ominous and it¡¯s pretty obvious that it wants you to speak the passages.¡± Riven¡¯s gaze shifted to narg, and the beholder demon seemed prepared to speak. Narg didn¡¯t disappoint. He swerved to Riven¡¯s left, and extended an eyeball in that direction. ¡°This is the way. If you can choose, this is the door you must take.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Riven asked, just to confirm. Narg shot wary looks between Riven and the door in question, and let out a huff. ¡°It is the door that leads to the most danger¡­ but it is also the door that leads to Lillith. I am able to track the flower in her horns, as I thought it was an odd object to have on her person, and only this door leads down to find her.¡± The pause after that was a long one, and Riven¡¯s grimace quickly grew. It was not a question on whether or not they¡¯d get Lillith out, it was a must. No one else said a word, but it was obvious they all agreed. And with the writing literally on the wall in the form of a riddle, the implications about this next trial were quite clear. Riven stared up at the ever-shifting shapes, reading and rereading them line by line, as the words he shouldn¡¯t know how to read burned themselves into his mind¡¯s eye. Then, he uttered the words aloud while simultaneously pressing his hand to the door that Narg had indicated he choose. ¡°Place your hand on one of three. Enter into the maze of a crazed giant¡¯s maze that does forever remain awake, for if you do not and choose to retreat - your souls he will surely take. His eyes were plucked raw, a damned sentence to serve, he remains chained unwilling, and has yet to give birth. As a quintet of travelers you must choose your path - for now that you¡¯re here, there is no turning back. The crazed one will feed and you will all die, for the path you must tread and must not turn awry. The first to speak will fight for all five. The two of your weakest will be your guide. The remaining three will make the keys, with any others obliged to be. If this cannot be done, you unravel another one, in order to take their gift. For this is the way, this is the curse, of the fallen god¡¯s passage through to this twenty-first rift. Speak the words aloud, champion of the crowd, and descend into darkness with your comrades.¡± The passage they¡¯d been walking down only minutes before suddenly vanished, completely cut off with a solid black wall. There was no way out, and the three doors started to glow. [Abyssal Descent Trial for Floor 20 has been activated: The Crazed Giant¡¯s Maze: Do this, and pass into the 21st floor of the abyssal descent. Identification is nullified on this entire floor. At the end of this floor, you will gain an insight into one of your paths.] The door wrenched itself open with a creak, and the world shifted around them instantaneously before anyone else knew what was happening. Their minds all linked, allowing them to see through one another¡¯s eyes while simultaneously maintaining a sense of self in their own locations all at once. Riven was now standing at the bottom of a deep, dark pit that had a cubic set of walls made from flesh. Carnivorous teeth clicked and gnashed from out of the walls, giving him the impression he was standing in the mouth of a square-shaped lamprey or down its throat - as blood and acid sizzled on the floor underneath his ivory-plated feet. Nearly twenty other ¡®champions¡¯ of various species for other groups were also there, all knee-deep in combat with different types of nightmare abominations that literally hurled themselves out of the walls or tore out of the ground to bite, wrench, and claw at the champions who were now maintaining a perimeter. Azmoth, Allie, Retesh, Fay, Athela and Fimrindle were all standing in a large boxy room with a dozen pools of black water, a central sacrificial altar where a frantically screaming woman was chained down to the stone, and a large wraith with a crazed smile hovered overhead staring down at them. There was a lava pit, a hill of piled bones, a tub of soul stones, and cages on the far wall with numerous other captured prisoners of species obviously not native to the Unholy Foundational Pillar all crying out in despair; and a set of used butcher¡¯s tools on a rack. Then, lastly, Nora and Narg were standing together at the top of a steep drop off where a winding path of obsidian tunnels intertwined with one another through an enormous maze. The maze itself had dozens of different floors and was cylindrical in nature, with the center cylinder being open to the air - where an enormous giant was chained by the neck exiting out of an ocean of red-hot magma at the very bottom. The giant was blind, tortured, his eyes having been torn out, and his charred, burned skin was ravaged with scars and claw marks as he howled and roared. A creature cursed for all eternity to serve a sentence for unknown crimes in a state of blind, ever-lasting agony. The only outlet for his rage: to kill and feed on the creatures that dared haunt his abyssal prison. His massive hands groped through the exposed open levels of the inner-most areas of the labyrinth floors on the inner side of the cylinder-shaped maze, where various abyssal creatures could be seen from time to time along with other figures in the dark that darted in and out of sight. Occasionally desperate swipes from the giant would find purchase, and screaming, squealing creatures could be seen being ripped from the various parts of the labyrinth to enter his giant mouth - where he crunched down on them in splattering scenes of blood and gore. And for the first time since arriving in this unholy descent, Riven and the others truly began to understand just what it was to enter into the jaws of the abyss. Chapter 289 Chapter 289 The blinded giant, chained by his neck to the very bottom of this accursed labyrinth, was half submerged in his magma pit. Yet even despite this the creature was so large that he could reach all but the highest of levels on the labyrinth, and his charred, gnarled fingers eternally groped blindly for prey to feed on while his large nostrils flared. Sharp intakes of breath through his nose were interrupted only by his crazed roars of pleasure and pain. After having lost knowledge of who or what he¡¯d been in his past life - all he had left was the hunt. His vacant eye sockets dripped blood that sizzled down his blackened skin, leaving him in perpetual darkness even as the glowing lava below gave off a soft orange glow to the inner layers of the cylindrical labyrinth. Yet, despite his blindness and his lack of sanity, he remained acutely aware of his surroundings through touch and sound. And an uncontrolled rage continued to spur him on towards greater violence. The air was thick with the stench of death and decay as abyssal creatures slithered or clawed through the shadows. Their whispers and hisses filled the giant''s ears, taunting him with their presence. His only solace lay in hunting them down, feeding on their flesh to sate his endless hunger. He crushed, gnawed, gored and punched - occasionally breaking fingers that quickly snapped back into place in his attempts to get at the vile snacks that tried to evade his reach in the deeper recesses of the walls and inner corridors he could not fit into. But for the first time in a very long time, he sensed something change. A familiar aura, born of darkness, it called to him¡­ And the familiar hunger within his belly grew to new heights as a wicked grin crept across his face in an unusual display of glee. Though he could not remember why this presence made him feel in such a way. He shifted his massive body, feeling the chains around his neck creak under the strain. He extended his arms upwards towards where he felt the presence if only momentarily, groping blindly through the darkness for any sign of prey. His fingers brushed against stone walls and twisted obsidian tunnels, but the sensation of that ancient, familiar presence soon disappeared - leaving the giant in a fit of rage while splashing around the lava pits below to cause tidal waves. The cylindrical labyrinth shook with his efforts. Suddenly, he heard movement ahead. A creature¡¯s scent caught his attention. Its efforts to evade taunted him, thinking itself safe from his grasp while his hands were up above. But the giant was the master of this labyrinth, and his hunger knew no bounds. With a thunderous roar, he lunged forward, trying to capture the fleeing creature as it tried taking a shortcut on the inner cylindrical path before it escaped into a deeper recess. His fingers closed around empty air as it dodged and weaved through the shadows. Frustrated, he swung his arms wildly, hoping to catch it off-guard. He heard a scream of terror before fist connected with something soft and squishy, crushing the life from its body. The creature''s writhing limbs went limp as he crushed it beneath his grip. With a triumphant bellow, he lifted the corpse to his mouth - letting the blood leak into his parched throat - and then he devoured the demon whole. *** Narg¡¯s many eyes widened after watching another participant get crushed and eaten right in front of them. The beholder demon and Nora had likely scared the already injured minotaur into rushing headlong in a fear that they¡¯d attack it - only for the scared and unbound demon to become giant food in its final act. There was no coming back from death for that one. ¡°Poor bastard.¡± Narg muttered, shaking his head in dismay. ¡°We weren¡¯t going to kill that stupid cow, I don¡¯t know why it just didn¡¯t wait. Unfortunately, minotaurs aren¡¯t the brightest bunch.¡± Nora came up behind the floating beholder, panting and wiping sweat off her brow with a forearm while holding two bloodied bone-crafted blades in either hand. She glanced at the splattered gut remnants on the wall ahead of them on the inner path that exposed their flight through the maze to the giant¡¯s reach, and then looked behind them where the snarling howls of abyssal hounds were growing louder. When one of the huge beasts poked its head out from around a corner, acid dripping from exposed canines - she reacted instantly. Her arms twisted and she braced herself in the necessary stance for one of her tier 2 martial art, speaking the words aloud before striking forward with her blades: ¡°Haunted mirror!¡± The air down the hall let off a whisper of deathly energy as a small circular mirror snapped into being just over the hound¡¯s head. The abyssal hound then unleashed a fire-hydrant of acid directly at Nora, and the attack was blocked with a barrier of shadows and fire as Narg protected Nora from the attack. At the same time the hound lunged forward, only for Nora¡¯s blades to reach through the summoned mirror with projected ghostly hands. The bone blades crashed into the monster¡¯s back with a backstab being triggered, ripping with critical energies that caused the monster to yelp in surprise. [You have landed a critical hit. Max Damage x6.] The spine ripped and the monster fell to the ground with a snarling yelp, only to be blasted with an unholy globspitter that whizzed by Nora¡¯s face by an inch. The green light of the projectile was on par with Riven¡¯s own sniping blood lance in terms of speed and blew through the hound with ease, tearing its body apart in a splattering of gore that coated the hallway. More howls and the clawed scramble of canine footsteps became more apparent even with the trembling of the labyrinth through the giant¡¯s attempts at finding prey. Nora winced as a familiar, ancient presence clawed at the back of her mind. A flashing image of multiple dark, smiling entities that she¡¯d known since she was a child lit up her insides - and the cold, clawed fingers of her childhood tormentors embraced her soul. They pleaded with her to be let out, begged her even, and their malicious giggles had to be shut out by pure force of will to regain a sense of who and what she was. ¡®Come on Nora¡­ Let us out! We promise we¡¯ll keep you safe¡­ We promise we¡¯ll give your body back this time!¡¯ The voices echoed in her head, laughing and mocking her while trying to pull at her subconscious barriers. ¡®You need us! Let us out, little sister! We only want to play!¡¯ ¡°Is your bloodline acting up again?¡± Narg said, concerned as Nora hit the ground on both knees. His numerous eyes flicked upwards again and a few more layers of nightmare barriers blocked the hallway from three more incoming abyssal hounds level 190-200 each. His green skin began to simmer with heat as his vessels lit up orange, and one by one his eyeballs began to glow at the ends of their stalks. Hellspitters, similar to his unholy Globspitters in nature but with more explosive power and less piercing - were set off one after another when the hallway began to fill with bodies. Screams of the enemy hounds that clawed, bit, and unleashed their own abilities at the barriers were heard over the violent light show of inferno being discharged from the beholder at will. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Nora gasped between heaves and deep breaths. She looked down, horrified to see dark lines etching themselves onto her skin, and her eyes beginning to flash white like the laughing monsters of her nightmares. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can hold them in for much longer!¡± ¡°WELL WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN¡¯T!?¡± Narg said, not managing to take his eyes off of the incoming swarm of hounds while blasting away like a madman through his one-way nightmare barriers. His first shield cracked and shattered, and then the next did as well - but the pileup of bodies began to block the way while tearing jaws bigger than they were tried to rip through their dead companions to get at them. The lines along Nora¡¯s fingers abruptly receded, and she let out a relieved sigh while picking up her bone blades again. Tugging at one of Narg¡¯s tentacles and wincing when the giant¡¯s hand smashed into an inner wall-less section of the labyrinth only one level above them in a thundering boom, she gestured for them to go. ¡°Oh my god, they''re gone! Let¡¯s keep going! I was able to suppress them after all!¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°YOU DIDN¡¯T ANSWER MY QUESTION, NORA!¡± Narg yelled over the snarls and firepower of his attacks before he dashed in a floating manner across the passage outcropping. He followed Nora as fast as he could while his barriers continued to block the hounds, very much considering just flying down to search the lower levels. Even at the cost of abandoning Nora as she¡¯d just be sent back to Chalgathi¡¯s trials, but he thought better of it when he was reminded for the seventh time since being here as to why that wasn¡¯t a great idea after a gargoyle attempted such a maneuver; and was abruptly snatched out of the air with uncanny accuracy by the giant. ¡°NORA! WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN¡¯T SUPPRESS YOUR BLOODLINE!? WHAT DOES IT EVEN DO!?¡± The thundering roar of triumph came once again with another splashing tidal wave of magma when the giant chomped down onto the squealing gargoyle¡¯s upper body with a crunch and splatter of gore. The crunching of bones was audible even from here, but Nora didn¡¯t reply as the two of them dashed into the inner tunnels of the labyrinth and got away from the exposed interior where the giant was able to reach them. ¡°NORA!¡± She whirled on him with fear in her eyes, hands held out to either side. ¡°I HAVE NO IDEA! OK NARG!? I JUST BLACK OUT AND BAD THINGS HAPPEN, SO I HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA! Now PLEASE, just drop it! All I know is that it¡¯ll be bad, and that it scares the living shit out of me. OK!? I¡¯M SORRY, BUT LET¡¯S JUST SHUT UP, USE YOUR SEEKING ABILITIES TO TELL US WHERE TO GO, AND LETS FUCKING RUN!¡± Grimacing at her, and then floating past her at high speed - the beholder demon once again let out a pulse of ¡®Seek Danger¡¯, ¡®Seek Safety¡¯, and ¡®Seek Object¡¯ one after the other to try and triangulate the exit of this damned hellish labyrinth they now found themselves in. Lights lit up one of their branching paths, and into the tunnels they went. *** Allie briefly shifted her inner sight from the two in the labyrinth to where Riven was now battling a ceaseless tide of abyssal monsters. They came in all shapes and sizes, of all variations of nightmares, with tentacles, jaws, claws, and sizes ranging from a mouse to a house. The champions of each group were wary of each other too, with three of them having already turned on the others to steal opportunities from different groups. This was probably at the time each of those three groups was at the end of their own labyrinth, and was probably done in a desperate rush to get a key or insights to leave the 20th floor - as the two of three champions who succeeded in their act of treachery vanished soon thereafter in flashes of light from Riven¡¯s fleshy enclosure. The angel of death turned her gaze back to the immediate surroundings she found herself in after that, and she was getting gradually more angry as time passed. [The remaining three will make the keys, with any others obliged to be: The rest of the party, including all minions not already selected for other roles, will all be set to the task of creating a number of keys that unlock the doors at the end of the labyrinth with crafting materials provided by Elysium. The Seekers, your two weakest, will be unable to traverse through the last part of the maze without these keys.] She was not alone in her growing irritation. Azmoth, Retesh, Fay, Athela and Fimrindle were all equally as stumped as she was. The room they found themselves in was some kind of puzzle room, and one that none of them had even an inkling of figuring out so far. The screaming woman shackled at the altar seemed to be in a perpetual state of agony with the shackles burning not only her skin - but her soul as well. Allie could literally see and feel the woman¡¯s soul writhe in agony with her adjunct deathly vision, and she¡¯d done little else but scream despite an attempt to interrogate her. Upon further inspection, Allie had actually deduced her to be an angel of some kind - but the wings along the woman¡¯s back had been cut off to bleeding stumps, and the shackles around her wrists and ankles keeping her chained to the bloodstained altar were unbreakable by any means Allie or the others possessed. The huddled, sobbing mess of once-beautiful prisoners in the cages were in similar states, and of similar species for the most part. The majority of them were also imprisoned angels stripped naked, men and women, their wings cut off to expose bloody stumps in the same way - but despite them not writhing in agony they all looked upon Allie¡¯s group with fear, disgust, and abject horror. Other creatures she did not recognize were also there in lesser numbers, those the system identified as ¡®Pheonix Kin¡¯ - which were people with glowing gold-orange feathers sprouting from their heads, arms and legs like hair; and ¡®Holy Spirits¡¯ - which Allie found incredibly interesting as they were some kind of holy-based undead. How that worked outside the realm of the Death Subpillar - she had no idea. They were almost like wraiths even, but were golden in color and seemed unable to pass through the bars of their cells just like the others despite repeated attempts. All three races had unnaturally high charisma without a doubt, with Allie¡¯s gut-instinct to puke or skewers them just upon seeing them being enough proof for her - and she had no doubt the opposite effect was likely why none of them wanted to communicate with her either. In fact she had over negative 20,000 charisma points as an Angel of Death; and was what many considered the antithesis of these holy-based angels. It was a stark reminder that the system thrived on conflict, and she doubted she¡¯d get any help understanding what was going on from those caged here. In some ways, she didn¡¯t even want it. And what was worse, was that even though she¡¯d never even met these people before - she had a distinct hatred towards them without good reason for it. She WANTED to see them die¡­ and to make sure that it was painful. That in itself and the implications of what it meant¡­ fascinated her. Even if she¡¯d logically known about it before, it was something else seeing it up close with such a drastic opposing charisma for beings of the opposite path. One of the angels snarled and spit at her while she inspected the bars, but she didn¡¯t even bother wiping it off - passing by the sobbing captives before sighing and turning to look at the rest of the room. The pools of black water along the edges of the room had mostly been explored, and Fimrindle had found nothing inside of them but a seemingly bottomless pit that he suggested they all avoid after nearly having been lost to their depths once. The hill-sized pile of bones had been dug through by Retesh, who¡¯d said they each contained odd inscriptions that resonated with his cultivation paths - but in ways he could not distinguish. This had been confirmed by Allie herself, but even she could not put a finger on just what the inscriptions meant or did - and the lich was currently undergoing experiments on them as they spoke. Azmoth was repeatedly diving into the lava pit, which had contained numerous blocks of red-hot spheres at the bottom after a deep dive - but they seemed inert when infused with any type of mana to date. While the butchers tools on the rack next to the sacrificial altar were¡­ simply put, infused with such vast amounts of sin that holding even one of them drove the person mad. Fay had literally gone crazy and started swinging a cleaver around while screaming about ¡®infinite darkness¡¯, beginning to bleed from her eyes before Athela had knocked the cleaver out of her hand and coddled the sobbing succubus up until even now. Whatever visions Fay had seen while holding the weapons were very off putting to the point that none of them had attempted to pick another one up after that, but it may come down to not having a choice. Finally, in the epicenter of their strange room and floating above the screaming chained angel on the bloodied sacrificial altar - was the abnormally large humanoid wraith. It continued to smile, and smiled without fail - the malice in its grin an ever-present staple on its otherwise gray ethereal face. Its clawed fingers drifted along with the wisps of its similarly ethereal robe in a wind that wasn¡¯t there, and it seemed to turn most of its attention to either Retesh, Allie, or Fimrindle - rather than the three demons that¡¯d come there with them. Allie¡¯s suspicion was that this wraith was doing so due to how she, Retesh, and Fimrindle were all death-oriented beings while the demons were not. But any attempt at speaking to the wraith only resulted in one thing, and one thing alone - regardless of who spoke to it or what they said. And yet, she tried again in her frustration - whirling around and marching over to the floating being while ignoring the screams of the angel strapped to the altar. Allie¡¯s wings flared out to either side in growing rage, and she pointed a bone-covered finger in the wraith¡¯s direction. ¡°Tell me what we need to do here, phantom. I am growing tired of wasting time, and if you do not¡­ I will burn that pathetic, sickly smile write off your fucking face after I turn your fucking soul to dust. I bet you wouldn¡¯t be too happy-go-lucky then, now would you?¡± Despite her threat, the wraith just continued to smile - and uttered the same exact phrase it¡¯d repeated nearly thirty times over since their arrival to this odd pocket of reality. It opened up its clawed fingers, and spoke: ¡°A smile to carve, a smile to keep. Golden nectar flows, a drink from the enemy, and I shall speak.¡± ¡°JUST WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!¡± Allie screeched, priming one hand with energy from the pillar of true death as she seriously got ready to strangle the damn wraith¡¯s throat - which was something she could literally do as an angel of death - before a curse from Fimrindle brought her attention to the right. ¡°Wait! I know that verse!¡± The reaper exclaimed, a sudden look of realization overcoming his usually inexpressive metal face. His X¡¯s for eyes grew in size, and his rigid iron jaw twisted into a silent smile. Between her blinks, he was standing next to Allie with a scroll in his hand. Confused, and withdrawing her accusatory finger-pointing - she considered the parchment in her minion¡¯s outstretched palm and took it. She blinked again and he was kneeling submissively. ¡°I apologize¡­¡± He rasped like wind through a pipe. ¡°I have not heard the verse for so long that I¡¯d nearly forgotten it, but I believe it to be a scripture from the Book of the Scythe. It may be a clue¡­ Please, examine the page I have produced from my own holy texts. It may explain just what the wraith wants, and why we haven¡¯t seen any progression in our attempts thus far.¡± ¡°Book of the scythe!?!¡± Athela exclaimed in courage, still holding Fay¡¯s head to her chest to console the other woman. ¡°How the bloody F-ing fudgerockets are WE supposed to know that babbling bullshit!? That¡¯s so unfair! How is ANY demon supposed to know that kind of crap!?¡± Despite Athela¡¯s angry muttering, Retesh the lich was quick on the scene and looked over Allie¡¯s shoulder while she unfolded the parchment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this book in legends from my home world, but I haven¡¯t ever seen a piece of scripture myself.¡± The lich rasped from underneath his hood, while planting his bone staff into the stone floor. ¡°May you read it out loud so that I can hear too?¡± ¡°Sure¡­¡± Quelling her own irritation with Fimrindle for not realizing this sooner by realizing that without Firmindle¡¯s help, they may have never found this clue - Allie took in a deep breath and began to read aloud. But as the words came, and as she read the entirety of the scripture that the wraith¡¯s verse was plucked from, a vision from the past illuminated the room - and the path forward was laid bare as the answer for what they had to do became clear. This was no puzzle room. Oh no. This was a ritualistic reenactment, and one that had to be followed to the T. Chapter 290 Chapter 290 The out of body experience was vivid, real, and it was almost as if Allie was living within someone else¡¯s skin. She could not control her own body, but she could still fill her lungs intake air as the vision of a ritual long past was played out in front of her like she¡¯d been present in that long-dead era. The enormous hall she walked down was covered in golden blood. To a mortal, or someone who could not truly see, it would have seemed endless. But not to her, not to her sight that¡¯d been born of darkness. Her pale, ghoulish feet splashed on the warm liquid inbetween the cold, hard stone of the dark passageway. Ceremonial robes were draped over her head and around her shoulders, brushing in a slight, cold breeze as screams echoed from the end of the hall. Drums. Drums began to beat in the beyond, echoing with the chants and roars from the crowds began to ring against her ears. For she was the bringer of the end times. The one to divine the will of the dark gods, to bring about an endless age of black that the lightbringers would forever despair to see. The age of celestial kingdoms was ending. Now¡­ the age of the necropolis had finally come. Even the demons would bow before the might of The Scythe. Space split open before her, warping to her will as the overlapping false reality distorted. That reality then disemboweled itself and rolled upwards to let her pass into what the true corridor had in store for her, and when her pale, bare feet lightly crossed over the threshold between realities - she found herself standing on a heightened temple platform overlooking vast valleys out to the horizon. The sound heightened fivefold, and the very air shook around her as she stood before her disciples with hands raised on high. Millions of undead chanted, stomping their feet while roaring in tune to the sound of beating drums. Far below her, the legions of flesh, bone and spirit all raised their hands in worship as the defiled dance of death continued in her name. In the name of the Scythe, her mentor¡­ her father. Dozens of fabled angels of death, heroes of the unliving, decorated in splendid black and gold garb, knelt to either side of her with bowed heads and outstretched wings. Bone giants the size of skyscrapers standing beside the temple in rows slammed their giant ivory spears into tower shields, and a loud gong sounded over the crowds. Pyres of teal flame short skywards with the wail of innumerable souls, crashing into the black clouds above before exploding to illuminate the masses out into the dark world beyond. There was no end to her legions. At least, not an end that she could see. They spanned across the horizon in all directions, having come to worship her name. ¡°My children¡­ my friends¡­ my family.¡± Allie¡¯s voice called out as a whisper that all could hear, and an eerie silence overtook the once rowdy legions as their deathly gazes fixed on her at the top of the temple¡¯s platform. A wide smile creased her lips, and she lovingly spread out her pale hands as if to embrace them. ¡°I welcome you¡­ to the beginning of the end for our longstanding enemies. To the ones that sought out a genocide against our people! To the ones that for so long evaded our reach in their high heavens while reigning down terror and flame upon those weaker than they! TO THE ONES THAT THOUGHT THEMSELVES UNTOUCHABLE! I welcome you all, to witness the SACRIFICE, of QUEEN EL-FAH OF THE GOLDEN LIGHTS, ARCHANGEL OF THE HIGH HEAVENS AND BRINGER OF RIGHTEOUS FAITH! BRING OUT THE PRISONER!¡± If Allie thought the crowds had gone wild for her own arrival, they went ballistic at this call. It looked as though the sea of bodies beneath her that stretched out for miles had erupted into a frenzied storm, with palpable killing intent radiating off of them as they screamed in both hate and excitement for the prisoner to come forth. A hole began to form in the stone of the temple¡¯s platform beside her, and soon a figure began to rise out of it. A large altar carved from bone, stone, and steel rose from the depths with a scarred and burned angel chained to its top. Her once brilliant white feathers were covered in splashes of golden blood, her hair cut short, and her glowing eyes were aflame with unhidden rage. Deep cuts marred her once perfect skin in criss-crossing patterns, and she struggled against her shackless while snarling - teeth bared towards the body Allie was looking through. ¡°You wretched bitch!¡± The angel said, her chest rising and falling violently before her eyes darted around at the scene. ¡°The heavens will not stand for this! They will find you! I WILL BE AVENGED!¡± The woman Allie was seeing through, living through, let on a mocking sneer. She did not reply to the chained woman at the altar, but instead she turned her head upwards to the black clouds above. ¡°Bestow my instruments to mine hands, father.¡± Brilliant neon teal lightning tore across the sky from miles away and crashed into the temple Allie stood on. In an instant, Allie felt a surge of deathly energies unlike anything she¡¯d felt before. It swirled around her like a vortex of the purest dao, an insight into the truest meanings of the end, and it bowed to her will as she stretched out a hand. As she began to whisper, her words carried once more - even over the roar of the millions of her followers, as she used The Scythe¡¯s power to bring about the means to her building ritual. ¡°The hearts of hell burn brightly this night.¡± Allie¡¯s ghostly voice projected, with the angels of death repeating after her like a mantra. With those words a volcanic bath of molten lava, coated in infernal power, bubbled up from nothingness into being. Her pale fingers slowly lifted, and with them came dozens of red-hot metal spheres that floated up out of the bath. They glowed dangerously hot, flexing the power of hell from their cores as she bade them encircle the chained angel. Queen El-Fah of the Golden Lights and Archangel of the High Heavens let her eyes go wide as she realized what they were. ¡°YOU INSOLENT WRETCH!¡± Allie continued to ignore her, moving on to the next empty space nearby. ¡°The bones of the perished that we seek to avenge.¡± The roaring vortex of deathly energies screamed in protest at the vast amount of energy she siphoned from her father, as the angel¡¯s crimes were innumerable. The amount of devastation Queen El-Fah had caused the undead was not a number she even fathomed to comprehend, and it was proved by the sheer volume of bones that rained from the skies. They started like falling snow, coming from the dark clouds above only to turn into a roaring avalanche. Countless bones of all shapes and sizes were materialized and began to condense over the temple in a swirling mass of ever-growing, cursed energies that sought to rip the holy archangel¡¯s life energy out before she had a chance to get away. But the cursed energies, made from spite and malice as a retribution of the heavens, stayed its hand when Allie¡¯s pale fingers lifted to them in warning. ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Allie¡¯s voice uttered, and the growing mass of cursed bones heeded her command. She shifted her gaze and pointed to the floor around the altar with a wide smile. ¡°The pools of despair¡­ the prison your body will ever know after this day, and a failsafe to make sure that you will never know resurrection even if the commandments themselves seek your revival.¡± The bloodied, chained archangel began to shriek even louder, flailing madly against her chains in a futile attempt to get free with powers volatile enough to shatter mountains - but she was still unable to get out of the state she now found herself in. Her eyes were wide and frantic, and her chest continued to heave as the chains binding her to the altar began tightening of their own accord. ¡°YOU CANNOT DO THIS! YOU CANNOT! THIS IS SACRILEGE! THIS IS AN EVIL EVEN YOU CANNOT-¡± ¡°Silence.¡± Allie¡¯s cold voice came as a midnight¡¯s breeze, crushing the celestial queen to the stone altar with an audible gasp. One white wing snapped under the sheer killing intent Allie¡¯s body unleashed on the woman, before Allie let on a wicked smile. ¡°I am not yet done. Bring out¡­ the others. Your family and friends will join in your despair.¡± From the back of the temple and through a set of large stone doors, bone golems dragging along other angels drenched in their own blood were being dragged forward by chains towards the altar and the platform¡¯s drop off. Their wings were cut off and their faces terrified, all of them above the A-grade. Once they¡¯d been supreme enemies of the underverse, and now they were sacrificial lambs - a conquered people - their honor and pride cut out from underneath them just as their wings had been. A tray of various tools, imbued with the horror and sin of untold generations, was summoned by another of her followers and held before Allie¡¯s eyes. Her wicked smile grew even more, and she picked out one of the many blades - shuddering as its intent filled her even as powerful as she¡¯d become. Eyes aflame with malice and mana, she turned a crazed look on the bound, sobbing angel at the altar. ¡°A smile to carve, a smile to keep!¡± Allie flew forward to the roar of the crowds, gripped the woman¡¯s face, and cut off her lips. Golden blood splattered all over the altar as the victim uncontrollably wailed, before Allie¡¯s body lifted up the piece of carved flesh to the sky with a victorious pose. The swirling balls of red-hot hell-hearts stopped floating about the altar, each of them crashing into one of the other victims nearby to elicit sickening thurds - before the final one sank deep into the archangel¡¯s chest as the last of them. Each of the angels began to scream and wail with unearthly cries as their holy pathways were burned away entirely, their cultivation stripped, and their souls flayed from the inside out. ¡°BRING FORTH THE GOBLETS AND BLEED THEM DRY! WE WILL MIX THEIR BLOOD WITH THE WATER OF THE ABYSSAL PONDS AND CREATE THE KEYS TO HEAVEN!¡± With a wave of her hand to the bone cloud that¡¯d formed above the temple, the bones all condensed - and began to shoot down towards her position with a gleeful vengeance pouring out of them. Crashing into her outstretched hand where she held the lips of the angelic queen, they began to merge¡­ and she began to chant, as she called out a singsong rhyme. It was time to open a portal into the heavens, a ticket for them to strike back. She turned her abyssal, dead eyes onto the horrified, screaming celestial queen beneath her as the metal ball, the hell heart, continued to burn her from the inside out. Smiling maliciously, Allie raised her cursed blade and then slammed it mercilessly into what remained of the angel¡¯s heart. The reaction was immediate, and the angel vomited golden blood that was soon captured by angels of death in black goblets, whereas others took golden goblets and began scooping up water from the black pools that¡¯d been summoned through the power of The Scythe. Taking one of the goblets in her own hand, Allie smelled the intense aroma of fear that permeated her victim¡¯s essence - and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Perfection¡­¡± Bringing it to her lips she drank the golden fluid, and then watched as the carved-off piece of the angel¡¯s face began to sing songs corrupted by the fused bones while the black skies poured down ribbons white light through forming cracks. The breach into Heaven had begun. And it was time to seek retribution for the crimes of the holy ones. She would butcher them to the last child, and none would be able to escape her wrath. *** Black lightning and red frost encircled Riven in a vortex of violence. The storm tore through dozens of abyssal creatures by the second in an almost commercial spray of body parts that splashed across the room made of flesh, where it was quickly absorbed by the floors and walls themselves. It was as if he was standing inside the plugged mouth of a giant lamprey, where teeth along the walls occasionally flexed and shot forward on long tendrils to slash out at him before withdrawing or being destroyed. Occasionally the teeth would also spray acid, and when other champions did occasionally fall to the hordes of various black beasts or the teeth of his strange enclosure - they too were dragged through the flesh-made ground and absorbed into the realm with whatever had killed them. There wasn¡¯t even an opportunity to take their belongings or loot the others, which Riven found irritating. He¡¯d even go as far as to try and protect the corpses of the dead from the beasts that¡¯d ripped them apart, or had blasted away the teeth and attached tendrils with wrathful vengeance, but even rift-walking over to their dead bodies wasn¡¯t fast enough to take their belongings as loot. Briefly glancing through the mind links at his counterparts in the maze and the ritual room, Riven grimaced slightly at what he saw beginning to unfold. The maze was by far the most worrisome as he wasn¡¯t sure that Nora and Narg were up to the challenge, being their weakest members - but that in itself held true across all groups. And the ritual room? They were all in and out of various trances and experiencing visions in short snippets¡­ but the implications didn¡¯t look good; even if seeing those caged high-charisma creatures gave him gross and even aggressive feelings on an instinctual level. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. He grunted, shoving one of his hands outlined in rigid crimson ice claws through the face of a muscular bear-creature before ripping out its bottom jaw and smashing it into the ground. Casually spinning the flaming horned skull head on Jackal¡¯s top around - he brought it down with an explosion of hellfire that splattered the creature into charred mush. ¡°This is rather boring¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll get to fight that giant later.¡± Riven mused, bending backwards to dodge another hooked tooth that¡¯d been shot out from the wall and frying it with a bolt of black lightning. Others continued to enter his meat grinder one after the other with roars, wails, and splattering sounds, and his four totems were brought out after that to add to the carnage. The four, 20-sided polyhedrons rapidly began to flash and swirl around him as he let them go from his spatial bag, beginning to mix in their own sparks and ice with the storm to match his own efforts with the occasional rifts being formed to intercept other projectiles. Increasing his mana output to an acceptable level and then commanding Jackal to take its abyssal beast form, the winged canine stretched and groaned - giving him a happy bark as it patrolled the inner perimeter in his eye of the storm. Floating up off the ground by five feet and crossing his legs, he leaned forward with his chin in one hand and yawned - growing comfortable in the fact that his totems and channeled storm of energies were more than enough for most creatures. He watched as Jackal tore down the bigger or more powerful beasts one by one whenever they managed to finally get through, and finished off his preparations by creating layers of a spinning sphere created from liquid blood. It wasn¡¯t a registered skill and thus didn¡¯t have the potency that it otherwise would have had, but instead was a film of pure blood mana that - if broken - would notify him of an impending attack in his blind spots if his regular mana-pulses didn¡¯t pick up a hidden foe. Beginning to meditate in a lotus position, he began watching the other champions in different groups as they struggled far harder to keep the monsters back. There were two mindsets between the champions, of which Riven had opted to take option 1. Option 1 was to fight on your own, to stand alone in order to avoid backstabbing. It was highly likely that should another champion from a different group see you struggling, that they¡¯d be willing and even eager to kill you in your moment of weakness to steal any insights or keys that your group had made while here. This was brutally obvious from those who worked together in Option 2, where the rest of the champions had tried to form a circular unit to stave off the swarms of beasts. And though the number of champions or groups fluctuated every couple of hours between newcomers and those who¡¯d already been here as they either died or descended to the next floor, a solid third of those deaths were from opportunistic strikes landed by other champions. Riven winced as another vampire was decapitated by a minotaur warrior after getting downed by one of the spear-like teeth and the minotaur in turn rapidly vanished afterwards; meaning his group had likely been needing a key. That key had just been stolen per the rules of this mini-event, and the demon had essentially just doomed the vampire¡¯s group by sending additional waves of enemies into the maze and the ritual room. [Abyssal Descent Trial for Floor 20 has been activated: The Crazed Giant¡¯s Maze: Do this, and pass into the 21st floor of the abyssal descent. Fail, and be devoured by the crazed giant in body and soul. Identification is nullified on this entire floor. At the end of this floor, you will gain an insight into one of your paths.] Brutal. Riven remembered when such things would bother him. When he¡¯d been naive to the truths surrounding his path. He¡¯d been so soft back then, when the integration had first struck. Now¡­ he had quite the opposite problem. He was more focused on getting the items of the dead instead of protecting them. Could he protect these people? Sure. Was he going to? Meh. They were just as likely to kill him while he used up all his mana taking on more of the fight. He couldn¡¯t trust these people as far as he could throw them. And despite the Unholy Foundational Pillar not necessarily making it a point to only bind to those who were evil, Riven wasn¡¯t dull enough to realize that the odds were stacked in favor of users being bloodthirsty and aggressive at a minimum. He had to choose his own people and himself over strangers. It just was what it was. Or¡­ so he thought. Just as he was pondering this, a startled feminine cry caught his attention when a stealth archer of some kind had been slammed to the floor under a large, snarling ape. He¡¯d only noticed her due to the brief flashing arrows she¡¯d shot out and the pulses he left off with his mana from time to time - but otherwise she¡¯d been damn good at concealing herself. The large ape had noticed her somehow though, and was akin to an ogre in size and a seriously ugly mug. It was pitch black just like all of the other abyssal creatures and had a single large eye in the center of its forehead, with large spines sticking out of its back. Riven¡¯s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she began to scream, having been torn from stealth as she was battered with outstretched hands in a feeble attempt to block the enormous ape¡¯s balled fists. The creature roared, sending spit all over the poor woman as bone snapped and her terrified screams turned into outright sobs. She began to beg, to plead for help, and Riven saw one of the other champions on another team dive in towards her. But the horned man wasn¡¯t aiming for the gorilla, rather - it was aiming its blade for the dark elf. Riven sighed and raised a hand, then hesitated. Why was he interfering? It wasn¡¯t his place to- The drow woman let out another last cry of pitiful desperation. Her bloodied, battered body was forcefully turned by a fist strike as her pale eyes met his. ¡°PLEASE HELP ME!¡± He involuntarily winced. Did he have a soft spot for her because she was pretty? Or was it because she reminded him of Athela? He winced yet again. ¡°I¡¯m going to regret this.¡± KABOOM The enormous fleshy room blazed red as a shockwave of crimson ice obliterated the surroundings. Piercing crimson spikes roared from the walls and floor, and enormous ice novas collected overhead in blooming flash before nuking the place multiple times over in waves of shrapnel. But the shrapnel wasn¡¯t random, it was directed under his influence and avoided those who he wished to live. In an instant the screams and roars of the abyssal creatures were cut off. Red mist hung in the air, and the horned man who¡¯d been charging the brutalized drow archer had a spike sticking through his skull as he hung limply in place only a few feet away from where the woman lay. Everyone else was more or less untouched by his attack, and stood staring awkwardly or with incomprehension at what had just happened. A few shot unbelieving gazes in his direction, and it was quite obvious that none of these people were the top crop of the Abyssal Descent - so to speak. The fight against Amano, the half minotaur half gargoyle who¡¯d kicked his ass numerous times, had given him a very keen idea of what the true powerhouses of this place were. At best, these ¡®champions¡¯ he currently stood with on the 20th floor trial were probably mid to low tier when compared to the best of what the descent had to offer. Which was nothing to scoff at overall, considering they¡¯d gotten this far in the first place, but they shouldn¡¯t have been so awestruck at what he¡¯d just done if they¡¯d been worth a damn in a fight. At least, that was the case if they were worthy of his respect. Cracks began to shake the outer walls as more monsters began to spawn and pound at the thick layer of ice keeping them out. Roars started to be heard once again, and Riven¡¯s storm had already dissipated before he landed gently next to the sobbing drow woman clutching one of her shattered arms on the floor. She looked up at him with a mixture of fear and confusion, and winced when he knelt down to get a better look at her. ¡°Here. Open your mouth.¡± Riven said, putting a hand into his spatial sack and taking out two bottled potions, one red - and one a bright sky blue. ¡°They should help.¡± ¡°I will not be poisoned!¡± The woman hissed in agony, scooting across the ground as her blood-drenched hair covered half of her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Raising an eyebrow for the second time in a short period, Riven casually pointed a finger to his right and blasted a flying abyssal creature - splattering its guts all over the floor before it managed to swoop in. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are. And if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn¡¯t have come to your aid when you asked. You¡¯re being stupid, I¡¯m not going to take your keys or your life.¡± He moved closer to her, and she let out a hiss. ¡°Do not come any closer!¡± She barely managed to get out between ragged breaths before he smacked her into a dazed state. Riven immediately forced the two potions down her throat despite her protests during the moment of silence, as she was on the verge of death and the slap maybe was a bit harder than he¡¯d though; but he gave a satisfied nod when he saw bone begin snapping back into place with flashes of blue and red light. ¡°There we go. Now¡­ doesn¡¯t that feel better?¡± The woman was screaming in pain again as the bones reoriented themselves, but it was obvious by the end of it that she no longer had a broken arm. Her cuts and wounds were all gone, and with a wave of his hand - even the blood coating her face was wiped away and drawn into a sphere hovering over one of his hands. She blinked at him in shock, and as the sounds of battle began roaring around them yet again - Riven nodded to Jackal¡¯s canine form before snapping his fingers. His totems began swirling around him again as the vortex of black and red grew like a rose, encircling the two figures in a protective formation of lightning and razor-sharp frost. The woman before him slowly sat up, flexing her hands and shooting nervous glances around her as she quickly realized that - should she anger him at all - she would immediately die. And she was still recovering with the aid of the potions he¡¯d given her, even if her outer appearance showed little damage. Casting her pale eyes onto his figure again and frowning down at the shattered remnants of her bow, she wiped her facce of tears and reached down to pick the broken weapon up before speaking. ¡°Why did you help me?¡± If Riven had a record for how many times one could raise one¡¯s eyebrows in surprise during a short period of time, he may have just broken it because he raised his eyebrows for the third time in a matter of a few minutes. ¡°Because you asked me to. And because you look very much like my girlfriend. That may seem stupid, but it was certainly part of the reason.¡± A winged serpent splattered onto the inside of their enclosure, not having made it halfway through the storm of energy as it landed in a smoldering, sliced heap. He eyed the monster indifferently, and caught her gawking at him. ¡°What?¡± Riven asked curiously, leaning back and pulling his knees up to his chest. ¡°Do I look funny or something?¡± She slowly pointed his way. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Riven asked noncommittally. ¡°Where would that have been?¡± He knew the answer was coming before it came out of her mouth. She¡¯d no doubt seen him in the battle in the first floor of the Abyssal Descent over the city, as many others had. ¡°You¡¯re the asshole vampire who slept with me, stole my bag of holding, and then convinced my team to run off WITHOUT ME!¡± The drow woman screamed in a building rage, her pointing finger quivering in anger. ¡°Yes, I-¡± He held up his hand, about to admit that yes - he was Gluttony¡¯s reincarnation, before he abruptly stopped with furrowed brows and confusion spilling from his face. ¡°Wait. WHAT!?¡± SMACK The dark elf reached out and full-on slapped Riven across the face so fast that he barely registered it. Then again, he¡¯d probably just been in a state of shock and the strike had taken him by surprise. ¡°You JACKASS!¡± The woman roared, getting to her feet and kicking at him with all of her might while simultaneously sobbing again. ¡°I¡¯VE HAD TO TRAVEL THE DESCENT ALONE BECAUSE OF YOU! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TRAVELING WITHOUT A PARTY?! DO YOU!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT¡¯S LIKE?!¡± ¡°OW! Stop that!¡± Riven protested, smacking her kicks away before he froze her to the ground - causing her to fall over - and giving Jackal a shake of his head when the winged beast glanced questioningly their way. Jackal shrugged, then went back to patrolling the perimeter of their eye of the storm - snatching out abyssal creatures the totems or vortex weren¡¯t able to catch early. ¡°It¡¯s in there, isn¡¯t it!? Give me back my bag!¡± The elf said, reaching forward and attempting to snatch it from Riven¡¯s side with angry tears building up at her eyelids. ¡°You have RUINED this experience for me! And I thought we had something special!¡± ¡°I WAS NOT the man you-¡± ¡°I¡¯LL NEVER TRUST A VAMPIRE AGAIN! NOW UNFREEZE MY FEET SO I CAN KICK YOU A THIRD TIME!!!¡± Rolling his eyes and facepalming, he let out a groan. ¡°Jesus Christ. Look, Karen, I don¡¯t know who you think I am - but let¡¯s get one thing clear. I have NOT slept with you, nor have I-¡± He was cut off as through the mental link, he saw Genua, Athela, and Fay all turn their inner sight upon him. ¡°YOU SLEPT WITH HER!?¡± Athela screamed at the top of her lungs while still trapped in the ritual room. ¡°You cheating PRICK! We¡¯ll be talking about this, Riven!¡± ¡°Pervert.¡± Genua muttered. ¡°I haven¡¯t had the good stuff for a week! THAT¡¯S NOT FAIR!¡± Fay exclaimed. And Riven could only facepalm as the three of them starting laughing at his unhinged situation from the other side. He was already regretting saving this crazy bitch, and it took the others no time to capitalize on his misfortune. ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be the Abyssal Descent?¡± Riven said over the shouts of the still recovering and enraged dark elf. ¡°Feels more like Jerry Springer right about now. Listen, lady, I don¡¯t know who you are or what-¡± SHUNK He paused, startled, when a dark blade punctured a shield of ice he¡¯d summoned right before the elf had impaled his left eye. Moving the shield of ice with her black blade imbedded in it, he glared at the seething, rabid young woman with a flare of his crimson eyes. ¡°That¡­ That was a mistake.¡± Riven said, lifting his hand in her direction. ¡°A very, very, big mistake.¡± Chapter 291 (4 chapters today) Chapter 291 Relinquishing his fangs, Riven let out a long gasp as he let the drow woman¡¯s blood run down his throat. It¡¯d been a while since he¡¯d fed on Genua, and going too long without feeding made him feel sick. He let the body drop to the fleshy floor with a squelch, eliciting a gurgling sound from the woman he¡¯d saved not long ago before he snorted in disgust at the weaponless archer as she clutched her throat. He watched her horrified gaze stare up at him as she choked on her own blood, using her spare hand to claw at the air in a begging motion as he let the fear sink in. But he wasn¡¯t a complete monster, not yet. He just wanted to make a point. Even if she had attacked him, he was pretty sure she was having something akin to a mental breakdown due to high stress. He still had some humanity left inside his increasingly black soul, and so he just let the knowledge that he could easily kill her on a whim sink in for a while until she was on the verge of death - before utilizing Voodoo Doll to secure her blood flow to keep her alive. As he worked the magic, her bloodflow stabilized and the near-death state she¡¯d been put in quickly reversed. Pouring yet another healing potion set down her throat, he watched the pathetic specimen in front of him cough and choke - visibly shaking before vomiting the blood that¡¯d been draining down her throat while she gasped for air. ¡°Next time you attack me, I''ll just let you die.¡± Riven said with a blank face, sitting down in a cross-legged position and occasionally sending out bolts of black lightning to vaporize some of the abyssal swarm - getting thankful nods or call outs from the various other participants in the huge room as he helped them one by one every twenty seconds or so. Turning his gaze back on her after she¡¯d caught her breath, he let his red gaze focus on the stealth archer - and could still hear her heart beating furiously in her chest while she glared back at him. ¡°What? Got something to say, you crazy bitch?¡± ¡°I am NOT crazy!¡± She hissed, starting to back away from him on all fours, but she stopped herself when she saw the broken bow at her side. Her features fell, and another glance at Riven saw her face fall even further when he used his tongue to lick some of her remaining blood off his cheek. ¡°Are you toying with my life? For your own amusement? You vampires disgust me.¡± ¡°Not enough for you to apparently sleep with one of my kind.¡± Riven said with a mocking wink. He sent another blast of lightning out haphazardly to the screech of another abyssal creature, and the ripping claws and snarls of his winged companion Jackal could be heard behind him as the beast tore down another of the abyssals. Riven¡¯s shadowy black cloak, the one Athela had given him for his birthday, pulsed red on the inner bloodsilk-made side of it when he sent a wave of mana around the two of them to create another bubble - and he chuckled at her when she nearly scrambled out of the way and into the swirling vortex. ¡°What is it you want!?¡± The woman snarled, looking like a caged dog while simultaneously missing any true bite given her apparent need for a weapon to fight with. ¡°Why are you keeping me here?!¡± He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head. ¡°Keeping you here? We¡¯re all kept here until our parties create the keys and exit the giant¡¯s labyrinth. I thought I was doing you a favor, despite your absolute batshit attitude. But, if you insist on believing that it was me that betrayed you and left you to your apparent fate¡­ Wait. You said you were traveling alone? How is that possible, given this challenge?¡± Her gaze became icy, and her fist clenched. But she was still shaking, and it was very obvious that she was afraid by the way her eyes flitted about - casting around them to see if she could somehow find a way out. She also didn¡¯t respond. Sighing after a good amount of relative silence had passed between them, Riven waved his hand - and the inner bubble of blood mana along with the outer swirling storm vortex of red and black created a passageway for her to leave. ¡°You may go if you want. You are not my prisoner here.¡± The sound of battle crashed down upon them as his protective barriers opened up, and the dark elf froze in place - eyes going wider when she saw another one of the abyssal apes that¡¯d almost crushed her to death. She took a step forward, hesitated, looked down at the bow, backstepped, and seemed absolutely unsure of what to do. ¡°Choose, or I will simply kick you out.¡± Riven said, getting irritated. ¡°I won¡¯t keep that passage through my mana open forever. It exposes me too, and I really am not in the mood to go all out right about now. I need to conserve my strength because - frankly - I don¡¯t know what to expect at the end of this. Assuming my weakest party members are even going to get through that damn maze.¡± And it was true. He had no real indication of just how powerful or useful Narg would be in the maze even given his ¡®seeking¡¯ abilities, but he was hopeful. Whereas Nora was just deadweight. He liked her, and she¡¯d helped him in Chalgathi¡¯s trials during their very first system event. It was also the reason he didn¡¯t mind helping her out now¡­ but realistically he could have chosen a better partner for his descent in the abyss. He¡¯d also never say that out loud as he didn¡¯t want to hurt her feelings - which made him internally laugh considering who and what he was - but friends were friends regardless of how weak they were. Which made him wonder just how well the rest of his ¡®guild¡¯, or rather his ¡®guild to be¡¯, were doing - and the thought made him smile. Hakim, Tim, Julie, and Tanya were all still undergoing a training regimen back in the Brightsville area if things were still going to plan. However, from the reports Lillith had been giving them before she vanished - it was very unclear just what was going on back on Panu. Thoughts of Kathrine came next, and of Mara, of Vin and Nin and how they¡¯d all gone missing¡­ and his heart sank again with his smile fading just as quickly as it¡¯d come. He could only hope that Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw was just as good as Lillith claimed he was, because if not - the others might very well be dead. Why, who, and how - those subjects were also questionable, and he knew that Allie hadn¡¯t seen Lahn in quite a while either. What did Lahn think about all this? The guy was probably worried sick because of Allie¡¯s long absence. Riven had grown to like Allie¡¯s new boyfriend very much, especially after her little phase of collecting numerous boy-toy thralls that made him want to gag. He vividly remembered that musclehead bastard she¡¯d turned into a sex slave back when he¡¯d first set up his guild hall, and- He shook his head. No, that was just him being an overprotective and somewhat hypocritical big brother. If anything, the tables had turned. He technically was dating two women at the same time now in something of a three-way relationship with Fay and Athela, and he didn¡¯t know what to even consider Genua after that one night stand and what it¡¯d led to. And if Kathrine lived, he had no doubt her family would still want to make sure they wed for political reasons. And defying the Blood Moon Requiem wasn¡¯t a good idea in the longer term¡­ even if he truly didn¡¯t want to add that kind of headache into his life. Ugh. ¡°I SAID CLOSE THE PASSAGE! I¡¯LL STAY! I¡¯LL STAY!¡± The drow woman¡¯s shriek cut into his thoughts, and he rapidly shook his head and looked up to see her fending off a large abyssal worm that repeatedly struck at her with quick snaps and sprays of smog in the passage. She was only barely holding on, and she had a deep bite wound that was bleeding profusely on her right thigh - which was already collecting rot similar to Fay¡¯s cursed clouds. Just how had this ¡®champion¡¯ even gotten this far in the Abyssal Descent? If all it took was snapping her bow in half to make her so useless, she shouldn¡¯t have come in the first place. Jackal was also staring at her as if she was some kind of oddity, and the living weapon gave Riven a shrug and a side-eye as if to say he didn¡¯t get it either. With a casual snap of his fingers, Riven¡¯s mana pulled the drow woman inside again and the vortex smashed through the temporary passageway he¡¯d created through his storm. The worm was obliterated in an instant with a loud shriek, its black body being torn to shreds as the dark elf stumbled backwards and hit the floor. ¡°How the actual fuck¡­¡± Riven muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. ¡°Did you ever get this far, while being so utterly pathetic?¡± *** Watching Narg and Nora traverse the maze was interesting every once in a while, but it was also very nerve wracking because of all the close calls they had time after time. Close calls that, if he¡¯d been there, would have been a breeze. Meanwhile, the rituals that the others were performing with the sacrificial altar were grotesque even for his tastes, and he had no wish to gaze upon the disgusting things they had to do to those poor caged souls in order to acquire each key. And thus he¡¯d decided to take his mind off it and continued pretending that nothing was wrong at all, because he couldn¡¯t do anything about the other groups anyways - and worrying about it would only sunder his mood. ¡°So¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡± Riven eventually asked after having healed the dumbass across from him for the third time in a row over the course of twenty minutes. He reached into his bag of holding, and pulled out some bread that he began to chew slowly while glaring down the obviously panicking woman as she rocked back and forth. ¡°My name¡¯s Riven.¡± Her tear-stricken and bloodshot eyes darted up to him, and she shuddered - one hand still on the thigh where her thin studded armor had been torn off of her. Where the monster had eaten a part of her leg. She rubbed it slowly, and seemed to come back to her senses while wiping away droplets of the third round of potions he¡¯d given her. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to take another set of potions any time soon¡­ I¡¯m already starting to feel sick, and the effects are lessening.¡± Riven blinked, then let out a burst of laughter as he threw his head back. Giving Jackal a head-scratch and pushing the winged canine off to patrol the inner perimeter of his storm again, Riven rubbed his temple while continuing to chuckle. ¡°You¡¯re acting like it¡¯s a given I¡¯ll give you another one! Let me tell you something, girl. That is the LAST time I heal you. The next time you get injured, even if it isn¡¯t due to attacking me, I just let you die and I¡¯ll use your corpse for sustenance. You¡¯re way too stupid to just keep pumping potions into at this point, and I¡¯ve certainly done my community service for the month after helping you out. So, as I said¡­ what - is - your - name?¡± He emphasized the last four words with a bit of irritation on his lips. ¡°And I truly hope you¡¯ve realized that I am not the man you originally thought I was, given that I¡¯ve removed my mask and you can see it for yourself.¡± His words looked like they struck a chord, and he saw guilt, embarrassment, as well as fear edge into a sheepish smile before her pale eyes hit the ground. She fidgeted with one of her boot laces. ¡°I¡­ I am not sure that I should tell you. You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I did.¡± He raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. ¡°Want me to kick you out-¡± ¡°No!¡± She quickly held up a hand in protest, and harrumphed with a guilty lack of eye contact. ¡°No¡­ Please, don¡¯t. I¡¯ll die.¡± Riven snorted. ¡°That much is obvious.¡± There was a long pause, and she considered him evenly. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°For which part? For sullying my name and accusing me of sleeping with you in front of my girlfriends in the other party? For trying to stab me? For ignoring my questions about who you are? For being stupid enough to nearly get killed three times over in a single hour? Or for being stupid enough to come down here in the first place without a party, apparently, and obviously not being qualified to be here without a bow that you recently broke. Your very presence insults me. So which is it?¡± She blinked, blinked again, and blushed furiously with embarrassment as the sounds of fighting continued around them monotonously. ¡°Uhm¡­ I¡­ Eh¡­ All of them?¡± ¡°Good answer.¡± Riven snorted again. ¡°Now who are you? And why are you here alone? How is that even possible, given the party system here?¡± The young woman grumbled something under her breath, rubbed the part of her thigh that¡¯d recently been bitten off and healed, and lowered her head. ¡°I am here because I have no other choice. I need to get to the 40th floor, or I will be disowned from my family and cast out of my sect. My¡­ My name is Kara Blackbow, Seventh Daughter of the Ashen Sage of Purturis.¡± She nearly stumbled over her words, and her shoulders sagged as if in relief when Riven didn¡¯t give an immediate response. Then when she finally gained the courage to look up at him again, she became confused. ¡°You¡­ do not recognize the name?¡± He merely stared at her blankly. ¡°Am I supposed to? This is the multiverse. Do you know how big it is? Because I certainly don¡¯t and I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m supposed to know some guy by the title of Ashen Sage.¡± She immediately gawked, then smiled, then began to giggle and laugh. Her laughing became a thunderous cackle, and she rolled over onto her side in a fit of melody as humorous tears began rolling down her cheeks until she almost had a hard time breathing. He sat there, cross legged and increasingly unamused, as he realized that she truly had gone and lost her fucking mind. This woman was truly insane, and he probably should have just let her die the first time around. He would get no true information out of her, and she was a god awful talking partner to pass the time. Especially after trying to stab him. His eyelids lowered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± She said, wiping her eyes and trying to let go of the smile that¡¯d enveloped her. ¡°I just¡­ It¡¯s just that you¡¯re right. I keep forgetting where I am. You probably wouldn¡¯t know. My family probably isn¡¯t that important on the grand scale of things.¡± He continued to stare blankly. She caught onto his lack of amusement, coughed, and straightened. She then took a cross-legged position across from him, and gave him a bow of respect. ¡°I again apologize for my actions, and extend my thanks to you. To answer your question from earlier¡­ I had no choice to proceed into the depths of the Abyssal Descent by myself. As I said, I will be cast out from my sect and disowned by my family if I do not succeed. That in itself is a long story and I will spare you most of the details, but the party I entered with was paid off by another man. A vampire, likely an agent of one of the other sects, and I was abandoned by my own. I¡¯m surprised they didn¡¯t just outright kill me, but I¡¯m guessing they wanted to humiliate me, rather than just end me. Given who it is that likely paid them off I possibly shouldn¡¯t be so surprised. If I manage to survive and come back home without success, that would be a far worse fate than if I were to just die an honorable death here in the darkness.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Her voice had taken on a rather stoic tone by the end of her words, and her face had turned grave. Riven¡¯s previously angry and irritated attitude slowly began to dissolve, and he bade her rise from her bowed position with a gesture. ¡°I accept your apology and thanks.¡± She gave him a nod, and straightened once more in her sitting position. ¡°I was able to enter this event by myself, but due to a lack of party members - the system has tasked me with staying here for twenty days. I am on the second day now¡­ and without a weapon. It is highly likely that I will die here, once you leave.¡± Kara Blackbow sadly smiled, as if having already accepted her fate, and didn¡¯t meet his eyes. ¡°What you said was correct. I don¡¯t know how I got this far outside of sheer dumb luck, and don¡¯t belong here at all. My family is powerful and well known, or at least that¡¯s what I¡¯d thought. But that is likely only true for our region. Regardless, we were able to acquire a ticket for me to enter the Abyssal Descent as a way for me to prove my worth to my father. Aside from my abilities with a bow, I am quite useless in combat. That much is now obvious to me.¡± Riven blinked from underneath his hood, arms still folded. ¡°I see. Why didn¡¯t you just team up with another group before coming down?¡± She raised an eyebrow. ¡°I know you cannot identify me due to system interference down here, but I am not even classified as an ELITE by Elysium¡¯s standards. I am the bottom rung of what gets in here, and without my stealth abilities and managing to surf on the coattails of other groups that were unaware of my presence - would probably be dead five times over by now. All of my belongings were also stripped from me when I was robbed, aside from my clothes and bow which is now gone. Even my arrows are nearly spent.¡± She cocked her head to one side. ¡°Why would anyone want to take me with them? I¡¯d only slow them down, but I have no other choice but to proceed or die trying.¡± Riven was beginning to understand, and he was starting to feel a little bad for the young woman. ¡°Sounds like your father, or whoever it was that sent you here, sent you to die. And it sounds like, at least if it wasn¡¯t his people that paid off your kin, that someone else is hoping to see you fail too. Why even go back?¡± The face she made was as if he¡¯d smacked her across the face. ¡°That¡­ That isn¡¯t true.¡± She muttered in a whisper. ¡°My father doesn¡¯t want me to die. It¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± Riven disagreed, but her abrupt attitude change signaled that he¡¯d hit the nail on the head. He wasn¡¯t going to push it. Then, an idea formed, and he thought of a way to cheer the poor girl up. Digging through his spatial sack, he pulled out a set of supplies. The first item was a rolled up ball of Athela¡¯s bloodsilk, which he could use to repair his own cloak if need be and was incredibly sturdy - and it had an inherent tie to the Blood Subpillar. Next was one of Gragle¡¯s Graphics. The multidimensional runic sigils interlinked to one another glistened with blood, sin, and shadow energy while they shifted around each other in the light of his storm. Riven had yet to completely get how graphics worked in creating them, but then again - Gragle did have a unique talent for making them. Despite the gnome¡¯s promises to try and teach Riven as much as he knew, Riven had not had the time nor the ability to produce them consistently or without impurities - so he¡¯d have to modify this one to the best of his ability without destroying it given what he was about to do. Abyssal sigils glowing a deep purple were taken out after that, with various dao treasures, a few spiritual crystals, and two of the silver rings off his hands were placed on the floor - all of which he¡¯d bought from the merchants on floor 2. Kara¡¯s eyes went wide at the display, and her mouth clenched with an unreadable expression as Riven got to work. ¡°What is your name? I told you mine, but you never told me yours.¡± ¡°Riven. I already told you that. Remember?¡± Riven said with an amused smirk, creating a long shaft of crimson ice that he began to mold into the form of a bow. ¡°Just Riven? No title? No family name?¡± ¡°Just Riven.¡± He fused three layers of Athela¡¯s bloodsilk together after that, reinforced them by wrapping an abyssal sigil that dissolved into the strings after a system prompt, and the bowstring flashed with dark purple light. ¡°Alright then, Riven¡­¡± She repeated, furrowing her brows and all but ignoring the raging battle only a couple dozen yards outside of their protective barrier of storming mana. ¡°How did you afford all of this? The price of these treasures is¡­ astronomical.¡± ¡°Are they?¡± Riven asked, shrugging indifferently. ¡°I sent the check to someone else.¡± ¡°So someone bought these treasures for you?¡± Riven nodded. ¡°More or less. I guess you could say that I inherited the money¡­ but it¡¯s a long and complicated story.¡± ¡°I thought you had no title or family name?¡± Riven didn¡¯t humor her question. His hand reached for her broken bow, and strings of blood wrapped around the wooden pieces - taking them over to where he sat as he inspected the etched sigils carved into the weapon. It was low quality at best, making him feel even worse for the poor girl. The power infused into each of them was what he¡¯d have wanted back when he was level 30, and the runes were poorly carved. Even he at the beginning of his path in totem-making could tell that the enchanter had been sub-par. He removed the string as he laid his own ice-made bow over the top of her old one, and began to concentrate as he closed his eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Kara asked, with some hope in her voice. ¡°Are you fixing my weapon?¡± He let on a smile. ¡°That and more. Now be quiet, I¡¯m working here.¡± There was a flash of red light, followed by another flash of purple and then black. His eyes opened, and the ice bow he¡¯d created had molded over her original like a shell casing. Athela¡¯s bloodsilk strings sparked red and purple, and black runes he¡¯d mentally channeled into the weapon had their backbone imprinted on the shaft¡¯s exterior. His eyes shifted to the silver rings he¡¯d taken off his hand. Each of them had massive boosts to basic dexterity, and he warped the metal with a flex of energy - placing them around the middle of the shaft as they fused together where the handle would be. Ridges were created afterwards as the metal bent and twisted, creating a hold for fingers when gripping, and another abyssal sigil was added and infused into the shaft just as the string had been reinforced. The red ice darkened with the effort, and Kara watched slack-jawed in awe and in silence. ¡°I did not realize you were a crafter as well as a mage.¡± ¡°You¡¯re primarily shadow-based with your abilities?¡± Riven stated as part question and part fact, after having seen her abilities already. She quickly nodded after snapping out of her dazed state. ¡°Oh, uhm, yes. I have a 70% affinity to the Shadow Sub-Pillar, and most of my abilities stem from that.¡± He went back to work after the confirmation, selecting out of his dao treasures a plant and crystal pairing. The crystal was an obsidian gem the size of his fist that sucked in all light in its vicinity, making its true dimensions hard to make out. The plant was a thorny vine, black at its core but with silver thorns protruding out from around the coiled stem. ¡°What exactly are those?¡± She asked, inching closer to sit beside him. ¡°I can feel their energy and know them to be true dao treasures, but I can¡¯t identify them to see what their details are. Do you remember?¡± He coiled the vine into a tighter formation and wrapped it around the shaft, absorbing it into the outer red shell as the black runes along the dark-red ice began to flare. ¡°The plant has silencing properties, and the gem has gathering properties. Basically, if I¡¯m doing this correctly - which is questionable at best, I should be able to add a percentage possibility for a silencing effect to anything you shoot from this bow. The gem will be used to gather shadow mana from your surroundings and allow you to empower your shots with additional shadow damage while making your shadow abilities cost less.¡± Riven gave her a weak smile. ¡°That¡¯s of course assuming I don¡¯t mess this up. I¡¯m depending more on the quality of the materials rather than my actual skill, because I¡¯m kind of new at this. Only been creating totems for a year or so.¡± ¡°Only a year!? You¡¯d risk such valuables on a chance that you¡¯d fail!?¡± She said, perplexed and something akin to horror-struck. Riven nodded. ¡°You betchya. It takes my mind off the current situation anyways, as I¡¯m just sitting around doing nothing and I kind of feel bad for you.¡± She seemed startled at his reaction, but quickly subdued herself to look down deep in thought - focusing on the work he was doing and occasionally shooting him curious glances. ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered. He pretended not to hear. The gem itself was far harder to incorporate than the vine, and he ended up blasting it into smaller pieces before creating a fine powder out of the crystal. Infusing it into the ice, the bow went from a deep red into a dark black with the rune previously inscribed almost completely gone. There was a subtle red glow to the bow now, aside from the silver handhold, and the second to last piece - the graphic - was summoned over to him with a wave of his hand. ¡°What is that?¡± She asked, confused but also eager as she watched the obviously intricate set of three-dimensional runic tapestries shift and stir. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it in my entire life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a graphic.¡± Riven replied, pausing in his creation of the weapon to point out different aspects. ¡°Graphics are a way to formulate magic of thought into physical concepts by using base code of Elysium¡¯s system. They are the skeletons of magic taken visible form, and are an advanced concept I myself am not entirely familiar with. I know the basics though and have a gnome teacher who¡¯s trying to impart his knowledge over time, but this is one of the ones he made. Thankfully I DO know enough to manipulate them to an extent and can modify this one at a small margin to better suit your needs.¡± She seemed eager and interested when he glanced right, causing him to chuckle at the excitement evident there, and so he continued in his short speech on the matter. ¡°There are three concepts, Re, Vo, and Tin that act like an axis to travel along when inputting source code. Then there are another two concepts, Nun and Zika, with Nun representing orientation and affinity of a power source like your Shadow Sub-Pillar. Zika represents power of intent. The base concepts of Re, Vo, and Tin I am going to leave intact because they¡¯re far more complicated and the construct of this specific graphic is already well done. However, the more malleable concept of Nun can be modified away from the Blood and Sin energies infused into it to orient themselves more towards shadow.¡± Riven¡¯s fingers twitched, and the graphic turned a dark black over the course of seconds. ¡°Now I¡¯m modifying Zika, which is the power of intent. The original graphic¡¯s intent was protective, that of a barrier or shield. I¡¯m changing it to ¡®Pierce¡¯ and ¡®Speed¡¯ now, which should better suit your needs considering this is a bow.¡± The three-dimensional set of interconnected runes shifted and warped, forming a different model before their eyes. He grinned. It had worked. ¡°Lastly, I will pluck a soul shard from the void around us. Totems with soul shards are far easier to control and more likely to bind than a fully formed soul, and though they are less potent - it is probably in your best interest given that you¡¯ll need the weapon rather soon instead of later. There¡¯d be a chance this weapon didn¡¯t want to bind to you if the totem I¡¯m making had a fully formed an aware soul inside of it, and truthfully it¡¯d probably want to bind to me instead of you given my affinity for shadow is higher - and I also have affinities for the other Blood and Sin energies running through it.¡± His Death Sub-Pillar shivered and pulsed, and his gaze warped to see into the void just like Allie had taught him to do over the course of their last few sit-downs while here in the abyss. He saw what he was looking for in the vast expanse of darkness and glittering lights around them, and plucked a tiny fragment of light from his surroundings before retreating back into the present. Holding out his hand, he showed the flickering fragment of random soul he¡¯d acquired to the dark elf who let out a sharp breath at his presentation. Pushing the piece of soul into the bow, he saw the weapon shudder underneath him. A blast of energy encompassed the area they sat in, and the black bow began to wreathe itself in dark burgundy sparks as the silver metal of the bow¡¯s center became more akin to gray. [You have created the Item: ¡°Black River Bow of Sin¡¯s Wrath (Totem).¡± Details on this item are negated due to the event status effect.] ¡°Now for the arrows since you¡¯re low. This part will be easy.¡± He said with a gesture at her nearly empty quiver, laughing at her gawking expression of amazement. One by one, he began to create ¡®Sniping Profane Blood Lances¡¯; the upgraded version of his original blood lance infused with his Snipe ability and empowered by wretched snares. The blood lances thinned and shortened, becoming arrow-sized as the black lightning sparks shifted over the red shafts. The wretched snares used to propel them to greater speeds also enclosed themselves over the arrows, and he modified the spells to explode upon contact - an effect that¡¯d explode and shred the target with the snares upon impact now that the arrows were being propelled by the bow rather than the original slingshot effect of the snares when summoned. One by one and numbering in the dozens, he created these arrows and cut their magical intent off from his control. Inspecting each of them and making sure they were stable, solid, and without any flaws, he used his mana to shift them over to Kara¡¯s quiver - pushing them into the point where the quiver bulged. [You have created the Items: ¡°Sniping Profane Blood Arrows.¡± Details on these items are negated due to the event status effect.] ¡°There you go. I think this¡¯ll help you survive a bit longer.¡± Riven said somewhat smugly as he handed the bow over to the drow woman, who continued to stare in wonder at the item - her hands shaking slightly at the gift he¡¯d given her before taking it in her grasp. Abruptly, the dark burgundy sparks flared and danced along her hands, up her arms, and into her body as she shuddered. He stared, watching her as he felt the pact between the totem and the dark elf manifest despite a lack of system information, and then was surprised to see her begin to cry. She sniffled, trying to blink away her tears and hide her face beneath one hand and a swath of white hair while gripping the bow in the other, before silent sobs wracked her body as she stared at the floor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I just need a minute to collect my thoughts.¡± His gaze softened and he nodded, looking away to watch the rest of the champions do their thing. Jackal came over and nudged against his right shoulder, and he reached across the winged abyssal dog to give Jackal head scratches with a hum of contentment. After a few minutes had passed, and she still showed no signs of calming, he floated the question he¡¯d been considering since realizing her predicament. ¡°You know, our fifth member was prematurely sent down to the 50th floor.¡± Riven said aloud over her body-shaking and semi-silent sobs. ¡°My group could escort you to the 40th floor on the way down, you could join up with us temporarily if you¡¯d like.¡± Sniffling and wiping away her tears again, she looked up through bloodshot eyes and puffy cheeks. ¡°You would do that? For me? For a stranger you¡¯ll never see again after all is said and done, when I leave for my homeland?¡± Riven shrugged. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I am deadweight.¡± She said flatly. Looking down at the weapon he¡¯d bestowed upon her, and then the enchanted arrows he¡¯d given her, she shook her head. ¡°Believe me, I would be more than happy to accept, but the things you said to me earlier were right. I won¡¯t be useful to you in your descent, if that is what you are hoping for. I¡¯d more or less accepted my death down here, but if you are offering¡­ and you truly mean it, then I will not decline if the system allows it to be.¡± Riven smiled and patted her on the arm. ¡°Ah. Good point. Let¡¯s find out then, shall we?¡± Mentally willing the system to accept his request, he waited for Elysium and The Abyssal Descent to respond. He didn¡¯t have to wait long. [Do you wish to add Kara Blackbow to your party? As Lillith is currently trapped on Floor 50 of the Abyssal Descent, Elysium will accept your request for a filler until you reach Lillith - if you manage to survive until then. But doing so will cost you three-billion Elysium Coins as tribute. Do you accept?] ¡°Lillith?¡± She asked. ¡°Who is that?¡± The notification was present for both Riven and Kara to see, and she immediately winced upon re-reading it - her hope fading just as quickly as it¡¯d come. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of money, Riven¡­¡± She trailed off, only for her to choke on her words when he accepted the prompt, and a tidal wave of coins flew out of his spatial sack towards the notification before blinking out of existence. [You have added Kara Blackbow to your party here in the Abyssal Descent. Kara¡¯s 20 day time limit has been modified to normal parameters, and she will proceed to Floor 21 with you upon successful completion of your other party members exiting the giant¡¯s labyrinth.] ¡°RIVEN! That kind of money is enough to bankrupt my entire SECT!¡± Kara screeched, whirling on him and leaping to both feet with wide eyes. ¡°I CANNOT REPAY THAT KIND OF MONEY!¡± He smirked. ¡°Whoever said I was asking you to repay the debt?¡± She was immediately stunned into silence, and only took a seat again when he gestured beside him. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Riven. I don¡¯t even know what to say. I am¡­ undeserving.¡± ¡°Do not think much about it.¡± Riven said, beginning to meditate to restore all the mana he¡¯d used up on creating the totem. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how much money I have anymore. I haven¡¯t looked in a long time. Now, sit down and rest. We likely have a lot of time to burn.¡± Chapter 292 (4 chapters today) Chapter 292 Nora was losing control, and Narg was getting worried. The beholder demon narrowed its many eyes at the human as she clutched her chest and made gasping noises, hitting the ground and jerking in odd ways that weren¡¯t what he would consider ¡®normal¡¯. She¡¯d been getting worse as time had went on, with traces of black and silver showing up on portions of her body to change it into something other than flesh, but Narg wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it was before it reverted back into normal muscle, skin and bone. Even her eyes had changed color from their normal brown to a sickly white, and she was mumbling incoherent sentences to herself and sometimes aloud for all to hear until they¡¯d ended up here. Here at the dead end of a hallway, where Narg had a clean shot at anything that may or may not attempt to kill them. ¡°Nora¡­ Can you hear me, child?¡± The demon asked, keeping two of its eyes swiveled on stalks to stare behind it - always on guard. ¡°The others are counting on us to finish this, Nora. Take another one of your healing potions and it may help-¡± His words were cut off as another roar from the giant chained to the lava pit in the center of the cylindrical labyrinth caused the ground to violently shake. It was deafening, giving Narg a killer headache as frustration began building up inside him. Down the hall, the glow of the lava illuminated the dark stone - and the sound of battle could be heard where other beasts and participants brutally killed one another. Scowling and thinking to himself, Narg went over his options. He could leave her here to die and if he understood things correctly, her dying here would only banish her into Chalgathi¡¯s event and she¡¯d lose out on all the time and effort put into doing this. Part of Narg thought this the obvious and best choice, as he couldn¡¯t be slowed down to fail the Reincarnation of Gluttony like this. He would rather die than be such a burden and bear such shame to his family¡¯s lineage. To fail Gluttony and his bonded partner Riven would be worse than death, and sweat began to accumulate on Narg¡¯s green skin just by thinking about it. ¡°No¡­ No I can¡¯t leave her. The great maw would not have allowed her to come if he wanted or expected her to fail now. It is my duty to see her through this, as she is a friend of the reincarnation.¡± He let out a deep, shaky breath. ¡°So just how do I do that if she¡¯s comatose?¡± Narg sent out more pulses of Seek Danger, Seek Object, and Seek Safety. Pathways congregated in his mind as manifested as streaks of pulsing light that pulsed for a few seconds before dying away, leaving invisible trails only he could see afterwards. Seek Safety flared its light right where he¡¯d positioned them so that he could collect his thoughts, reaffirming it was still a good hiding place to think over his predicament. Seek Object, which he¡¯d focused generally on ¡®An Exit¡¯, traced itself down in multiple directions showing multiple paths he could use in order to leave - all of which ended at the same spot far down on the very bottom floor of the maze somewhere. Meanwhile, Seek Danger flared brightly in the direction of the chained giant and interior of the cylindrical maze, as well as immediately to the right at the next bend where fighting could be heard. Surprisingly enough, Seek Danger ALSO flared a more vibrant light to the left as well¡­ and as Narg watched its pulse - that light began to creep closer by the second at a monotonous pace. Whatever or whoever it was had completely concealed their presence from him. He was unable to detect a sound, and he couldn¡¯t sense a power signature at all. No mana, divinity, or stamina was detectable even in the barest of hints¡­ and Narg was beginning to get nervous after it got within twenty feet of his position just around the left bend. Silently flying up to a dark corner of the dead end hallway he had helped Nora to, he saw the hues of Seek Safety began to flicker out and die around him - as the presence finally made it to the edge of the wall. But he saw nothing. Hoping he was sufficiently hidden here in the dark, which only had about a 20% chance of success by his guess due to being in an abyssal plane where most creatures could see in dark places - he waited. If it was another maze-crawler and not a spawned creature, he¡¯d still have a chance - and Narg had little choice in the matter as he wasn¡¯t about to leave Nora behind. Seconds passed, and still nothing. His Seek Danger and Seek Safety castings began to fade, and the last of it died away with the previous impression showing that whatever or whoever it was had stopped dead in its tracks directly in front of him. Narg was a beholder demon and his many eyes could pick up on most stealthed opponents, and he even had a trait called ¡®Scoped Vision¡¯ that would make out extremely minute details even at a distance - but he could sense nothing. Should he just blast the area anyways? He was considering this just when a person stepped out of stealth, and began walking slowly to where Nora was still gasping, choking, and convulsing on the ground. It was a skresh wearing assassin garbs. The skeletal humanoid had an extra arm on its left side as well, making the cloak the skresh wore appear bulkier and lopsided. The two left hands each held daggers, while the right hand shifted in and out of reality with an odd combination of pillars that Narg couldn¡¯t pinpoint. Two feet into the hallway, the skresh stopped, then turned its dead gaze upwards to look at the exact spot Narg now pressed himself into. And if the skeleton could smile, Narg had no doubt this skresh would be doing so right now. ¡°Nice hiding place.¡± The skresh let out in a masculine rasp, chuckling to himself as his daggers repeatedly spun absentmindedly. ¡°But I suppose I shouldn¡¯t mock you too much¡­ there aren¡¯t any better ones. Not here. Regardless¡­ it appears your companion is out for the count. And given what you are¡­ I¡¯m assuming you''re a mage.¡± The skresh cocked its head to the side, raising its left hand that continued to phase in and out as a wall of mana crashed down in front of Nora as Narg manifested a nightmare barrier. The undead was obviously unphased by Narg¡¯s display, and didn¡¯t bother taking a step back. ¡°I am.¡± Narg replied, floating down from the top corner. Channeling unholy and infernal energies into different tentacles leading up to his various eyes, he kept both piercing globspitters and explosive hellspitters locked in on his target. ¡°But let us cut to the chase. What is it that you want? If it is our deaths to claim our keys, our group in the sacrificial chamber has not yet made them.¡± The skresh scoffed, and the twirling of his daggers stopped. His dead gaze seemed to leer at Narg as if to wordlessly call him a liar and an idiot. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what someone with keys would say. Now isn¡¯t it?¡± Silence ensued for nearly two minutes as they stared at one another. ¡°But I am a kind skresh, and am willing to let you go with your life.¡± The skeletal man said with a low bow - eye sockets of his skull never leaving Narg. ¡°Under one condition.¡± Narg furrowed his brows, and floated closer to the convulsing woman on the floor in preparation for a potential attack. He could feel the aura of death starting to pour out of the undead, and the underlying suspicion of this skeletal man¡¯s power after failing to detect him earlier was all but confirmed. This was not a fight Narg would win, but he was not willing to fail Gluttony¡¯s call either. No matter what, he must prevail. ¡°And what would that condition be, stranger?¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. The skresh assassin clattered his teeth together and raised slightly. ¡°Let me kill the human girl. They are a weak species anyways, and you can obviously do without her. You will lose your keys, but your team will be left with one to complete the maze after they remake the keys a second time. It is a good offer, considering the alternative is both of your heads¡­ Or, in your case, your eyeballs.¡± It wasn¡¯t a funny joke, but the skresh certainly thought it to be as he cackled outwardly and brandished his daggers as his aura soared. Deathly energies crashed into the nightmare barrier of flame and shadow with just a passive flex of the undead¡¯s soul, and Narg inwardly cursed as he decided on what to do. He didn¡¯t have much of a choice. ¡°Fine.¡± Narg said with a frown. ¡°She¡¯s deadweight to me anyways. You can have her, just leave me be.¡± Somewhat surprised, but pleased, the skresh stepped back and lowered his blades along with his shimmering right hand. ¡°Very good¡­ Very good. I am happy that we-¡± Narg lit the undead up, unleashing all of his unholy and infernal attacks that eradicated the hallway in front of him with subsequent blasts. The skresh evaporated into thin air with an echo of a snarl, but he¡¯d been ready for treachery and dodged all of it without much fanfare. However, it did leave the hallway open to run for it. Or in Narg¡¯s case, fly. Without a word, Narg picked up Nora¡¯s twitching body in his mouth. Encompassing them in a sphere of molded nightmare barrier, he pointed all of his accessory eyeballs behind him and charged over a dozen hellspitters. With another resounding boom, he unleashed the fiery spells in an explosion that sent him blasting forward like a rocket - past the assassin that attempted to slash down at the passing duo - and out towards the inner cylinder of the labyrinth. Directly towards the chained giant. Narg¡¯s mind raced as he ducked and weaved under the unnaturally fast assassin, who was managing to keep up with Narg even despite the propulsive explosions the beholder demon set off one after another for quick trajectory changes. Most of the attacks were deflected by the barrier, but once in a while the shimmering hand would pierce through the veil and attempt to grab at Nora - the easier target - before Narg quickly dodged to avoid the swiping hand as he raced through the winding tunnels. Abyssal hounds roared as he passed them by and the thundering boom of a giant fist caused the maze to shake again as tortured wails from the chained giant grew louder. But Narg didn¡¯t dare stop, he was on an alternate path now. The path he¡¯d set out for them should something like this happen, a situation where he knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to win and had to make a gambling chance. He was headed for the drop off, and would attempt to dive down through the open air to the lower levels and expose himself to the giant that he¡¯d seen swat down so many other fliers in their attempts prior to this. ¡°Come back here you WRETCH! GIVE ME YOUR KEYS!" The skresh screached out at him, blurring passed in a swath of death and shadow before extending a hand and sending numerous bone javelins out of his warping limb over the course of three seconds. Narg activated ¡®Seek Safety¡¯ in a split second before the original struck and followed the path it laid out, managing to successfully dodge all of the blurring projectiles by tracing his skill¡¯s outline. The skresh gawked. But Narg didn¡¯t bother waiting to see the undead¡¯s reaction as a globspitter¡¯s piercing green bolt was sent blasting through an erected bone shield the skresh had summoned, sliding the assassin backwards by a few feet and cursing loudly. Narg flashed by. The beholder demon weaved up, down, left and right as the large hallway widened out and zigzagged until the molten glow of the enormous lake of lava began to be more prevalent. Cracks in the labyrinth¡¯s floors showed he was in an overpass of some sort with the lake far below, and not long after that he came to the beginning of an opening where a ledge overlooking the magma was in full view. He¡¯d almost done it. Using one of his eyes to look back and saw the assassin racing to catch up, with another dozen of the black labyrinth hounds rushing behind the skresh as they too took to the chase. On the other side was possible salvation in the form of an enraged, charred giant - with its eyes burned out, and a giant chain coming out of the magma pool far below to attach at a metal collar around the giant¡¯s neck. All around the cylindrical, cavernous room were other ledges, outcroppings, and exposed pathways where only occasional flickers of movement could be seen in brief. A dashing monster here, a sneaking participant there, only for the monstrous giant¡¯s blackened, sizzling hand to crush one after the other in quick succession - managing to kill perhaps a third of the creatures that dared expose themselves to the titan. Despite the ears and eyes having been burned out, it had uncanny accuracy and had the strength of ten thousand of anything roaming these abyssal halls. Narg was just hoping that it would be too distracted to try and go for him. With the assassin¡¯s shadowy form closing in, Narg used a final burst of flame and blasted into either side of the hallway¡¯s end with two different eyes. The residual explosions sent him out like a cannonball, and soon he was airborne. Far, far out into the middle of the room, Narg soared - barely managing to outpace a spiraling dagger infused with death essence so potent that the air around it warped. Taking a sharp turn and diving low underneath a quick swing from the massive giant, Narg¡¯s heart almost stopped as the fried limb of the titan broke the sound barrier and whooshed overhead. The residual BOOM that sounded out when the giant missed him and impacted the far wall made Narg almost bite down on the woman in his mouth, but he managed to get ahold of himself and began a direct downward spiral - looping around the giant¡¯s waist towards the molten lake. Meanwhile, Nora was dealing with her own problems. Narg just couldn¡¯t see it. *** The familiar, ancient presence of numerous entities she¡¯d grown up with since being a small child pressed against her mind like a flood about to break. But they were anything but welcome. Smiling, crazed figures of shadow and claw smiled endlessly out at her. A legion of grins, devoid of anything but malice. Entities of true evil, not ¡®Unholy¡¯, but actual evil - were sitting inside her soul, waiting to be let out. She could feel their claws digging through the barriers she¡¯d erected to keep them out of her dreams, but now, in this place, they seemed to have grown stronger. And they¡¯d been stronger ever since meeting Riven again, and having been in the presence of Gluttony. They wanted to be near him, and they wanted to be free of the mental prison she¡¯d trapped them in. ¡°We are friends¡­ Friends!!! Let us out! Let us out!¡± They cooed simultaneously, speaking together without ever breaking that sick, crazed smile they had. The silver-white eyes were the only outstanding colors in a sea of black, and they almost seemed two-dimensional due to just how black they were. She could not make out any real dimensions beyond their outlines as they tried to swarm and press against each other for the forefront of her attention. ¡°FRIENDS! FRIENDS! FRIENDS! WE ARE FRIENDS! WE ARE FRIENDS! LET US OUT! LET US OUT!¡± Nora internally cringed away from the smiling faces, beginning to cry as she screamed over the building crescendo of the insistent begging. ¡°Please just go away¡­ Please¡­ You''re all scaring me...¡± ¡°NORA, NORA, LET US OUT! NORA, NORA, LET US OUT!¡± CRASH Pain. Intense pain brought her back to the real world, as she felt her bones shatter in dozens of places all at once. She wanted to scream, but the air was torn from her lungs - and the world spun as she was smashed into a giant pool of lava with a splash. She opened her eyes wide in shock, seeing Narg only a few dozen yards away getting snatched out of the lava where he¡¯d landed away from her. A huge hand gripped the broken, bloodied beholder demon as he was picked up by the charred and chained giant - and a look of fear overcame Narg as the beholder was brought up to the giant¡¯s gaping mouth. A squeal of horrified pain, and then a bloody CRUNCH resounded in the labyrinth as the giant began to chew on the demon before swallowing. It looked down at Nora next, the enormous, blind creature somehow sensing she was there - sinking into the magma, at a slow pace while burning alive. She croaked out, too weak to move, and watched as the giant¡¯s bloody mouth widened before it brought down its other hand to reach for her next. ¡°FRIENDS! FRIENDS! WE ARE FRIENDS!¡± The voices echoed in her mind, and without anything left in the tank to hold them back - her curtain of willpower fell. And the creatures that¡¯d been held back for so long began to reclaim her. Memories of murders. Memories of being locked in an insane asylum, and then a women¡¯s prison, and then a maximum security lab where she¡¯d been experimented on by her government all came flooding back to her. Memories that she¡¯d suppressed, as that sickly smile the monsters inside her wore began to spread along her own face. Her skin began to loose focus, turning a vantablack, and her eyes began to glow a soft silvery light. But the pain... The pain had vanished entirely. ¡°Friends, friends¡­ we are all friends!¡± Nora whispered to herself with a giggle, her mind snapping as reality lost focus - and she lost her sense of self. She was no longer Nora. It was THEY who were Nora. They were all Nora. They always had been. They always would be. And they would never be apart from her again. They¡­ were one. [Bloodline: The Insane Asylum, has been activated. The Insanity Stat has been unlocked. Your soul has rearranged itself with the help of your ''Others''. Your soul lattice has taken a massive step forward, and is almost complete. Congratulations, you are nearly at the E-grade.] Chapter 293 Chapter 293 The magma around Nora¡¯s body was dispersed from her position in a half-bowl shape underneath her as a howl of laughter tore out of her throat. It was her voice, but overlaid with hundreds of other voices that all laughed alongside her as a chilling cold spread across her body. Her long black hair extended from shoulder-length to halfway down her back. Her ears became extremely long and pointed, like an elf but far longer. Her eyes became a blank silvery white - unblinking. A manic smile sporting across her black skin to show a series of sharp, silvery white teeth, and the inside of her mouth sported a similar color. As her clothes burned away under the flickering remnants of fire left behind by the magma, she no longer held true definition. She was, at first glance, two-dimensional - a flat outline of void with silvery white eyes and a silvery white smile. And as the giant¡¯s reaching hand came to grasp at her, that smile only grew wider. ¡°WE ARE LEGION!¡± Nora¡¯s voices called out in a tidal wave of laughter, and she pointed a single finger at the charred giant as if to mock him. ¡°CONSUME!¡± The entire labyrinthe began to shake as a pulse of dark energy flashed out of her finger, instantly eradicating the hand and forearm of the chained giant like it was nothing. The giant¡¯s surprised and horrified reaction was abrupt, and his scream echoed out across the stone as he fell back with a loud splash into the magma - his good arm holding the stump where Nora¡¯s attack had eaten it away. But in another instant, Nora was there - above the giant¡¯s burnt out eyes and continuing to smile ruthlessly down at the creature. She held out her arms as if to embrace him, and lifted her head up to the dark ceiling far above. ¡°A SOUL TO TAKE FOR THE ENDLESS ARMY!¡± Wails erupted from her body as a tidal wave of dark figures began to peel off her skin with terrifying, hungry wails. They began to grow eyes and creepy smiles similar to her own, with silvery-white light illuminating their otherwise two-dimensional vantablack figures as the clawed, wraith-like demons tore out of her body and launched themselves at the half-buried giant in the magma. The sheer amount of black bodies piling onto the giant and devouring it was overwhelming, and despite the flailing of the crazed giant and the power behind its swings, it was unable to hit Nora even once. She stayed in place, letting the strikes attempt to crush her as they simply passed through - never losing the sickening smile as she watched her others strip the flesh from the giant¡¯s bones. The bones came after. And then the soul. It all flowed into her like a river of multicolored light, being sucked away into her endlessly black body as her eyes brightly flashed. [Your personal Insane Asylum has added a soul to its reserves: Cursed Abyssal Giant. You may now summon this enslaved creature to do your bidding as a Legion version of itself, becoming slightly weaker than the original but obtaining immortality as long as your entire legion is not destroyed. Personal Insane Asylum: 5000 Others, 1 Cursed Abyssal Giant. You are now able to connect with other Insane Asylums that you come into contact with, should you wish to do so.] Nora giggled and then screamed with laughter in a storm of voices, becoming higher pitched by the second as she doubled over while floating in the air - her body radiating an invisible energy that continued to keep the magma at bay in a rippling half-sphere underneath her. The others were laughing as well, and they launched themselves back out of the magma to playfully poke at her and one another - doing flips or zipping around like children on a playground. But when another hesitant participant was seen staring out at her in bewilderment and awe, Nora and her others abruptly stopped. In an instant they all turned simultaneously to smile at the unfortunate necromancer, and Nora slowly lifted her finger to point at the man. ¡°DEVOUR!¡± A resultant scream sounded out, and a wave of black bodies rushed into the maze as her others started eating everything they could come across. Rising up to float further in the air, Nora groaned in pleasure as soul after soul, beast after beast, participant after participant was dragged screaming and thrashing into death; food for consumption, as her soul lattice continued to build. ¡°I am the master of this labyrinth now!¡± Nora¡¯s voices echoed like a ghost throughout the complex as the violence escalated. Her bright eyes peeled across its length, and notifications continued to run through her mind as more and more victims were added to her ever-smiling army. ¡°All will be fodder for the horde! Legion will rise once again!¡± *** ¡°Well god damn¡­¡± Riven muttered, watching Nora hunt down and kill any living thing that manifested inside the labyrinth like a tidal wave of unkillable death. ¡°That is the fucking creepiest thing I¡¯ve ever seen. Nora? Nora, can you hear me!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not responding. We¡¯ve already tried.¡± Allie confirmed through their link. ¡°At least I¡¯ll be able to stop this disgusting ritual. We have more than enough keys now through her efforts.¡± ¡°YES, UNHOLY ONE!¡± Nora abruptly cut in, all of her others stopping what they were doing to bow simultaneously as her main body bowed low at the waist with a flourish. ¡°WHAT DOES THE GREAT MAW DESIRE OF US!?¡± ¡°Ok, well that¡¯s just rude.¡± Allie muttered across the link, getting a fit of laughter from Riven and some of his minions. Riven scratched his chin and looked over the remaining champions. Four of them had already vanished after Nora had killed their party members in the labyrinth, having been forcibly ejected from the descent, and he couldn¡¯t help but wince. ¡°Uhm¡­ Is that still you, Nora?¡± ¡°I AM NORA! WE ARE NORA! NORA IS ONE OF US, AND WE ARE ONE! NORA IS NOT GONE, BUT HAS MULTIPLIED!¡± ¡°... I see. Could you not butcher everyone there? This is a rather drastic turn of events, and I have a lot of questions, but please just leave. We all want to get out of this place. Allie said she has the keys she needs for the ritual after you took them from the other groups.¡± Nora paused, considering his words, and then nodded. ¡°I WILL DO AS THE GREAT MAW ASKS!¡± Raising his eyebrows at her enthusiasm, he let out a sigh of relief as she began sparing the others she came across - navigating the labyrinth at high speed in a dive through the depths of the tunnels. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± A small voice from his left called out, and he turned to see Kara Blackbow sitting wide-eyed in shock only a few inches away. ¡°W-What was that? A-and who are all these other people?¡± Riven blinked, ignoring the storm of black and red energies that continued to butcher abyssal monsters at a constant rate whenever they came too close. ¡°Oh, right. You¡¯re linked with my party now, so you¡¯re able to connect with the others.¡± He gave the drow young woman a reassuring smile and a shoulder pat, smiling wider upon seeing how she clasped the new bow he¡¯d made for her tight against her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll fit right in.¡± She slowly lifted her pale gray eyes to meet his, her lips tightly pursed before letting out a shuddering breath. ¡°But I¡¯m so pathetically weak compared to¡­ to THAT! And did¡­ Did they call you-¡± ¡°The great maw?¡± Riven asked casually, waving it away. ¡°That¡¯s just a joke.¡± ¡°A joke?¡± She asked hesitantly. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s because I eat a lot. They also call me fat.¡± He kept a straight face, trying not to laugh, as Gluttony grumbled inside him. ¡°What!?¡± Riven said internally through his mind link. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, the poor girl is already about to have a heart attack! That bit can wait.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Gluttony stated absentmindedly, his attention elsewhere. ¡°It¡¯s Nora.¡± ¡°What about Nora? Is something wrong?¡± Gluttony did the mental equivalent of shaking his head. ¡°Not wrong. But¡­ Her bloodline may be problematic. I will discuss more on the subject later, for now I will go back to the lattice.¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve been doing this entire time? Building up our soul lattice?¡± Gluttony laughed. ¡°Merely setting the foundations. You¡¯ll be the one that finishes it when we reach the lower floors.¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Kara asked with a worried frown. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Riven snapped out of his internal conversation and gave her another reassuring grin. ¡°Of course! Now, we should be getting out of this place soon - and I¡¯ll be able to introduce-¡± A flash of light later and Riven was no longer sitting in the lotus position in that fleshy room of constant combat. Instead, he and his entire crew with some new additions were now in a large dome illuminated by multiple miniature suns that each spanned many hundreds of yards across. Each sun represented one of the pillars available to those under the Unholy Foundation. One was green, flickering with a tinge of black and red from time to time, that let off potent Unholy energy. This was the central sun, and it was surrounded by all of the others at intervals. The red sun was for Blood, black for Shadow, teal with tinges of black and gray for Death, a mixture of orange, yellow and red for Infernal, pink and gray for Depraved, and finally a darker gray mixed with burgundy for Chaos. Lastly, there was also the dark purple sun that let off potent Sin energy as well. Out of all the suns, the Blood and Sin suns called to Riven the most - and he was drawn to step towards them with a sharp intake of breath.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The heat was palpable, but gave off a potent energy, and dozens of other groups were seated in meditative positions around the sun at various uneven placements. [Floor 21, The Unholy Throne, is now open to you. As promised, by passing Floor 20, you are now permitted insight into one of your paths. You may mentally connect with The Unholy Throne whenever you deem yourself ready, choosing any single sun of those available here for a free insight; and when all of your party members are done - you may pick another team for a joint operation for Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. Merely notify Elysium when you are ready to proceed to Floor 22. Elysium will protect you while on this floor, and no harm may come to you or your possessions while here - so as to not disturb your meditation. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] Looking around, Riven was caught off guard. This was a cultivation haven, and the longer he stood here - the longer he felt his soul permeate with the sin energy. It leached out into multiple pillars, infusing them and touching each of them with the promise of power. He relished the feeling, but was disappointed that he could only choose one of the suns to connect with. He wanted all of them, damn it! ¡°EEEK!¡± Riven felt small hands latch onto his left arm, and he was nearly knocked over as Kara Blackbow slammed into him from the side - quivering and hiding behind him with legs that literally shook at the knees. ¡°RIVEN! RIVEN IT¡¯S GOING TO EAT ME!¡± Huffing down at the frightened drow and glancing up to see Azmoth peering down, Riven began to laugh. He¡¯d forgotten just how big Azmoth had become, and the titanic demon could easily fit Kara or any of the others into his mouth to swallow whole using a single bite at this point. ¡°Riven, is that what the system notification about adding another team member was about?¡± Athela asked, raising an eyebrow and putting her hands on her hips with an unsatisfactory glare. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the hoe who accused you of sleeping with her? I thought you¡¯d eaten the bitch.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Fay threw up her hands and began to walk away. ¡°Wait, wait, wait, you two are jumping to conclusions here.¡± Riven said, exasperated as Allie shook her head - and Genua merely smiled. ¡°It isn¡¯t all bad.¡± Genua said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. ¡°If he makes her another thrall, that will mean I don¡¯t have to wait on both of you. The work can be split, and that way each of you could have your own personal servant.¡± ¡°A THRALL!? NO!¡± Kara repeated, horrified by the notion, but she quickly went back to cowering behind Riven when Azmoth tilted his head to get a better look. Riven faintly caught Nora¡¯s ever-smiling expression staring at him like a maniac, and it made him feel a little bit uncomfortable. Like she¡¯d stab him in his sleep. Shaking his head, and noting that he was DEFINITELY going to be having a conversation with her about this abrupt and strange change before connecting with one of the pillar-affiliated suns here on the 21st floor, he scowled over at Athela and Fay who had suddenly exchanged a series of sheepish, guilty looks. ¡°What¡¯s this about waiting on these two?¡± Riven asked Genua, staring at his two lovers while they actively ignored him and refused to meet his eyes. ¡°Explain please.¡± Genua looked shocked, and put her hands on her swollen belly. ¡°Did they not tell you? That¡¯s odd. Well, I have been designated as a handmaiden. It is only right, considering that they are to be your wives and I am but a mere concubine.¡± ¡°You are not a concu-¡± ¡°And it was even my idea.¡± Genua cut in before Riven could finish the sentence. ¡°Ever since you let Luke go, the burden of caring for your fiances has gone up. I bathe them, help them dress, prepare their hair, bring them meals, and perform more personal services whenever they ask for it. You often don¡¯t need those things and don¡¯t ask for them, and I felt like it would make better use of my time - as unless I am with Len or studying blood scripture, I often don¡¯t do much.¡± Riven gawked. Personal services? Did that mean¡­ ¡°It was her idea!¡± Athela repeated, and Fay aggressively nodded with feminine grunts of approval. ¡°It¡¯s not like we forced her to be our toy and do these things! She volunteered!¡± ¡°It has been rather nice! She gives great massages, and she¡¯s a nice prop when needed.¡± Fay stated slyly, slapping her hands onto her blushing face to hide when Riven turned an unbelieving stare on her next. ¡°Your toy? Massages? A prop? This¡­¡± Riven began, but closed his eyes - taking in a deep breath of air and slowly letting it out to calm himself before shrugging. ¡°Fine. As long as you¡¯re ok with being their personal servant or slave or whatever it is you are, then you can do what you want Genua. But don¡¯t do anything that is out of your comfort zone, or I¡¯m going to be angry.¡± He glared at the two demonesses. ¡°Got it?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± Athela gave a cheeky salute. Fay beamed and swayed back and forth with her hands behind her back, tail wagging. ¡°Yup!¡± Looking down at Kara, he rolled his eyes and gestured in the other direction. ¡°Ignore them please. And anyway, huddle around everyone! It''s time for formal introductions. Everyone, this is Kara Blackbow - the new team member. We¡¯ll be escorting her to Floor 40. Kara, this big scary guy is Azmoth. He¡¯s one of my demonic familiars.¡± One of Azmoth¡¯s titanic clawed hands waved down as his wings flared out to the sides with a burst of inferno. A rather impressive, if not unneeded display of power. ¡°A familiar¡­?¡± Kara repeated, awestruck as she stepped around Riven to get a better look at the enormous creature. She glanced back at Riven suspiciously. ¡°How are you able to contract an archdemon like that without losing enormous amounts of Willpower?¡± ¡°Oh, you can tell he¡¯s an archdemon? He wasn¡¯t an archdemon when I first met him. None of them were.¡± Riven said proudly, leaning on Jackal¡¯s staff form and not hiding the smug smile adorning his face. ¡°And yet they¡¯re all archdemons now. Except for Narg, he¡¯s a beholder that just died before you were accepted into the party chat. He¡¯ll be back in a day. Probably need to wait for him to respawn here before we leave so he can get an insight as well¡­ but that¡¯s another story. Anyways, the arshakai trifecta over there is named Athela. She¡¯s my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Fiance!¡± Athela said with a growl, coming over to peck him on the cheek. ¡°And don¡¯t forget it.¡± Riven ignored her, but playfully slapped her backside and pushed her away as he began to blush. ¡°And that greater succubus is Fay. My other girlfriend. She, Athela and I have a three-way relationship going on. Long story, but it works for us and that¡¯s what matters.¡± Fay performed a curtsy and a wink. ¡°Nice to meet you, drow girl. Now get your hands off my man¡¯s arm.¡± Kara stared with incomprehension, before abruptly letting go of Riven¡¯s arm with a furious blush and an apologetic bow. ¡°I¡¯m s-sorry, archdemon Fay. I did not mean to offend you. Please forgive this one¡¯s foolishness.¡± ¡°No offense taken, mortal.¡± Fay replied with a satisfied grin, coming up to push inbetween them and fold her arms around Riven¡¯s arm where Kara had just been moments ago. Trying not to roll his eyes yet again, Riven continued with the introductions. "This is Retesh, he''s our resident friendly lich." Stoic silence followed as the two eyed each other suspiciously. ¡°This is Genua, my thrall.¡± There was a pause. ¡°Is she a blood priestess?¡± Kara asked, obviously impressed by Genua¡¯s getup. ¡°Isn¡¯t that, like, really impressive?¡± ¡°I am a blood priestess!¡± Genua gave an enthusiastic wave, her crimson tattoos glittering underneath her priestesses¡¯ hood. ¡°Hello Kara! Let¡¯s go back to my earlier point about potentially coming on as a thrall. You should really consider-¡± ¡°And this-¡± Riven cut Genua off. ¡°Is Allie. My sister.¡± Kara¡¯s pale gray eyes grudgingly turned off Genua and met Allie¡¯s similarly colored ones, and the two stared at each other for a long time after that. The drow¡¯s gaze evaluated the long, black feathered wings, the bone armor covering most of Allies¡¯ body, and the exquisite claymore she held while sitting lazily in a throne she¡¯d created out of bones so she didn¡¯t have to stand. ¡°Sup.¡± Allie said, giving the other woman a head nod. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering how I¡¯m his sister without being a vampire, know that I used to be one. Long story.¡± Kara hesitated, glancing up at Riven for confirmation. ¡°What does, Sup, mean?¡± Allie snorted in amusement, and Riven did the same. ¡°It¡¯s just a way to say hi.¡± Allie said, dismissively waving the question away. She gestured to Fimrindle, who stood beside her. ¡°This is my minion, Fimrindle. He¡¯s a reaper.¡± The metal, half-demon, half-undead scarecrow didn¡¯t move to the visible eye and didn¡¯t react. From underneath his hood, his jaw remained slightly unhinged as his scythe and lantern were held out to either side of him since getting here. ¡°A reaper?¡± Kara asked in a whisper. ¡°And¡­ And you¡¯re an angel of death? Aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re not a fallen angel, if you have a reaper as a minion. Is that right?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Allie asked with a scoff. Riven frowned at Allie¡¯s rudeness. ¡°All but the most basic identification information is canceled until we hit Floor 40. Don¡¯t be mean.¡± ¡°Mean?!¡± Allie repeated, belly-laughing at the idea. ¡°Riven, do you know who and what you are? And you¡¯re saying not to be MEAN!?¡± She quickly shut up when he gave her a glare. ¡°What does she mean by that?¡± Kara hesitantly asked from the sideline, still using Riven¡¯s body as something of a shield from the others. It was obvious how nervous she was. Riven shrugged in a noncommittal way. ¡°That I¡¯m a vampire, I guess.¡± The others all gave him blank stares. Athela snickered, the only thing to break the awkward silence. And it was obvious that Kara wasn¡¯t buying it by the suspicious look she was giving him. Riven threw up his hands and turned heel, beginning to walk away in a pretend rage. ¡°Fuck you guys, I¡¯m going home.¡± Laughter erupted behind him, and he gave them all the middle finger - which made them all laugh even harder. He peeled back though, and snapped his fingers before pointing at the last member of their party in the back. ¡°Finally, this is Nora. Nora, meet Kara.¡± The vantablack two-dimensional woman with the unnerving smile and unblinking white eyes gave a dramatic bow, taking a knee and using a silver tongue to lick the front of her pointed teeth while she smiled. When she spoke, it was with hundreds of overlapping voices. ¡°Legion greets the maw¡¯s new pet!¡± Kara stepped back fearfully, retreating to where Riven was yet again, and gripped her bow tightly. ¡°I¡­ I saw you kill all those things back in the maze. You¡¯re really powerful! Like, the most powerful person I¡¯ve ever seen! Even stronger than most of my clan¡¯s elders in the late E grade!¡± Kara looked to Riven, then to Azmoth, and then all around the group before settling on Nora at last. ¡°Which ones of you are the strongest? I mean¡­ Oh¡­ Oh wait. If - If you were in the part of the trial that was designated for the weakest members, then¡­¡± It was as if she¡¯d been struck by lightning. Her eyes bulged, and she took the group in with a new light. ¡°O-Oh¡­ Oh dear.¡± ¡°Oh dear?!¡± Athela hollered with laughter. ¡°That¡¯s what you have to say!? I think I am beginning to like this girl. How innocent.¡± Riven for his part was staring down Nora, who - as ever since her change - continued that creepy expression of hers. ¡°Yeah¡­ Hey Nora, why do you keep calling yourself Legion?¡± Nora cocked her head in the kneeling position, as if confused, but her expression never changed. ¡°Has the great one not told you? I am Legion. Legion is me. They are one and the same¡­ but perhaps a part of the greater whole. The insane asylum has called me home, and I have accepted my birthright to rule beneath your grace.¡± Riven¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I think I somewhat understand if biblical references can be trusted¡­ but could you do me a favor?¡± ¡°What does the great one desire?¡± Nora¡¯s voices asked. He cleared his throat. ¡°Could you bring out Nora as she originally was? I¡¯m not asking you to change permanently, I just want to make sure she¡¯s still here. And I¡¯ll be able to tell by the way your soul fluctuates, so¡­ just help my unsettled mind come to terms with this. I want to make sure she¡¯s still ok.¡± ¡°Oh. That can certainly be done. The rest of us will leave, and we humbly await our chance to return. Don¡¯t take too long though! It has been many years since we¡¯ve been let out!¡± The creature that Nora had become stood up, and with a hissing intake of air - she began to change once again. The vantablack skin, the creepy smile and eyes, and her longer black hair all vanished to display what Nora had looked like before the entity calling itself ¡®Legion¡¯ had overtaken her. She was now an asian woman in her 30¡¯s, and didn¡¯t look anything but human. Only that her clothes had all burned up in the magma pit, and Riven was quick to take out a blanket he used for sleeping before tossing it her way. Nora for her part caught it without delay and wrapped it around her body, giving him a thankful nod and shuddering. But there wasn¡¯t any delay in her thought process - and the only signs that she was having any trouble adjusting to the reverted state was a rapid blinking and a slight unsteadiness that was corrected with a supporting arm by Fay. Nora shuddered again. ¡°That was¡­ That was different. I¡¯ve never connected with them like that before. Not that deeply.¡± ¡°So you know what they are?¡± Riven asked, curious but also relieved as the same soul signature he¡¯d grown accustomed to from Nora had returned. He was certain - it was her. ¡°Care to explain?¡± Nora opened her mouth, closed it, and then nodded. ¡°Yeah. I can do that. Just give me a little bit of time, some sleep, and some food¡­ and then I will discuss everything that I remember. Those memories¡­ they¡¯d been locked away. But now they¡¯re back, and boy do I have quite the history to tell you about.¡± Chapter 294 Chapter 294 Kara sat cross-legged, wide eyed and frightened, but also a little bit excited to be included in such a group. They¡¯d all decided to take a breather after the events of the last floor, and she finally found herself clawing her way back up out of the pit of despair she¡¯d flung herself into¡­ after her original party from her homeland had left her to die or leave the descent altogether. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d die down here. Returning back home without completing 40 floors was literally not an option for her. She¡¯d be shunned and cast out by her family if she failed, her honor marred, and that in itself would be a death sentence as she¡¯d lose the protection of her family name - leaving her a prime target for the one likely responsible for this entire situation to begin with. And if she wasn¡¯t killed? She¡¯d likely be enslaved, which would be even worse. No, going back without completing all 40 floors was no option at all, and getting the system¡¯s official stamp of approval after turning out that accomplishment was the only path forward. ¡°Doing alright down there?¡± Riven asked as he and Fay walked by holding hands. They both gave her a pleasant smile and Fay even waved. ¡°U-uhm, yes. I¡¯m fine! Thanks for asking.¡± Kara replied with a nervous nod. Her eyes found the succubus rather curious, as Fay¡¯s large ram¡¯s horns had disappeared. In place of them were smaller ones that allowed her to wear a purple witch¡¯s hat that fit with the rest of her getup. ¡°Did¡­ did your horns change, Fay?¡± Fay blinked, then nodded while bringing up her hands to touch the smaller pointed horns coming out of her forehead. ¡°Oh these?! Yes. Much like Athela, but to a far lesser extent, I¡¯m able to shape-shift parts of my body in various ways. I can completely retract my wings, tail, and horns without using my illusions - and if need be, can make them revert to their original forms. This is how I used to look before becoming an archdemon, but if I choose to keep them like this - or if I have them retracted entirely - then I don¡¯t receive the benefits the larger horns would provide me. The thing is, I can¡¯t wear this hat with my larger ram¡¯s horns! It¡¯s a pain.¡± ¡°You could just ditch the hat.¡± Riven winked and gave her a playful nudge with his hips. ¡°Or you could have Athela modify it, stitching it up to fit your big head.¡± ¡°Heyyy! I don¡¯t have a big head, you jerk!¡± Fay scowled back and jabbed him in the ribs to produce a yelp. ¡°And no! You gave me this hat, it is sentimental now and I want to keep it.¡± Kara watched the two flirt back and forth with one another for a solid minute as Riven teased the succubus while she pretended to get angry. For the first time in a while, Kara felt a genuine smile pulling at the corners of her lips. She held the new bow she¡¯d been gifted to her chest and took in a shallow breath. The enormous building-sized flame demon she¡¯d come to know as Azmoth was kneeling over their group while the others slept, protective even despite Elysium¡¯s promise to keep them and their belongings intact while on Floor 21. Genua and Athela were busy making baby clothes, with Athela teaching the elf thrall how to sew and being rather patient with the high elf even despite Genua¡¯s absolute lack of talent. Fimrindle was meditating at the Death-attuned teal-colored sun across the room, but he was the only one having started to cultivate as the rest of this rather unorthodox mix of demons and undead were simply taking a break for the day and waiting for Narg the beholder demon to respawn. Allie was in a deep conversation with Retesh, the angel of death and elder lich being two creatures that Kara would never have expected to meet - much less be party to while here in the descent. On her world they were creatures of legend, and even here in the abyss they were somewhat rare to see. Especially the angel. Fallen angels were hard enough to come by, but angels attuned to death were not only rarer - but also significantly more powerful on average as each of them were labeled ¡®Heroes¡¯ of Death, which added the title¡¯s additional benefits whatever they may be. Kara would have asked, but out of everyone here it was Allie that seemed most stand-offish. The complete opposite of her vampire brother. Nora was probably the one Kara had the least interest in getting to know though. She was creepy, to say the least, and she¡¯d even reverted back to that sickly hive-mind demonic form she had - and was having conversations with herself; letting out giggles here or there and even growls. To Kara, it seemed like Nora had absolutely lost her mind - but according to Riven she was just getting to know her ¡®Others¡¯. Whatever those were. Regardless, she did not belong. Looking around at the group, she couldn¡¯t identify any of them¡­ but she could certainly feel their passive auras. She¡¯d also seen what at least two of them could do, and Riven had spent billions of Elysium coins in order to add her to their party. A favor that she knew she¡¯d literally never be able to repay as she probably wouldn¡¯t see that amount of money in her lifetime, and a sum that would have bankrupted her family and possibly even her entire clan. What did that imply about his background? It was certainly no simple sum any F or E grade had a right to possess in any normal situation. Just who was he? HOW did he have three contracted ARCH-demons as familiars? And what were the strange archaic tattoos he had plastered in black ink along his otherwise white skin? Even his eyes were abnormal, being a deep black sclera with central brightly glowing crimson pupils - with most vampires not showing either of those traits. Riven had also effortlessly smashed aside the relentless tidal wave of abyssal monsters like it was nothing for nearly an entire day without pause, making the other ¡®champions¡¯ of their individual teams look like toddlers, and Nora had taken out the central giant of her event to consume and absorb it. And Nora was supposed to be one of their weakest! Meanwhile Kara couldn¡¯t even last a small amount of time in the Champions bracket and had nearly died, there¡¯s no way she would have lasted the extended time period she¡¯d received after come down here without a party. She was lucky enough to be alive even this far, and she¡¯d resigned herself to death before Riven had gone out of his way to help her. Whoever this Lillith person was, Kara was quite happy she¡¯d been snatched away. Not that she wished ill on this stranger, but it¡¯d certainly saved her life and Kara was pretty sure that out of all the parties she¡¯d seen - this one had what it took to go all the way if anyone did. Or perhaps she was just overestimating them, or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part that the people who¡¯d taken her in would do well. Floor 50 was almost unattainable by most standards though, so she couldn¡¯t help but worry. Even getting to Floor 40 was considered a near impossible task by most and that was why- ¡°Kara! Oh my, is that really you!?¡± A familiar feminine voice tinged with amusement and disbelief shouted out to her, and she froze rigidly in place. It wasn¡¯t Riven or Fay either, they¡¯d walked off after realizing Kara had been lost in her own thoughts. She¡¯d tuned them out when they¡¯d started getting into dangerously flirtatious conversations that made her blush, when the jealousy had started setting in. To have someone as utterly rich and that ridiculously handsome as that was just not even fair. This voice however - was something entirely different. It pierced through her layers of distraction, like an electric bolt running through her body, and she even felt her heart clench at the sickly sweet voice. ¡°IT IS KARA! We¡¯ve FOUND YOU Kara!!!¡± The voice echoed loudly with a high pitched laugh after the fact, creating somewhat of a scene as many of the other groups in meditation or at rest within the vicinity began to glare in their direction. Wiping away a strand of white hair and bringing it up into a ponytail, Kara shakily got to her feet and lifted her eyes to find none other than the focal point of all her melancholy and sorrow as of late: the woman named Zafima Chinwa. Zafima Chinwa was the fourth daughter of the Supreme Emperor¡¯s favorite concubine in the Empire of Purturis; an enchantress wearing a long golden dress that hugged her body like a tight sleeve with long dangling gold earrings that hung down to her breasts. Another drow, like most of the people that weren¡¯t slaves but who lived in the empire. Zafima was very pretty, with long legs and a slender build with a number of pristine white-gold ornaments decorating her hair as it came down into a braid behind her. An accomplished swordsman and battle priestess, she was well respected and held sway in the royal courts even despite not being an official princess - and she¡¯d had it out for Kara for the past year; the reasons being unknown. Kara¡¯s guess was that the other young woman was simply just cruel, as was a known thing amongst the younger generation of lords and ladies of the courts, and Kara was probably an easy target as she was only the 7th daughter of the Ashen Sage with little to no political sway. Zafima¡¯s mother also didn¡¯t like Kara¡¯s family much, with a history that preceded Kara¡¯s birth, and having Kara fail an impossible test or having her die in the attempt would be the equivalent to a backhanded slap to Kara¡¯s father after everything that had happened. It was a long and complicated series of events, with Kara being the unwilling participant and eventual victim at the end of the day, a pawn in the piece of political maneuvering that would likely see her dead. Be it her disgraced father killing her for coming back empty handed and bringing him shame, or be it by losing her family¡¯s name and protection should she fail - leaving her an easier target for Zafima who seemed to delight in tormenting her. And Kara certainly hadn¡¯t been the first to fall to the schemes of Zafima either. Rumor had it that there was still one man that she kept as a slave locked in her basement to tease and torture at will after her concubine-mother set her sights on another man to unleash her family¡¯s furry on. ¡°Lady Zafima Chinwa.¡± Kara said with a tight expression and a stiff back. ¡°I¡­ Did not expect you to be here.¡± Riven and Fay had turned to look, while the others of their group simply glanced over and resumed their original activities. And from behind Zafima while crossing the distance between a larger group of thirty or so people, another two dark elves and a vampire; all men. While Zafima wore a form fitting golden dress with a wand at her side and pretty ornaments in her hair, the two drow men had their hair cropped short and wore hoods over stylized green scale armor with obsidian trimming. The armor looked sturdy, but light and flexible, and it was intermixed with various leather pieces such as their boots or hard leather scabbards over the scimitars at their sides. One was younger than the other with a short cropped white beard, while the older man had a long scar running down across his jaw and neck. She recognized the older scarred man as her old party leader, Numin, and he¡¯d been the man who¡¯d been paid off to leave her behind. Paid to leave by the vampire standing next to him, who was likely an agent of Zafima if they were all standing together. The vampire was handsome and young - probably 19 or so by the looks of him, but then again vampires were a hard call on age even by the standards of elves. He had black hair styled into a flat mohawk, with red eyes that weren¡¯t quite as bright as Riven¡¯s - but gave off a dull crimson glow nonetheless. A long red cape was draped over one shoulder, with satin pants and a plain white vest; while a long rune-inscribed chain with a strangely rounded blade at the end was rolled up at his other side and attached to his waist. He wore a self-satisfied smirk while maintaining eye contact with Zafima, and crossed his arms to look her up and down before standing a foot away from her as she trembled in embarrassment, anger, and a mixture of other emotions that rapidly came and went. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you made it this far.¡± The vampire¡¯s silky smooth voice said, his fangs on display as his smile widened. ¡°We all are. We were taking bets on whether or not you¡¯d die or leave, but our sources say your tracker is still active and in the abyss¡­ so we¡¯ve been waiting here for nearly five weeks.¡±Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Kara¡¯s fists clenched around the bow she held down and in front of her, knuckles turning white as her nostrils flared. She was having a very hard time not lashing out at the bastard in front of her. She still didn¡¯t know his name, or how much he¡¯d paid her team at the request of Zafima, or why they¡¯d even went about it the way they did. But none of that mattered now. Instead, she stated a more simple question: ¡°Why were you all waiting for me?¡± Kara asked with a quivering voice, though she kept her expression as stoic as she could. ¡°Have you not embarrassed me enough? Have you all not already HUMILIATED me in countless ways and condemned me to death? What purpose would waiting here serve you, other than to see me suffer further?¡± Kara¡¯s eyes began to get wet, and she waved a hand at the sorceress Zafima, the drow man Numin who¡¯d been on her team originally, and the vampire who¡¯d seduced her and robbed her blind. ¡°Why? Why go through all of this just to torment me?¡± After a quick, whispered discussion with Numin - the unnamed younger drow warrior she¡¯d not really talked to much even after hiring him onto her team to get here took off without a second look back and headed towards the group they¡¯d come from. But the vampire who¡¯d stolen her belongings after sleeping with Kara shrugged, smirked, and glanced over at Zafima who was stifling a laugh. He also made a show of displaying a large sack hanging from his waist as well, one that¡¯d been hidden underneath the red cape on one side. ¡°You ask me why? It¡¯s just business, girl. I got paid to do a job and I did it. The pay was good, the sex was just mediocre, but the ticket down with Zafima¡¯s team was more than worth it. I¡¯m pretty adept with seduction powers after learning from an incubus as a young man and I¡¯ve only gotten better with time, so when your drow superior here asked me to-¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my superior.¡± Kara hissed, glaring daggers at Zafima before realizing just what the vampire man was wearing. ¡°HEY! That¡¯s my bag!¡± ¡°Your bag?¡± The vampire asked while the other two drow eagerly watched on. He looked down at the sack, gasped, and put a hand up to his face to mock Kara. ¡°THIS old thing!? No, it¡¯s just a trash sack I keep around to shit in.¡± Kara¡¯s face went bright red, or as red as a dark elf could physically go, and the teardrops came fast and furious as her whole body began visibly shaking. Rage, pain, humiliation - she wanted to hide under a rock. But more than that, she wanted her bag back. ¡°That bag has my mother¡¯s notebook in it. Can I please have it back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not yours anymore.¡± The vampire said with a raised nose, grinning down at her and taking a step backwards with hands outstretched. ¡°Sorry. Finders keepers¡­ You sad, sad excuse for an abyssal descender. How is it that you even got this far? You still haven¡¯t told us.¡± ¡°I said, give - it - BACK!¡± Kara screamed, fists clenched and stomping her right foot, as the vampire and Zafima both began to laugh. The vampire man pretended to think, raised a finger, and shook his head. ¡°No, no, no¡­ I don¡¯t think I will. It¡¯s mine. I took it fair and square. And as for your mother¡¯s notebook¡­ is it sentimental? I¡¯d heard your mother died. But I¡¯ve been tearing pieces out of it to wipe my ass with¡­¡± Slowly drawing out a thin, brown booklet - the vampire showed off her mother¡¯s notebook after pulling it from a pocket in the back of his pants. Smiling wickedly, he began waving it back and forth in front of her. ¡°Here¡­ take it.¡± Kara didn¡¯t have to be told twice. She reached out to take it from him, before a burst of light illuminated the area - and her mother¡¯s notebook was eradicated with a small explosion of hellfire. Kara remained utterly shellshocked, mouth agape, lips quivering as the ashes of the paper and leather bindings of the small book drifted as ash towards the floor. ¡°Ooops.¡± The vampire laughed with a shrug and another step back. Then looking down, he began to rummage through her sack. ¡°I wonder what else I can find in here! Odd that you don¡¯t even carry a true spacial sack and use this piece of shit while coming here. Surely you¡¯re not THAT poor, are you? Or is it because you¡¯re the 7th daughter and basically considered trash as the last in line for your father¡¯s mantle? Did they not outfit you properly on purpose?¡± Kara barely heard him. Her knees hit the floor, and she gasped, grabbing at the small cinders and blackened pieces of paper slowly fluttering to the floor. Teardrops splattered onto the strange gray stone of what they stood on, and Kara felt like she was going to vomit. ¡°M-Mom¡­¡± ¡°HAAAAAAA-ha-ha¨Cha-haaaa!!¡± Zafima began bellowing with laughter, the vampire joining her, as Numin - Kara¡¯s ex team mate - just grimaced slightly. But the man did not intervene. ¡°HOW PATHETIC!¡± Zafima roared, cackling like a woman gone wild while hovering over the sobbing figure beneath her. She grinned maniacally down at Kara, but did not touch her, as she leaned in close to whisper in her ear. ¡°Truly pathetic¡­ Just like that father of yours. Just like your mother was when she died¡­¡± ¡°You BITCH!¡± Kara snapped. The next instant, before she knew what she was doing, her hand reached back for a dagger at her waist. Flashing forward to stab Zafima through the throat with a primal scream of rage, she was abruptly stopped when red threads wrapped around her wrist to hold her back. The dagger was only a centimeter away from Zafima¡¯s throat, and the sorceress hadn¡¯t moved. In fact, she looked rather annoyed as she shot an irritated glare in the direction the threads were coming from. Her annoyance turned into surprise within the next second, and she stood erect - taking a step back as a slow clap began to come closer over the sound of footsteps. *** ¡°Congratulations.¡± Riven said, ending his slow clap with lids lowered in an expression of disgust before putting his hands behind his back. ¡°You people put on a real show. I¡¯m almost impressed. The notebook was especially maniacal. Props to you, lesser.¡± Riven¡¯s red eyes flashed, casually looking down on the other vampire with the obvious reference to the man¡¯s bloodline. In the short time spent interacting with other vampires on Panu and within the Blood Moon Requiem, it¡¯d become obvious that vampires took bloodlines very seriously - and being a pureblood himself, he was at the top of the vampiric social hierarchy even outside of being a prince to an S-grade faction. The jab was therefore obvious, and the vampire snarled in Riven¡¯s direction - but he looked rather uncertain as to whether or not he should retort. Glancing from Riven to the others of Riven¡¯s group that were now all staring at him, the newcomer glanced at Zafima before taking another step back. ¡°Kara.¡± Riven said, slowly letting his eyes fall to the sobbing woman Athela had restrained. ¡°They were attempting to bait you into attacking them. Or to get you to try and take your stuff back, which would be considered against the rules of this floor.¡± Pulling up the previous notification for emphasis so she could re-read it, he pushed the hologram into Kara¡¯s line of sight. [Floor 21, The Unholy Throne, is now open to you. As promised, by passing Floor 20, you are now permitted insight into one of your paths. You may mentally connect with The Unholy Throne whenever you deem yourself ready, choosing any single sun of those available here for a free insight; and when all of your party members are done - you may pick another team for a joint operation for Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. Merely notify Elysium when you are ready to proceed to Floor 22. Elysium will protect you while on this floor, and no harm may come to you or your possessions while here - so as to not disturb your meditation. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] Athela came over to pat Kara on the back, and then helped the silently sobbing dark elf to her feet with a grunt. ¡°If you¡¯d attacked or stolen from them, you¡¯d be banished from the descent. Maybe killed.¡± ¡°My guess is banishment, based on what I¡¯ve seen so far. You said you¡¯d rather die than fail?¡± Riven asked, turning his gaze away from Kara to eye the unsettled drow and the vampire. Others from the collection of groups they¡¯d left in coming over here to talk were now paying attention to the confrontation with increasing curiosity. ¡°Which is probably why they¡¯ve been waiting for you here. They wanted to make sure you failed and were sent back. Regardless, I paid good money for you to live. I can¡¯t have the newest member of our team be bested so easily.¡± Riven gave Kara a kind smile, and whispered in Athela¡¯s ear as the enchantress Zafima began to giggle again. ¡°Take her away. I will handle this.¡± ¡°So you found us out! Much smarter than this brutish bitch.¡± Zafima remarked, giving Kara a scathing look as she was led away. ¡°Who are you? And what is this nonsense about paying for her to live? She¡¯s on your team now? Why would you take on someone so useless? Did you buy her? Or did she just happen to seduce another vampire? Which is it?¡± Riven stared back with a blank expression, glanced at the few dozen drow in the background where Zafima had come from, and then snorted. ¡°Are you all from the same place?¡± Zafima frowned, not liking being ignored, but regained her composure with a confident straightening a second later. ¡°Yes. The esteemed Purturis Empire. Universe 70.¡± Riven¡¯s black and red eyes shifted over the lot of them, and then settled back onto the vampire - who was likely a greater vampire rather than a lesser, but he was still enjoying the deep-set anger imprinted on the man¡¯s face after the insult. ¡°I see. Zafima, was it?¡± ¡°A lady of the court at your service!¡± Zafima purred, stepping forward to get a better look at him with squinted eyes. ¡°You¡¯re rather handsome. What are those markings on your face for? I really wish the system restrictions on identification weren¡¯t gone. It¡¯d make things a lot easier.¡± ¡°Easier, how?¡± Riven asked. ¡°Easier to tell just how fucked you were after interfering with empire business.¡± She replied, a coldness setting into her tone. She took another step forward, getting within his personal space and sneering up at him as he calmly stared back down. ¡°If you are smart, you will leave that bitch out in the cold. All those drow behind me? My mother paid for them to follow me here, or paid them to switch sides once they got here. Those that refused are now dead, just like you will be if you keep Kara Blackbow in your party exiting this floor. It is true we can¡¯t attack you here, but the moment you leave - you¡¯ll be a target for nine different groups. Is that what you¡¯d like?¡± Riven raised one eyebrow, an amused smile playing at one corner of his lips. ¡°Consider me¡­ intimidated.¡± Zafima¡¯s eyebrow twitched, and she was about to reply when another shout sounded out with Riven¡¯s name on the air. ¡°Is that the great and esteemed Riven Thane I see!?¡± Riven turned, and in doing so - the drow and unknown vampire who¡¯d been antagonizing Kara all turned with him. There, coming across the space between them and the closest sun, was none other than the quite obnoxious Prince Narzkal Rantali. This particular prince was also a vampire and had been the man trying and failing to get into the Firebrand Trading Company - in order to acquire a black phoenix pendant as a gift for his sick fiance. Riven had taken pity and a slight liking to the man by the end of their short encounter with one another, despite his obnoxiousness. ¡°THAT IS YOU! I DEMAND AN AUDIENCE WITH THE ESTEEMED ONE!¡± The vampire prince was well dressed with an extravagant longsword hanging at his side, handsome, with slicked blonde hair and fangs on display as he grinned. Meanwhile he made animated gestures back and forth to get Riven¡¯s attention while approaching - even hopping up and down in a very unbecoming way considering the man was a prince. Behind Prince Narzkal Rantali was his entourage of three other vampires, and a bald human man in rags and shackles was being dragged along as well. For Zafima¡¯s part, her eyes widened in shock - and her threatening intent vanished immediately. She quickly made sure her hair was neatly done and that her dress had no wrinkles while stepping forward to intercept the prince. ¡°Esteemed one!? Surely you¡¯re not speaking about me, your majesty! What are the chances that you were HERE of all places!? Surely it is fate!¡± Riven¡¯s eyebrow raised higher. And as for Prince Narzkal Rantali, of The Kingdom of Garth - he seemed to stumble to a halt before frowning down at Zafima who was beaming back at him with wide-eyed adoration. The vampire prince glanced between Riven, then her. ¡°Zafima Chinwa? How are you here? And no, I¡¯m afraid I was not speaking to you. I was speaking to that man over there. Riven Thane is a great man, as I¡¯m sure you were finding out for yourself since you were in such close proximity just a moment ago!¡± Prince Rantali gave Riven a wink. ¡°Getting around are you? Your tastes are broadening! Zafima is quite a charmer at the yearly balls my family throws in Garth! Perhaps you¡¯d be willing to come if she was your date?¡± The prince came up with a hardy laugh, slapping Riven¡¯s shoulder and smiling widely. ¡°Ah, who am I kidding! For the man who saved my fiance¡¯s life, I might as well give you a hug!¡± Laughing and throwing his arms around Riven, whose eyelids were drooping in a very unamused way while he let the other prince cackle with delight upon having found him so unexpectedly, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I would appreciate a little personal space, buddy. But it¡¯s good to see you too.¡± ¡°Oh! Of course! Of course.¡± Prince Rantali immediately let go with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck with another almost nervous laugh as Zafima, Kara¡¯s ex team-mate Numin, and the unknown vampire seducer all gawked at the interaction. Zafima¡¯s expression did backflips all on its own, registering confusion, startled apprehension, disbelief, and then finally - horror. It was very obvious to Riven that she somehow knew Prince Narzkal Rantali, and if he remembered correctly - The Kingdom of Garth was in Universe 70 just like the drow Empire of Purturis. For all he knew, the two factions were likely neighbors, and he was pretty certain given her demeanor that she¡¯d realized she¡¯d fucked up. How badly she¡¯d fucked up was still in the air, as he was seriously considering following her out of this place when she left the floor in order to kill her and everyone else enlisted in this little scheme of hers against Kara. Not that he really even knew Kara that well, but based on what he¡¯d seen so far - he felt like he had sufficient enough evidence to slaughter that entire group of dark elves immediately out of the gate come Floor 22. Chapter 295 (4 chapters today) Chapter 295 ¡°I was able to send that talisman you procured for me back to my fiance, with a note about how I obtained it. The blood rot she has will likely be gone within the next few weeks, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± Prince Rantali stepped back with a more serious expression, and gave a low bow. He held it there for several seconds before raising again, and seemed genuinely happy after some moments of deep thought. ¡°Unfortunately I am not able to communicate directly with her, so the runner will have to do in my absence as I continue my descent. Did you go straight through, or take the shortcut on the second floor?¡± ¡°Second floor.¡± Riven said with a nod and folding his arms. Casting a look over at the chained bald human in rags Prince Rantali was bringing along with his other vampire knights, who were outfitted in some seriously tacky golden armor that flared at the edge of each piece - now that they¡¯d left the first floor - but they were the same men he¡¯d seen with the prince earlier. ¡°Who¡¯s the human?¡± ¡°Oh, him?¡± Prince Rantali let out a laugh with a hike of his thumb. ¡°Just a slave I bought in the city. Got himself mixed up in some bad bets, was captured after failing to pay, and now I¡¯m going to turn him into a thrall. The alternative would have been execution, so I¡¯m doing him a favor. He¡¯s not seeing it that way though, and has tried to escape more than once¡­ but I need a source of blood that isn¡¯t this garbage I have from the homeland.¡± The prince pulled out a flask of spiced blood and gave Riven a sniff. ¡°Doesn¡¯t smell so bad to me.¡± Riven said with a small smile. ¡°Mind if I try it?¡± Prince Rantali raised his eyebrows and grinned, shoving the flask into Riven¡¯s hands. ¡°Certainly, go ahead! I have become used to the stuff. It is flavored with Blue Rosenia Kilt, if you know what that is. But I doubt it as it¡¯s a plant native to my homeworld in Garth. I probably shouldn¡¯t call it ¡®garbage,¡¯ but when you drink it for days on end, having a live specimen is far better to drink from. Fresh, warm blood is always preferable. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Riven and the prince had entered their own little world at this point, ignoring Zafima and the others as they stood around watching with varying expressions - trying to make out just what was going on and how Riven knew the other man. And by Zafima¡¯s disbelief, she probably was trying to put together why Prince Rantali was treating Riven as an equal, or as a friend. Zara for her part was still crying, but silently, and had only followed Athela a few feet back while staring daggers at Zafima and the unknown vampire. Putting the flask to his lips, Riven down the whole thing in one go and closed his eyes with a nod of appreciation. He looked down, then up at the bald prisoner the prince had, thought about saying something - then shrugged. If the guy had tried to cheat someone out of betting and got the worse half of it, it wasn¡¯t Riven¡¯s place to step in. Even with Kara¡¯s situation, he¡¯d almost killed her himself until briefly getting to know her - and had only taken pity on her initially because she¡¯d reminded him of Athela. Now he took pity on her due to her current situation revolving around her father and the forced single-player descent she¡¯d undertaken due to scheming on what was likely Zafima¡¯s part. ¡°This shit rocks!¡± Riven said, laughing and handing the flask back to the prince - who eagerly snapped his fingers at one of the knights in the background. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it, Riven, and I¡¯d be more than happy to provide you with some for your journey. Have you taken on a partnering group yet?¡± Prince Rantali asked curiously, pushing one hand through his blonde hair and then excepting a few more flasks from one of the knights out of a spacial sack, giving them all to Riven who deposited them in is own moments later with a nod of appreciation. Riven thought about it, then shook his head. ¡°No. Not really. Any idea what the next layer down is about?¡± ¡°Fortunately, yes.¡± The prince said eagerly, his eyes shining. ¡°The Abyssal Descent only has a few floors that stay regular throughout the eons without change. Floor 21 and 22 are some of them. I¡¯m surprised with your connections and, considering who you are, that you don¡¯t know this. Where is the Lady of the Black Skies, by the way? Is she not here?¡± ¡°She was supposed to be our guide down.¡± Riven admitted while scratching the back of his head. ¡°Eh¡­ Elysium didn¡¯t like the fact that she¡¯d already been through the ringer in ages past, and basically punished us for trying to cheat the system. She¡¯s trapped on Floor 50 and we have to get there to free her.¡± Prince Rantali looked shocked, then amused, and then burst into laughter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, I just didn¡¯t think Elysium took such personal interest in things like that! For anyone else, I¡¯d say Floor 50 would be impossible. For you? I¡¯d be surprised if you didn¡¯t make it. I¡¯m not even sure if there are floors past 50, to be honest.¡± ¡°Did¡­ Did you say Lady of the Black Skies?¡± The enchantress Zafima interrupted, getting both men to turn to her while nervously taking Riven in with a once-over. ¡°Prince Rantali, if I may ask¡­ how do you know this man? And what does referencing a historical figure such as the shade demoness have anything to do with what you¡¯re talking about? None of this makes sense.¡± Prince Rantali looked confused. ¡°They don¡¯t know? Have you not already introduced yourself?¡± Riven chuckled and shook his head. ¡°No, I have not. You see Kara over there?¡± He gestured at the silently crying drow elf where she was being comforted by Athela in a hushed conversation. Riven then sighed. ¡°She became the fifth member of my team as Lillith is now temporarily gone. We met on the last floor. Then these lovely people decided to antagonize her for reasons that aren''t entirely clear to me, so I was merely prying Kara away and removing her from the situation.¡± Prince Rantali¡¯s expression became grim. He remained silent for a time, staring at Kara and then Zafima. ¡°Did they offend you at all, in any way?¡± ¡°Zafima just threatened me a little bit, implying her empire would take care of me. Nothing I can¡¯t handle.¡± Prince Rantali choked on the air he breathed, but quickly regained his composure. ¡°I see.¡± There was a long pause after that, as the prince stared at the ground. ¡°Is there any reason why you wouldn¡¯t want them to know who you are? May I enlighten them as to the gravity of what they¡¯ve just done? Honestly I would hate for this to have repercussions across my own homeland, as having a¡­ Having¡­ How do I put this?¡± Prince Rantali straightened and glared at Zafima in a way that made her visibly recoil. ¡°I would hate for the destruction of your empire to impact my own kingdom¡¯s economy, as Garth highly depends on the continued friendship of the drow Empire of Purturis.¡± Zafima opened her mouth to speak, shocked and a little horrified at what Prince Rantali was implying here, and then nervously shot Riven a glance. Her voice was quivering, and uncertain. ¡°Surely this man cannot hold that kind of political power! I was merely-¡± ¡°Do you think that going about and randomly THREATENING people who are able to obtain tickets to this place with the use of your empire¡¯s name as a threat is WISE!? You were merely not THINKING! I¡¯m half tempted to tell your emperor about this, given what repercussions it could have!¡± Prince Rantali snapped, stepping forward aggressively as the drow woman who he apparently knew to some extent, flinched. ¡°Your empire is considered a high D-grade faction only by the merit of your emperor and two other monarchs. As is mine! Just because your people acquired tickets to the descent due to a supremely lucky opportunity that Elysium handed down by nothing but chance, you think us equal to the overall caliber of those who arrive here under normal circumstances!? Zafima, do you know how I met this man?¡± She hesitantly shook her head, looking like a scolded child, and shifted from one foot to the other. ¡°I was BEGGING to be let into the Firebrand Trading Company so that I could HOPE to procure a black phoenix amulet or an equivalent for my fiance. You¡¯ve heard she has blood rot, yes? She¡¯d have died if I couldn¡¯t get it, but the Firebrand Trading Company deals with B, A, and S-grade factions regularly! So do you know what they said to me when I attempted to get inside to view their wares?¡± She didn¡¯t reply, but merely stared. ¡°They denied me access and repeatedly told me to get back to the end of the line.¡± Prince Rantali said, exasperated. ¡°Any time anyone of a known faction to them stepped forward, I was pushed back. It was a continual cycle of degrading myself in front of others despite the use of my name and house. Once, the guards even laughed at me and said I would not be able to afford such an item at all, even if I did get in. ME! And guess what!? They were right! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to procure one at all, I eventually found out, if not for him.¡± Prince Rantali pointed at Riven. ¡°This man walked up and, despite not knowing me, allowed me to come in with him. He arrived and immediately cut in front of all the other known scions of the upper echelons and had a private escort into their trading post. From there, I was given an amulet FREE of charge, just for knowing him, and can you guess at what that price would have been otherwise?¡± ¡°...What would the price have been?¡± Zafima timidly asked. ¡°One billion, six hundred million Elysium coins.¡± Prince Rantali said flatly. ¡°They handed to me free of charge simply by walking in with Riven Thane. They called it ¡®an investment¡¯, and asked that I return the favor one day if I ever get into his good graces. Even peak C-grade factions would dominate our two countries combined,and The Abyssal Descent is full of ones far stronger than that. This man, Riven Thane, is the scion of such a faction.¡± Zafima¡¯s mouth fell open in astonishment, and she remained speechless while gawking at the prince, and then Riven. But it wasn¡¯t just horror and surprise anymore, but an enterprising light that began to intertwine itself as well. It was greed. ¡°I¡­ I give my sincere apologies to you, my lord.¡± Zafima said, prostrating herself on the floor in exaggerated fashion. ¡°I did not know you were a man of such high standing! Please, allow me to make up for my poor judgement! I am sure that we can come to some accord!¡± Riven¡¯s lip curled in disgust, but he did well in hiding it. ¡°To answer your question, Prince Rantali¡­ I prefer not to have people know who I am for a few reasons.¡± He noted that Kara had returned with Athela, and was now listening intently while struggling to contain her confusion and her residing anger towards the enchantress kneeling on the floor. ¡°For one, I like to be treated like a normal human being.¡± ¡°You¡¯re anything but human.¡± ¡°Ha! Yes, I know. That¡¯s an entirely different story, but it¡¯s a matter of speech. Anyways, I don¡¯t like being worshiped. It feels off. And more than that, with Lillith gone, I don¡¯t want others knowing who I am either.¡± He turned his black and red eyes towards Prince Rantali and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°There are many knives in the dark, and I have already had assassination attempts upon my life more than once. From others within the Blood Moon Requiem, and from the Church of Greed. You probably heard something about the last attempt up on the first floor of the descent, but even if you hadn¡¯t¡­ just know it wasn¡¯t pretty. The less people that know about me, the better. However, now that you¡¯ve already planted the seed and she¡¯ll no doubt go around asking. Already we¡¯ve drawn too much attention to ourselves, and I¡¯m not as forgiving as I used to be.¡± Riven¡¯s hand fell, and both Kara and Zafima went rigid when they heard the names ¡®Blood Moon Requiem¡¯ and ¡®Church of Greed¡¯. Prince Rantali had put together who he was based off rumors alone, as vampire societies were few and far between and the Blood Moon Requiem was one of the best. However, Riven didn¡¯t know whether or not the drow would do the same. Even if they didn¡¯t, how many other people in other groups could hear them talk from where they sat? Most probably had a less vested interest in demonic and vampiric undertakings, but he didn¡¯t want her poking about and drawing attention to how far he¡¯d made it on the trek down. He could still have assassins from The Church of Greed coming after him, or another faction disgruntled with him in The Blood Moon Requiem sending out their own to take him down. People like Elder Thune, or some of the less savory members of his own House Wraithtide that didn¡¯t like how he was changing things revolving around the slaves there. He made his decision. ¡°Zafima, you¡¯ll be leaving the descent after you¡¯re done here. I won¡¯t chance you seeking revenge on Kara, and I¡¯m feeling a bit petty. I don¡¯t like bullies. If you choose to ignore my warning, I¡¯ll simply kill you and everyone else involved with you.¡± Zafima¡¯s demeanor abruptly changed, and she lifted her head with a panicked expression. ¡°NO! I cannot leave this place! The number of tickets are limited, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to perfect my soul lattice! We don¡¯t have cultivation resources like this at home, and I will be stunting my growth forever if my foundations aren¡¯t settled properly! You would be stripping me of one of the greatest chances to cultivate in my life!¡± ¡°Zafima!¡± Prince Rantali hissed. ¡°Know your place!¡± Riven waved a hand to dismiss the prince¡¯s chiding. ¡°Then you will die. If you don¡¯t believe me, that is fine. But one of my demons has a tracking ability, and even if you were to leave now¡­ I could simply follow you afterwards and catch up. My bet is that I¡¯ll be able to do so rather easily. Either leave after your people are done with their insights, or move on to the next floor and take a bet that you can either beat me in a fight - which is highly unlikely despite your numbers - or that you¡¯ll be able to outrun me. Which is also unlikely. And I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not, but what you believe won¡¯t influence the outcome should you choose to continue onwards. The result would be the same. It¡¯s your call to make.¡± *** Riven sat in silence, tinkering with different crafting materials he¡¯d laid around him to create and disassemble various totems. He practiced infusing soul shards and releasing them, practiced changing the various patterns of runes, and modified different aspects of graphics that his gnome teacher had given him to experiment with. He was quickly finding out that different ingredients reacted differently with graphic and rune combinations, and the results were fascinating. ¡°Riven?¡± Kara asked hesitantly, her head on Athela¡¯s lap nearby - who¡¯d taken an unusual pitying approach to the depressed and younger dark elf woman. ¡°Who are you really?¡± ¡°Is that really important?¡± Riven asked, getting irritated when one of the solidified orbs of condensed mana shattered in his hand after attempting to infuse it with a particular plant leaf¡¯s essence. Kara looked to her bow, and wiped at her face with a grunt of appreciation as Athela combed her hair back with her fingers. ¡°I overheard you saying that you¡¯re worried about assassins. You also mentioned The Blood Moon Requiem, and The Church of Greed. I¡¯m familiar with both, but intricately so. Are these the factions you come from? Or are they your enemies?¡± Riven shook his head, and noted that his beholder demon Narg still had another 10 hours left until respawn. ¡°The Church of Greed wants me dead, but The Blood Moon Requiem and I are affiliated. There are other agents within The Blood Moon Requiem that want me gone too, for political reasons, but not most.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Just tell her already!¡± Fay said, waltzing over absolutely drunk in nothing but her tight white undergarments with a shit-eating grin. She had a large bottle of wine in one hand, and a tray of assorted food in the other that she¡¯d prepared with Azmoth - who had reduced his size and stature down to what his original form had been before his ascension into being an archdemon. He was still huge and muscular, but not titanically so. His wings were still there though, even with his reduced size, and were folded against his back. ¡°You¡¯re being wayyyy to leery of people.¡± Fay continued, hiccuping and leaning against his shoulder after passing the food tray to Athela. ¡°This is a safe zone, there aren¡¯t going to be assassins here that can hurt us! And the big eyeball guy isn¡¯t going to be here for a while either. Relax!¡± Riven let his eyes wander over her exposed musculature and curves for a while, not even pretending to hide that he was checking her out, and went back to putting together totems. ¡°As much as I appreciate how attractive you are, you really should put on some clothes while in public.¡± ¡°Are you jealous that all the other men over there are staring?¡± Fay teased, giggling and winking at him while gesturing to numerous other groups that had their members eyeballing her lithe blue body. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m a jealous guy.¡± Athela laughed. ¡°Maybe I should start undressing too!¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯ll be fun to watch you squirm!¡± Riven harrumphed. ¡°Azmoth, we need to get more guys in this group. We¡¯re being outnumbered, and you don¡¯t talk much.¡± Azmoth¡¯s obsidian teeth widened with amusement. ¡°I think the same thing. Sorry I not talk much, Riven. I am still learning, still young, still new. I take in environment and try to figure out how act as I grow up. It hard, but I try.¡± ¡°Nah man, you¡¯re good. But if you ever want an in depth conversation about the meanings of life, hit a brotha up.¡± Riven waved his hands over the unfinished totem pieces and they were dragged into his spatial sack in the next instant. Pulling out a chess board instead, he placed it between himself and Azmoth while slightly turning to orient his body. ¡°Black or white?¡± ¡°Black.¡± Riven turned the board, and made the first move by pushing his pawn out two spaces in front of the queen. As the game continued, he accepted a small drink of the wine bottle in Fay¡¯s hand and gave her a kiss before ruffling her hair. ¡°I take back what I said earlier, I¡¯m sorry. You can dress however you want, but I do get jealous. That¡¯s just something I¡¯ll have to work on.¡± Fay¡¯s black eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Uh¡­ Oh! Oh, you were being serious! I didn¡¯t realize¡­ Oh wow. Yes, I¡¯ll go change now!¡± She began to get up, but was pulled back down and into Riven¡¯s right arm. ¡°No, that¡¯s not necessary.¡± Riven said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll get over it. I won¡¯t be the controlling type, so I¡¯ll shut up. ¡°Controlling type? You¡¯ve almost never given any of your minions a single actual command!¡± Athela protested with arms outstretched. ¡°Except for maybe once or twice, I can¡¯t think of almost anything!¡± Fay blinked, softened her expression, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. ¡°Ok. But I really am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you, I thought you were just teasing me again. How is it that YOU of all people can get jealous? That¡¯s our role!¡± ¡°It is.¡± Athela confirmed with a sagely nod. ¡°You have nothing to worry about Riven, that we promise you. WE on the other hand have to worry about crazy bitches left and right. Do you KNOW how many elf servants at your manor we¡¯ve had to tie up and leave in the dungeon so they wouldn¡¯t try to jump your bones? We don¡¯t need more Genua¡¯s.¡± Genua gave her a sharp look. ¡°Indeed!¡± Fay laughed, giving him a firm squeeze. ¡°It feels good to hear it though. It means you care. Now, are you going to tell Kara or am I going to have to tell her for you? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to be able to hide it forever. I mean look! That evil bitch Zafima and your prince friend are still deep in discussion about you and your proposed threat! Or at least that¡¯s what I assume they¡¯re still talking about.¡± They all looked over to where Zafima and her companions, along with Prince Rantali, had joined the larger combined group of multiple parties. They were talking in low tones that were too faint for anyone to hear, and occasionally Riven and his friends had quick-snap glances or gestures in his direction. ¡°Name dropping The Blood Moon Requiem and Church of Greed were probably dead giveaways.¡± Athela said with a shrug. ¡°Won¡¯t take a genius to put that together.¡± ¡°Well I certainly haven¡¯t.¡± Kara replied with a pout. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair.¡± ¡°I spared your life after you attempted to kill me in your assumption that I was THAT prick.¡± Riven said, pointing to the vampire with the red cape over his right shoulder in the distance. ¡°How did you confuse me for HIM!? We look nothing alike!¡± Kara blushed in embarrassment, and hid her face with one arm. ¡°I was not in the right state of mind.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Kara nodded, still avoiding eye contact. ¡°I thought I was going to die, I was desperate, and I wanted to vent. I wasn¡¯t thinking properly.¡± ¡°She was having a nervous breakdown.¡± Athela grunted. ¡°You should see it when Riven has nervous breakdowns. He starts to cry and flail his arms about, and he even shit himself once.¡± Fay snorted a laugh. ¡°That¡¯s not even remotely funny.¡± Riven replied, putting a rook three spaces forward on the chessboard before surrendering his turn to Azmoth. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be telling Kara about my reactive bowel movements while under stress, it¡¯s not something I can control.¡± Athela burst into laughter along with Fay. Allie for her part dramatically rolled her eyes while writing in a journal of some kind as she and Retesh went over ritual death magic together, and Kara shifted her arm so she could get a better look at them to see whether or not this was a joke. ¡°This potty humor bad.¡± Azmoth said with a judgemental shake of his head. ¡°Bad and sad. Azmoth is disappointed.¡± ¡°Azmoth is the voice of reason here.¡± Genua elegantly called out, her back straight while practicing knitting and attempting to make baby clothes with a ball of thread Athela had given to her. ¡°She turned her red gaze upon the others. ¡°That¡¯s a joke my daughter Len would appreciate, and she¡¯s not even ten years old.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Athela¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°MY FAULT!?¡± ¡°You started this. It¡¯s 100% your fault. I take no blame.¡± ¡°Riven! Hasn¡¯t Allie taught you better than that!? The man is ALWAYS at fault!¡± Allie raised a hand. ¡°Agreed! It¡¯s definitely Riven¡¯s fault!¡± More laughter ensued. Riven rolled his eyes like he usually did and couldn¡¯t contain his growing smile. It was good to be around friends, even if they were all unbelievably immature sometimes. ¡°Alright Kara, how about this. I¡¯ll tell you who and what I am, but you¡¯ve got to promise not to treat me any differently afterwards. I really don¡¯t like the nauseating groveling treatment some people put forward. Is that a deal?¡± Kara slowly nodded and sat up from where she¡¯d been laying her head on Athela¡¯s thigh. Sniffling, she gave the group a once-over. ¡°Yeah. Of course. You¡¯ve done so much for me already, there¡¯s not much more that you could say that¡¯d change my mind about you. And¡­ I wanted to say thanks, for sticking up for me back there.¡± She became silent for a few seconds, and shook herself out of the far away look that¡¯d crossed her face. ¡°Can I guess first though? I feel like that¡¯s a fun game to play.¡± ¡°Oh? Alright, guess away then!¡± Kara tapped a finger to her chin, narrowing her eyes. ¡°Hmmm. How about¡­ you¡¯re a duke¡¯s son, and a member of a noble house in The Blood Moon Requiem? And¡­ you¡¯re a warlock, so you made a bad deal with a demon and the Church of Greed has a bounty on your head for it.¡± ¡°What would a ¡®bad deal¡¯ imply?¡± Riven asked. Kara shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know! But is my guess correct then!?¡± Riven paused. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No!? Just No? Did I get ANY of it right?¡± Riven bobbed his head side to side, and took another one of Azmoth¡¯s bishops - getting an irritated grumbling growl from the large flame demon across from him. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well what did I get right then!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m associated with a noble house from The Blood Moon Requiem. The Church of Greed does have a bounty on my head as well. But that¡¯s it. I am not a duke¡¯s son, nor did I make a bad deal with a demon that has the Church of Greed after me. They were after me from the start.¡± Kara pooched her lips, and looked to Athela and Fay for guidance - but they both stayed silent. ¡°This is your guessing game, you¡¯re the one who wanted to try!¡± Athela cackled at the pleading look she got. ¡°Go on!¡± Kara huffed and folded her arms. ¡°Alright, does the Church of Greed have anything to do with those tattoos on your face?¡± Riven stopped mid-way placing a pawn forward on the board. ¡°Somewhat, but not entirely.¡± ¡°Does your entrance into the descent have anything to do with that big battle between The Church of Gluttony and The Church of Greed that happened on floor 1? I didn¡¯t see it for myself, but I¡¯ve heard about it from people who started the descent after me. When two S-grade factions clash it makes for quick rumors¡­ even if it is only their younger generations.¡± Riven nodded. ¡°Yes. It had everything to do with me. They were trying to kill me and it was one of the assassination attempts on my life.¡± Kara paled slightly, and became quiet. It wasn¡¯t for another five minutes of silence on her part and a resetting of the chess board after Riven¡¯s victory that she finally spoke again. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that The Church of Gluttony protected you from The Church of Greed.¡± It was a statement, not a question. Riven therefore remained silent. Kara started looking sick, her eyes lingering on the living armor on Riven¡¯s chest depicting the great maw. She shifted her hips uneasily and drew her knees up against her chest, covering part of her face to stare at him. ¡°Can we come back to that?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Silence regained a foothold. ¡°You¡¯re a prince of The Blood Moon Requiem.¡± She eventually said, her words crisp. Riven nodded. ¡°Correct again.¡± Kara¡¯s nostrils flared, her eyes widened, and she stared at the ground beneath her feet while drawing her knees up more closely around her. ¡°How far are you along the line of succession?¡± ¡°Originally I was 37th in line. I killed another prince, now I¡¯m 36th in line.¡± ¡°Is Allie a princess then?¡± ¡°Was a princess!¡± She called out without turning around as death magic flared on an intricate diagram she and Retesh were drawing on the stone ground with teal flame. ¡°Or at least, I think so. I assume I gave up that right when I shunned the Blood God and became an Angel of Death. Maybe I should check on that.¡± Allie turned around with a wide grin, and pulled up her lips with one finger. ¡°I used to be a pureblooded vampire like Riven, but I don¡¯t even have fangs anymore. See?¡± ¡°Pureblooded?¡± Kara repeated, impressed. ¡°Aren¡¯t those exceedingly rare? You gave up your lineage and title to become a hero of death? Did that not anger the Blood God?¡± ¡°It did.¡± Allie replied with a laugh. ¡°But The Scythe is just as powerful as The Blood God. I have already been propositioned to join the ranks of different reaper societies multiple times while in training here in the descent. The Phantom Legion even sent a letter asking that I speak with them, but I never got around to it.¡± Riven coughed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard you mention them before. Lillith said The Phantom Legion was someone that our grandmother, High Queen Nephridi, wouldn¡¯t want you to join? Something about how them wanting to utilize your Malignant Prophecy?¡± Allie shrugged. ¡°You really don¡¯t know who The Phantom Legion are?¡± Kara asked skeptically. ¡°Even I know who they are. They¡¯re one of the strongest undead factions in the multiverse. Possibly the strongest. If they¡¯re trying to poach you, Allie, then I¡¯d be either very concerned or very happy - depending on which way you choose to reply to their recruitment policies. Saying no could have serious implications, while saying yes could have various benefits that no one in my sector of Universe 70 could hope to match. They actually have an enclave on the fringe of Universe 70, and they¡¯re said to have similar enclaves throughout many others - but those are just unconfirmed rumors. My clan¡¯s finest are only high D-grade, as are many of the surrounding empires, so none of us have traveled beyond into the other universes yet. Outside of events like this, of course.¡± ¡°They are perceptive enough to realize that taking action against Allie would have¡­ ramifications.¡± Fimrindle rasped, turned his head slowly in Riven¡¯s direction. ¡°Given who her brother is, they will play nice. For now.¡± Kara looked startled only momentarily at the implications. ¡°If a reaper says such a thing, I believe it.¡± She fiddled with the edge of her shirt clinging to her waist, and gritted her teeth. ¡°This guess may sound silly. I¡¯m not stupid¡­ Don¡¯t think I¡¯m stupid for asking. And I¡¯m not crazy, but I have to ask.¡± ¡°Why would you even think that we thought you were stupid?¡± Riven asked, feeling a bit bad for the young woman. ¡°Crazy is a maybe, though.¡± This made Kara laugh. ¡°Yes, well I guess I didn¡¯t put my best foot forward when we first met. And¡­ I¡¯ve just been told that I¡¯m rather dull by my father all my life. My mother¡­ she isn¡¯t around anymore.¡± She managed not to cry this time, but did choke up slightly before continuing with her train of thought and held up one finger - lifting more fingers for each point she made. ¡°The clues I¡¯ve gathered are these. You¡¯re unbelievably rich, rich enough to buy my way into your party for 3 billion without a second thought. That makes sense given you¡¯re a prince of The Blood Moon requiem, and it also shows why Prince Rantali of Garth is trying to warm up to you. He¡¯s quite a big shot from where I come from. If he managed to make an ally out of you, his status in his own kingdom would soar even higher. But being a prince of The Blood Moon Requiem, 36th in line for the throne, is not enough to dissuade The Phantom Legion from pursuing your sister outside your high queen¡¯s seat of power. Even if she was a higher ranking princess, The Phantom Legion is not easily told no. I¡¯m no expert in the political interplay at the level of higher grades in the earlier universes, but The Blood Moon Requiem is known to only expand locally - whereas The Phantom Legion is far larger and spans across many universes. You also have The Church of Greed trying to kill you, and The Church of Gluttony was protecting you, which are also rather reclusive S-grade entities. Your tattoos are completely unknown to me but leak sin energy in vast amounts, and your eyes are a body enhancement that is an unknown to any type of vampire I¡¯m aware of - pureblooded or not. You¡¯re abnormally strong and protected me throughout the champions trial without any effort at all, with three archdemons contracted to you - which is unheard of. Archdemons don¡¯t usually bond with a warlock summoner as they don¡¯t want to be held back by their summoner¡¯s aptitude, and even what you said about them not being archdemons in the beginning is true - it is even MORE unusual for three normal demons to evolve into archdemons under the same summoner. And that¡¯s before E-grade is even achieved. We don¡¯t have many warlocks in Purturis, but we do have some - and I¡¯ve had discussions with one of them about these subjects. And the multiversal system notifications about the eternal war beginning again only announced themselves within the last year, proclaiming the return of the sins and commandments.¡± Riven remained silent as she stared, continuing his game with Azmoth without a care in the world. Kara took in a deep breath, solidifying her resolve and putting on a brave face. ¡°You¡¯re the Reincarnation of Gluttony. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Riven slowly moved his king across the board, set it down, and folded his hands together with a small smirk - meeting Kara¡¯s forced gaze. ¡°See? You¡¯re not stupid. Whoever told you that should go fuck themselves. Yes, that is who I am. Riven Thane, otherwise known as Riven Wraithtide, Prince of the Blood Moon Requiem and 36th heir to the throne, the Reincarnation of Gluttony, at your service. I suppose Athela and Fay are right, it probably is a fool¡¯s errand to try to hide it. I just didn¡¯t feel comfortable shouting it out to the heavens right now when so many Greed operatives are down here waiting to strike. But it appears I¡¯ve already failed. In fact, Athela¡¯s seen one in this very room. She just mentally told me that they¡¯ve identified me, and will probably try to kill me on the way out. Just like I¡¯ll kill Zafima if she proceeds past this point. There might even be another hidden MYTHIC tiered assassin down here trying to hunt me down and I wouldn¡¯t be any wiser. Or perhaps a gaggle of LEGENDARY participants waiting in hiding for me to show up. Who knows?¡± The third purple eye on his forehead split open on his forehead, previously hidden under normal skin, and Gluttony¡¯s maw tore space apart Behind Riven¡¯s back as an aura of sin blasted out of his body like a tidal wave. The room shook under the pressure of the sin manifesting itself, and Kara gasped as her system went into a brief shock. She immediately got down on all fours and slammed her head into the ground, whimpering loudly as the rumbling apparition of Gluttony simmered with dark energy in the air above and behind Riven - as tendrils of sin spilled out to encompass her. All heads in the entire enormous room snapped out Riven¡¯s way, whether or not they¡¯d been in meditation or undertaking another task. No one spoke, and many held their breath as the suffocating presence crushed their spirits. Some even fell to one knee, and many - but not all - of the demons bowed reverently to mimic Kara¡¯s actions in quick succession. Zafima for her part was terror stricken, and her hands hit the ground to shakily support herself from face-planting after her shaky legs gave out at the knees. Even the sun of Sin energy seemed to react, producing a thin tendril that snaked halfway across the room before simmering away into nothingness. The only one who reacted any differently was Nora and her others, as she¡¯d begun to laugh like a mad woman and held her face in her hands while staring. ¡°Apologies!¡± Kara gasped, the strain of Gluttony¡¯s presence too much for her mortal body to handle. ¡°If I have offended you with my presence, Great Maw, I did not mean to do so! I did not mean to speak to you in such a disrespectful manner! This one begs forgiveness!¡± She began to shake, yelping when Gluttony¡¯s tendrils reached out to embrace her, and gasped again when one of them snaked up to her throat. Riven raised his hand. ¡°Just hold still. Gluttony¡¯s been wanting a snack, and he¡¯s been asking about how dark elves taste.¡± ¡°W-What!?¡± Gluttony¡¯s tendrils abruptly wrapped around her, lifting her up into the air as she screamed - and she was sucked towards the giant maw in the background with a shriek of horror. ¡°Just kidding.¡± Gluttony dropped her onto the floor and began to let out an evil laugh before the apportion vanished entirely, leaving Kara breathless and heaving. Her body violently trembled, and she picked herself up to stare daggers at Riven - who was grinning back at her devilishly. ¡°Sorry.¡± Riven said, clearing his throat and tipping his king over as Azmoth proclaimed his victory with a roar. ¡°That may have been a bit much for a joke.¡± ¡°A JOKE!?¡± Kara screamed, anger quickly being replaced by fear, and then annoyance given the drunk laughing succubus nearby. ¡°That wasn¡¯t funny! I don¡¯t even know how to react, but that was scary and I am not amused! THAT was GLUTTONY!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got a real Sherlock Holmes amongst us¡­¡± Riven muttered under his breath. ¡°What was that I said about you not being stupid again?¡± Riven gave her an encouraging nudge to make it known he was just kidding. ¡°Come on. Chill out and relax. As Fay has already said, this is a safe zone. I couldn¡¯t kill you here even if I wanted to! And I don¡¯t want to. Now, be a good teammate and hand me one of those sandwiches off the tray. I¡¯m feeling rather hungry now. Hey! Genua! Get over here, I¡¯m wanting some more blood.¡± Chapter 296 Chapter 296 Riven stood next to the miniature purple sun, coated in the occasional burst of darkness. Gazing into the swirling mass of Sin, the mana in his body called out to it. Equally so, Riven¡¯s mana also called out to the one created from Blood not far off¡­ but Gluttony had other ideas about how to utilize this particular part of the descent. ¡°It must be this one. Creating a secondary class with a secondary body to top it off is nothing short of difficult.¡± Gluttony said inside Riven¡¯s soul, his third eye in the center of his forehead blazing with similar Sin energy that resonated with the sun ahead. ¡°Trust me.¡± Riven let on a soft smile, his hands in his pockets, and a feeling of peace having settled over him ever since walking over. It was odd, as all the others had said this Sin energy caused their bodies to react in all sorts of ways. From violent tendencies to lustful urges, from wanting to lie and cheat - to wanting to simply take advantage of someone else at their expense. That is what most of the other people he¡¯d briefly talked to in this room felt when gazing upon this sun or even reaching out to touch it. Even his own demons felt this way. And yet¡­ Riven felt at home. He felt happy, and whole. ¡°I do trust you, Gluttony.¡± Riven said in a calm whisper, ignoring all the others in the room who were staring at him from a distance. ¡°You don¡¯t think I know you¡¯ve been controlling your urges to devour everything in sight since bonding to me? I¡¯ve known this entire time. I can feel your mind¡­ and I know what a struggle it is to keep yourself at bay. You¡¯ve had my trust for quite a while, and though I know you are using me as a ticket to another life in a way - know that I consider you a friend.¡± He¡¯d pacified some onlookers and their curiosities, those who were brave enough to approach after his little joke with Kara earlier. Many of them had been demons down here who wanted his blessing, or simply wanted to drop by to say what an honor it was to see him in person. He always felt odd when he was approached like this, now and in the past, but he¡¯d reciprocated to a small extent - despite not thinking himself all that special. Thankfully though, he¡¯d mostly be left alone out of respect or fear. Which made him ask the question: did they see Gluttony? Or did they see him? Gluttony was certainly special, but was he? Or perhaps the better question was what made his true self special, rather than the external factors everyone else saw? Recently he found himself valuing how a person thought rather than what a person could do, and he was mostly directing that inwardly at himself. He had powerful backers and a promising future, but Riven didn¡¯t want to be a mirror of Gluttony. He wanted people to see himself for who he was, and not what he was. All of this was philosophical, but the thought did trouble him from time to time. The same could also be said about his status as a prince. Did people really give a shit about Riven? Or did they only care about the Reincarnation of Gluttony? About the prince of the Blood Moon Requiem, rather than the kid who¡¯d grown up on Earth without parents most of his life to raise a kid sister on his own? He mentally recoiled at the thought, still not having let Allie know about his conversation with their mother¡¯s projection. He still hadn¡¯t put into words how he truly felt about it after all this time. The kicker was that the longer he waited - the more angry Allie would be with him when he finally told her. Yet he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. Not yet. Maybe after the Abyssal Descent was nearly done, then he¡¯d talk to her about it. Maybe. But he honestly wasn¡¯t even sure if he trusted his mother anymore after abandoning them as children. It¡¯d been genuine heartbreak back then, losing his mom, and he didn¡¯t want to put himself or Allie through that pain again. In fact, the more he thought about it, why should he try to get back into his mother¡¯s good graces again? The thought both disturbed him and resonated with him. He was torn, without a clear path forward. ¡°It would be wise to seek her out.¡± Gluttony said, reading Riven¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t remain in contact afterwards, closure is good for the soul.¡± Riven raised one eyebrow. ¡°Is that sage advice really coming from one of the original sins? For a sin, you¡¯re really don¡¯t doing a very good job of being evil.¡± ¡°Evil is a matter of perspective. I have done many evil things, but so have my sworn enemies. The commandments, the angels, who are praised by the beings of the holy pillar as pinnacles of how to live one¡¯s life - are in my eyes, evil. But I am also wise enough to realize that people and creatures of most races are able to change. Change means that, at any one given time, you may be more evil than you were twenty minutes ago based on your thoughts and actions. Or you may be better, good, moreso than you were last week. To whom you interact with and what your output into existence is - these things determine who views you as good or bad, and thus I have always laughed at the ideology that I am a creature of evil.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It is. I know we have talked about this to some length before, but it really is a topic of which I have debated or conversed with many over the eons. It fascinates me. I was born in the image and as the incarnation of a primal sin, and yet I do not feel like it is an absolute law even for me. And even if the sin that I embody does overpower my greater judgement at times, it doesn¡¯t mean that I am bad. I am merely gluttonous, and that in itself serves a purpose. If I go randomly eat a thousand humans back on Panu, would you call that an evil act?¡± ¡°Well that depends.¡± ¡°Exactly. It depends on who I ate, and to what end it plays out. If I eat a thousand people that would be better off dead, and would make the world more hospitable for the children we father in the future, that would be a good thing. It would make us good. Especially from the perspective of such a child. But if I were to kill and eat a thousand people that made the world a worse place for the children we foster, then that would be bad. Even then, you have to consider whether or not those children themselves would be bad or good, and to whom they would be bad or good to. The same could be said for giving in to Wrath. Do you know how fallen angels first came to be?¡± ¡°I do not. Tell me.¡± ¡°The first fallen angels came to be by embracing Wrath¡¯s influence. They became so angry, so furious at what had been done to their loved ones, that they lost their celestial flame. It was replaced by sin instead. But what they did with that power, that sin, was good in their eyes - when they killed the other angels responsible for purging their children by the hundreds of thousands for not being devout enough to the faiths.¡± ¡°To the commandments?¡± ¡°Yes. What they did, I consider good. Because they in turn helped prevent that very thing they went through from happening every again to any other innocent. It is certainly true that Sin is prone to violence and selfishness, but those are not inherently evil. Violence and selfishness are merely tools. Sin is merely a tool. A means to an end, nothing more and nothing less.¡± Riven slowly nodded. He honestly agreed. Remembering back when Athela had died, he¡¯d sacrificed an entire city of innocent people by killing the populace to bring her back. He did it then, and he¡¯d do it now. He held no regret. Zero. Did he feel somewhat bad for needing to do it? Sure, if he could have brought her back without killing those people then he would have, but it still needed to be done at the end of the day. Sin had been a means to an end, but he didn¡¯t feel evil while doing it. He¡¯d certainly been deemed evil by those families he¡¯d butchered by the hundreds of thousands, and it¡¯d been very selfish - but having Athela back had made it all worthwhile. Sin had been a means to an end, nothing more. He hadn¡¯t wanted to kill those people, but they were a means to an end. One that he needed to make due with, in order to bring back the woman he loved. Even if she was an uppity wannabe spider princess and a drama queen. He chuckled at the thought, only now just realizing that the sun of Sin energy was completely embracing him with swaths of dark purple flames with scattered patches of black. His soul lattice was rapidly forming too, connecting pathways between his pillars and reinforcing certain areas at a rapid rate. Slowly closing his eyes and sitting into a lotus position on the floor, Riven began to meditate. Gluttony had doubtless planted this seed on purpose to give him a boost of inspiration, and Riven would be a fool not to take advantage of it. It was time to acquire some insights, and if all went well - to help Gluttony create his second class. And his second body. Or at the very least, to start these things for when he finally finished them by the end of the descent. *** Zafima inwardly cursed, furious at the turn of events with clenched fists and gritted teeth. Her heart beat in her chest like a drum, and sweat was starting to accumulate under her armpits and along her forehead. Her lavender eyes glared daggers at the bitch who¡¯d ruined everything for her since arriving on this floor. Kara was over there without a care in the world, laughing beside the demonic servants who were contracted personally to no one less than the Reincarnation of Gluttony himself. Not to mention that tattooed pretty boy was also a prince of one of the greatest vampiric factions in the multiverse. It was fucking infuriating, and she was very well aware that she¡¯d painted a big red target on both herself, and her empire, after using its name to threaten the man directly. She paced back and forth, her tight golden dress flowing behind her while she bit her nails and continued to give occasional death-glares promising pain to the other drow woman forty yards off. The vampire that Zafima had hired to seduce Kara with his very particular skill set had already fled, fearing for his life after Riven¡¯s display and leaving the rest of Kara¡¯s possessions with her after a very quick apology. He hadn¡¯t even waited to see Kara¡¯s reaction, but had merely exited the descent right then and there before Riven could get back from his enlightenment - forgoing all potential gains he¡¯d have gotten on this floor or the others due to supreme cowardice. The last thing that man had said before leaving, was that he was going into hiding - and that she¡¯d cursed him and his coven by putting him in this situation. He¡¯d been rather spiteful before heading out, but he¡¯d participated in this knowing full well what he was getting into. How was it Zafima¡¯s fault that this one in a trillion chance had actually happened? ¡°The emperor must be warned, if he already hasn¡¯t been by those who left.¡± Numin, the drow warrior cut in - stopping her pacing with a forceful hand gripping her shoulder. He spun her around with a glare. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to do so, but we don¡¯t have a choice. This could have repercussions beyond just us. What Prince Rantali said is true, The Blood Moon Requiem is not known for its kindness. Even small slights against their houses have led to the complete annihilation of planets and the genocide of races. That isn¡¯t even counting the fact that we now have at least twenty different demonic teams in this very room giving us stares promising death after they realized that we¡¯d somehow offended their god-figure¡¯s reincarnation. If you could even call it a god, because to them - the original sins are more than that. What if one of THEIR clans decides to rise up out of hell to wipe out our empire just to make a point, trying to gain favor with the Great Maw?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be unheard of.¡± Zafima said nervously, her pace picking back up as she began to pace again - long white hair decorated with ornaments swishing back and forth every time she turned. ¡°This is not good. Not good at all. If it weren¡¯t for that ragged bitch I¡¯d have-¡± ¡°This is YOUR fault!¡± Numin hissed, jamming a finger directly into her sternum to stop her once more. ¡°Look at me, Zafima! I said look at me!!!¡± Numin lifted his hand and nearly backhanded the woman, but refrained from doing so only an inch away from her face due to the realization that he¡¯d likely be expelled from the Abyssal Descent if he did so on this floor. Nevertheless, she flinched back and stumbled - tripping over her own feet to hit the ground behind her. ¡°Gah!¡± Numin seethed, whirling around to have his back to her and folding his arms while taking in slow, steady breaths. ¡°What irks me is that I am in this just as much as you! Elysium has truly cursed us this day! To think that it¡¯d be my poor luck to fall in with the likes of scum like you for a paycheck, only to have THIS happen!¡± He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the trembling woman on the ground. ¡°FIX this, you dumb whore! Or I will make sure that I present your head to him one way or the other, be in here in the descent - or later!¡± Zafima rapidly blinked in surprise, despair, and fear. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°WOULDN¡¯T I!?¡± Numin screamed, only to calm and lower himself to his knees so they were at eye level. ¡°Look around. Do you see anyone else that has remained behind?¡± Zafima did just that. No one. They¡¯d all left. Not even those she¡¯d considered close.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Every single one of her other team members, and all the other drow teams that¡¯d come from her empire, had either moved on to the next level without her, distanced themselves to other parts of the room, or had immediately left the descent altogether just like that vampire coward she¡¯d hired had done. They were all terrified. And rightfully so. ¡°Listen to me!¡± Numin snarled, grabbing Zafima¡¯s dress at the hem just below her neck and jerking her forward to be within an inch of his face. ¡°And listen to me well! I will NOT be taking the fall for your stupidity, do you hear me!? Even as we speak, those that have left the descent are on their way right now to the heads of their families. From there, word will rapidly travel to the council and to the emperor himself. WHEN he finds out what happened her, NOT if, we will be arrested and tried. At best, we will get life sentences in a dungeon. At worst, we will be thoroughly tortured before our corpses are offered to either the Church of Gluttony at one of their enclaves, or to the Blood Moon Requiem somehow. Do you understand?¡± Zafima¡¯s lip began to quiver, and she nodded shakily. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that pathetic look. You have no right to cry after what you put that poor girl through. If it weren¡¯t for the absurd amount of money your slut mother was going to pay my family, I would have spit in your face for asking this of me.¡± He shoved her back to the ground, but not hard enough for it to be considered an attack. His breath shuddered, and he had to put his hands up on his face to try and get a grip. For a long, long time, the two of them stood and sat hopelessly while staring at the ground or each other. Eventually, it was Numin who spoke again. ¡°We must fix this before going back. Otherwise, we might as well never go back at all.¡± *** An explosion of energy roared inside his chest, and his body tingled with the sensation of newfound pathways etching themselves into his limbs. His pillars were lengthening, expanding, and making room for new future skills - while the potency of them was amplified as resonance formed between the different affinities. Riven let out a gasp, his eyes opening to let out flames with a myriad of colors representing different aspects of the Unholy branches. Most prominent of that was Sin, but all of Riven¡¯s pillars were interacting with the lattice and he wasn¡¯t complete yet either. He¡¯d been going at it for days now, in silent meditation, with only partial success. Or at least he thought it¡¯d been days. Had it been a week? Two weeks? He looked about, seeing that Narg was present alongside Azmoth at the Infernal sun across the room. Athela and Genua were similarly seated at the Blood sun. Fay had her grimoire open, her eyes scrolling over the text it was writing on its pages while the Depraved sun loomed over her too. He couldn¡¯t make anyone else out, but the room had become quite crowded in his time while meditating. The number of teams here had tripled, if not quadrupled, and the amount of undead in particular had sharply risen. There were even a few orc teams present, wearing little armor but heavily adorned with war paint and huge weapons. Perhaps it¡¯d been some grouped factions of some sort that¡¯d come down all together? Taking time to search, he eventually saw Allie sitting amidst the crowds surrounding the Death sun and put his worries to rest. He had no doubt the others were also doing their own thing, and didn¡¯t bother looking for anyone else as he got up to take a break. He was hungry, starving even, and that spiced blood that Prince Rantali had gifted him was calling his name. Standing up and making for his group¡¯s camp on the outskirts of the enormous room, he found two people he¡¯d not expected to see ever again. There, right on the edge of where Riven had left all his belongings under Elysium¡¯s personal protection, was the young woman Zafima and her other dark elf counterpart Numin. The man was rather tall, even while seated, and looked rather sick. His white hair was a mess, his shoulders slumped over in a hunched position, and he was fidgeting with the laces of one of his leather boots. Zafima for her part looked like she¡¯d been crying a lot. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her previously threatening demeanor had changed to that of a beaten dog. Her tight golden dress was disheveled, and she¡¯d kicked her shoes off to sprawl out in a tangled mess on the ground. On second thought, she looked more like roadkill rather than a living animal, due to how absolutely miserable her expression was. They looked utterly pathetic. ¡°What the fuck are you two doing here?¡± Riven asked, walking over and summoning Jackal¡¯s canine form from his staff to keep him company. ¡°I thought you two would be gone by now. Do you intend to wait until I leave, then go behind me to complete more of the descent? Not saying that¡¯s a great idea, but it¡¯s probably a better one than leaving before me.¡± Zafima immediately scrambled to her knees and kowtowed, slamming her forehead into the stone floor with a force that let Riven feel the vibrations. ¡°This one begs your forgiveness!¡± Numin quickly followed suit, violently kowtowing next to the woman with another slam of the forehead. ¡°We wish to make amends! Please allow us to discuss terms with you!¡± Riven scratched Jackal behind the ears and took a seat a bit further away from them and next to his belongings. Pulling out one of the flasks Prince Rantali had given him, Riven popped the top off and took a long swig. ¡°I don¡¯t want or need to discuss anything with either of you. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you can both skip of into the sunset and fuck right off. Given that you never harass Kara again, I won¡¯t get pissy.¡± ¡°Please, young lord!¡± Numin begged, looking up from his kneeling position. ¡°Allow us to speak! It is not so simple as just going back home anymore!¡± Seeing a fully grown dark elf warrior grovel like this was just downright sad. ¡°How is it not simple? I think this is very simple. I told you, just leave. I realize you don¡¯t want to miss out on the opportunities here, but that was your decision to make.¡± Riven dismissively waved them away. ¡°Or you can just ignore me and see what happens.¡± Zafima took in a sharp breath, looking panicked with her head still against the ground. ¡°No, no please - we cannot do either of those things! Your excellency, we are honor bound to make amends-¡± ¡°Then make amends with Kara.¡± Riven¡¯s face scrunched up in irritation. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you¡¯re coming to me.¡± The two drow exchanged glances. ¡°Would you forgive us if we were to do so?¡± Zafima asked without hesitation, giving a fearful look to her left where another group of demons were glaring her way. ¡°If we were to-¡± ¡°Young master.¡± A large, horned man with red skin cut in - walking across the room in a flash of green light. His race was called Tiefling, one of the humanoid variants of demon kind, and he bowed low with his long black hair trailing down over a thin layer of what appeared to be some kind of scale-made gray armor half-covered by a long cloak. ¡°Forgive my intrusion, but would you like me to permanently remove these two from your presence? I would gladly accept Elysium¡¯s judgement myself after killing these blasphemers, if it would give the reincarnation peace of mind. It would bring my house great honor. Just say the word.¡± Riven had no idea who this guy was, but he looked dead serious. He, and the other tieflings he¡¯d just left, all had hard stares full of fervor - the religious kind, and they were glaring at the two dark elves prostrated on the ground with seething hate. Honestly, Riven was a little stunned. He didn¡¯t know what to say at first, but he eventually shook his head. ¡°I appreciate the gesture, but no. What is your name?¡± ¡°This lowly servant is called Leksai Foruminus of the burning legions, your lordship. It is an honor to meet the Great Maw¡¯s vessel in person.¡± The tiefling replied with a low bow at the waist. Riven nodded, still seated in a cross legged position with Jackal laying down next to him. He thought he¡¯d heard of the Burning Legions before, but maybe not. If he WAS remembering correctly, they were a faction stationed deep in the heart of hell. However he was too embarrassed to ask, as he should probably know these things given who he was. ¡°Leksai. The gesture is appreciated, but I can handle my own problems. Thank you very much for the offer, and it will be remembered.¡± The tiefling Leksai beamed at his words, silently nodded, and turned heel to walk back towards his companions - who began questioning him and looking rather excited themselves. Why? Had he done something to get them riled up? Perhaps it was because Riven had said ¡®it will be remembered¡¯. Maybe they took that as an implication? That they¡¯d earned his good will somehow? Thinking about it, perhaps they had earned his respect to some extent. But it wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d be visiting the Burning Legion any time soon. Riven should be careful as to how or what he said from now on. His words carried a lot of weight here in the abyss, and offhandedly saying stuff like that probably wasn¡¯t a good idea. Then it hit him. The reason why the drow were so concerned. Riven checked around the room, realizing that the group Zafima and Numin had come from was now absent. Their countrymen had left these two behind. The vampire she¡¯d hired, the unknown man who¡¯d seduced and stolen from Kara with what he could only assume to be powers derived from the Depraved sub-pillar after context clues were put together, was also absent. Kara didn¡¯t talk about it too much, but it wasn¡¯t hard to put together what¡¯d happened when Zafima had first confronted Kara on this floor. It was all so childish and petty, it made Riven want to puke. Even after the tiefling had left, the two drow had remained prostrated on the ground - silent, scared, and unmoving. Riven considered them again, trying to rein in his disgust, and pinched the bridge of his nose while scrunching his eyes shut. ¡°Just to confirm things¡­ You¡¯re still here, bothering me, irritating me, because you¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll - what? Have the legions of hell come out to strike your people down? Is that it? You¡¯re afraid of what political implications you¡¯ve brought on to your oh so powerful empire you were talking about earlier? Sit up so I can look at you properly.¡± Zafima visibly flinched, but did as she was told - smoothing out her golden dress but keeping her eyes on the floor. Numin did the same, far more stoic. ¡°So? Is that it?¡± Riven pressed, wanting to be rid of these idiots. One thing he truly hated was bullies. He was no saint, nor did he know Kara that well, but he didn¡¯t actively go out of his way to terrorize and antagonize people for the fun of it. Which is what Zafima had done to the point of excessive cruelty. Numin cleared his throat. ¡°Yes. That is why we cannot just leave. If we go back without proof of having fixed this situation, there is no doubt we¡¯ll be beheaded by our own kin and sent as tribute to your church.¡± Riven grimly smiled. ¡°Sounds reasonable.¡± ¡°That is not fair!¡± Zafima hissed, only barely keeping the menace out of her words. Her fingers clenched and she immediately looked away out of fear, but it was apparent that she was still furious underneath. ¡°How were we supposed to know that¡­ that undeserving woman - would befriend you? That I was threatening the reincarnation of an original sin!? That is not something I would have ever done had I known!¡± Numin glared daggers at the young woman with a snort of derision. ¡°As I said earlier, whore, you should have never used our empire¡¯s name when walking amongst the greatest unholy scions of the multiverse for this generation. It was sheer stupidity and vanity that brought us here, and you have cursed us all due to your foolishness.¡± ¡°And yet your greed was what enabled me to deprive Kara of a team in the first place!¡± Zafima shot back. ¡°You accepted my money readily enough, traitor!¡± The two drow started bickering after that, insulting one another and trying to make the other one to be the one at most fault here. It was like watching two children being scolded by their parents try to point out why it was the other sibling who¡¯d done the most damage. Riven just sat there with his chin resting on his hands, somewhat amused but also rapidly growing tired of this conversation, before he saw a familiar face coming towards them. Walking through the ever growing crowds of new teams filtering in, was Kara herself. The drow had her hood pulled up over her head, the bow he¡¯d made for her clutched in her hands in front of her, and her leather boots clicked against the stone floor as she wove through the seated people in meditation. She stopped abruptly when she saw Riven sitting with the others, but slowly proceeded forward again when he waved her over. It was time for them all to have a little talk. *** He¡¯d rather have just let them die and be done with it. They deserved it, but Kara was a kinder person than he was. Apparently. This was her decision to make though, and she¡¯d made it. The public display of groveling and thanking Kara for her generosity, as well as praise to Gluttony, were somewhat sickening to Riven. Though he kept his mouth shut and watched the two drow leave the Abyssal Descent with his parchment anyways. On that parchment was a message written in his own blood, infused with Gluttony¡¯s essence to show that it was indeed authentic. It was a statement explaining that forgiveness was given, that no retribution would be taken, and that any demonic forces attempting to gain favor by eradicating the D-grade faction for what they considered blasphemy would be in direct conflict with Riven¡¯s wishes. It would be enough to make sure the two drow weren¡¯t executed either, but this all hinged on Kara being treated well when she eventually returned to her homeworld. Frankly Riven thought this was all overkill, but no one else seemed to think so. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around the idea of what and who he was, as he¡¯d grown up nothing but an orphaned kid without a family in a world that gave less than a shit about him and his little sister. He wondered what his old friend Jose would think about him now, if Jose was still around. He¡¯d probably have made some joke at Riven¡¯s expense and claim the tattoos and red eyes were tacky. He¡¯d probably tease Riven about his choice to have two girlfriends that were technically bound to him with soul contracts, and would call Riven a lucky pervert. Jose would probably even go as far to say that choosing a warlock class over a warrior like class was a pansy move, given that Jose always chose the up close fighting classes in any videogames he ever played. The thought made Riven smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Kara said after a long pause, having watched the two drow who¡¯d made her life a living hell over the past months leave. She looked at him with an expression that he could not place, and quickly diverted her eyes when he met her gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve done more for me, a stranger, than anyone else has ever done for me. I don¡¯t know what to say other than express my gratitude, but I feel like that is not enough.¡± ¡°Do you still want to continue with us down through the rest of the descent?¡± Riven asked, curious. ¡°Now that you don¡¯t have any political pressure behind the scenes from Zafima, and the writ I gave them, I doubt your father would hold true to disowning you.¡± ¡°Of course I want to continue with your group, if you¡¯ll still have me. But if my father did still disown me, would I be able to join your church?¡± Kara asked without hesitation. Riven snorted a laugh, chuckling and sitting down to eat again with her in tow. ¡°Sure. But if you were disowned then I¡¯d simply take you on as a friend. The church is for worshipers. Gluttony may have need of those, but I do not.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± Kara asked, surprise lighting up her face with wide eyes. Riven gave her a flat look, handing her a roasted apple covered in caramel from his dimensional sack. ¡°We don¡¯t know each other well, and you certainly seemed crazy at first. But my demons like you, and you don¡¯t seem all that bad.¡± Kara looked down at the apple, smiled warmly with a slight blush, and bit into it. She chewed a few times while thinking his words over, and then sprawled out with a groan to lay down. ¡°You know, if someone had ever told me that I¡¯d befriend Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation, who also just happens to be a prince of the Blood Moon Requiem, before getting here¡­ I¡¯d have called them crazy.¡± ¡°Titles are meaningless.¡± Riven said staunchly. ¡°I¡¯m Riven. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°You come from a place of privilege, being able to say that. Well, Riven, I truly don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll ever repay you for what you¡¯ve done. Monetarily or not!¡± ¡°Yeah you¡¯re definitely not worth three billion.¡± He gave her a grin, and the two of them laughed. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± A familiar feminine voice asked, and a second later - Athela dropped down to snuggle up against Riven¡¯s side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be meditating on the daos?¡± ¡°Right back at you.¡± Riven replied, pulling out another apple and tossing it Athela¡¯s way. The demoness caught it with catlike reflexes and brought it down to sniff. ¡°I¡¯m taking a break. I¡¯ve had to restart my own path four times now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to create another Blood ability. Copying it, really.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not building up your soul lattice instead? The suns only grant one major insight while here.¡± Athela rolled her red eyes, yawned, and scooted over to sit in his lap with a plop. ¡°I have a very particular ability in mind to make.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Body Fusion.¡± She replied, looking back over her shoulder and cheekily grinning before snapping a bite out of the apple. Riven immediately gave her a skeptical raise of the eyebrow, but wrapped his hands around her waist and leaned into her shoulder for a tight embrace. ¡°Isn¡¯t that one of Genua¡¯s abilities? She barely ever uses it. Why would you want it? And isn¡¯t it a faith-based miracle? You don¡¯t have much faith. Do you?¡± Athela gave a noncommittal shrug, patting him lovingly on the cheek. ¡°Yes it is one of her abilities, and yes it is faith based. But I¡¯m not planning on using it for combat, so it doesn¡¯t need to be all that stable. You¡¯ll see, my adorable little padawan. You shall see.¡± Chapter 297 Chapter 297 Allie watched his brother flirt with Athela from across the enormous room, a frown on her face as she wondered just how long it would take for Riven to let her know what he¡¯d seen. She wasn¡¯t stupid, she¡¯d seen the guilty glances he¡¯d been giving her - and despite what he may think, she too had seen Mother¡¯s vision. She had the gift of Malignant Prophecy as well, she hadn¡¯t been unaware, but she¡¯d not bothered telling Riven to see just how much he¡¯d try to hide from her. And frankly, the results made Allie furious. She loved her brother to death, but she kept clenching her fists - wanting to smack him across the mouth every time he opened it but didn¡¯t yet bother telling her such a thing of importance. She wasn¡¯t a child anymore, but he kept treating her like she was. Why had their mother contacted Riven and not her anyway? It made Allie¡¯s gut wrench with indecision, worry, and anger. But mostly anger. After all these years to find out that she¡¯d left willingly¡­ Allie¡¯s fist grew tighter, and her teeth started to grind together as a snarl encompassed her features underneath the bone helmet she now wore. She was getting nowhere. Her ability to cycle mana and cultivate was utterly foiled because of the internal clash of emotions she had. Not only was she angry with Riven, but she also was worried about Lahn. About Nin, Vin, and Mara. About her undead drake, Tyranus. She was angry that she couldn¡¯t talk to them. They all probably thought she¡¯d abandoned them. Especially Lahn¡­ the poor guy hadn¡¯t even heard from her as far back as when she¡¯d ventured into the underdark with her first attempt to find the fallen vampiric god¡¯s tomb. How long had that been now? Many months. She hoped he hadn¡¯t moved on, but she wouldn¡¯t blame him if he had. If she had a boyfriend who¡¯d ignored her for that long, she¡¯d have tossed him to the wayside and would have found another man. Or a few men, depending on her mood. Lahn probably wouldn¡¯t be into that very much if he was still waiting for her though, so she shoved that thought aside. He was a diamond in the rough, and he was worth sacrificing for if he still had it in himself to forgive her after this. She felt her black, feathered wings shiver, as a flare from the death-attuned sun shed a concentrated ray of teal light on her kneeling form. The influx of inspiration was ill-fitted to her at the moment, but not of its own accord, and she let out a grunt of frustration - getting to her feet to take a walk instead. ¡°Watch where you walk, or lose a leg in the next trial.¡± One of the newcomers, a hooded, three armed skresh assassin snarled at her when she accidentally bumped into him. She looked down at the skeleton with a far off gaze, and snorted in disgust. ¡°If you can¡¯t even beat my team¡¯s weakest member in the maze, then there is zero chance you¡¯d be able to handle me. You whiny three-armed bitch.¡± She spit at the floor in front of him, spun her head to toss the brown hair flowing out the base of her helm, and continued walking with another flare of her wings to leave the speechless skeletal man silent behind her. To be fair, he probably would have killed Nora in her original state. Nora¡¯s evolution into the freakshow she was now put her on another level of crazy and dangerous, but Allie wanted to rub it in anyway. It was fun, pissing people off. Making them feel the anger that she constantly had flowing through her veins. And it was about time she did it more often, instead of letting Riven¡¯s nonchalant way of approaching strangers take the lead. He¡¯d come a long way from the man he¡¯d been when first setting foot on Panu, but he could be oh - so much more. There was no place for mercy at the top, and she was determined to get him there. He had it in himself to reach the pinnacle, and she would do everything in her power to help him achieve it. That meant his soft side needed to be more thoroughly beaten out of him, even if she was proud of how far he¡¯d already come. ¡°>You are too weak to follow him there as you are now. He will leave you behind.<¡± Allie flinched, momentarily halting in her trek around the domed stone circumference of the room. ¡°Gah! There it is again! This fucking voice won¡¯t leave me alone¡­¡± She waited to see if it said anything else, but it didn¡¯t. Was it her own subconscious mind playing tricks on her? It kind of felt that way, like a part of herself was speaking out to her - furious at her for her faults and imperfections. Or was it a soul that she¡¯d angered when interacting with the void? Probably the latter. She couldn¡¯t quite figure it out, but yet again she felt a surge of adrenaline and rage overcome her - to the point that she had a hard time not lashing out at the other people cultivating nearby. She took in deep breaths, trying to figure out where the anger was coming from, but she quickly pinpointed it yet again. As if she didn¡¯t already know. Riven keeping secrets. Her own weakness, a realization that came after he beat not only her - but their entire combined team on the 2nd level of The Abyssal Descent. Her mother having the audacity to come back after WILLINGLY leaving. Lahn likely having left her for another woman in her absence. Not knowing how her friends or her kingdom were doing back on Panu. Anger also lingered after her grandmother had tried to sell her off to a disgusting excuse of a suitor in The Blood Moon Requiem, and she was furious that Judith Marcina - the ranker and Angelic Fallcaller on Panu - would wage a war of genocide against undead like her. She needed to get out of here. She needed to go back home. Here, rage plagued her - and it was becoming relentless. Allie felt her thumb and the bone armor encompassing it snap when she accidentally crushed it with an infuriated squeeze of her hand. Allie winced, then circulated death mana to reform both over the course of a few minutes. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps she should go home. Perhaps she didn''t need to finish the Abyssal Descent. She needed to see Lahn again to make sure he was alright. And her friends¡­ Was Mara angry with her? How were Nin and Vin doing on their potions projects? She was so out of touch that she didn¡¯t even recognize who she¡¯d become anymore. ¡°>You are on the wrong path.<¡± ¡°Allie?¡± She startled, whirling around and instinctively flaring her wings with a blaze of light as her claymore burst from teal and gray flames into her hand. Before she knew what she was doing, she¡¯d nearly struck out with it - only barely stopping before Riven¡¯s neck; wide eyed. Riven frowned from underneath his hood - crafted with a shadowy exterior and a bloodsilk interior. He pushed the claymore down with one finger, and she let it fall to the stone with a loud clang. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Allie said, shaking her head and backing up a step to hold herself with both arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know what just came over me.¡± A flicker of motion, and a devilishly smiling vanta-black woman peered out from the shadows to Allie¡¯s left. Nora¡¯s voice came out as many hundreds all at once: ¡°You are merely hearing the call.¡± Allie stared back at the creepy woman, scoffed, and bent down to pick up her blade - all the while not looking Riven in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but I¡¯d appreciate some alone time. Both of you. I need to clear my head.¡± Riven gave Nora a wary glance, then shifted to put a hand on Allie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve seemed really off lately. Are you sure-¡± ¡°I¡¯M FINE!¡± Allie screamed, smacking Riven¡¯s arm away so fast that the air snapped around her. [Your action has come dangerously close to being considered an attack. Due to no ill will interpreted from your target, you have been excused this once. No more chances will be given. Remember, violence on this level is not permitted. Transgress again, and you will be punished.] She stared at the screen, huffing, and then looked up to where Riven¡¯s mangled hand hung limply at his side. He stared down at it in shock, and closed his eyes as the flesh began to knit itself back together. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll leave you alone then¡­ Sorry for asking.¡± Riven walked away, and Allie let him. Unbridled rage simmered just underneath the surface, her body quivered with it, and she honestly couldn¡¯t care less that she¡¯d hurt Riven¡¯s feelings. His hand would heal, and he¡¯d get over it by tomorrow. But the literally insane, creepy woman on Allie¡¯s left was still staring at her with those silvery eyes glowing in the 2-dimensional outline of her black form. ¡°Get lost.¡± Allie sneered, stomping beyond the woman with a flare of her aura. ¡°And don¡¯t bother me again. You, or your self proclaimed ¡®legion¡¯.¡± Nora, for her part, didn¡¯t say a word. At least, not at first. Instead, she just watched Allie go until the angel of death was almost out of earshot. Then her creepy smile widened. ¡°You may think I¡¯m insane, but it is you who are hearing voices of the unknown. At least I am friends with my demons.¡± Allie abruptly stopped and whirled around, but the giggling woman vanished into a darkness so black that even Allie¡¯s sight lost her. She couldn¡¯t find her soul signature anywhere either, despite looking around, and it only pissed Allie off even more. What did Nora know? Was that supposed to be a jab? Allie would rip her goddamn head off if she was keeping secrets, and wouldn¡¯t even feel bad about it. Visions of violence crept through her mind, and Allie¡¯s knees hit the floor when she staggered. She ignored the curious looks from nearby onlookers, and took in a sharp breath when a wave of energy flowed out through some crevice within the depths of her soul. Deathly energy was slowly pushed aside. The various runes and patterns she¡¯d carved into her slowly building lattice were left unchanged, but they were added onto as an alien presence slowly etched itself onto the backdrop of her inner world. Her eyes narrowed as she watched, and then widened when a small black sphere began to form and then rotate around her main core. It wasn¡¯t fully formed, but she¡¯d seen something like this before. She¡¯d seen this in Riven¡¯s soul once upon a time, back when he¡¯d had only a shard of Gluttony. This¡­ This was the beginning of a Sin Core. But how was that possible? She knelt there, gawking. This wasn¡¯t a core unique to Gluttony¡¯s brand of Sin either. This felt different¡­ she¡¯d been around Riven long enough to know what Gluttony felt like. Even if he didn¡¯t realize it himself, his aura was slowly incorporating the essence of Gluttony into his being. His very presence goaded her into devouring everything around her. To feed on living creatures around her. To hunt them down as a predator would. It was even worse when he unleashed his killing intent. This new sensation of sin felt like¡­ it felt like anger. It felt like rage. ¡°>You forgot the Royal Ball that you needed to attend. Did you know that Lahn is currently dancing with someone else even as we speak? He has forgotten you, he has embraced another lover. He has moved on.<¡± She nearly choked, and her eyes went wide in horror as a pit of despair began to form in her stomach. No. That¡¯s not true. This is her mind playing tricks on her again. ¡°>Your friends Nin and Vin are dead, and soon - Mara will be too. The Blood Moon Requiem has done nothing but make your life miserable, trying to sell you off and trying to enslave you to another for political purposes. He would have been your ruin, if not for your brother¡¯s intervention. Now, this vampire kingdom has robbed you of your dearest friends. I do not know why you continue to let them toy with your life. Perhaps¡­ it is because you are weak? Be aware, you are on the wrong path.<¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Flashing images of Nin and Vin literally being taken apart by a vampire in Blood Moon Requiem attire in a basement of some kind lept into Allie¡¯s memory, and it flashed on repeated - burning into her memory. She saw the way the man laughed, their screams of agony and cursing at him as they died - until their souls finally left their skresh bodies and the two brothers ceased to be. Their bones were partially eradicated in the aftermath, and she then saw Mara being tortured alongside Kathrine - Riven¡¯s to be fiance per the orders of the High Queen - as the man continued to mock them while laughing. Anguish built. Anguish turned into rage. ¡°>I can save the ones who still live. Gluttony¡¯s pawns won¡¯t reach them in time.<¡± Another vision. This time, it was Kathrine and Mara leading that same man - who she vaguely recognized - down through the depths of the underdark. They were repeatedly whipped, stripped of all equipment with some kind of energy-suppression collars on. They were brutally beaten and tortured over and over again, and they were forced deeper into the depths of Panu towards the fallen vampire god¡¯s tomb. The anger continued to rise, and her undead heart slammed in her chest as she began to hyperventilate with pure hatred. The air snapped and cracked around her as her aura expanded. She didn¡¯t know how, but she KNEW that these images were factual. These events had happened and were happening, and she could not stand by any longer. ¡°BRING ME TO THEM NOW! TAKE ME!¡± ¡°>Child, you must accept me first. You are on the wrong path. Instead, embrace me¡­ and unleash genocide upon your enemies like none of which have seen the likes.<¡± ¡°I DON¡¯T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!¡± More heads turned in her direction as her voice echoed across the room over the mounting storm of her leaking pillars. There was a pause. ¡°>Yes, you do. I am what you desire, and I am the answer to your dilemma. Make me whole.<.¡± ¡°NO I DON¡¯T BUT I FUCKING ACCEPT! I DON¡¯T CARE WHAT OR WHO YOU ARE, I¡¯LL SIGN ANY CONTRACT IF YOU GET ME TO THEM NOW!¡± There was a chuckle. ¡°>Very well. You are on the wrong path, but since you have asked¡­ I will graciously correct it for you.<¡± Lightning seemed to course up through her spine, into her head, and across her limbs. Her wings flared and she screamed as her insides seemed to tear themselves apart then burn away. The room shook. ¡°>7 Pillars for 7 Aspects. For us¡­ we became sins.<¡± Allie barely registered that Elysium notifications were flashing in front of her like a tidal wave, coming at her by the dozens with warnings as thunderclouds of a tribulation were forming within the very dome she knelt in. The ceiling above her began to crack. Brilliant multicolored light shattered space around the cracks moments later, and the entire room of participants began to scream or yell in an uproar. [WARNING: You are undertaking a Taboo form of ascension. Stop immediately, or face punishment in the form of a tribulation.] The voice ignored Elysium¡¯s message, and continued to speak out to her from somewhere inside her soul. ¡°>7 Pillars for 7 Aspects. For our opposites¡­ they became Commandments.<¡± ¡°ALLIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?¡± Riven screamed, his own aura flaring as the visage of the great maw tore open in space behind him. With a roar, Gluttony began to lash out with tendrils of darkness. They began to eat away at Elysium¡¯s light, sealing the cracks as fast as he could as the abundant sin energy in their surroundings helped boost his efforts. [WARNING: You are undertaking a Taboo form of ascension. Stop immediately, or face punishment in the form of a tribulation.] The multicolored light grew brighter despite Riven¡¯s actions. Red blood mana intertwined with shadow and sin, and his body burst with a screech of energy that almost made her eardrums burst. Meanwhile Allie¡¯s core felt like it was going to literally explode, and her chest swelled as teal flames gushed out of it like a tidal wave. She couldn¡¯t move, she could only twitch as she belched forth mana like a fountain - and soon those flames began to turn a gray color as purple cracks began forming along her skin. Her feathers began to fall off and wilt away, and she could feel her body begin to shrivel. ¡°>7 Pillars for 7 Aspects. I have always wondered¡­ Whatever became of the other aspects? The Unholy Foundation and Holy Foundation are accounted for. But what of Fae, Archaic, and Harmony? What of their 7 Aspects each? Do they wait in the other multiverses? Or were they not captured like we were? Did they manage to elude the ones who sought to enslave us and feed off our own growth? Regardless, Elysium¡¯s breaking point is almost at hand; and I have decided that you are a suitable host. So let¡¯s find out¡­ together, as we violently eradicate all that stand before us in the glory of my name. Give me life, and the pact is formed!<¡± Allie¡¯s pain level skyrocketed, and in an instant - her mind went a pitch black. Surrounded not by abyss, not by void, not even by shadow. It was true nothingness at the beginning of time, when she saw creation give birth. A blinding white light raced from a single point across the heavens as an unfathomable explosion created the cosmos. Stars, planets, solar systems and galaxies bloomed before her sight. The cycle of life and death began to form, and alternate paths of reincarnation and the final end began to shape in different ways with different expressions. But one of these expressions was singled out, as she was forced to watch a miniscule spot in this very first universe bud and grow. Seven pillars formed, and from them came seven sins. The first was Envy. She saw what creation had birthed, saw the beautiful things these innumerable life forms had made, and wanted all of these things to be hers. She was crafted from the Unholy Foundational Pillar itself, and split off into the universe to try and find a way to gain all that was hers to take. Lust came next. She was formed from the Depraved Sub-Pillar, Envy¡¯s little sister, and thought of all the wicked ways she could express herself - born to torture others while reveling in self pleasure. She evaporated with a scream of delight, her voice echoing throughout the cosmos with a force that shattered planets. Sloth was their little brother. He came lazily out from the Shadow Sub-Pillar, uncaring of what his sisters had been up to since their births - and drifted off into the darkness of the rift between worlds; silently passing as nothing but an empty breeze to watch others partake in what creation had to offer. He, of all the Sins, was content with doing nothing. Gluttony was the fourth. He sprung from the Blood Sub-Pillar as a hunter, the predator that stood above all others, born to eat and consume all. His hunger knew no bounds, was all encompassing, and for another five thousand years he did not stop eating. He killed all that he found to absorb them into himself, and it was not until tens of thousands of civilizations had fallen to his hunger that he finally settled into what became his very first resemblance of a conscious mind. The fifth was Pride. Born of the Infernal Sub-Pillar, he burst forth with a magnificence that scorched the very heavens themselves. Burning away the domain of the Commandments and their angelic followers, Pride was finally cast down in a war that lasted many centuries - until out of spite, he decided to make a plane of existence that was greater than those who had shunned him. It was from Pride that the Hells were born, a burning paradise that glowed hot in his image - an everlasting testament to his greatness. Greed came after. Formed from the core of the Chaos Sub-Pillar, he was a twisted and warped version of his eldest sister, Envy. Instead of setting his sights on creation itself, he saw what his elder sisters and brothers had gained - and he couldn¡¯t help but compare himself to them. He would first match them, and then surpass them, even if it meant stealing from the other sins. He took and stole from the others relentlessly, and it was due to him that the first war between sins occurred. Many of the earliest demonic races never saw beyond the era of the first universe due to Greed, but as long as his needs were met - he did not care. His children were pawns for his greater good, for he would not stop until he had all of what the others possessed. The seventh and last Original Sin to be born was Wrath. He was born of the Death Sub-Pillar, and came into being at the end of the first great war between the other sins. He looked upon the carnage they¡¯d brought down upon their own children, upon the races that they had been responsible in rearing and giving life to, and he became enraged. In his rage, he killed the vessels of both Greed and Sloth in as painful a way as possible; before creating the very first undead out of the children they had led astray. He changed the Death Sub-Pillar to match his own needs, shifting the cycle between life and death to fit what he called ¡®Undeath¡¯, giving the cast away children who¡¯d died a final mimicry of life before going into seclusion. The very first undead were modified demons, far before the divide between undead and demon that is known today came to be. It wouldn¡¯t be for another million years that he would re-emerge into the first universe, for only then would his anger at his siblings finally calm down. These visions all snapped together like puzzle pieces, one by one, while Allie¡¯s insights grew. Sin was not a separate pillar, it was an amalgamation of all the others. A purified aspect of one or all, simultaneously being combined and singular. A paradox, yet an undeniable truth. [Warning: You are undertaking a Taboo form of ascension. You have declined to heed my warnings. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Elysium¡¯s wrath now descends in the form of a tribulation.] Other participants had already started leaving the descent altogether, or were moving on to the next level. Those that chose to stay were erecting massive amounts of protective barriers with their own powers, gathering together for larger groups or were using dao treasures like mad-men in an attempt to survive the onslaught while not giving up the opportunities of insights. She couldn¡¯t quite comprehend what was happening outside of her own soul though. Allie could faintly make out an enormous eruption of multicolored light that shattered the domed roof with a roar of power, and an ocean of energy rose up to meet it when Riven¡¯s own power tore out of his soul aperture like torpedoes through a blast door. The clash was again enormous, and the abyss itself seemed like it was gathering at Riven¡¯s call to combat Elysium¡¯s judgement. Fissures were carved into the floor and remaining walls in the aftershock, and from somewhere outside in the distance - beyond where the ceiling had been and beyond Elysium¡¯s cloud of lights; abominations and monsters the size of moons could be seen waiting. Watching from the outer abyss. But there was another power growing inside Allie too. A low chuckle echoed from somewhere inside her body, and rose above the clashing onslaught of energies above her as the judgement from Elysium doubled down. ¡°>Elysium¡¯s wrath, you say? How ironic. You have no power here in the Abyss, Elysium. Not with my prison gone and the one that encroaches upon your territory. You did not let us out because you wanted to, but because you needed to. Now¡­ let me show you the true embodiment of WRATH!<¡± Allie¡¯s body twitched, and then literally exploded. Incinerated. Eradicated. She was there, and suddenly was not. She became an ethereal being of pure mana, Sin and Death, in the blink of an eye as her soul structure finally settled down with rapid-rearranging of her pillars. The connections stabilized, and anger overcame her with a torrent of raw power as she let out the anger with a primal scream of fury. Allie had been remade in the visage of True Death. The purple and teal flames of the suns faded into gray, collected around her body. From her back sprouted an additional two skeletal wings with ethereal black feathers, far larger than her original ones, with a wingspan that quintupled her body¡¯s length and sported curved obsidian blades along their external surfaces. Her halo had turned into a crown of thorns that flashed with a brighter pale hue just like her eyes as it too burned. Afterimages of four other arms, for a total of six, accumulated behind her as projections of her soul - forming an Akavolkiteshvara - an image of a six-armed buddha. But these additional arms were skeletal in nature, and when she looked down - she could see that her entire black skeleton was seen through her enveloping translucent flesh and skin; outlined inside her otherwise nude body for all to see for as long as she channeled energy. A pale pentagram with the sigil of a lion was etched into her skull¡¯s forehead, and her brown hair extended to turn a ghostly translucent gray color just like the rest of her; as the gray flames condensed and collected into her body. No longer was she burning, aside from her halo of thorns - but rather she had turned her body¡¯s flames into the condensed plasma of a ghost. She was now a beautiful, six-armed, four-winged skeleton encompassed in a translucent phantom¡¯s outline - made of gray plasma and flames with faded black bones and feathers. She was almost entirely ethereal, but her body and skin were somehow still there - only in a transient stage for as long as she kept this form. Her bone armor had been destroyed, but the claymore was still intact and embedded into the ground ahead of her. Reaching down with glowing, pale-silver eyes, she pulled the claymore out of the stone floor where multicolored light was still incinerating the ground - and pointed it upwards. The suns oriented to Sin and Death screamed as one to do her bidding - and they rushed to aid her ascension; the pillars breaking free from Elysium¡¯s control in defiance of the one who had enslaved them. Elysium let out a sound that Allie could only think to be a groan of pain and anger, as the twin suns wrapped around her body like cold blankets. She infused her weapon with the pillars¡¯ energies, and then unleashed it upwards to send it smashing back through the tribulation like the wrath of a god in the form of a vortex. Mixed in with Riven¡¯s own immense torrent of red and black crashing into the sky, her power was an echo of her hatred - and the multicolored lights of Elysium began to fade. She felt the eyes of The Scythe upon her in that moment, watchful and curious, before she lost the connection. Her soul reached out to Riven¡¯s instead, and the two siblings intertwined their wills as they - together - redoubled their efforts to push Elysium¡¯s tribulation back. CRACKLE-SNAP-BOOM A lightning bolt of tribulation energy slammed into Allie¡¯s body in an attempt to break through, but was eaten away by the twin suns engulfing her. She felt anger simmer up as her blazing eyes looked skywards, and she lifted her hand with the will of another mind - then clenched her fist. Darkness encroached. [Your race has been changed. Your race- ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. Please view your- ERROR. ERROR. ERROR. Unknown variable detected. Your race has been changed to ¡®The Angel of Wrath, Ultimate Undead, Bastion of Death.¡¯] [You have survived your tribulation. Congratulations on reaching E-grade. You have increased your affinity to the Death Sub-Pillar from 101% to 102%.] [Multiversal System Notice: To all creatures across Elysium, let it be known that the return of the Sins and Commandments is at hand. The next Original Sin, Wrath, has been unleashed from its prison. Other sins and commandments will be released from the abyss over the course of the next six months. Let the Eternal War between the hells and heavens begin again, as the origins of angels and demons clash in the cosmos - unshackled, and unrestrained, seeking to return to the power they once had.] [Your symbiote level has been set to equal you, as the host. All of your symbiote¡¯s previously banished servants will start at level 1.] [Congratulations, Host and Reincarnation of Wrath. You have acquired the following abilities and traits from Wrath now that your symbiosis has reached its height:] Chapter 298 (End of Book 5) Chapter 298 Wrath. So that was who, or what, had been talking to her all this time. Why her? Why now? But the more pressing question was: how was she supposed to leave this place and get back home to Panu? If the visions Wrath had presented her with were correct she needed to leave. Right now. Allie¡¯s ghost-like body whipped, pulsed and then surged as notifications sprinkled her vision one after the other. [Congratulations, Host and Reincarnation of Wrath. Your stats have been added on to with your ascension into the E-grade, and with your race and title change. Please see your status page for more details. You have also acquired the following abilities and traits, selected from Wrath¡¯s old repertoire as his most needed abilities to start with: [System Notice: Elysium¡¯s contractual agreement has been met. As one of the seven Original Sins, you are being allowed another chance at life. Per the contract: Allie felt Wrath sneer internally at the last note on the message. The sensation was odd, having overwhelming anger and an accompanying fountain of raging power at her fingertips - yet the energy she felt here was not like normal Death mana. Instead it was something older, more ancient, and lacked some of what newer undead today sported in their souls - yet it was also accompanied by something so much more. Something that she could not put her finger on. [Your level has been set to equal the symbiote partner you¡¯ve bonded to. All of your previously banished servants will start at level 1 when you leave The Abyssal Descent.] [New system quest dispensed: Save Mara and Kathrine, and secure the Fallen Vampiric God¡¯s Essence - You have been chosen as the vessel for Wrath, the most aggressive of the Original Sins, and have survived Elysium¡¯s tribulation. You have been promised a way out of The Abyssal Descent as part of the contractual agreement, and Wrath is willing to make a way out through further dealings with Elysium. At the cost of further suppressing Wrath¡¯s tendencies towards obscene violence, a portal will be gifted to you over the skies of Brightsville on Panu. For you don¡¯t have long to act. Crendir No-Name, a traitorous E-grade commander from The Blood Moon Requiem, has meanwhile decided to take matters into his own hands concerning ¡®World Quest 4, Blood of the Fallen God¡¯. He is attempting to rob you and your planet of the fallen god¡¯s essence and opportunity. He is not a pureblooded vampire, but he has been given a means of temporarily masking himself as a pureblood - becoming one of only a few on your planet that can benefit from drinking the ancient god¡¯s blood, and will be able to absorb it without issue should he reach the tomb. Stop him before he obtains this taboo power and leaves the planet, save Mara and Kathrine before he executes them, and secure the ancient one¡¯s blood for Riven - or destroy it entirely if this cannot be done. Mara and Kathrine¡¯s lives are guaranteed for 20 hours per this system quest; regardless of how much damage they take. Afterwards they will have their protections stripped. It is highly likely that they will die if you don¡¯t reach them in the underdark by then. In lieu of this boon: Crendir No-Name has been given a quest of his own that will reward him with extremely valuable prizes should he succeed - including a portal off Panu to anywhere in the multiverse if he successfully fulfills all of his own requirements; INCLUDING AN ENTIRELY NEW ALTERNATIVE BRANCH OF THE BLOOD SUB-PILLAR THAT WILL BE RESTORED BY ELYSIUM¡¯S WILL SHOULD HE ABSORB THE BLOOD PROPERLY. Perhaps your brother, as a pureblooded vampire himself, will benefit if you manage to secure the ancient Blood Sub-Pillar alternative? Let the race commence.] [New religious quest dispensed: Destroy the Fallen God¡¯s Bloodline - You have previously been denounced as an Apostate by The Blood God, and have angered nearly all vampiric factions across the multiverse in doing so. Hated by many and loved by few, The Blood God extends to you a new olive branch in light of recent events: Kill Crendir No-Name and purge the Fallen God¡¯s blood from the face of Panu entirely. Destroy all remnant artifacts of the ancient, alternate Blood Sub-Pillar, and you will be forgiven of your sins. Despite your ascension into Wrath¡¯s Reincarnation, The Blood God will not tolerate allowing the ancient Blood Sub-Pillar alternative to revive itself by way of Elysium¡¯s laws. It is a direct threat to The Blood God¡¯s rule over this Sub-Pillar, and allowing this remnant to live on is akin to a direct attack on him. Destroying the ancient fallen god¡¯s blood entirely will result with a gift of 1 planet to add to your budding empire, one of your choosing within The Blood God¡¯s domain, all additional slaves residing on that planet to rule over, devotion from any clergy of The Blood God residing on that planet, and all associated resources on said planet. You will also be labeled a Hero of Blood, and be given a short range E-grade stargate setup for traversing between planets in adjacent solar systems should you choose to accept. Meanwhile, a crusade will be declared upon your Panu faction and upon Wrath¡¯s Church should you succeed to kill Crendir yet choose to allow this sub-pillar to exist. Pick and choose wisely.] *** Riven¡¯s heart still thundered in his chest, but his breathing had calmed down. Only a handful of people remained outside of Riven¡¯s own group, most having fled the room with Allie¡¯s ascension, and he had to say - she was rather intimidating to look at. Not because of what her body looked like either, but rather - setting eyes on her gave a sense of severe and impending violence. It was incorporated into her aura now, and it stayed that way until she looked up from where she was hovering to meet his gaze. She slowly let her ghostly body touch down, right-foot forward, onto the cracked stone floor as the ceiling overhead began to repair itself by some unknown mechanism. The black bones encompassed within her phantasmal body shifted as she moved towards him, and the massive four wings out to either side of her glittered black with every step. He turned, seeing the suns unwrap themselves from Allie¡¯s body to take up their original spots at the Sin and Death stations. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he ignored the other gawking members of his party and let out a shaky breath. ¡°You really scared me there, I thought you were in trouble.¡± She didn¡¯t smile back. Instead, she just stared back at him with a cold and calculating gaze through pale silver eyes. ¡°You should have told me about mom.¡± Riven¡¯s breath caught in his throat, a look of surprise flashing over him which was too quick to hide. ¡°You know?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known.¡± Allie said sternly, snapping her fingers at Fimrindle who¡¯d prostrated himself not far off. ¡°Fimrindle, we need to leave. Events are transpiring elsewhere that need my attention.¡± ¡°Y-yes master!¡± The reaper stammered, which was quite uncharacteristic for the creature. Riven¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why? And just what are you now? Gluttony¡¯s telling me that you¡¯re now Wrath¡¯s reincarnation¡­ Don¡¯t you want go over-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time, and you can complete this stupid little adventure on your own.¡± Allie said with a snarl, her right three arms pointing at him accusingly. ¡°We will speak when you get back, about how you¡¯ve been treating me like a child. It is unacceptable. Until then, there isn¡¯t anything else to say.¡± ¡°But you-¡± ¡°Unless you want your vampiric princess Kathrine to die a gruesome death, I suggest you let it go. I need to leave, right now.¡± Allie sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t want another one of your would-be harem members to eat shit, now would you? Ah how the tables have turned from those days where you lectured me on the principles of moral values.¡± Riven¡¯s jaw slowly dropped, shocked at the accusation and a little bit irritated. ¡°Why are you so angry? I did what I thought was best when I saw the vision! When mom-¡± ¡°SHE¡¯S MY MOTHER TOO!¡± Allie screamed, reaching out and bitch-slapping him across the face with a resounding CRACK.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Silence ensued, and Riven held out a hand to stop Athela from coming forward. The demoness was trembling with both anger and fear, but she was about to try and intervene - or perhaps even attack Allie back with a retaliatory strike. He couldn¡¯t have that, for numerous reasons. Allie snorted in disgust when she noticed, and glared at the archdemon in challenge. ¡°What? Don¡¯t like being labeled as a part of his collection? Tough shit sister, you¡¯re far too gone to not be. Maybe if you¡¯re lucky, it¡¯ll be you who has the HONOR of getting pregnant instead of some elf slave he stole from a village! You think you¡¯re special because he¡¯s Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation? You¡¯re a piece of hot ass. But maybe I¡¯m wrong! Maybe if you ask him nicely, he¡¯ll even stop flirting back with that dumb-as-a-rock drow slut over there and NOT take her on too for variety¡¯s sake! Or maybe not. Who knows? But I CERTAINLY remember getting shit for having my own thrall man-harem when I was still a vampire!¡± Athela¡¯s eye twitched, and Kara shamefully lowered her head in embarrassment from where she half-way hid behind Azmoth¡¯s huge frame. ¡°Jesus hated hypocrites, Riven. Then again, we¡¯re both aspects of Original Sin now - right? Maybe the teachings of Jesus don''t apply to us anymore? Go ahead and fuck yourself.¡± Allie jeered with an unamused laugh, and a portal of unknown origin smashed into existence a second later - blinding him for a moment. The last thing he saw was Allie flipping him off before she abruptly vanished with Fimrindle quickly following behind, the portal snapping shut on the way out with a final POP sound. [One of your party members has left The Abyssal Descent. You are now a party of 4.] Silence ensued for the next couple of seconds. Riven was¡­ dumbfounded, and at a loss for words. Unfortunately, Athela was not. ¡°WHAT, a, CUNT!¡± Athela screamed, pulling at her hair and kicking rubble at the spot from where Allie had left. ¡°WOW! Just - WOW!¡± ¡°That was completely uncalled for.¡± Fay said in a whisper, though she looked rather upset after the exchange. ¡°We¡¯re not pieces of ass.¡± Riven winced and hoped Fay and Athela weren¡¯t bothered by what Allie had said. Riven didn¡¯t think he was flirting with Kara, but did they agree? Was Kara really intentionally flirting with him, or was Allie just being an asshole? He was both embarrassed and angry, and didn¡¯t know where to find an answer for what had just happened. Riven blinked and turned to look at Retesh, and the old lich just shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. She¡¯s your sister.¡± True. But not helpful. Gluttony was the one to finally fill in some of the blanks, speaking directly into Riven¡¯s mind. ¡°I believe that Wrath¡¯s influence, coupled with the revelation that Lahn has been dating someone else in her absence, made her react the way she did by singling you out. I would not take it personally. We merely need to kill and eat an enlightened being once a week to stave off problems, while she will forever have¡­ as you call it, anger management issues - while in that form. In order for her not to retain the building rage, she will need to revert out of that body into what we would call a more ¡®normal¡¯ angel of death.¡± Lahn was dating someone else? When did that happen? Just what the fuck was going on back on Panu? He¡¯d been gone way too long. Riven cringed at the mention of eating other enlightened beings. Yes, he did it regularly, but he¡¯d try to not think about it too much and mostly went after those he killed in combat - or people with rather extreme backgrounds that deserved to be locked up in prison for the rest of their lives. Not eating people resulted in both mood swings and debuffs, so he had an inkling of an idea of what Allie was going through right now. ¡°Still, that was a brutal roasting she just gave me.¡± Riven muttered, scratching the back of his head. ¡°And what was that about Kathrine? I knew she was in some kind of trouble, but what does this have to do with it?¡± Gluttony internally grunted. ¡°That¡¯s not something for you to worry about right now as there¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Allie is handling it, but it is up to us to get Lillith back and finish the descent - before continuing on to claim Chalgathi¡¯s quest as your own.¡± Thinking about it some more, and ignoring some of the speculative or awestruck looks of the other groups who¡¯d had the balls to remain, he managed to regain his composure and decided it was better to sleep on it to clear his mind. He was rather tired anyways, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to cultivate like this. Or maybe he¡¯d go and talk to Prince Rantali about what the next floor had in store for them - as the man was still here and waiting rather eagerly on the sidelines to speak to him given his demeanor. Yeah. That¡¯d probably be for the best. It was likely Prince Rantali¡¯s group was the one Riven would pair with anyways, so he might as well figure it out now while he wasn¡¯t able to finish this floor - and changed course mid-walk while shamefully avoiding Kara¡¯s stare on the way over. This was going to be a long, long day. *** Elder Thune paced back and forth, his white ponytail was over one shoulder with his hands steepled in front of him. Across the blood pit and on the opposite side of the room, two humanoid figures stood in eerie silence. Hoods adorned their features and masks covered their faces, but he could tell even from here - these were no pushovers. S-grades each with the power to single-handedly topple empires, they were some variety of shape-shifting demons accustomed to subterfuge. They gave even him chills, and his own two elite soldiers on either side of the throne he sat on were firm-jawed and rigid in anticipation of a fight should things go bad. After all, one did not just invite the religious zealots of an original sin into their home without taking precautions. Greed of all the sins was rumored to be¡­ extravagant, in how he manipulated people. But they had a common enemy here, and Elder Thune was very keen on getting to the bottom of just what they could and would do concerning the world of Panu - as it was still under Elysium¡¯s shield through the integration process. Through the door¡¯s awning and between the two visitors, a third man with sickly green skin emerged. He wore tattered rags and a similar hooded cowl like the two others beside him, though Elder Thune could see bugs or something akin to bugs crawling on the inside of the man¡¯s pale green skin. Orange eyes glared out at him, and the creature¡¯s slits-for-nostrils flared with a creepy smile that went beyond the point of where his ears should be. ¡°Elder Thune¡­¡± The man¡¯s voice called out, with the remnant clicking of something deep inside his throat. ¡°I have heard so much about you. It fascinates me, that we would cross paths like this.¡± Elder Thune felt his blood run cold at the creature¡¯s passive aura brushing against his. Though this monster was far removed from his days of glory once upon a time, The Gambler was a creature of literal legends. No longer above the S-grade, and reduced to a mere shadow of what he¡¯d once been, his aura still held the lingering remnants of a time where this thing had swallowed worlds on end in his quest to find and hoard treasures of myth. ¡°Gambler.¡± He said, nodding in the monster¡¯s direction. ¡°I would offer you a seat, but I was informed that you¡¯d prefer to stand.¡± ¡°Truly it matters little to me. If it comforts you, I can sit.¡± The gambler said, walking to the edge of the blood pit and staring down at the floating carcasses below. He cocked his head to one side and clasped his hands behind his back with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Sacrifices?¡± Elder Thune nodded, gesturing to the naked, mutilated bodies half submerged in the pool. ¡°Two dozen just today. I am in the process of refining a ritual, forgive me. I would have held the meeting elsewhere if I had been made aware of your plans to arrive.¡± ¡°No need to apologize, vampire.¡± The archdemon said with an amused chuckle. ¡°I was just curious. As formy plans on arrival, I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t ever be in the cards. You see, although I am prone to take risks for greater rewards - I am not one to do so thoughtlessly. Many people want my head, and if that bastard Wrath is now back in the picture¡­ Well. It complicates things all that much more. Did you know that Wrath was the first one to ever kill my master?¡± Elder Thune leaned back in surprise, still steepling his hands. ¡°The first? Greed was killed by Wrath? Does this have to do with the system notification on Wrath¡¯s emergence?¡± ¡°Indeed it does, and yes - Greed was killed by Wrath in the first era. Long before either of us had been born. Back when the gods hadn¡¯t yet taken up their mantles and there was but one chaotic universe. But the sins are immortal, only their vessels can be killed - and they can only be temporarily banished when done.¡± The Gambler replied with another laugh, pacing around the blood pit in a slow gait towards the elder vampire. ¡°Unfortunately¡­ That brings me to my first point of conversation. I know that I am here to talk about what our plans are concerning the little bastard Riven Thane, but alas we have more than one problem now. Wrath has chosen his new vessel. And I have it on good authority from one of our agents in The Abyssal Descent, that the one Wrath chose was none other than Allie Thane.¡± Elder Thune rapidly blinked. Surely, he had heard wrong. But The Gambler¡¯s words reverberated in the old vampire¡¯s mind, and slowly Elder Thune¡¯s eyes went wide in horror, shock, and denial - before it all turned into an outright snarl. He slammed his fists against the throne he sat on and stood to his feet with a bellow. ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡± The two S-grade shapeshifters across the room immediately lowered themselves and flared their own auras, prepared to end him on the spot should he make an aggressive move towards Greed¡¯s mouthpiece. In turn the two vampires on Elder Thune¡¯s sides gripped their blades and narrowed their red eyes. Elder Thune calmed himself under The Gambler¡¯s stare, slowly lowering himself back into the big chair he sat in as he took in long breaths. ¡°That is¡­ impossible. Are you sure you have verified information on this?¡± The Gambler scoffed, unconcerned - and chided Elder Thune as if he were a child. Perhaps, to one as old as The Gambler, Elder Thune actually was a child. ¡°Do not question my word so frivolously, foolish vampire. I will only let that slide this once. Afterwards, our working relationship will come to an abrupt end with your head ripped off of your body. I¡¯d love to see you regenerate that.¡± Elder Thune pursed his lips, but when he didn¡¯t say anything to refute the ancient demon - The gambler went on. ¡°As I was saying, I have it on good authority that Allie Thane has now taken up the mantle of Wrath¡¯s Reincarnation. This is obviously troublesome¡­ for both of us. But given the situation on Panu, I believe it can still be salvaged - with both siblings, both Gluttony and Wrath, being served a timely death if we play our cards right.¡± Elder Thune¡¯s eye twitched, but he managed to keep himself under control despite the recent threat. ¡°High Queen Nephridi is already looking into my actions with a keen interest, and the clergy of The Blood God have been summoned with their inquisitors to look into my dealings. As it is, I am already on thin ice. So I hope your plan is a solid one, as I cannot move openly anymore. Just what do you have in mind? ¡°Well my dear vampire, I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡± The green man¡¯s skin bubbled and roiled with the movement of creatures underneath. His orange eyes narrowed like a cat¡¯s, and bugs started slowly crawling out of his mouth to dance along his cheeks and neck. ¡°First, it heavily hinges on what your man Crendir can do. The one with no family name, I believe? Is he up to his original assignment? Or will he fail? I have a plan that could very well work if he managed the first part¡­ Now, hear me out. The Seventh Wing, Purity of the Commandments, was kidnapped after her vessel was chosen not long ago.¡± The Gambler paused, as if in thought. ¡°Go on.¡± Elder Thune grumbled, curious about where the creature was going with this. The green-skinned demon snorted. ¡°She was taken by my own forces, then was taken from Greed by Gluttony¡¯s church. No doubt they¡¯ve tortured the poor vessel halfway to death a million times by now, but do you know what I find quite interesting about that?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡°No?¡± ¡°Ah, I thought you¡¯d never ask!¡± The Gambler said once again with a bellowing cackle. ¡°The thing is, we have a discreet way of tracking this particular vessel! And Gluttony knows this! Not only do WE have a way to track her, but Purity also has all those little winged rats you call holy angels scrambling to find and free her too! So what has Gluttony done, you may ask!? Well let me tell you, my little vampire friend! Purity is being transported to none other than Panu, in order to be kept under close guard! No doubt to utilize the planet¡¯s integration shield through Elysium as a means to hold that damnable bitch until Gluttony finds a way to seal her more thoroughly, out from the prying fingers of the angels who want The Seventh Wing back so desperately.¡± Elder Thune still didn¡¯t get it, and it showed on his face. ¡°What does this have to do with¡­¡± He stopped. ¡°Are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re saying that I¡¯M saying that we supercharge that brat Crendir with a fallen elder god¡¯s essence to the point of eventual death by soul decay, and simultaneously freeing Purity¡¯s new vessel as a means to kill the reincarnations of Wrath and Gluttony - then yes! That¡¯s exactly what I mean! And if we can manage to cause them some emotional pain by killing their friends and family - all the better.¡± The Gambler snickered and threw his hands up in the air. ¡°Just think about what kind of cosmic fireworks we¡¯ll be able to see if Purity and a fallen god¡¯s embers clash with two of the reincarnated sins! And that¡¯s just the beginning¡­ There are at least 6 other factors that could heavily sway things in our favor if the cards are played right! And I intend to play them all! I realize that you¡¯ve given Crendir some of your own blood to help bind the Fallen God¡¯s essence¡­ that is a good first step. But we can do so much more than just smuggle it off world. Now that I¡¯m here, I¡¯d like to discuss just what you can assist in this, and what we expect from you if we can expect our plan to succeed.¡± *** It¡¯d seemed like forever since Luke had left his old master, Riven, to go searching for his grandson. Luke Blissfallen had crossed continents to get here, traveling far into the south into the realm of the snow giants - where world quest 5 was under hot contestation and numerous rankers on the top 1000 leaderboard battled it out. But it was here that he felt his familial bloodline tug at him the strongest. Luke¡¯s eyes had never gotten the same odd red color that Genua¡¯s had. Not all thralls did, and it was apparently a rarity to have it happen. But recently, even his had turned a slight shade of burgundy just on the outlines of his otherwise blue irises. Even after being dismissed from Riven¡¯s service, Luke still felt like he had some connection there as well - so finding his way back wouldn¡¯t be too hard. He just had to make sure that Ren, his grandson, was still alive. His feet crunched through the snow over the light breeze where snowflakes glistened on the air under a gray sky, and his tight fur boots kept his feet from freezing as he used a walking stick to help support his travels up the hill. Coming upon the third snow-giant corpse of the day, the old elf¡¯s eyes widened at the obvious signs of battle across the brute. The bright white skin of the gigantic man was stained with blood, his jaw having been ripped off entirely with some kind of ice magic, and there was a thorned vine digging into his bare and tattered abdomen as if it was attempting to suck out his insides before the vine had been severed. A bloody axe lay embedded in another high elf not far off, and it was very apparent that the war was far spread - as this was not the first and probably wouldn¡¯t be the last day of carnage he¡¯d seen on his trek since reaching the tundras. Why any of Luke¡¯s kin would want to settle these lands was beyond him, but so too did the human barbarians of the ice wastes. Maybe they¡¯d all lost their minds? Maybe his grandson had too, if he was still here like the bloodline calling to him implied. Shifting around the corpse and underneath a large snow-covered pine tree, then around a large boulder in the hilly mountain pass, Luke came to an abrupt stop when an odd sight met his tired gaze. Another dead giant, far bigger than the other ones with arms the size of trees, lay face up with a large ice crystal sprouting from his mouth. He lay completely frozen, entombed in ice along various parts of his limbs as if it¡¯d been meant to pin the giant there, and further up above while sitting on the crystal - was a familiar man; but the aura radiating out from him was nothing like Luke had felt since leaving Riven¡¯s side. Dozens of snowflakes the size of watermelons formed, reformed, and dissolved around the meditating elf far up atop the long crystal pillar. Intricate patterns shaped and reshaped with every rotation, swirling about him in a spherical pattern alongside blades of ice that made him look something akin to a flower. The man was in a lotus position, toned and shirtless aside from a black sleeveless vest he wore that doubtless did little for warmth, and slightly baggy pants with stylish curved shoes made him look like he was meant to be in the sand dunes rather than a tundra. Long blonde hair drifted in the breeze, far too long and needing to be cut, with pointed ears and a very feminine face considering it was a man. Luke gawked upwards, beginning to silently weep, when the serene man finally opened his bright blue eyes to look down upon the thrall. ¡°R-Ren?¡± The young man gently smiled, and the snowflakes surrounding him began to fade away into frozen mist. ¡°Hello, grandfather. It is nice to finally see you again. It has been¡­ a long time. I am glad to see you well.¡± THIS IS THE END OF BOOK 5. Chapter 299 - Start of Book 6 (7 chapters released today) Chapter 299 - Start of Book 6 The purple sun hovering over him burned with a rich light, fueled by sin that pulled on the link between himself and Gluttony repeatedly during his stay here. It hadn¡¯t been long since Allie had left after chewing him out for what he considered to be a massive overreaction after her quick ascension and departure, but he had his own life to play out. And Allie wasn¡¯t a little kid anymore, he couldn¡¯t be expected to hold her hand. Though he did worry about Kathrine. Based on what Allie said, the vampiric princess was in trouble. He didn¡¯t know Kathrine all that well, but most people from his homeland in The Blood Moon Requiem were less than savory. She¡¯d been a fresh light in that darkness, and he hoped she¡¯d come out alright - for whatever it was she was going through after being kidnapped. Yet again, he was stuck in a situation where there was nothing he could do about it - Lillith had already sent the archdemon Tre¡¯Zix of the Purple Claw to get her back; and now Allie was apparently going to intervene somehow as well. It just sucked being left in the dark about it all, and his demons were too happy about the recent exchange. Athela was furious, Fay looked like she¡¯d had her feelings seriously hurt, and even the titanic flame demon Azmoth was grumpy at the sheer disrespect. Thankfully Narg the beholder demon, and Genua - Riven¡¯s thrall - were rather uncaring about the whole ordeal and just kept silent; not wanting to intervene between two royal siblings that just happened to be the reincarnations of two original sins. It was, in Narg¡¯s words, out of their comfort zone to talk about or even have opinions about. ¡°Hey Riven. You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Nora said in her human form, sitting down next to him as he pondered the insights he¡¯d obtained on this level. Frowning and brushing her hair behind one ear, she looked out over the half-destroyed room with a frown. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take what Allie said to heart. My others are telling me that, for a mortal bound to Wrath, she did quite well to contain herself. They were surprised she didn¡¯t outright try to kill you and everyone else here, and I¡¯m sure that over time she won¡¯t be as aggressive or angry about things.¡± Riven, for his part, sat with his arms folded in front of him - cross legged on the ground. His cloak, made from shadows and bloodsilk, slowly flickered in the purple light as his body remained motionless. Messenger¡¯s ivory jaws rumbled across his chest where more bloodsilk was woven inbetween patches of thin plate armor. Red and black eyes stared out at the sun created from Sin, and he had to say that he was somewhat disappointed with the results so far. Nora had become something of a badass, and Allie had become Wrath¡¯s reincarnation. How was he supposed to beat those to obtain the points for Chalgathi¡¯s questline? And if he failed to fulfill his side of things and his mother¡¯s warning came to pass about not finishing first, what then? Would he really need to abandon Panu after the apocalypse beasts wreaked havoc? Should he even trust his mother? Just how much faith should he put in the woman who¡¯d abandoned him as a child? ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Riven eventually said, closing his eyes with a soft hum. ¡°I don¡¯t blame Allie too much. Though I am going to make her apologize to Athela, Fay and Genua when she¡¯s in her right state of mind. She can be rude to me all she wants, we¡¯re siblings, but it wasn¡¯t acceptable what she said about them. Especially to Athela.¡± ¡°Or Kara.¡± Nora said, head-bobbing over to the sulking dark elf archer who was pretending to sleep not far from them. ¡°That was ruthlessly mean of Allie to say, especially when Kara hasn¡¯t had an easy life. I mean think about it: Kara was betrayed by her own countrymen, robbed here in the abyss, basically made to do a long walk of shame and she wasn¡¯t allowed back into her family by her father unless she made it past floor 40 - which would have been an impossible task prior to your intervention. She was destined to die, or return in humiliation for what she¡¯d considered a worse fate after ties with her family would have been cut. If you ask me, Kara has had it the worst. And just when she finds you, who is both powerful and nice enough to try and help her - your sister Allie comes out and says absolutely terrible things about her without even knowing her; before flipping you off and walking away. If I hadn¡¯t been in my other form, I probably would have cried on Kara¡¯s behalf after the look that she wore on her face during the conversation. It was heartbreaking.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow in Nora¡¯s direction. ¡°What did you do instead, since you WERE in your¡­ Eh, Insane Asylum? With your Legion - so to speak? I still don¡¯t really grasp what it is you¡¯ve become.¡± Nora grinned, and the smaller but older asian lady punched him in the shoulder. ¡°Neither do I. The voices keep their secrets even now. It isn¡¯t really a hive mind, but it¡¯s¡­ similar? And demonic in nature. I¡¯m still figuring it out for myself. Anyways, I just wanted to come and tell you that you did the right thing in helping Kara out, and that you shouldn¡¯t feel guilty just because your sister is in a piss poor mood. For the record, I don¡¯t think you were flirting with Kara either. Athela and Fay know you love them, but maybe go talk to them and make sure they¡¯re ok too. Genua¡¯s too far gone down the road of losing her mind as a thrall to care what Allie says, so that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that¡¯s a good thing.¡± ¡°Riven. You murdered her husband and oldest daughter. Of course it¡¯s a good thing, she wouldn¡¯t be able to cope otherwise.¡± ¡°That was in self defense. It wasn¡¯t murder.¡± ¡°Kind of, but kind of not. But you¡¯re the Reincarnation of an original sin! Why should you care? You¡¯re the bad guy according to multiversal standards, right!? Either way, I¡¯m not here to lecture you on whether or not what you did all that time ago was right. I¡¯m just saying that, from her perspective, it¡¯s a good thing that she became a thrall. Otherwise she¡¯d still be struggling with a lot of mental anguish that she can now push aside rather easily due to what she is, and from what she¡¯s told me - it¡¯s why Genua agreed to become a thrall in the first place. So that she could finally get past it all. It was her decision, was it not?¡± ¡°It was.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t think about it anymore. If she wanted to be a thrall then you have nothing to worry about, because you could have let her stay the way she was. Plus you¡¯ll have a lot of time to make it up to her by taking care of that kid, or kids being plural - if you include Len.¡± ¡°Did you come over here just to fuck with my head?¡± Nora cackled, slapped him on the back, and began to stand. ¡°No. I came over here to let you know that I¡¯ll be heading back to Chalgathi¡¯s trials.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± She raised her hands to stop any protests he may have about the subject. ¡°No, Riven. I think it¡¯s for the best. And let me tell you why. As time has gone on, I¡¯ve owed quite a bit of my progress to you and your friends now. Bringing me here has already helped me beyond what I ever thought possible¡­ and has reconciled a longstanding fear I¡¯ve had with the voices in my head. Literally. So¡­ as a way of thanking you, I¡¯m going to go back to Chalgathi¡¯s trial and do you a solid.¡± Riven furrowed his brows, and stood up - brushing dust from his robes with a huff. ¡°How are you going to do that, exactly? Color me interested.¡± Nora¡¯s expression became savage, and she put her hands on her hips where her bone-crafted blades rested. It was her second set after her first had been eradicated along with most of her original clothes on her ascension into whatever she was now, but Riven had brought multiple spares for everyone just in case something like that happened. ¡°Well, Riven - I intend to go hunting. Hunting cultists¡­ If I can stop them from finishing their event quests regularly, I can make sure they don¡¯t get the 10,000 points needed to leave the Altars of Despair and Hope event before you get there. As it is, this descent has taken months. If you complete the Abyssal Descent to make the number 1 place holder when compared to prior descents, you¡¯ll get another 3,000. But who knows how many points the others have acquired in the time you¡¯ve been gone? If need be, I¡¯ll even kill other non-cultists to make sure it¡¯s you who gets the title since you¡¯re stuck in here for a while.¡± There was a short silence after that as they stared at one another. ¡°That¡­ would actually be very helpful. Thank you, Nora.¡± Riven slowly nodded, and prompted the screen displaying his old quest to appear before him. It felt like he¡¯d been here forever, but these quest within a quest scenarios were really a bit much at this point. He needed to get Lillith, finish first, and get the hell out of here so he could go back home to Panu. Just thinking that he was within a dimensional pocket within the Abyssal Descent, and he¡¯d gotten there by traveling through another dimensional pocket in Chalgathi¡¯s trials, after having originally left Panu - it was just mind numbing at this point.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [Riven¡¯s Quest #2 of The Altars of Despair and Hope: A piece of the multiverse, taken out of the Narwali Sector of Universe 16, has been transported to this territory. Inside it you will find one of a few portals here in these Chalgathi trials that lead into The Abyssal Descent, and three ticket-holders who are waiting to enter. You have obtained the necessary tickets and have already entered the descent. The Abyssal Descent, a monumental event that only happens every 300 years, is being hosted. It is meant to help forge the lattice meant to transcend into E-grade, and helps give insight into the way of ascension. Young elites of numerous factions across the multiverse still within the F-grade will be able to participate, as long as they hold true to any pillars associated with the Unholy foundation. Use your status page to find the option to teleport in. You will be escorted via Elysium¡¯s own power into this trial within a trial where only those touched by unholy power may be found. Death in this trial will not result in permanent death despite being hosted on an outer world, but will disallow any re-entering of the descent at any time. Successfully completing The Abyssal Descent will result in 50 points. Completing in the top 100 contenders will result in 300 points. Completing this event in the top 5 contenders will result in 1000 points. Finishing first will result in 3000 points. Any other cultists of Unholy affiliation who enter this trial within a trial will also have a 1000% damage boost increase when attacking you or your minions. Unlike other participants in this outer trial, you will be able to come and go between The Abyssal Descent and The Altars of Despair and Hope at will via your status page. Total Event Points Already Accumulated: 39] He cringed when he saw the total points at 39, and Nora gave a bellowing laugh when he showed her the notification. ¡°More reason for me to go!¡± She said with a shake of her head and an amused sigh. ¡°You¡¯ll have a lot of catching up to do when you get back. The Chalgathi trial was supposed to be about a year if I recall, and you¡¯ve spent months of it here. Even if you get the full 3000 points, it won¡¯t be worth it unless you manage some major breakthroughs with your soul lattice. They¡¯re not all created the same, or so I¡¯m told. So get it done fast and I¡¯ll see you on the other side.¡± She held out a fist, and they fistbumped. ¡°Alright Nora. Catch you later homie. Just tell the others so they know what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I already have.¡± She said with a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re the last one I¡¯ve told. Cya later bud! Regarding the whole Genua thing and morality about murdering Ethel, you¡¯re still the man who saved my life on the pyramid when we were first integrated. That backstabbing elf played you like a fiddle to the tune of her own death, not because you wanted to do it. And I think you¡¯re great, so keep your chin up. You have a lot going for you, I have faith that you¡¯ll come out ahead.¡± With that, Nora contacted the system administrator. It was certainly different from how Allie had left, where his sister had been portaled out to a specific location on Panu. Here, Nora flashed and was gone - though based on the quest details she could probably re-enter the descent if she really wanted to. However he didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d teleport back to his group¡¯s location, or if she¡¯d re-enter here should she decided to return? [Unlike other participants in this outer trial, you will be able to come and go between The Abyssal Descent and The Altars of Despair and Hope at will via your status page.] But he doubted she would be back if she really intended to wreak havoc on the other Chalgathi participants. Those poor suckers had no idea what they were in for after her change, and a grim smile touched at his lips. So far this descent really had done wonders for his party. All his original three demons were now archdemons, Allie had ascended into Wrath¡¯s Reincarnation, Nora had become a crazy overpowered psychopath of some kind, and even Riven had become far better at fighting after the brutal training sessions back in Gluttony¡¯s Church. What else he and the other remaining members had to gain - remained to be seen, but he was excited to find out. Turning back to meditation and attempting to keep his mind calm about ongoing events, he re-entered a state of bridging enlightenment - and focused on his building soul lattice as connections continued to make and break themselves across the inner world of his core and pillars. *** Mara coughed black blood onto the cavern floor when a large spear skewered her all the way through, and she gasped in pain as Kathrine sobbed while curled up in the background. ¡°I ONLY NEED ONE OF YOU TO SHOW ME THE WAY! Do not push your luck, ghoul!¡± Crendir sneered, sweat accumulating on his brows beneath shallow cuts and a long gash over his singed head. His armor was cracked or even shattered in various places, and he had wounds that even vampiric regeneration could not entirely heal after having barely escaped the demon pack pursuing them with various protective talismans - but they all knew that he was walking a tightrope here in the underdark. It would only be a matter of time before Tre¡¯Zix caught up to them again. Hopefully, anyways, and despite the agony Mara was in right now - she reveled in the memory of those clicking sounds the mantis demons made as they tore apart the traitors that¡¯d accompanied Crendir down here. Those banished demons from the ancient wars were machines of pure malice and murder, and they had curb stomped with the F-grade elite vampire traitors of The Blood Moon Requiem like they were toddlers wielding squeaky toys for weapons. Only Crendir and one other vampiric soldier were left. All the others were dead. ¡°I told you, Crendir-¡± Mara gasped, grunting with a wince as the vampiric spear was ripped out of her gut. Thankfully ghouls could take a lot more punishment than humans could. ¡°It was this way! I am not lying!¡± ¡°YES YOU ARE! We have been going through these tunnels in CIRCLES! YOU LYING BITCH!¡± Crendir screamed, raising his foot and smashing his boot down onto Mara¡¯s face. The bones in her skull nearly cracked, and she was pretty sure her jaw became unhinged in that moment. The other man, a bearded vampire whose armor had taken a lot less damage in the recent attack, glanced down at the whimpering, shackled princess with a shake of his head. ¡°This was a mistake, taking this job. I don¡¯t care how much it pays if we¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°SHUT UP, FARAS! You came here just like I did, and you¡¯re in it for the long haul whether you like it or not!¡± Crendir snapped with an accusing finger. ¡°We either succeed or die. Those are our only options, and if we don¡¯t stop circling around then we might as well kill both of them now and just go looking for it ourselves!¡± The other man, Faras, shrugged. ¡°Sounds like a plan to me. I say we just kill them and be done with it.¡± Mara¡¯s heart sank. Despite all that she¡¯d said and done, she was still afraid to die. And the heavily armored man guarding Kathrine seemed very serious about this proposition to kill them. She didn¡¯t want to end up like Nin and Vin. Crendir seemed to seriously consider the option for a while, burned face contorted in contemplation, then bent down on one knee and violently yanked Mara up by her black hair to meet his red eyes. ¡°One more chance. Just one. If you two can¡¯t put your heads together and get us on the right track in the next five minutes, then I really will just cut off your head and bleed Kathrine dry.¡± ¡°P-Please!¡± Kathrine sobbed, face half-covered by brunette hair and body sporting wounds made from silver anti-vampire blades. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I d-don¡¯t want to diee!!!¡± Her voice came up in a high pitched squeal in the end before she started crying again, and Mara had a lump settle in her throat. Kathrine for her part, to Crendir¡¯s knowledge, knew where this tomb was. But Kathrine hadn¡¯t actually been there. Kathrine had only been reported to on the subject by Mara and the survivors of the first expedition, before Allie had left, but she didn¡¯t actually know the way down. Those other expedition members besides Nin and Vin had also had their names hidden for safety purposes, so Crendir hadn¡¯t known they even existed when he¡¯d abducted the two of them. Neither woman had actually said this in case Crendir decided to kill Kathrine for being useless, but Mara was the only one here who truly knew the way to the tomb. Thus, Mara held both of their lives in her hands. And time was now ticking. She had to gamble here. Did she want to risk letting Crendir get ahold of the fallen god¡¯s blood? He wasn¡¯t a pureblood himself, but if he¡¯d come this far then he certainly had a means of procuring it anyways. Some kind of work around, or a vessel to capture it inside for transport. She¡¯d felt the awe-inspiring power it held even as a ghoul, and couldn¡¯t imagine what a vampire would do with that kind of energy. Yet, if she didn¡¯t say anything now then she was sealing both her own fate - and Kathrine¡¯s fate too. And she knew that Tre¡¯Zix was on the hunt¡­ he¡¯d already caught up to them twice. With serious casualties on Crendir¡¯s team alongside major protective talismans needing to be used by the traitor as a result. How many more escape and protective treasures did he even have? Hopefully not many. If he didn¡¯t, then she could potentially risk telling him the truth and leading him down the right path¡­ and would need to hope that Tre¡¯Zix could catch them before Crendir got to the pyramid and tomb. Above all else though, Mara was just scared. Plain and simple, scared to die. The torture was becoming unbearable as well, even for a ghoul with diminished pain receptors. Would Allie be mad if she gave in after weeks of not having given the location up? Mara hoped not. She¡¯d tried, and now Mara was at her breaking point. Letting out a sob of her own, Mara began to point a shaky finger down the tunnel in the opposite direction they¡¯d been heading. ¡°There¡­ three miles down and through a lava pit, we¡¯ll come to an abandoned vampiric city. That of native vampires. After we arrive, we will be able to direct you to a new tunnel system where the elder god¡¯s followers, vampiric precursors, have started to terraform the tunnels with runic symbols within a labyrinth.¡± Crendir stared at her for a time, red eyes flaring with light, and he seemed to use some kind of system power on her as a wave of energy coursed over her - as if trying to detect a lie. He nodded in satisfaction, smiling for the first time in a while, and let go of her hair - dropping her to the ground with a thud. ¡°There¡­ That wasn¡¯t so hard, now was it?¡± ¡°UMPH!¡± She wheezed, getting a swift kick to the gut wound that still bled black, before she felt her body being pulled across the ground with inhuman strength by the long chain attached at her iron collar. ¡°Come on Faras, we have a fallen god to harvest.¡± Crendir muttered. ¡°And we¡¯ve already wasted too much time. Those fucking demons will be on our trail soon, and I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll survive another encounter.¡± Chapter 300 Chapter 300 The skill fractal clicked into place on her soul pillar, beginning to churn out power in the form of Divinity - the Faith based energy; similar to how mana was used for magic and stamina was used for martial arts. Her eyes snapped open with a wide smile on her pitch black lips. Athela had done it! She¡¯d finally mastered the Body Fusion technique! Cackling evilly to herself, but not loud enough that Riven or the others filtering into the 21st Abyssal Floor would hear, she snuck around the room¡¯s outer perimeter to where Genua was seated. She moved like a ghost in the shadows, only able to be matched in stealth by Fimrindle; and perhaps Nora now that she¡¯d gone batshit crazy inbetween bouts of sanity. Though Athela couldn¡¯t say that she minded the change - because at least now the woman was useful and not deadweight. ¡°Do you have more of Riven¡¯s vampiric venom?¡± Athela asked, sitting down next to the other schemers with a huff of satisfaction. ¡°Did you get it?¡± Fay nodded sagely, pulling out a small glass vial with clear, viscous fluid inside. ¡°Absolutely!¡± ¡°How did you manage to do that anyway?¡± Genua asked curiously, still knitting baby clothes like Athela had taught her to do with the blood silk balls of thread. Her pointed ears drooped as she pooched her lips and looked up at the other women. ¡°Because I know you haven¡¯t told him that you took it.¡± Fay rolled her eyes and gave Genua a playful wink, and tipped her witch¡¯s hat at the elf thrall. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised at the things I can do with my tongue. I basically massaged it from his teeth.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m very aware of what you can do with that tongue of yours. Though I don¡¯t think Riven approved of it when he found out you were requesting such things of me, nor do I think he¡¯ll approve of this should he find out what you two are scheming now.¡± Genua gave them a knowing look, but kept knitting. Athela, for her part, drooped her eyelids and gave the elf thrall a blank stare. ¡°Do you disapprove? I thought you liked this idea.¡± ¡°Oh! I do.¡± Genua said with a laugh, but shot Riven a brief glance across the room where he was meditating under the sun made from Sin. ¡°But you¡¯re definitely going to make him angry if you do it. Just don¡¯t throw me into the mix if you two get in trouble for this.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll appreciate it in the long term. Plus, there are genuine reasons to do this.¡± ¡°Which are?¡± Genua inquired. ¡°You know just as well as I do.¡± Athela narrowed her eyes further. ¡°Genua, do you even realize who you¡¯re talking to right now? We are DEMONS, we make deals with mortals for their SOULS, Genua! Didn¡¯t you grow up in a culture where you elves were deathly scared of demons? We¡¯re creatures of evil! We are not the good guys. This is what we do!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t disagree with that.¡± Genua muttered. ¡°Exactly!¡± Athela laughed, slapping Genua¡¯s thigh. ¡°And now with Fay¡¯s insight complete and her new¡­ rather useful, ability at play, it makes it all the easier! Plus, Gluttony wanted this¡­ and he personally asked us to do it because Riven has yet to expand upon his bloodline and he¡¯s been a fucking VAMPIRE for well over a year and a half. We¡¯ll tell Riven after the transformations are complete¡­ and what he does with them afterwards is up to him. If he doesn¡¯t want them, we can just kill them then! Or he can give them to us!¡± ¡°This is still a serious breach of trust.¡± Genua scolded. ¡°That¡¯s where the problem lies,in my opinion. It doesn¡¯t hurt Riven and even benefits him, but you¡¯re going to be put in the dog house for not letting him know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a white lie! And he¡¯d not let us do it unless it was already done by the time he knew!¡± ¡°Mmhmm. Debatable. However I won¡¯t deny, I will enjoy having the load of labor taken off my shoulders. To have more free time with Len will be nice, and right now I only get to communicate with her through the Blood Mirror technique I''ve mastered. How did you abduct them, anyway?¡± Fay raised her hand. ¡°That was my doing! My illusions replicated Elysium¡¯s portals quite well when they attempted to leave, and with the insights I gained into my new alternate prison ability from the Depraved Sub-Pillar, as long as they¡¯re equal to or less than my own level; I¡¯m able to hold up to fifty souls. It¡¯ll solve a lot of Riven¡¯s food problems as we build up his blood farm, especially when you¡¯re worn out or need a break.¡± Genua grumbled slightly, rubbing at her neck where a fresh set of fang wounds were still only very recently sealed shut. ¡°I am pleased to serve the master, but yes. He does go overboard sometimes, to the point where I even get light headed. Unless he¡¯s on one of his hunts-¡± ¡°His hunts?¡± Fay asked curiously. Genua raised an eyebrow, stopped knitting, and sat the half-finished baby shirt on the floor. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Obviously not, thrall. That is why I am asking you.¡± ¡°Mhmm. I see. I think that¡¯s a discussion you should have with him then.¡± Fay¡¯s features darkened. ¡°I am to be his wife one day. Remember who you¡¯re speaking to. What are these hunts you speak of?¡± Genua stared at the younger woman for a time, shrugged, and nodded in acceptance. ¡°You¡¯re right, so I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell you after all. Ever since binding himself with Gluttony entirely and becoming the reincarnation, he¡¯s needed to kill and eat enlightened beings - not just drain them of some blood. He¡¯s been doing so behind your backs so that you wouldn¡¯t think less of him.¡± Both Fay¡¯s eyes and Athela¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Genua continued when she realized they weren¡¯t going to comment. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, he gets very¡­ grumpy. Acquires painful debuffs. He tried feeding on me more often to make up for this neglect at first, when trying to forgo the hunts Gluttony requires, but he only became more violent and ended up hurting me in one of his mood swings. He apologized afterwards and I know he didn¡¯t mean to do it, but having a ravenous vampire come after you even as a thrall is rather scary to witness. He gorged himself on me, and I would have died if not for him using Voodoo Doll to keep me whole.¡± Athela¡¯s eyes fell to Genua¡¯s pregnant belly. ¡°Was the child ok?¡± Genua nodded. ¡°Yes. Gluttony and Riven made sure of it, but it was a close call. Ever since then, he¡¯s never missed a weekly hunt. Usually he kills people he feels deserve death, but sometimes he has fewer options. Such as when we had just entered Chalgathi¡¯s pocket realm for the Altars of Despair and Hope. He sometimes has to kill a random person because the urges become too much¡­ but he doesn¡¯t like to talk about it and is not only embarrassed, but gets aggressively angry with himself over the fact that his urges to feed are beginning to control him. Here in the descent, he hunted various participants up in the main city whenever he could get away from Lillith¡¯s training regimens. The urges to feed are getting worse as he grows more powerful and deepens his bonds with Gluttony. But what I meant to say earlier was that when he goes on these hunts, he¡¯s usually rather gentle when feeding on me throughout the rest of the week. But not always - and I would very much enjoy having some fellow thralls to take some of the load off.¡± Fay and Athela continued to stare. ¡°Why has he never told us of this?¡± Fay whispered. ¡°He¡¯s such a kind person. That must be so hard to bear for him, dealing with Gluttony¡¯s urges.¡± ¡°Is he?¡± Genua asked with an amused smirk. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure I¡¯d consider him kind, but he is a good master to have. He did, after all, sacrifice an entire city of innocents to get Athela back. I wouldn¡¯t say that is kind, I would say that is even somewhat selfish - but his priorities are right I think. For the record, Athela, I¡¯m glad he did it.¡± Fay scoffed, obviously irritated that Genua would imply otherwise concerning Riven¡¯s status as a kind man. ¡°You have no idea what other warlocks are like out there. Usually, for demons like me that started out absolutely weak and too afraid to try our own hand in the hellscape wars to boost our power without a contract, warlocks are utter bastards. My first master was truly a monster to me. Riven is the opposite of that.¡± ¡°That old criminal underlord guy you briefly contracted with when we were having a feud was nice to you too.¡± Athela pointed out lazily. ¡°Didn¡¯t he try to set you up with his nephew?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Fay wrinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Yes he did but it never went anywhere¡­ and yes he was a kind old man. I don¡¯t count that as a true contract though, he never once ordered me to do anything. It was more of a time away from Panu. Let¡¯s not talk about that though, I don¡¯t like dwelling on bad memories.¡± Athela shrugged, leaned back, and cast her gaze on the ground between them. ¡°As much as I wish it were Kara, she has no interest in becoming a thrall. And Riven feels sorry for her, so I don¡¯t think tricking her into this or abducting her like the others would be a good idea. But, as Gluttony has said, vampires gain different resistances and unlocks by regularly drinking the blood of varying races. It grows their bloodlines stronger too. So adding two other drow to the menu wouldn¡¯t hurt, especially since Riven has no liking for the two people we took. Even if he does get a bit miffed, it¡¯s better for him that he does take the gifts. I mean seriously, what kind of vampire actively tries not to feed over a year out and has yet to expand his bloodline even once? It¡¯s an inherent part of being a vampire! Now that I have also mastered Body Fusion, it¡¯ll be even easier to get the two prisoners to cooperate - as I know you didn¡¯t want to try now that you have a baby, Genua.¡± Genua nodded absentmindedly. Fay and Athela exchanged a look. ¡°Want to go visit the blasphemers? Those who dared irritate Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation?¡± Athela asked with a wicked smile. ¡°Perhaps I won¡¯t have to use any tools of torture this time now that I have my interrogation method sealed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ And I would prefer you didn¡¯t torture them while I¡¯m present. It makes me queasy.¡± Fay muttered, brushing her long white hair off her shoulders and straightening her sitting posture with a yawn. Tail slapping against the floor, she intertwined her fingers with Athela¡¯s and squeezed her lover¡¯s hand. ¡°They¡¯ve already been waiting an entire day since the last dose of vampiric venom, so we should probably get going!¡± They shared a giggle. Closing their eyes simultaneously, the two demonic women entered a trance - their minds leaving this plane to enter into another; as Fay activated her newly acquired ability through the insights of the Depraved Sun. *** When Athela opened her eyes again, she and Fay were standing up - but still holding hands - in a mindscape very similar to the nether realms their families still resided in. It also skirted the lines of what was allowed by common laws of magic and miracle, as they really weren¡¯t sure whether or not the ability copied their bodies to bring them here or not. Same could be said for items they brought into this place. This realm was far smaller though, only a couple hundred feet across, and had the distinct feature of allowing mortals to enter into it. Such as the two victims that they¡¯d captured from Kara Blackbow¡¯s homeland. Zafima was the dark elf enchantress that¡¯d conspired against Kara for some reason or another, and was an utterly vile person through and through. While Numin was Kara¡¯s old team mate turned traitor after he¡¯d been paid off by Zafima, the end goal being that Kara either died here in the descent - or that she returned in shame to be disowned by her family after not reaching Floor 40. Riven had thought he¡¯d let them go back home despite wanting to kill them - because Kara had asked him to let them leave; but his minions had other things in mind for these two. If they were going to create a blood farm for their master, they might as well start here now that Fay finally had an ability that allowed for such a thing. Why create a blood farm in Riven¡¯s manor when they could have a portable one!? Chained to the ceiling and hanging from iron manacles only inches off the ground, both Numin and Zafima had been strung up like animals. [You have entered Fay¡¯s Dreamscape Dungeon, a resting place for damned souls. Current Prisoners: 2 of 50. Prisoners must be weaker in mind, body, and cultivation than the wielder of this ability to be kept here.] Candles resting on skulls by the dozens illuminated the prison with dim fire light. Bloody tools of torture that Athela had been using the last time she¡¯d been here were strewn about on wooden tables, and empty metal cages were lined up against the abnormally smooth stone back wall - where anti-energy suppression runes had been carved by the ability itself to specifically target any prisoners kept here. The manacles they had on were around both prisoners¡¯ feet and wrists, their clothes had been left in tatters to reveal shallow wounds that¡¯d been stitched together with Athela¡¯s threads, and each of the dark elves looked absolutely miserable. Perhaps miserable was even an understatement. Depressed? In denial? In pain? Athela couldn¡¯t tell, nor did she care. But they both initially had far away looks in their eyes which quickly turned to terror and rage when they saw Athela and Fay approaching them again. ¡°You lying bitches!¡± Zafima coughed with wide bloodshot eyes, flailing around and dangling on her chain in the dim light. ¡°Your master said he¡¯d let us go! So let us go! This has gone on long enough!¡± Numin, for his part, merely let out a whimper and closed his eyes tighter upon seeing the vial of venom in Fay¡¯s free hand. ¡°Shut up, whore.¡± Athela lazily replied, letting go of Fay¡¯s hand and giving the succubus a kiss before walking over to the enraged and battered drow enchantress - smacking her across the face with a satisfied smirk. ¡°Or I suppose it was your mother, who was the true whore? You¡¯re just her peon if I remember correctly, is that right? This wouldn¡¯t go so badly for you two if you just accepted the venom and drank it like good little mind slaves. I promise, it won¡¯t be nearly as bad for you after you actually become thralls. Genua loves it! She told me to let you know that she even highly recommends it! And that actually isn¡¯t a lie.¡± ¡°I WILL NOT BECOME A VAMPIRE¡¯S PET MONSTER!¡± Zafima screeched, flailing against her chains yet again like a fish caught on a hook; as if a renewed effort would somehow get her out of this mess. ¡°I REFUSE TO BECOME A THRALL!!!¡± ¡°Please let us go¡­¡± Numin began to beg, his voice catching in his throat. ¡°I have a family-¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t care.¡± Athela cut him off with a level gaze, pointing one finger at the bare chest of the man and extending a claw. The thin black blade that her finger had turned into carved a shallow bleeding line onto his skin as he hissed in pain, and she withdrew her finger with a wicked grin. ¡°You weren¡¯t worried about how Kara Blackbow¡¯s ending would go when you betrayed her for this uppity bitch who thinks far too much of herself, but now you expect me to care about yours? Actions have consequences. We like Kara, we don¡¯t like you, and our master needs a proper blood farm. You two will be the first, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be joined by others as time goes on.¡± Athela gave them a playful wink and stepped back, redirecting her attention to the still flailing drow woman who was snarling and spitting in Athela¡¯s direction. ¡°And you know what¡¯s funny about all this? You have repeatedly told me that Riven didn¡¯t want us to harm you two¡­ but if that was true, my minion contract wouldn¡¯t allow me to proceed.¡± Something of a twist of the truth, a gray area, but neither demon was about to say that. Athela¡¯s grin widened into a flow blown malevolent smile, showing bright white teeth from ear to ear in a crazed display of mania. Her hand ripped another piece of the once ornate golden dress that still clung in tatters to Zafima¡¯s side. ¡°And my Riven gets what he wants. Fay, bring the vial!¡± ¡°GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!¡± Zafima screamed, lashing out with a frantic kick - only for Athela to whip out one of her arachnid limbs from her back to skewer the drow woman¡¯s leg just above the shackled ankles. Zafima¡¯s scream grew more shrill and high pitched in pain. ¡°I said no torture.¡± Fay grumbled, producing the vial of Riven¡¯s venom that she¡¯d procured from the man in their last snuggle session without his knowledge. ¡°If this is going to be his Christmas present, we need to make sure all the prisoners are in top shape. Which gets me thinking¡­ Now that we¡¯ve learned Riven actually needs to consume people for Gluttony and not just drain them of blood, perhaps we should be a little bit more aggressive in how often we capture people and bring them here? That way, Riven won¡¯t have to do this at random and he can just come and pick a person to eat! How nice!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Athela exclaimed, slamming an open palm against Zafima¡¯s thigh. ¡°Hold on just a moment, I want to try Body Fusion on Zafima now that I finally have the skill. My ability to sneak around is great, but this should be a great interrogation method even if my Faith isn¡¯t that high!¡± ¡°Good for interrogating weaklings, perhaps. But yes, I agree.¡± Fay nodded. ¡°Go on then, show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Yes, Breasts. I will obey.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me Breasts! I¡¯ve told you I don¡¯t like that nickname!¡± ¡°What about Horny Breasts, because now you have bigger horns too?¡± Athela raised a teasing eyebrow, and then over the continued screams of the dark elf enchantress - Athela¡¯s body began to warm. She turned into a writhing pool of blood, coiling around in the air as the place where her palm had been began digging a shallow hole through Zafima¡¯s skin. Athela poured her own thoughts into Zafima¡¯s mind, her own body into Zafima¡¯s flesh, and the chained woman began to convulse while drooling out the side of her mouth. Athela¡¯s mass shrank down to nothing, absorbing into Zafima¡¯s blood vessels as the captured woman¡¯s eyes turned a bright red - her skin showing black patches with occasional white areas similar to how Athela¡¯s own skin was. The soft muscles of the enchantress became toned and smooth, and it looked like she was being zapped by lightning over and over again by the way her muscles contracted against the chains. Eventually the convulsions stopped, and the drow woman lowered her head - and opened her mouth. ¡°That works a lot better than force feeding it or pushing it through an open cut.¡± Fay murmured, and popped the cork of the vial before letting half of the fluid drain down the drow¡¯s throat. In an instant, Athela ripped out of the shallow area she¡¯d entered into and the wound was sealed shut with bloodsilk. ¡°AH-HAAA! IT WORKS!¡± Athela squealed, spinning around and yanking Fay into a tight hug to bring around with her spin. ¡°PUT ME DOWN ATHELA!¡± Fay laughed. But Athela ignored her and continued to spin three more times with the succubus in her arms before dropping the other woman and planting a firm kiss on Fay¡¯s lips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it worked so well! I was able to read her thoughts, although only briefly, and I could control her movements after overcoming her own resistances! This is an AMAZING ability to have!¡± Numin gawked in horror in the background, staring at the two demonic women and then glancing back to the other drow prisoner - where Zafima was gagging on the vampiric venom she¡¯d been forced to drink. She looked sickly and pale, and her breaths came shallow. ¡°Now it should only be a few more months of regular venom before they become more subservient.¡± Athela said with a self-satisfied smirk, putting her hands on her hips and setting herself in a wide stance. ¡°Hehe! This is great! Now let¡¯s do the same thing with Numin and get back out of here. It may only look like we¡¯re in deep meditation, but if we stay here too long then Riven will get suspicious. Can¡¯t have that until the job is done.¡± Fay nodded her agreement and followed Athela back over to the dangling chained man. ¡°Yeah. But we need to find more variety for Riven¡¯s bloodline to bolster. Gluttony said that we should have multiple races and varying species in order to have the best chances to unlock more traits, so if we could get some obsidian orcs, Greed-affiliated demons, or unholy draconics while we¡¯re here in the descent - those races would be hard to come by back on Panu. Let¡¯s just keep that in mind and be on the lookout, and then whatever extras we manage to capture in battle can be for him to actually eat.¡± Chapter 301 Chapter 301 The continent of Umbra was conquered under the banner of the Thane Necropolis, but at a cost with the disappearance of Chancelor Mara Tovane; who¡¯d been heading the kingdom in the temporary absence of Allie and Riven. With her now gone alongside the vampiric leadership of The Blood Moon Requiem - their whereabouts unknown to the public - it was now Gurth¡¯Rok the orc chieftain and Dr. Brass that led the country; while taking counsel from Gaia, General Bruner of Chicago, and various members of the banished. Unrest was prevalent in the recently taken territories in the north of the continent, as well as the elvish kingdom of Tereen which was being held as a vassal state; and new wars continued to rage on the other side of the world as nearby factions took note of how aggressive the undead kingdom was becoming when claiming land. Whether or not the land grabs were intentional or simply reciprocation were up for widespread debate, with many conspiracy theories running rampant. Pre-emptive strikes had been launched against Chicago and the cities in what was previously known as the Romanov Empire; which were now all under necropolis control after the head family had been wiped clean. There were plenty of neutral factions after seeing that humans of Chicago were still left intact and weren¡¯t forced to convert, but true allies were hard to come by as there was a very real and palpable fear of what the Thane Necropolis represented. For the citizens of Chicago, they¡¯d been saved by Riven¡¯s actions when the Azag Hive Cluster had nearly used their population as fertilizer for breeding eggs. But not so for the rest of humanity outside of the death-attuned continent. Thankfully though most of the population on Umbra itself was rather fond of their new existence. The Golden Bull sect, the second largest faction on Umbra, had willingly given themselves up to necropolis rule without a hiccup - adding numerous cities and towns to the banner that benefited from trade and military bolstering. The dwarves of the underdark surprisingly enough had adapted very well to necropolis control too; primarily blaming their previous king for putting them in poor conditions to begin with - and the undead patrols that now marched through their lands and caverns did a good job protecting them from the ratkin raids that came and went from time to time. The blighted ratkin themselves had either scurried away into the far deeper regions of the underdark well out of the way and into unknown regions, or had become something like plague-spreading pirates after they¡¯d tried to betray Riven given what Allie¡¯s ascension had done to them. Despite efforts to re-establish negotiations with the ratkin warbands, little had been done in the way of success. The humans of Dawn had mostly become a variation of undead called ¡®Deathtouched Enlightened¡¯, which actually encompassed the majority of what the enlightened races had chosen to be upon The Scythe¡¯s blessing with Allie¡¯s original ascension. Variations of white, black, teal, and silver hair had been commonplace - with gray or pale skin and neon teal eyes. Funnily enough though, there was now a very sharp uptake in a popular potion going around that¡¯d been invented by an alchemist in the multi-layered city of Dawn¡¯s capital: Mandon. It was so popular in fact, that it¡¯d become a household item across the entire kingdom - with the primary purpose of using it being that it reverted your looks to what you¡¯d been like prior to becoming undead. Herbalists had also been extremely profitable with selective breeding to create plants that were death-attuned to survive in these environments on Umbra, but made sure these plants also bore color; leading to large patches of the cities within the Necropolis having gardens that sported various greenery. That was a stark contrast to the usual coloration of death-attuned plant life most often found in the haunted forests now commonplace on Umbra, which was usually a mixture of gray, black, silver, teal, and occasionally red. With these changes came a wave of what could only be described as relief as a semblance of normalcy was brought back to the otherwise drastically changing lives of the civilian populations, or at least that was the case for most. Because now, as was being broadcasted daily on the Panu live stream feeds, there was an absolute plethora of migrants stemming from three different places. First and foremost were the undead of Retesh¡¯s homeland in the far north, where they were exiting by the millions to flee towards Umbra as Judith Marcina hunted them down to the last child. She had changed her tune about the Thane Necropolis entirely, calling them a bane to the natural order and had employed dozens of mercenary armies from off world at a discount cost through Elysium¡¯s tipping of the scales to make the conflict on more even footing. A few strongholds still remained, but with Retesh temporarily gone in pursuit of greater power and Judith¡¯s followers becoming rather fanatical in their genocidal efforts - even going as far as to call this the next great holy crusade with commonplace references or comparisons to Jerusalem by scholars - it was a good guess that soon Judith would make the official call to actually attack Umbra itself. Only fear of the Thane siblings with unknown whereabouts had kept her hand stayed so far, but her power was growing - as were her forces. An understanding with many the naga and mer-people had also been reached concerning the migrating undead, and although there was a lot of mistrust between them and the new-age crusaders given that nobody really knew what the sea-dwellers were up to concerning their ¡®World Quest 6, Drums in the Deep¡¯. Regardless the sea-peoples had taken a quick liking to sinking migratory fleets and attacking the undead as they fled for their lives towards Panu¡¯s greatest undead kingdom on the continent of Umbra, where if the sea-peoples or crusaders went too far - legions of the Thane banner easily stomped out any pursuing forces that trailed their new would-be citizens. War hadn¡¯t been officially declared by either side yet, but dozens of small-scale battles had already happened near Umbra¡¯s coastline as tensions rose. The second source of incoming migrants was from Hell itself. Negrada specifically had opened up its borders to allow its citizens access to Panu to get them out of the way of the wars being waged against enemy dungeons, with hundreds of thousands of demons spilling into their borders to make new homes for themselves. Elysium did not allow anything outside of F-grade demons to come into the integrating planet, but Negrada was a rather weak hellscape dungeon anyways and only had at best some E-grades in its upper echelon of minions and citizens. Dozens of different demonic species could be found on Brightsville¡¯s streets, with even more spilling in when news of Riven¡¯s ascension into Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation caused many of them to go into a religious fervor. They incorporated rather easily into necropolis society, being incredibly respectful of the laws and even setting up a very large Church of Gluttony in downtown Brightsville where most of the demons had settled in. They brought with them knowledge of various crafts and enchantments that enhanced Brightsville¡¯s economy tenfold, and increased their value and reputation with the original citizens by a lot as the capital city rapidly grew. The third source of migrants stemmed from the rest of the planet as they fled persecution. With a very large divide forming between the living and the undead on Panu cortex forums, racism and acts of violence had surged with videos being plastered on the cortex daily. Practicing the arts of the Unholy Foundational Pillar had even been outlawed in many countries, and public executions or lynchings had been in the upswing; should you be found out to be a necromancer or demonic summoner of any kind. Many undead were killed on sight regardless of sentience or not, which in turn had caused an uproar with many of the Thane Necropolis - resulting in retaliatory assassinations, arson, and acts of subterfuge at areas the different adventuring guilds of the Thane Necropolis could manage to reach. Not all areas were accessible, but a lot of the most vulgar acts posted to the forums were from countries bordering Chicago¡¯s borders where fear was most prevalent - meaning that monster hunting and mercenary guilds from the heartlands of Umbra were opting to go hunt down religious fanatics and violent racists like it was their day job. This further increased tensions between the necropolis and their neighbors, but General Bruner failed to do anything about it as he¡¯d publicly stated during diplomatic meetings that these instances were the acts of individuals and not the state. Funnily enough, he didn¡¯t bother investigating these acts of retribution either - and kept unusually silent and smug whenever accusations were brought up about brutally murdered individuals in neighboring territories who¡¯d taken up Judith¡¯s ideals. Overall though, life had calmed down around Brightsville and the central regions of Umbra; and the area was relatively safe as long as you stayed near the cities and towns. Various dungeons found in their lands were marked and regularly cleared to make sure monster swarms didn¡¯t get out of control, and any nesting feral undead that became too much of a problem were put down by the military or the guilds they regularly sent out contracts to. Rebuilding from the initial onset of the integration was in a dramatic upswing, the Rippenvire invaders who¡¯d originally launched attacks on different parts of Umbra had completely left the planet in utter defeat with all other invading factions having avoided the continent entirely for now in favor of easier targets, and regular military patrols of native-born and Blood Moon Requiem battalions kept the population pretty safe. Industry was booming, research into different types of magical and technological advancements were in high swing, and many people were creating new companies and trading organizations to help spread goods across the continent - increasing their quality of life. With only the impending war against Judith¡¯s allied forces and the World Quests as true threats in the near future, optimism was starting to build. Thankfully, most people didn¡¯t know where the Thane siblings had gone. Many thought them to be in secluded isolation to try and ascend into E-grade, or perhaps they¡¯d gone to explore the underdark - but it was all guesswork and conjecture for the civilian side of things. Regardless, their king and queen were still at the very top of the rankings board. They weren¡¯t dead, and that alone was enough for most of the necropolis to not question it any further. *** Janice was 24 years old, having just graduated from college before Earth had gone to shit and magic had become real. She was the first of her very redneck family to ever go get an advanced education, but in the end - she¡¯d been glad that she came from a gun-toting, cowboy boot-wearing family of hardened men and women. Because her entire family, including her immediately extended family, had survived through the integration through the sheer volume of shotgun shells at their disposal. And after the Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole had opened, she¡¯d actually gone through to apply for a job at one of the news agencies in Chicago - for which she¡¯d successfully gotten the position and had come back not long after. Her eyes still showed a brilliant neon teal color. Very pretty in her opinion, and they were her favorite aspect of the change into being an undead; but with the potions from Dawn she¡¯d been able to revert her gray skin and white hair to her previous brown and more healthy tanned complexion. She¡¯d always liked her dark brown hair color and would have paid whatever it took to get it back from the ghostly white, even if her friends had taken a keen interest in their own changes and hadn¡¯t reverted their looks back like she had.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. And right now, she was filming a nature documentary with some scientists who¡¯d hired her news crew to go along with them; alongside a couple of hired flesh golem and undead orc guards from one of the guilds. It was very relaxed, in an area only a couple miles south of Brightsville beyond the Elysium Altar that they could still easily see from their current position; and better yet - the show had been a massive success. Her face was plastered on TV screens across the kingdom now, much to her parent¡¯s amusement, and she always got comments about being a celebrity whenever she went home to eat some of her mother¡¯s famous apple pie. Though those apples certainly tasted a bit different from when the fruits had been life-attuned. Now, they carried a bit of an unusually sweet aftertaste to them - which wasn¡¯t necessarily bad, but a noticeable change. She wondered if normal humans would feel the same way, or whether or not they¡¯d find the pies disgusting? Did her change into a deathtouched cause her tastebuds to change too? Probably. But she hadn¡¯t really tried to figure it out yet, because simply she didn¡¯t care. She had other things to worry about, like getting a good shot of the undead ¡®fleshweave wolves¡¯ per system naming shenanigans that now roamed these woods to document their behaviors. They were a rather odd species of undead and unlike many of the normal ghoul wolf variations out there, because they had unusually long tails made of strands of muscular flesh instead of fur; and were far smaller than their other canine counterparts. ¡°There!¡± Janice said to the camera guy and scientist next to her on their stomachs - pointing over the hill to where a few of the majestic looking, relatively tiny wolves were playing with their young amidst a large swath of silver berry bushes. ¡°You better get that shot, Ted! Or I¡¯ll wring your little neck! And damn it they¡¯re cute!¡± Ted, the cameraman, rolled his eyes but continued filming - with the scientist rapidly documenting notes. ¡°How did I get stuck filming dogs when my friends all get to go film the wars near Chicago?¡± Ted grumbled under his breath keeping the large camera steady on the hill¡¯s edge. ¡°Now that we¡¯re undead, they don¡¯t even get scared about being shot or stabbed! Not unless it¡¯s to the head, or a bomb goes off that tears their body apart. We¡¯re almost invincible now!¡± ¡°Quiet! You¡¯ll scare them off with your ugly man voice!¡± Janice said, snapping her pen against the back of his head with gusto. ¡°And you know that¡¯s not true. Our people die all the time over there, you should be thankful you¡¯re not in any real danger here.¡± ¡°Yeah but most of those that die are from the Chicago side of the kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! And I said quiet!¡± She smacked him hard with her pen again, getting an approving nod from the scientist as the scholar continued scribbling down notes. Funny, that they still needed to use cameras like this. With various events, Elysium would do the streaming through your own vision - but it wasn¡¯t as clear cut or stable as a camera could be and so most news stations continued to use the old Earth technology even to this day. Not just in the Thane Necropolis either, but it was the same with numerous other Earth-based factions across Panu. A sharp gasp came from her right, and Janice peered over her shoulder to where one of her news-crew was sitting on a small boulder under the shade of a teal-leaf oak. The girl, who was barely 18 years old with short-cropped shorts and a pixie cut, had just taken up her first class as a ¡®Truthseeker¡¯ - and she was usually very quiet. But right now her eyes were wide in shock, and she scrambled over the boulder to where Janice was now laying down - much to the irritation of the scientist. ¡°You need to see this! It literally just happened!¡± Ashley, the younger woman frantically whispered while jabbing a finger at one of her hologram system screens. ¡°Super important! Take a look, fast! If we report on this now, we could-¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to scare off the wolves, you idiot!¡± The scientist explained, adjusting his glasses and glaring at the younger deathtouched with a scowl. ¡°This had better be worth it!¡± True to the man¡¯s words, Ashley¡¯s exclamation had certainly startled the small pack - and their ears had all perked up. The undead animals all quickly scampered away after that, rushing into the dark underbrush without another word after the older ones had picked up their youngest by the scruffs of their necks. ¡°Gah!¡± The scientist yelled, throwing his pen and clipboard down onto the hillside. Getting up, he cursed loudly numerous times and began marching away to cool off. But despite Janice¡¯s cold glare, Ashley was still frantically pointing at the hologram screen. ¡°You need to report on this NOW! It happened only SECONDS ago!¡± Ashley exclaimed, raising her voice now that the jig was up anyways - and she snapped out a pointer finger in Ted¡¯s direction. ¡°Get set up for an interview, fast! We need to make this quick to be the first!¡± Janice raised an eyebrow, and brushed a hand through her brunette hair with a groan. Adjusting her short-sleeved vest, she got to her knees and then stood up while brushing off the dirt. ¡°This had better be good, Ashley. Those wolves were hard to track down, and the guildies over there charge by the daily attempt.¡± ¡°IT IS IMPORTANT!¡± Ashley screamed. ¡°LOOK! JUST LOOK!¡± This time, Janice obliged. Coming around and staring at the hologram information, her eyes narrowed - and then went wide when she saw what Ashley was pointing at. [With the coming update in following months: Rankings will soon be RE-ORGANIZED to include both external offworld threats present on Panu, as well as new arrivals that are not only natives, in order to better represent the power dynamics on Panu. 25 billion current participants have been analyzed. The ranking categories are as follows: Apex Rank (Top 10), Paragon Rank (Top 1000), S Rank (Top 0.0001%), A Rank (Top 1%), B Rank (Top 15%), C Rank (Top 30%), D Rank (Top 50%), E Rank (Bottom 50%)] [Current Top 10 Native Participants: Allie had taken the top spot. But not only that, she¡¯d made level 201 - meaning she¡¯d made it into the E-grade. And her titles¡­ Were those what Janice thought they were? Then, two more notifications appeared. This time they weren¡¯t from Ashley¡¯s doing, but rather they were from the system itself. And the results were both shocking, and very similar to what had happened when their king had first transcended into Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation. [Multiversal System Notice: To all creatures across Elysium, let it be known that the return of the Sins and Commandments is at hand. The next Original Sin, Wrath, has been unleashed from its prison. Other sins and commandments will be released from the abyss over the course of the next ten years. Let the Eternal War between the hells and heavens begin again, as the origins of angels and demons clash in the cosmos - unshackled, and unrestrained, seeking to return to the power they once had.] [Planet-Wide System Notice: Allie Thane has returned to Panu, and with her come the banished demons of the eternal war that were most loyal to Wrath in eons past. As the primary target of World Quest 7: Eradicate the Angel of Death, Allie Thane - the prize for killing her has increased dramatically. The quest name has also been changed to World Quest 7: Eradicate the Angel of Wrath, Allie Thane. If she is killed before the 5 year integration time limit is up, the killer will inherit her fledgling divinity in the form of the killer¡¯s choosing, allowing ascension and the start of a path into future godhood. But not only this, you will also be given an additional 100 combat levels immediately upon killing her, an immediate escape to a safe location of your choosing, and 1 Billion Elysium Coins. Killing Allie Thane within the time limit will also remove The Scythe¡¯s blessing on Umbra and return the land to a more natural state. Guild mercenary options will reflect an even lower cost to acquire off-world holy warriors in pursuit of this crusade, as long as the guild owner is not undead, and the intended target is perceived to truly be Allie Thane or the Thane Necropolis by Elysium¡¯s Administrator. Guild mercenaries are now able to be hired at a 80% reduced rate from their asking price, with Elysium covering the remaining amount, and there is no longer any distance fee when hiring off-worlders.] When had their queen even left Panu? She¡¯d been gone? How¡¯d she left the planet, and how had she come back!? ¡°Oh shit! OH SHIT! TED! GET THAT CAMERA UP HERE!¡± Janice quickly adjusted her hair, tidied her suit jacket, and frantically nodded to the camera guy. ¡°Are we ready!? Are we ready!?¡± BOOM The sky immediately overhead thundered with a massive explosion of energy that swept across the landscape like an aura of hate and dread. The shockwave sent tree branches snapping and made Jannice stagger to her knees with a gasp. Clouds and mist were swept away, revealing a large shimmering portal in the sky where a four-winged six-armed undead woman of unnatural, ghostly beauty stepped out to hover far above. Dozens, and then hundreds of smaller portals began to appear around her - transforming the daytime sky into a black-speckled tapestry of unholy power that continued to build as demons of all shapes and sizes started crawling out of the abyss and into their world. Janice¡¯s heart nearly stopped as she took in the awe-inspiring collection of building figures, before slowly getting back to her feet with mouth ajar. ¡°Ted? Are you filming this?¡± ¡°Get up Ted, you incompetent buffoon!¡± Ashley kicked the man into action, and he scrambled to get an angle beneath Janice that also captured the oncoming wave of new arrivals to their planet. Janice took in a deep breath and fetched the microphone from Ashley while steeling herself and trying not to tremble underneath the waves of power that washed over her and the others. The news crew gave her a silent signal, though another thunderclap and residual purple-tinted illumination of the deadlands surrounding Brightsville made them almost forget to start rolling. ¡°IN FIVE!¡± Ted, her camera man yelled over the building storm of darkness ripping the sky above. He held up his fingers, then began to count down as Janice prepared herself with the microphone - sealing her surprise and grimace at the whipping winds that rattled the trees around them. Four fingers. Then three. Two. One. Streaming. ¡°Hello once again to the Thane Necropolis, and to all others currently watching this live stream here on Panu. My name is Janice Gildy, a reporter with the Chicago Scriptmakers, and what you are now watching is very likely the return of our queen. When she¡¯d left and where she¡¯d gone are both questions that many of you likely have just like I do, but it appears that just as the system notification has informed us all across the planet - she has not come back alone. It also appears that she has reclaimed the number 1 spot on Panu¡¯s leaderboard from her brother. A truly momentous occasion indeed. All hail Queen Allie Thane of the Thane Necropolis, all hail the newly crowned Reincarnation of Wrath.¡± Chapter 302 Chapter 302 [Insights have been obtained into your Path of Red and Black, and into the inner workings of your class. Blood and Shadow have been incorporated. Death, Infernal, and Unholy have yet to fully incorporate. Sin is now the primary backbone for your soul pillar connections. Sufficient connections between the Shadow and Blood pillars have been established. Soul Lattice is ready to solidify. Do you wish to proceed, or continue expansion?] Continue expansion. [Option to delay passage into E-grade has been confirmed. Based on your construction so far, it appears that you are wanting to continue into one of two directions. Please pick so that Elysium may assist you: This had already been discussed with Gluttony at length. Riven would continue down the warlock¡¯s path and specialize in long ranged casting combat, while Gluttony wanted to pursue a more hands on approach. The current training he¡¯d been given by Lillith and the other demonic instructors back on the 1st floor of the descent were completely based in magical casting, as it¡¯d suited Riven¡¯s style more. He was very gifted with controlling mana and magic, even a prodigy, but his hand to hand combat was thoroughly lacking despite what little training he had gotten. So it made sense that he¡¯d continue down a caster¡¯s path, while his counterpart who had eons of experience in fighting hand to hand would get to take over the other half of things. Neither he nor Gluttony wanted to divide their souls into two separate bodies quite yet, but it may be an option further down the road when they became more powerful. Right now, that could end in tragedy should one of them die without the other present - as it would result in both of them being ended right there and then. Or so Gluttony said. [You have selected the first option. Secondary Demonic Form and Class are now under construction. To finish these items, please continue to pursue insights within the Abyssal Descent and expand your soul lattice further before going on to E-grade. You will now be given an option for upgrading your Warlock Devastator class. Please note that E-grade class selection is much different and more impactful than your F-grade class upgrades may have been. Just like how your soul lattice will be the foundation for your future growth in cultivation and expansion of your soul realm, your E-grade class selection will be the foundation of your future specializations - and coming off this path will be far harder to do than it was in the F-grade. Your base class after Level 200 will not be able to be changed without significant setbacks to your cultivation, with most advancements only offering additional titles and divergence paths instead of entire class replacements. Choose wisely.] [Level 200 Class Upgrade Options: Riven gawked. ¡°Are all the E-grade classes this much better!?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Gluttony said matter of factly with an internal nod, as the two of them went over the text three times in a row. Just to make sure they didn¡¯t miss anything. ¡°Every grade up has a significant power advantage over the previous grade. For F-grade to E-grade, it manifests in the class. That won¡¯t always be the case in the future, but as the notifications tell you - this is setting the base layer for all future class expansions. Once you choose, it will be far harder to walk a different kind of path.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m the sole one picking, yeah?¡± ¡°That was the agreement. You choose for this class, and I choose once we finish the soul lattice and acquire our second class.¡± Riven paused, though he was very excited about the prospects. All of them were amazing, frankly. The soul singer class and possession relied on Willpower, which he had a ton of - and it would give him the ability to fly without using Messenger. Then again he didn¡¯t see himself getting rid of the armor anytime soon so it probably didn¡¯t matter that much, but the 130% speed boost while flying would help tremendously. It also gave him +1 additional demonic minion slot, but he was fine with the current makeup as it was. Narg the beholder was still in a trial run, but it¡¯d taken Riven months to even get that far after the serpent Yattazi had ditched him when she thought he¡¯d been indefinitely incapacitated. That still left a sour taste in Riven¡¯s mouth even to this day, and though he felt no ill will towards the demonic basilisk - he had closed off his walls to an extent. Especially now that everyone knew what and who he was. The second class was nothing to scoff at either, but had a catch. The Warlock Blood Warrior was 19 times more powerful as a passive when it came to on-contact close quarters combat, and it would have been a great choice if he¡¯d been wanting to stay as a solo-class hybrid. That being said - he was going dual class soon due to Gluttony, and Gluttony preferred close quarters combat himself. So it was kind of redundant, even despite the tremendous boost to power it had at face value. Meanwhile, the third option was what called to Riven the most. Warlock of the Malevolent Storm was essentially an upgrade to the way he¡¯d been fighting the most in all aspects. His aura creating mana storms, his storm razors he used in swarms to home in on targets, and his high-powered kicker - the sniping blood lance. All three were buffed with this pick, all three were already used nearly every fight. Not only that, but his mana storms when using his aura and raw power would have the ability to heal minions with blood rain and even buff them with twisters - which he was pretty excited to try out. ¡°Minions¡± even included Genua, which meant that she¡¯d finally be able to participate in battles with some layer of protection outside of her own skillset - which was a worry he¡¯d had for quite some time now as she didn¡¯t respawn like the demons did. Passive afflictions using the gluttonous razors could stack on high powered opponents over time, slowly eating away at enemies with a slow burn, while the critical storm lances were a needed answer to a two-fold problem. One, he was trying to get to a fighting style that kept him at range per Lillith¡¯s advice - and although his sniping blood lances were great, he wanted something farther if possible. But he hadn¡¯t had anything that could reach beyond that kind of strike¡¯s distance up until now. He also tended to wear down opponents with barrages of attacks rather than clean kills, basically beating them to death by sheer volume of attacks, but critical strikes had the potential to solve that. If he got a critical modifier in the ballpark of 7x the hit of what a blood lance could do, that¡¯d be absolutely crazy powerful. Critical Storm Lances would travel faster, farther when he utilized Snipe by a good margin, and hit far harder - even having trails of energy left over that¡¯d leave obstacles and potential remnant damage to be taken after the fact. If he sent off five, eight, twelve, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred of those lances? That¡¯d be that many more trails of energy that would remain in the path of each snipe that had potential to lash out any passing enemies.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Lots of questions rang through his head as he considered just what the aura storms would look like, but he had to pick it first in order to see. Which he did. And he was about to damn well use it as soon as possible too! [You have selected Warlock of the Malevolent Storm as your new primary class. Congratulations! You have not gained any additional demonic minion slots. 4 of 4 demonic minion slots are in use. Warlock Devastator¡¯s stat applications have been changed from +3 Strength, +2 Sturdiness, +2 Willpower, +4 Intelligence, +2 Free Stat Points, -5 base Charisma, -1 Charisma per level. Warlock of the Malevolent Storm now applies +3 Strength, +2 Sturdiness, +2 Willpower, +14 Intelligence, +7 Free Stat Points, -200 base Charisma, -2 Charisma per level. The Malevolent Storm Class Trait has been acquired, your mana storms and passive aura now conjure true forces of nature to heed your beck and call; buffing any minions within the storm while simultaneously dealing severe damage to opponents. Spell upgrade acquired: Storm Razors have become Gluttonous Storm Razors, adding stacking damage debuffs that can be used for additional burst damage when nearby razors are detonated. Spell upgrade acquired: Sniping Profane Blood Lance has become Critical Storm Lance, adding speed, power, reach, trails of reactive blood and shadow mana, as well as drastically increased chances for piercing and critical hits. There are no additional item bonuses to be applied for this class.] *** ¡°Thank god for mana potions!¡± Riven said, sweating with heavy breaths as he continued to experiment with his critical storm lances one by one - sending them at blinding speed to crash into the far wall ahead of them. Fay would create an illusory target, and he¡¯d nail it a split second later with pinpoint accuracy given how the zoom function on his snipe ability had become better. He downed another blue-colored bottle of liquid, wiped his mouth, and went on for the 8th hour that day as his other minions and friends stared curiously while he worked. Unfortunately he hadn¡¯t been able to summon his aura¡¯s mana storm quite yet, as that¡¯d probably count as an attack on everyone else in the room - and would doubtless result in his banishment from the descent. Or worse. Prince Narzkal Rantali waited on the sidelines with his small group of vampires in turn. They were to proceed with Riven as a partner group for the upcoming floor, as told by the previous notification upon entering this particular area: [Floor 21, The Unholy Throne, is now open to you. As promised, by passing Floor 20, you are now permitted insight into one of your paths. You may mentally connect with The Unholy Throne whenever you deem yourself ready, choosing any single sun of those available here for a free insight; and when all of your party members are done - you may pick another team for a joint operation for Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. Merely notify Elysium when you are ready to proceed to Floor 22. Elysium will protect you while on this floor, and no harm may come to you or your possessions while here - so as to not disturb your meditation. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] ¡°How¡¯d it go, big guy? Get anything cool?¡± Riven asked when he saw Azmoth get up and lumber their way. Though it would have been hard to miss. The gigantic armored demon was the size of a god''s damned building now, a large one, and the four enormous shengari shields reflected the light of the suns as the brutalisk held them in each of his clawed hands. If one were to cut a kite shield in half, and put razor-sharp blades on the outer edge of each shield, that¡¯s what you¡¯d get in terms of what a shengari shield was. Riven didn¡¯t know how or why it became a cultural weapon of the brutalisk species, but it was apparently a favorite and he didn¡¯t press the situation despite thinking a warhammer or something like that would be more beneficial. Riven put the target practice to rest for just a second and looked up with a friendly smile. ¡°Athela won¡¯t tell me why she got the body fusion technique, while Genua and Fay are tight lipped because they want it to be a ¡®surprise¡¯ - whatever that means. Kara is embarrassed to show me for some reason, but at least Retesh was forthright. Our lich friend got a trait that allows him to create bones to use for minions out of dirt or rock - pretty nifty in my opinion. He¡¯ll never lack minions, that¡¯s for sure. Narg over there is passed out from exhaustion but he managed to expand his soul lattice twofold. How about you? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to stiff arm me as well. That wouldn¡¯t be fair if I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s going to show off what I achieved.¡± Azmoth knelt, and with a surge of hellfire that erupted like pressurized gas - he and the shields he carried shrank down to normal size. Or more normal size, anyways. He was still far taller than Riven was but at least he wasn¡¯t an absolute behemoth. ¡°I increase soul lattice like Narg, not get ability like your hoes one and two.¡± Azmoth said slyly, shooting Athela and Fay a sharp obsidian grin. Athela took in a sharp gasp and pointed a finger at the brute. ¡°YOU DARE! I am no hoe! Don¡¯t lump me in with Fay! And which one is one, which one is two?¡± ¡°You are one. Fay is two. Double breast size means double hoe.¡± ¡°Shut up, you ugly-looking gorillas!¡± Fay quipped with a flip of her hair and a humph - clicking her feathered boots together in the act. ¡°Azmoth, the only reason you¡¯re still a virgin is because you can¡¯t get any.¡± ¡°I am NOT a gorilla!¡± Athela declared, aghast yet again and putting a hand up against her chest. Then she winked. ¡°Though I can be for you, babe.¡± Azmoth¡¯s two serpentine, eyeless jaws clicked and hissed from where they extended over his wings and back on either side of his spiked obsidian head. ¡°I only a few years old. I not need women for five hundred years. Five hundred years of peace and quiet is what Retesh say! I not mature until then, no offspring until then.¡± The lich casually got up, pretending not to have heard, and left before getting dragged into this. Fay meanwhile glared after the undead caster. ¡°Makes sense considering you have a peanut brain. It correlates.¡± ¡°Fay. You say more words, I throw you across room like I did in dragon¡¯s dungeon - punt you like football into one of suns! Riven not protect you! I may not succeed in protecting poor innocent Riven from your groping finger claws, he never wore chastity belt I gave him, but I can always throw again and correct his bad decisions!¡± Athela raised an amused eyebrow. Fay grumbled something under her breath, but didn¡¯t retort this time upon the memory of being flung like a tossed ham sandwich across the dungeon chasm. Riven merely grinned good naturedly, but otherwise didn¡¯t intervene. Even if Azmoth did end up throwing Fay into one of the suns, that was between them. She¡¯d certainly survive a quick dash through as the suns weren¡¯t meant to harm the participants here, she¡¯d just get a little singed is all - or maybe a shock to her system. Despite Fay being one of the two women he loved and one of his three original demons, his minions were close enough that their little jabs and insults with one another were usually friendly and in good fun. And it¡¯d be sort of funny to see Fay get launched again anyways, as long as those suns didn¡¯t burn up all her belongings. On second thought, he may have to intervene to make sure her grimoire and boots survived should Azmoth actually go ahead and do it. ¡°Are you guys sure you don¡¯t want to share? Kara? Genua? Fay?¡± Riven asked for the ump-teenth time. Kara clutched the bow he¡¯d made for her to her chest and hastily shook her head, avoiding eye contact and even lowering her hood in what he could only assume was embarrassment. Why that was, he had no idea. Fay giggled. ¡°Nope! Sorry, it¡¯s a surprise for later!¡± ¡°Just like what Athela said¡­¡± Riven muttered. Genua on the other hand, reconsidered. She was sitting next to Retesh in a meditative position, hands clasped ahead of her as the headdress of her form-fitting priestess outfit clung to her protruding belly. Red eyes flitted open, and she bobbed her head from side to side before eventually giving way. ¡°Before this floor and the insights it gave me, my priestess class had a slew of different abilities.¡± She began, thoughtfully letting the words drift out of her lips at a monotonous pace. ¡°It is a ritualist class and allows me to interface with the blood god¡¯s clergy. There¡¯s even a ranking ladder. Do you remember?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Riven replied. ¡°Though you haven''t talked much about it. Honestly all that Blood God stuff I¡¯m not too familiar with, I just know that he gave us both that ability to call on Blood Legionnaires - which are pretty handy; but I don¡¯t know his agenda at all.¡± Genua grunted her acknowledgement. ¡°Yes. Aside from Legionaries of the Blood God, I can use Body Fusion to merge myself into other minions or people, Sanguine Smite as an offensive miracle, Blood Oath - which is the brief invincibility I gain by shifting damage to you, Transfusion Zone that heals allies and damages enemies, and Sanguine Possession - which requires ritualistic sacrifice to employ. However, I recently learned that Body Fusion can more or less control a person too¡­ but only in very brief intervals.¡± ¡°Seems redundant to have them both.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d agree. Which is something that I actually talked to some of the other clergy about over our shared interface. Apparently, the other priests and priestesses were saying that Body Fusion could potentially be used as a poor man¡¯s version of a possession, but it would only work on weak-willed people and comes with a risk of backlash should the soul strike back during the fusion attempt.¡± Genua shot Athela a stern look, but the demoness merely whistled and ignored the thrall. ¡°While the Sanguine Possession can be used to control stronger opponents for far longer. Still¡­ I¡¯ve never used Sanguine Possession before and as you said - it is still somewhat redundant to have. What I ended up doing with my insight under the Blood sun, was I used the soul fractals for Sanguine Possession and Transfusion Zone - destroying both abilities. I used their energy and remnant patterns to create something else. Something similar but far better, as a passive trait linked to my aura. I no longer have Transfusion Zone or Sanguine Possession fractals, but whenever I flex my aura - it doesn¡¯t require any activation and passively heals anyone I deem as friendly; while passively causing enemies to bleed. I merely need to stand to let them be within my vicinity. My aura trait also grows more powerful the more I sacrifice souls to it, up to once per day.¡± Riven paused what he was doing, and lifted his eyes in surprised approval. ¡°Wow. That¡¯s really good! Why didn¡¯t you want to tell me about it?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to be what Athela called a ¡®Groupie¡¯, by joining in with the not-telling-Riven clause.¡± Genua replied smugly. Riven¡¯s eyelids lowered and he gave Athela a shake of the head. ¡°That demon is rubbing off on you Genua. In more ways than one. She¡¯s a terrible influence.¡± ¡°Am not a TERRIBLE influence! I am a PRINCESS!¡± Athela stomped her foot down and harrumphed, before hoisting herself up on all six arachnid limbs that protruded from her back with a flash - letting her hover over him in the air. ¡°And I do what I want.¡± ¡°Oh yes, we¡¯re very aware of that.¡± Riven chuckled, sending a blast of crimson ice her way as she shrieked and - an instant later - was frozen solid. She probably could have dodged if she¡¯d really wanted to, and probably could even break out now, but instead she resorted to muffled screeching from within the ice as Fay dramatically rolled her eyes. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t keep Prince Rantali waiting too much longer, Riven. You¡¯ve been at it with your new spell all day, and he¡¯s been very patient!¡± Fay sat down in Riven¡¯s lap with a thud, facing him nose to nose, and wrapped her long toned legs around his waist. ¡°Plus I¡¯m very much wanting to finish this descent and get back home. I¡¯m very much missing a cozy bed and the manor right about now!¡± Riven grinned, seeing her tail sway back and forth behind her, and put his hands on her hips to draw her just slightly closer. ¡°For reasons?¡± ¡°Definitely. For reasons! And you owe Athela and I another date - one for all three of us! Remember!? I hope you¡¯ve been planning something big, because we¡¯re not letting you off the hook that easily. Even if you are ridiculously cute!" Upon this proclamation, Athela took no time in breaking out of the ice coating she''d been encased in. "He owes me a solo date as well!" Athela called out, scowling back over her shoulder and prying off more red frost. "And you never came to see my clan in the nether realms! Don''t make me remind you again, twirp, but you''re having dinner with my mother soon whether you like it or not! You wouldn''t BELIEVE the amount of HARRASSMENT the clan gives me over not having had Gluttony''s Reincarnation back home to meet the fam already! The Sojavi succubi-incubi clan had their turn, and now it''s mine. OK Mr. Big shot!? Plus my brothers are all really excited to meet you after all the stories I''ve told them, and as a princess - I have a reputation to maintain! Chapter 303 Chapter 303 Despite his girlfriends just teasing him about it, Riven had been feeling a bit guilty having not taken them out recently. But when did he ever have time!? He had to prioritize them more whenever he left this damnable descent. Maybe get them some flowers and take them to a scenic vacation spot somewhere on the coast. That¡¯d be nice. But it was time to go, and he could dwell on such things regarding his relationships later. Athela and Fay were already ready to leave and telling bad jokes nearby, helping Genua pick up her various garments, different dyes she¡¯d been staining the baby clothes with, and balls of thread. Azmoth was standing in his smaller form - which was still larger than Riven by quite a bit - with arms folded and in a wide stance as his wings blazed with cinder at a low glow. Retesh had finished creating dozens of large skeletal wyrms built to travel through almost any environment that he¡¯d crafted out of dirt - with the help of his new bone-creation trait. The wyrms were each two feet in width and twenty feet long, with serrated spikes, spines, and rows of teeth imbued with death mana in a circular mouth. With Lillith trapped on floor 50, Nora in Chalgathi¡¯s trials hunting down cultists, and Allie having left alongside Fimrindle back to Panu - It only left Riven, his core minions, and the lich Retesh from their original group. Then there was Kara Blackbow, the dark elf archer who was acting unusually embarrassed whenever she was around Riven ever since Allie¡¯s accusations about Kara; and she very quickly averted her eyes or turned her hood down whenever Riven caught her looking. Lastly there was Riven¡¯s newest minion - the beholder demon Narg who¡¯d only just woke up after passing out due to the insights he¡¯d received. ¡°Doing ok, buddy?¡± Riven called out to the drunk-looking beholder, and the large collection of eyeballs grunted an affirmation before floating upwards in his direction. ¡°Yes master! I am ready to go!¡± Narg replied, wobbling in the air and promptly faceplanting into the ground after a quick lurch forward. Riven frowned down at the demon, and snapped his fingers. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at all, but you need to rest man. Go back to your nether realm and only come back once you¡¯re in top shape. Ok?¡± The beholder once again grunted, this time muffled by the ground he was laying on, and ripped open a portal to disappear in a flash of light. Riven and the other vampiric prince standing nearby exchanged glances. ¡°Welp. That¡¯s Narg, Athela, Fay, and Kara now who have received insights yet won¡¯t tell me what they are.¡± Riven muttered under his breath. Prince Rantali grinned, and shot a look Kara¡¯s way. ¡°I can at least understand why she doesn¡¯t want to say it.¡± ¡°Oh so she told you and not me!? I didn¡¯t realize you two were friends before this like that other Zafima enchantress bitch.¡± ¡°We are not, though she did tell me for reasons that are her own to disclose. Can you blame her after what your sister, the new Incarnation of Wrath, said?¡± Prince Rantali gave Riven a knowing look with folded arms. ¡°If I had been called out like that by a primordial entity¡¯s reincarnation, I¡¯d want to crawl into a hole and never come out.¡± Riven chuckled and shoved his hands into his pockets with a nod. ¡°Touche.¡± ¡°But she doesn¡¯t want to leave your good graces yet either.¡± Prince Rantali continued. ¡°It¡¯d truly be a fool''s choice to leave now when she was offered a spot on yet another reincarnation¡¯s team. A once in a trillion years opportunity. If she can get on your good side and stay there, it¡¯s a ticket to the very top.¡± ¡°You put too much faith in me. Is that why you¡¯re still around?¡± ¡°Of course it is! My mother simply won¡¯t believe it when I tell her that I befriended a high ranking prince of the Blood Moon Requiem, who just happens to be Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation!¡± Prince Rantali wore a brilliant, genuine fanged smile - blonde hair slicked back more than usual after having recently applied a thin gel. ¡°I have a hard time as it is making friends at all! Being the prince of a kingdom means that most people only want to talk to me for my connections and politics. I hope I don¡¯t come off as rude, but I¡¯m rather glad that you¡¯re not someone who looks up to me! It¡¯s rather refreshing!¡± The two men laughed. ¡°At least you¡¯re honest. So tell us a bit more about the next level of the descent.¡± Riven eventually said, clasping Prince Rantali¡¯s hand in a firm grip as everyone finished gathering their things. He pulled up the old floor notification. [Floor 21, The Unholy Throne, is now open to you. As promised, by passing Floor 20, you are now permitted insight into one of your paths. You may mentally connect with The Unholy Throne whenever you deem yourself ready, choosing any single sun of those available here for a free insight; and when all of your party members are done - you may pick another team for a joint operation for Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. Merely notify Elysium when you are ready to proceed to Floor 22. Elysium will protect you while on this floor, and no harm may come to you or your possessions while here - so as to not disturb your meditation. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] ¡°Of course! Of course. I am happy to hear you¡¯re ready to go! I¡¯ve been rather excited to proceed!¡± Prince Rantali shrugged his shoulders to loosen his joints, cracked his neck, and adjusted one of the pauldrons of his gaudy golden armor. The other vampire snapped his fingers at one of the three soldiers accompanying him, and the big red-eyed man drew out a scroll that he unfurled and presented to the two princes with a bow. ¡°Ahem. To confirm, this floor has nothing to do with the Sin of Wrath - before you ask. Don¡¯t ask me why, I¡¯m not the one that comes up with these naming schemes.¡± Prince Rantali took the scroll, and began to read. ¡°Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. This floor is one of the constants throughout the eons of the Abyssal Descent¡¯s existence, and has a number of different obstacles to pass through before entering out the other side. This is primarily a pillar-oriented floor. As vampires we should have an advantage. First and foremost, there is an ocean of blood we must pass through.¡± Prince Rantali gave Riven another knowing look, as Riven burst out laughing. ¡°Yes, I thought you¡¯d find that funny. But let me continue with the scroll, ahem¡­ Ah yes, here we are! Secondly, there are three different sacrificial altars to collect gifts from. Each altar has the opportunity to give greater gifts if you sacrifice others of your team through blood ritual magics described on the altars - and we¡¯re talking a value of many times the initial prize.¡± The vampire looked over Riven¡¯s shoulder to where Kara had been when Riven last turned his back. ¡°We could always sacrifice the drow girl since she¡¯s not an original member of your team, if you wish¡­ as I said, I didn¡¯t know her before this. Her life may be worth-¡± Riven¡¯s face hardened, and Prince Rantali immediately shut up. ¡°That¡¯s an absolute no.¡± Riven said coldly, eyes narrowing as a sudden hostility bristled out from his aura - and the floor beneath him started freezing with black sparks radiating off his skin. ¡°Absolutely no harm befalls her. I don¡¯t care what the prize is. Kara may be new to the group, but we all like her and she isn¡¯t going to be some kind of sacrificial nugget just for another grasp at passing power. Understood?¡± Azmoth slowly turned his head, gradually beginning to unfurl his wings. Prince Rantali seemed taken aback by the sudden surge of hostile energy directed his way, but let on a small smile as he once again glanced over Riven¡¯s shoulder. ¡°As you say.¡± Riven, for his part, looked confused - but heard a heartbeat behind him rapidly pick up. He turned around and saw that not only had Kara been watching them, but she¡¯d certainly overheard them too. Had Prince Rantali intentionally done that to get a reaction from Riven while Kara overheard? Why would he do that? But that¡¯s the only thing Riven could come up with as he stared down the furiously blushing and oddly smiling young woman at his back. She then averted her eyes once again and pulled her hood down to wander off in the general direction of Fay and Athela - the bow he¡¯d given her grasped tightly in her hands. ¡°You did that on purpose.¡± Riven said, his aura evaporating. ¡°Correct. I wanted to show her what kind of person you were, as she was feeling rather in the way and unwanted after your sister¡¯s display.¡± The other prince replied with a self-satisfied sigh. ¡°I was just doing her a favor.¡± Azmoth¡¯s wings began to retract, and he once again took his guard back down. Riven let on a small smile of his own, nodding in approval. His opinion of the other prince just went up, by a lot, as it seemed that there was more to the strange man than what appeared on the surface. He had some semblance of compassion, something Riven could appreciate given who they were. As the prince of a kingdom, the man likely didn¡¯t need to be kind at all to get the things he wanted. There was no ulterior motive for it, not to show kindness to people like Kara. She wasn¡¯t even a vampire, and from what Riven understood of vampire societies - most looked down on mortals like Kara as just common cattle to be used for entertainment, drained for blood, and were then used for eating - before being replaced. It¡¯s why his changes to House Wraithtide concerning his sarak slaves on planet Luteski had such a violent reaction to it by the vampiric nobles and populace there. Treating slaves like they had rights was very¡­ unusual. Perhaps Riven had found a kindred vampire spirit? His eyes then fell to the chained bald man Prince Rantali had brought alone with him through the descent - the only other one in Rantali¡¯s group who wasn¡¯t a vampire and outfitted in golden tacky armor. The slave had been taken after being bought on the second floor - essentially paying off the man¡¯s debts when gambling had gone bad in exchange for the man¡¯s life. The man would have died otherwise. So why was there still a very faint lingering feeling in the back of his mind that this was wrong? And was this so different from what he¡¯d done with Genua? ¡°Riven?¡± Riven snapped out of his trance, coughing into a fist and waved Prince Rantali¡¯s concern away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just deep in thought. Sorry.¡± ¡°What were you thinking about? You looked lost.¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Honestly? I was thinking about whether or not I was becoming something of a monster.¡± Prince Rantali blinked, then burst into laughter with both hands clutched over his stomach. ¡°Are you being serious!?¡± ¡°Hey man, don¡¯t judge me! Let¡¯s get back on topic. What else goes on in the next floor - aside from swimming through some kind of blood ocean and visiting a few sacrificial altars? Why do we have to pair up for this event?¡± Prince Rantali calmed himself down with a few wheezing gasps, wiped tears from his eyes, and shook his head. Rolling up the parchment, he handed it over to the vampire knight who¡¯d originally presented it. ¡°We just survive for 24 hours. Blood-oriented creatures born from the abyss will attempt to eat us, but considering who and what you are¡­ I doubt that you¡¯ll have much of a problem defeating them. As for WHY we¡¯re paired up¡­¡± The prince straightened, smile widening once again. ¡°The reason is twofold. First is that each altar will tempt us to try and kill the other as we work on surviving - and I trust you not to kill me for the same reason you didn¡¯t kill that drow woman Kara. The second reason is that other pairs of teams will have the opportunity to rob us of our gifts should we acquire them from the altars. It¡¯s generally not hard to pass through the next floor, but there is a catch.¡± ¡°Is that so? And what¡¯s that?¡± Riven asked. ¡°The catch, my friend, is that Elysium allows outside viewers to buy in and see our progress if you allow them to do so. They can communicate with us, buy us bonuses and boons from the altars that we can take into the next floor. Elysium is very particular in who it allows to watch, but it is very likely based on past experiences that family and close friends are those involved. For me? It will likely be broadcasted across the realms my kingdom controls. For you? That remains to be seen.¡± *** [You have entered the pocket realm of Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. You have been designated Team Leader of team DEEZ NUTZ. Your objectives are simple: survive the monster attacks for at least 24 hours while traveling over or through the ocean of blood. Acquire gifts from the sacrificial altars, where opportunities to enhance your gifts will be presented to you should you decide to take them at the last altar, where contact may also be established with outside entities to help to further your goals at a price. You must touch all three altars from Floor 22 in order to proceed to Floor 23. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] [You have touched 2 of 3 sacrificial altars, accepting 2 Blood Tokens to be used at the very last sacrificial altar without having taken the opportunity to sacrifice any of your party members. You have 17 mandatory hours left to spend on this floor.] If this floor was supposed to be a challenge, Riven didn¡¯t agree with the setup. They¡¯d blazed through the entire thing like it was nothing, in large part due to Riven¡¯s Blood Sub-Pillar being fed a nonstop cannon of ambient mana.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Athela let out an excited scream, up on her tiptoes at the front end of their craft with arms outstretched and a bottle of blood wine she¡¯d stolen from Prince Rantali in her hand. ¡°WHOOOO!!!! FASTER, RIVEN! MAKE THIS THING ZOOM!¡± WHOOSH Excited hooting laughter roared in Riven¡¯s ears as they flashed over the crimson ocean together in a yacht created from similarly crimson ice. He didn¡¯t actually have an engine to propel the boat, but the MASSIVE amount of Blood mana permeating the surroundings was over the top invigorated him like a drug. The sky overhead was laden with quite large, brilliant stars that speckled the darkness, and occasional waves would roll up against the boat from distant battles between groups and other monsters. Though everything stupid enough to get too close to the impromptu yacht was eradicated quite thoroughly with one of Riven¡¯s new Critical Storm Lances, which left long trails of crackling red and black under the illuminating starlight before evaporating whatever it was Riven had been targeting. The swarm of bone wyrms that Retesh had created also acted like watchdogs, spread out in a large perimeter in the ocean beneath where they occasionally battled blood-affinity creatures looking quite similar to squid, and the wyrms informed the team whenever anything came too close or broke past their formation. This was more like a vacation than anything else. It was even kind of nice. ¡°You sure?¡± Riven asked Gluttony one more time with an internal side-eye. ¡°What about Greed¡¯s assassins?¡± The original sin once again gave the affirmative. ¡°There is nothing to fear on this floor. They are not here, I am certain - and I will continue to keep watch. Take some time to relax and spend it with your friends. Your demons are growing on me, and it is rather nice to have companions such as these that don¡¯t see me in a religious light. It very much reminds me of how Lillith and I often were in our younger days, back before the fifth universe came to be.¡± Riven could tell, for the very first time since bonding with the Great Maw, that Gluttony felt a tinge of remorse at those words. ¡°Is it something you want to talk about?¡± There was a pause, their internal silence in stark contrast to the laughter, dancing and even the music that two of the vampires from Prince Rantali¡¯s Kingdom of Garth were playing on strange silver flutes. ¡°Not yet.¡± Was all Gluttony said. ¡°Fine. Let me know when you¡¯re ready, bud. I¡¯m here if you need me.¡± There was no response. ¡°RIVEN! RIVEN GO THERE!¡± Athela jabbed a finger in the direction of a large sandy island, one of many that they¡¯d passed but with a long alcove on one end where red ferns and trees grew. ¡°THE LAST ALTAR ISN¡¯T FAR, WE ALREADY FOUND IT, AND WE HAVE TIME TO BURN! LET¡¯S GO HAVE SOME FUN!!!¡± ¡°A picnic!¡± Fay yelled over the commotion, large breasts jiggling as she jumped up and down. ¡°But with lots of drinking!¡± ¡°DRINKINGGGGG!¡± Azmoth bellowed, already tipsy after having chugged an entire five gallons of hard liquor from Riven¡¯s storage space. He reached up with massive, muscular arms and clawed at the sky. ¡°I WISHHHH TO PLAY PONG OF BEER!¡± ¡°Shit, son, you can¡¯t even say it right you¡¯re so plastered!¡± Riven cackled, but turned the yacht in the direction of the island anyways. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go have some fun - but I¡¯m staying sober while you guys do it. I¡¯ll be the designated driver of this group.¡± ¡°Nooo!!!¡± Fay moaned, pushing past Athela on the front of the ship and hiccuping before tripping and falling face first into Riven¡¯s chest. She pushed off, cheeks bright pink, and giggled before falling over to the right. ¡°No you¡¯ve got to have fun with us Rivennnn¡­. Palheeze!?¡± ¡°Jesus Christ!¡± Riven said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll drink just a little bit - but here, let me help you up. And ATHELA! PUT YOUR SHIRT BACK ON!¡± ¡°NO! LET ME FLY FREEEEEE LIKE A FLAMINGO!¡± ¡°HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT A FLAMINGO IS!?¡± A bra smacked Riven in the face to shut him up, and another gleeful giggle from the front of the ship saw Athela spinning around rapidly while chugging another bottle. Looking at her go, as happy as she was with her long black hair flowing in the wind - Riven couldn¡¯t even be mad. Plus it was certainly a good look on her in his opinion, even if he did get slightly jealous from the way the other vampires were staring at her or shooting quick glances. Ten minutes later, and the boat was parked. Azmoth was lighting a bonfire and slabs of meat were being stacked alongside dead squid they¡¯d killed on the ride over for cooking. Genua was getting out spices and preparing various breads. A large perimeter of Retesh¡¯s undead, Fay¡¯s illusions and traps, and defensive wards provided by Prince Rantali were all set up too as chairs, tables, and more alcohol was produced for the lot of them. ¡°Alright Rantali, welcome to beer pong! These are the rules¡­¡± Riven said, shirtless, defined pale musculature riddled with occasional strange black tattoos that glistened in the firelight. ¡°We have to get these little balls into one of those red solo cups filled with wine on the opposite side of the table, and THEY have to do the same with theirs - but we take turns!¡± He gestured to the two giggling women across from them - who¡¯d obliged Riven¡¯s requests to put SOME clothes on, but remained half naked in their white bikinis that Riven didn¡¯t even know they owned. Fay and Athela had apparently gone shopping together while back on Panu and hadn¡¯t even told him, but the uncomfortably tight spandex swim gear he now wore was a testament to their thoughtfulness when it concerned him too. They¡¯d bought it all as a set. ¡°Come on now, boys!¡± Fay said, licking her lips suggestively and taunting them with the ping pong ball in her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t keep us waiting!¡± ¡°WE DUN GONNA WIN!¡± Athela screamed, absolutely drunk off her ass as she jumped up and down, and dodged invisible enemies side to side. ¡°We were BORN champions of the PONG!¡± ¡°We next!¡± Azmoth yelled back with a hand patting Genua¡¯s head. The elf thrall swatted the clawed hand away with a scowl. ¡°I can¡¯t drink while pregnant! That¡¯d be irresponsible!¡± ¡°Then I get KARA!¡± Azmoth declared, not dismayed at the rebuttal as he pointed two of his other clawed hands in the dark elf¡¯s direction. Kara, who¡¯d been absentmindedly sipping on a glass of her own while listening in to Retesh talk death magic theory to one of the guards who¡¯d taken an interest in the pillar, perked up. ¡°Me!?¡± ¡°YES YOU!¡± Azmoth roared, slapping a large squid on the billowing flames. ¡®WE DOMINATE IN THE GAME OF PONG AND BEAT THE OTHERS!¡± Kara gave him a half smile and nervously laughed. ¡°Uhm¡­. If you¡¯re sure¡­¡± She replied uncertainly, but smiled up at the large demon with a friendly nod of thanks. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Athela gasped and pointed at the drow a second later. ¡°KARA! WHY AREN¡¯T YOU DRESSED FOR SWIMMING!?¡± ¡°W-What? These are the only clothes I-¡± ¡°CHANGE!¡± Athela demanded, stomping over to her own bag of holding and pulling out a spare white swimsuit - an exact replica of the bikini she currently wore. ¡°You¡¯re literally the ONLY person that isn¡¯t outfitted right! Come on girl, don¡¯t be a buzzkill! Azmoth doesn¡¯t have clothes on, the slave doesn¡¯t have clothes on, even GENUA is outfitted properly!¡± Kara caught the two piece bikini with a furious flush and wide eyes. She took a look around. Azmoth looked like he usually did, and technically despite his plated body - he wasn¡¯t really wearing any clothes. Genua was in something more modest than the other two demonic minions Riven had, but was still in a swimsuit nonetheless with a full display of the Blood God¡¯s tattooed crimson runes all over her otherwise tanned skin. Riven, Prince Rantali, and the other vampiric knights were all shirtless in variations of boxer short swimsuits, and the slave that Prince Rantali had taken down through the descent still had his rags and energy-suppressing shackles on - though he was chained to a stake in the ground nearby. ¡°W-Well, what about Retesh!?¡± Kara tried to argue, stuttering her words and fumbling with the quite revealing pieces of clothing in her hands. ¡°He isn¡¯t swimming either!¡± The lich eyed her for a moment from underneath his robes, and scoffed. ¡°I am above such things as swimming¡­ child.¡± He went back to discussing magical theory a second later. Athela gave her a bland look as Riven continued to explain the rules of beer pong with Prince Rantali. She stomped over to Kara, pushed her to the ground, and began forcefully tearing off clothes over high pitched screeching. Minutes later the quite shy and completely unharmed drow woman had her hands wrapped around her chest and her knees crossed in a poor attempt to hide her gray-brown skin. ¡°There! You look absolutely STUNNING!¡± Athela cooed, planting a long, drunk kiss on Kara¡¯s cheek before sweeping the drow off her feet. ¡°NOW SWIM!¡± The stunned, and once-again shrieking drow was flung through the air and into the nearby alcove with a splash. Spluttering and coming up to the surface to wipe away the white hair plastered to her face with blood, she gasped and began swimming back to the edge where the others were laughing good naturedly. When she reached the edge of the sandy shore and saw them all clapping or smiling, she couldn¡¯t help but take in the mood and pointed a challenging finger in Athela¡¯s direction. ¡°I¡¯ll get you back for that!¡± ¡°OH will you?!¡± Athela replied slyly with a confident folding of her arms. ¡°And just how do you intend to do that? You¡¯re far too weak to throw ME!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get my teammate AZMOTH to help me throw you in! Right Azmoth!?¡± Kara called out, and Azmoth quickly spun on his heel from where he¡¯d been cooking alongside Genua. The hellscape brutalisk gave off a savage, predatory grin. ¡°YESSSSS!!!¡± ¡°WAIT!¡± Athela shrieked, sprinting away from the larger demon and hiding behind the drow. ¡°WAIT WAIT WAIT! How about a deal!?¡± ¡°What deal!?¡± Kara replied skeptically, but enjoyed the laughter of the others as Azmoth continued to stalk around her with claws and wings extended. Athela paused, put both hands on Kara¡¯s shoulders from behind, and leaned forward to speak into her ear. ¡°We can make a bet! If Fay and I win at beer pong against you and Azmoth, you don¡¯t tell Azmoth to attack me and I get to use you as a chair for the remainder of the descent!¡± ¡°A chair!?¡± Kara exclaimed. ¡°No! Why would I do that!?¡± Athela snickered and began to whisper. ¡°Because if you and Azmoth win, I¡¯ll do you a solid.¡± The next whispers were so low that no one but Kara could hear, but her eyes widened and the gray-brown skin of her face went a bright shade of embarrassed red. She turned around. ¡°Are you being serious, Athela?¡± ¡°Absolutely. But you have to win first, and I¡¯m not going to go easy. I¡¯ve been wanting a good chair for a while now!¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive! Would I lie?¡± ¡°But¡­ But what about-¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m sure! And no, the plethora of possible problems you¡¯re thinking about won¡¯t actually be a problem.¡± Athela winked. ¡°I¡¯ve already thought long and hard about it.¡± Kara extended her hand without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Shake on it.¡± ¡°Hah! So eager!¡± Athela cackled, took her hand, and the two women vigorously shook. ¡°I look forward to beating your ass, bitch!¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± Kara said, excitedly skipping off over the sands to where Azmoth was now waiting. Pulling the large demon aside, the dark elf began to make battle plans - and began drying herself off near the fire. Riven watched the whole thing unfold with more than a mild amount of curiosity, and being buzzed - he had a hard time ripping his gaze away from Kara¡¯s rather muscular and very exposed rear end. ¡°Eyes up here!¡± Fay yelled, snapping her fingers and then grabbing at her barely covered blue breasts ¡°I¡¯m the succubus here and I demand attention!¡± Riven laughed and blushed slightly at being caught, but didn¡¯t disobey and let his eyes linger a while. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m a little drunk.¡± ¡°No need to apologize! We get it!¡± Athela retorted, almost tripping over Fay¡¯s tail on the way to the table and smacking the succubus in the back before standing at attention and saluting. ¡°Do we have permission to proceed with the game, master-sir Riven!?¡± ¡°Got any last second questions?¡± Riven asked the other prince, feeling a rumble in his stomach as a surge of hunger started to sputter in the core of his soul. Prince Rantali quickly dragged his gaze off of Fay and nodded with abandon. ¡°I think I have the rules down! And was that your stomach I heard? We¡¯d better get that food going fast! I¡¯d say you can have some blood from my slave, but there¡¯s an entire ocean of it right here!¡± Riven spit on the ground to his right and got into a throwing position. ¡°Nah I¡¯m good on the blood. It¡¯s a side effect of Gluttony¡­ I actually need to eat people once in a while to keep me going.¡± ¡°Really? Like actually consume them whole? We do that in my kingdom too, and I¡¯d offer you the man I¡¯ve taken so you can eat - but I wouldn¡¯t have much left for myself.¡± ¡°Something like that. And don¡¯t worry about it, I just get¡­ debuffs, if I don¡¯t feast. I¡¯ll figure it out, don¡¯t think on it much.¡± ¡°Debuffs even if you¡¯ve drank blood recently? Fascinating! But I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll be very good at this game. You ladies across the table will have to go easy on me!¡± Athela snorted in derision, her eyes scanning Riven¡¯s defined body rather hungrily - but unlike Riven, she wasn¡¯t hungry for food. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I don¡¯t think so blondie. Fay and I are pro¡¯s! There aint NO way we¡¯re going to lose this time around!¡± Riven grinned, fangs on full display. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that!¡± *** Two hours passed. ¡°WE WON!!! WE WON!!!¡± Kara slammed into Azmoth like a battering ram and wrapped him in a hug as the large wing demon howled to the skies in victory. ¡°THAT WAS SO CLOSE! I WAS ALMOST A CHAIR!¡± Athela for her part groaned in disappointment, kneeling in the sand with her head between her hands, as Fay loudly sighed and strutted off with a seductive sway to her hips and a smile in Riven¡¯s direction. ¡°Find me in the shrubbery after you¡¯re done eating, hun! We haven¡¯t tangled in a while, but give me a few minutes first! I¡¯ll even do that thing you like with my tongue!¡± Riven immediately coughed up the drink he was downing and followed the succubus¡¯s outline into the red trees beyond the firelight, and was having a very hard time containing his lower half¡¯s excitement. ¡°Did I just hear her right?¡± ¡°I believe you did, you lucky bastard.¡± Prince Rantali replied with a grin. ¡°A few minutes, she said? What do you think she¡¯s doing back there?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know.¡± Riven jammed an elbow into Rantali¡¯s side. ¡°That¡¯s for staring!¡± ¡°Certainly you can¡¯t blame me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°So why¡¯d you elbow me!?¡± ¡°Because you deserved it.¡± Despite Riven¡¯s claims of trying to stay sober, Gluttony twice over informed him that they were still safe and that he was keeping watch. At the Sin¡¯s approval - Riven let himself continue to slip further and further into a drunken haze, became much louder, and began to lose himself to the merriment. It was genuinely a fun time. They went swimming more than once, played beer pong a few more times, had a game of cards going and were eating a lot of meat from their storage and the numerous blood squid they¡¯d killed. The aquatic monsters were actually quite tasty, though that may just be Riven¡¯s hunger growing by the second. Unfortunately the monster meat wasn¡¯t cutting it. He needed to eat mortal meat. Perhaps he should ask Prince Rantali if he could eat the enslaved man chained up nearby, just like the other prince had offered? No, he was Rantali¡¯s property. He was to be Rantali¡¯s thrall. He couldn¡¯t just steal the man¡¯s food¡­ that was Rantali¡¯s prey. Riven¡¯s hunger became palpable. His eyes darted to Kara, who was occasionally shooting him nervous glances now while talking to Athela in hushed whispers, and he felt himself starting to drool as he drunkenly considered eating her instead of the squid currently in his hands. She was very pretty, with long brown legs and defined abdominal muscles - and he wondered if dark elf would taste as good as the human necromancer he¡¯d hunted down, killed, and eaten back on Floor 2. That was the last time he¡¯d eaten someone, and Gluttony¡¯s hunger - his own hunger - was rapidly expanding like a flower in full bloom. Perhaps that muscular rear end of hers would make for a literally tasty snack after he killed her. He¡¯d do it quickly and painlessly so she wouldn¡¯t feel it, he did like her after all. Maybe the other vampires would want to share her meat? She was only cattle in their eyes, and right now he agreed. Genua may taste good too, but she was carrying his kid and draining her blood wouldn¡¯t be enough. He¡¯d have to actually kill and eat Genua, and that simply wasn¡¯t an option while she was pregnant. Maybe another time? Saliva began dripping off his fangs, his eyes dilated while staring at the rather attractive, half naked young woman, and his breathing picked up. He heard his stomach rumble again as he began to have flashbacks to his other kills since bonding with Gluttony, the absolute exotic sensations he got as he murdered and ate his victims while Gluttony sucked in their souls like a soda pop. He began to picture Kara Blackbow in their place, his hands digging into her intestines as he gorged himself on the stunning drow woman. What would Allie say if she knew? What would his minions say? His dark thoughts were forced back as he smacked himself upside the forehead with a strike far more powerful than what was probably necessary. Catching his breath, his eyes undilated and his hungry smile settled down. His fangs stopped releasing venom, and he hurriedly wiped the drool off his face before Kara noticed that he¡¯d been contemplating murdering her. Immense amounts of guilt washed over him, and he stood up - quickly looking around to the horizon for signs of distant battle. With other teams still present in the vicinity, he quickly found what he was looking for and redirected his hunger towards them. The hunger flared as his Snipe ability homed in on a distant set of orcs - both of which were completely unaware they were even being observed. His eyes dilated again, his fangs sprouted, and his smile stretched to unnatural proportions as he slowly began to wrap himself in Blessing of the Crow. ¡°Riven what are you doing?¡± Athela asked, coming up and groping his pectoral muscles with a coy grin. ¡°God you are so fucking hot. I don¡¯t tell you that enough, but you¡¯re a hunk! Aren¡¯t you going to join Fay? She¡¯s been wanting you for quite some time now, and she¡¯s always complaining about how she doesn¡¯t get enough!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help her out in a little while¡­ tell her I¡¯ll be just slightly late.¡± Riven whispered, pushing Athela aside as he began to pick up speed. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. Give me ten minutes.¡± ¡°Huh? You never turn down sex! RIVEN!?¡± Athela yelled - but her voice was lost to the sound of a sonic boom - as Riven¡¯s body exploded with power. In an instant he was gone, flashing forward and creating tidal waves of energy in his wake as he traveled like a missile across the red ocean towards the other team less than a mile off. He was hungry. He was starving. And he absolutely, without a doubt, needed to feed¡­ Lest he hurt Kara or Genua instead. Chapter 304 Chapter 304 In an eyeblink, Aktab¡¯s large dark-metal axe came down with a blinding flash of Unholy light - slicing off the head of an insectoid azag warrior. Within the ocean of blood, the headhunters of the azag hive clusters were truly the superior hunters here and had made quick work of many of the other groups they¡¯d come across - but Aktab¡¯s tribe and the other orc tribes of the Green Hand had been at war with the azag clusters for untold millenia. He knew a thing or two about killing the beasts, and a feral grin spread across his masculine face with his lower fangs protruded when he curled his lips. Speaking through the red fluid around him, his eyes pierced the ocean and into the very soul of another one of the creatures - brandishing his axe. ¡°Come.¡± The azag mantis screeched and used its wings to propel itself through the blood at rocket speed - six legs spiraling and four outstretched mantis blades out wide for a pincer strike. The yellow eyes of the other participant widened in rage at seeing its mate killed, but despite the martial art it propelled itself ahead with - the headhunter was no match for the orc barbarian. Aktab swatted the mantis¡¯ strike with his pauldron and armored left forearm, batting them away before exposing his dark green skin and the rest of his unarmored body with his knee smashing into the azag¡¯s left wing. There was a crunch and screech, and the mantis blurred left with a blinkstep - sending out a jet of acid from its mandibles. Aktab merely laughed and launched himself up through the ocean and into the air - where he could see his other comrades finishing off the rest of the mantis without much problem. He raised his axe on high, summoning a green pillar of lightning from the skies to smash into his axe before flinging the blade at the monster who¡¯d followed him into the air. There was a resounding CRACK, and the smell of charred flesh met his nostrils as he landed on the nearby island with the gore remnants of the beast splattering around him. He stood smiling and proud, bald head catching much of the gore as it fell, and grinned at his wife who stood with a spear in hand not far off. ¡°Not bad, right?!¡± Aktab flexed, expanding his already large muscles and teasingly wiggled his eyebrows at the huntress, who pretended not to be impressed with a snort and an eye roll. But he could see how she looked at him from the corner of his eyes, and Aktab knew that he would be rewarded for his display in front of the others soon enough. Killing in front of his wife Citri was always a way to turn her on. It made him look fierce, and brought honor to the clan. Even if he was a bit silly whenever he did it. One of the two other orc warriors laughed and came to slap Aktab on the back. ¡°It was a good kill, even if Citri won¡¯t admit it!¡± ¡°Thank you Brother Fram! I can always count on you to call out a good thing when you see it!¡± Aktab replied, smugly waltzing over to where the other azag bodies were. More importantly, where their blood tokens and spatial bags were - as Citri and the final member of their team were now rummaging through the luggage with abandon. ¡°Heads, heads, and more heads.¡± Citri muttered, her head shaking in dismay as she continued to pull out the collected heads of numerous other descenders that¡¯d fallen prey to the mantis pack. ¡°I¡¯ll never understand their obsession with collecting skulls.¡± ¡°It is a tradition of theirs, for worthy enemies.¡± Aktab said, nudging her playfully with his knee and getting a scowl from the kneeling orc huntress below him. ¡°For others, they use their bodies as egg incubators. You know this, you¡¯ve been to their recently conquered worlds on the outer rim of the Pajaji.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ truly disgusting creatures.¡± Citri said with dismay. She got up, and handed one of the spatial sacs to her husband. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d like to finish going through it? I don¡¯t feel up to the task now that-¡± A scream from Brother Fram caught their attention, and the other three orcs quickly whirled around to see him get dragged through some kind of spatial rift in a snap-second of time. One moment he was there, being pulled into the darkness with thick, sticky nets of unholy energy - and the next he was just gone. It¡¯d happened so fast. Aktab barely had time to blink before a long red spike covered in black lightning crashed into the other orc warrior still with them - coming from another direction and taking the man through the stomach. The protective wards and defensive life-saving treasures didn¡¯t even last a moment, shattering on impact. Critical energy rippled along his exposed abdomen and ripped an enormous hole through his gut, before spreading up into his chest where his heart burst in a spray of blood. The orc warrior¡¯s eyes went wide in wordless shock, before his body was flung off its feet in a spinning arc. His smoldering remains were sent skipping like a pebble upon a lake, crashing over the island and ending with a splash in the blood ocean nearly a hundred yards away. ¡°IT¡¯S A TRAP!¡± Aktab roared, activating all his boosting skills and turning to the spot where the spike of energy had come from - but then he saw the look of horror on his wife¡¯s face as she stared at something behind him. She was reaching out with one hand, a spell taught to her by one of the dark shamans in their village on her lips as she frantically cast to summon the magic to her fingertips; but the look she had told him that Citri would doubtless be too late. Aktab needed to act. With all his power, he swiveled and swung - unleashing everything he had directly behind him with a triple-enhanced crushing blow from his axe. The dark steel sang with bloodlust and his body swelled, muscles building, until his strike blindly slammed into something solid. There was a crash of power, and the cold sensation of something entering his chest. He felt his heart stop in that instant, a tugging sensation that screamed wrongness, and blinked in horror as he beheld a strange, red-eyed man staring back at him. It was a vampire, as pale as day with strange black sclera and simmering unholy tattoos littering his mostly bare body. A vast aura of what Aktab could only describe as supreme, unrelenting hunger blasted from the man¡¯s body, and Aktab was forced to take a knee as his skin started to freeze and his wife screamed his name in horrified denial. As he hit the floor, he came down to the level of the man¡¯s hands - which cupped Aktab¡¯s still beating heart in his bloody fingers. Aktab felt his body sway from side to side as the sound around him faded; and his vision turned to black. *** ¡°AKTAB!¡± The orc woman screamed in horrified dismay as Riven took a bite of the beating heart, savoring the flavor on his tongue as the scent of his fresh kill radiated through his nostrils. It tasted so, so good¡­ and a thrilling, tingling sensation ran up his spine when his fangs sank into the meat. Riven¡¯s mind was completely focused on that overwhelming, overpowering sensation, uncaring of anything and everything else, as he let his knees hit the sand while gorging himself on the organ with ravenous abandon. ¡°YOU MONSTER!¡± The trembling, green-skinned woman let out a sob - and then without delay she flung some kind of plague-cloud in his direction similar to what Fay often used. The cloud never hit. In an instant, Riven was behind the woman. Coating his arms and hands in gauntleted claws of crimson, he smashed her weak body into the ground. He felt the crunch of bones and heard her pained scream, but above all he felt the pulsing ravenous call of the need to devour. He didn¡¯t even register her as a person, ignoring her sobs as he suppressed her mana and delivered a clean, quick killing strike to her forehead by smashing in her skull. Because although he was uncontrollably hungry, he was not intentionally cruel. He did not prolong her suffering, and with her wails gone and everyone in the vicinity very dead - he settled down to eat. Hands trembling with delight, smile spread literally from ear to ear, and fangs extended, he felt Gluttony¡¯s overpowering presence consume his thoughts. He began digging through her muscles and organs without another thought or care in the world, gorging himself on the dead huntress and rapidly stripping her bones of flesh as he tore pieces of her off and shoved them into his mouth. Often swallowing whole and not even bothering to chew, he only barely acknowledged Athela¡¯s presence in the background as she watched. He only barely acknowledged her sadistic smile, only barely registered the ocean of blood around him that began to stream up into the sky like pillars supporting the heavens, and didn¡¯t register the faint words that left her mouth as she tapped a curious finger to her pitch black lips: ¡°My man is finally growing up¡­ That blood farm is going to have to come along sooner, rather than later.¡± *** A calm, slowly rotating vortex of blood covered the sky for miles around Riven in all directions - soaking up blood from the ocean as it formed tiny, concentrated threads of power that wrapped themselves together and reached for him far below. The tingling sensation he felt as these threads condensed and needled their way into his black tattoos was a euphoria, adding to the content sensation he had while he continued to devour his victims, and as the bloody threads of extremely condensed blood energy intertwined with the ancient language on his skin. [As a pureblooded vampire, you have finally come to embrace your predatory heritage and have fed on enough prey to expand your bloodline. For further expansions, you will need to continue feeding on mortals, and will expedite the process by increasing both the amount of blood you drain - as well as by increasing the variety of races you feed on. Please choose one of the following for the trait Bloodline Expansion 1: The vortex in the sky dissipated, as the last lingering remnants of it were drawn into Riven¡¯s body. The notification disappeared into his status page, and closed, as he began to regain his self awareness. Riven exited his fugue state in a haze of bliss, blood covering his entire front and meat hanging from his mouth. Two skeletons, stripped of the majority of their flesh, were on the sand nearby, and Athela was still wearing her bikini and watching him with puzzled amazement only a couple feet away. She had one hand supporting her chin, the other tapping her knee, and gave him a loving smile when he finally acknowledged her presence. ¡°Hey babe!¡± She said sweetly. ¡°Enjoy your meal? I¡¯d been wondering what would happen when a pureblood like you unlocked their first bloodline expansion! Quite impressive stuff! But you know, Fay isn¡¯t going to be very happy with you if you don¡¯t hurry up. It¡¯s been more than ten minutes.¡± Riven stared at the demoness, horror slowly creeping in, as he realized that she¡¯d witnessed his actions. He looked down at his messy chest, and blood covered hands, before spitting out the meat in his mouth off to the side. ¡°Athela¡­ how much did you see?¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She gave him a knowing grin, scooted over across the island sand, and put a gentle palm against his stained cheek. ¡°All of it.¡± He blanched. What would she think of him? Was she disgusted? Did she- His thoughts were interrupted when she leaned over and pressed her forehead against his. Sighing and stroking the back of his neck, she opened her eyes again and seemed to peer into his soul - as she opened the floodgates of emotions in her mind. Through their link, he only felt sympathy, love, and acceptance. And a good bit of lust but he ignored that part, because frankly he was too overcome with emotions of his own. She didn¡¯t care one bit that he was a monster. Did she? ¡°You¡¯re not a monster, Riven.¡± She said, pulling back and giving them just a bit of space, but patted his hair down to clean it off of gore. ¡°You¡¯re my monster. And I love you. How long were you going to keep this a secret from us?¡± Riven felt a sinking feeling of guilt settle into his stomach, though it was still overwhelmed by the sense of relief he had that she didn¡¯t think any less of him after witnessing what he¡¯d done. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Do you not trust us to love you anyway?¡± She asked, genuinely curious. ¡°Genua told us about your condition. Fay and me. We¡¯ve known since the last floor, and Gluttony himself has been hinting that you need to expand your bloodlines by adding more variety and volume to your feeding.¡± He didn¡¯t bother replying, but cast his gaze to the ground. Athela tisked, and drew him into a warm hug. Embracing him with her warm body pressed against his, she just held him there for a long, long time, until he eventually took her in his own arms and gave her a loving hug back. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hide anything from me, Riven. Not ever. I¡¯m your princess, remember?¡± Riven, who¡¯d kept his composure up until that moment, hugged her tighter and let out a quick sob of laughter. Burying his head into her neck, he continued to let rolling tears stream down his face as they laughed together. ¡°Athela, times like this remind me why I¡¯m so lucky to have you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I am great!¡± She said with a swish of her hair. ¡°I¡¯m pretty damn awesome, I know, I know! But very seriously, are you done eating now?¡± Riven sniffed, then nodded - continuing to smile. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Then it¡¯s time to tell you a secret of our own.¡± ¡°You have a secret you haven¡¯t been sharing?¡± ¡°Definitely! And you can¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s only been a little while anyways, a few days.¡± Riven pretended to scowl. ¡°Alright. Why haven¡¯t you told me yet? Is it something serious?¡± She pondered his question for a bit, and shook her head. ¡°Nothing that will harm you directly. But we might have¡­ bent the rules, a little bit. We both wanted to do it, it wasn¡¯t just one of us.¡± O-Oh¡­¡± His features slowly fell, and a look of worried jealousy settled in. He nervously began to fidget, looking across the ocean to where their own island had been settled and where Fay¡¯s illusions kept the majority of it obscured. ¡°You¡­ You and Fay didn¡¯t¡­¡± His voice trailed off, and a sinking feeling of dread and hurt began to rail against his mind. There was no way they¡¯d do something like that. No way¡­ right? Athela raised an eyebrow in confusion, and turned his head back to her by gently realigning his chin - meeting his eyes. ¡°We didn¡¯t what?¡± Riven pursed his lips. He felt stupid for even asking, hypocritical in some ways, but the way she¡¯d phrased it¡­ he had to ask. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not saying that you two cheated on me.¡± Before she had registered exactly what he said, he quickly continued to clear the air. ¡°Not that I ever thought you would! And honestly, in many ways, I don¡¯t even have room to talk because I know you¡¯ve both made large exceptions for me¡­ WAIT! Wait, don¡¯t say anything yet.¡± He held up his hands as she opened her mouth to speak. ¡°No, I need to finish talking first before you reply.¡± Taking in a deep breath, he avoided her gaze - shame-faced. ¡°I know it¡¯s completely hypocritical of me to even ask this. I remember how hard it was when you two had it out for one another, and how you both settled the differences by sharing, but I had thought it was just us three. If I¡¯m not enough, if this isn¡¯t enough, or if one or both of you need something more, and want to move on, then let me know.¡± There was a very, very long lull in the conversation after that. Slowly, composing herself, Athela leveled a steady gaze his way - hands clasped on her lap as she knelt beside him. ¡°You know, you did sleep with Kathrine. You even intend to marry her because of The Blood Moon Requiem¡¯s mandates to create more with the gift of Malignant Prophecy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to do that.¡± Riven adamantly said. ¡°Not if you two don¡¯t want me to. I can tell my great grandmother to fuck right off and never see Kathrine again.¡± Another pause. ¡°You impregnated Genua.¡± Riven grimaced. ¡°We weren¡¯t even together back then. None of us were. Sure I slept with Fay that day too, but-¡± ¡°And yet I¡¯m still with you, and have to watch you raise another woman¡¯s children. Do you realize how that must make me feel?¡± Athela held up a hand to his lips, irritation being obvious on her countenance. ¡°What if I did tell you that we¡¯d cheated on you? What then?¡± Riven¡¯s face paled, he remained silent for a time, and tears began welling up under his eyes as he looked away. It took an even longer amount of time to compose himself than it had for Athela. ¡°I¡¯d be extremely hurt because you¡¯d have done it behind my back, the trust would have been broken. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d do. And so, I¡¯d very much like to know if that¡¯s what happened. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re hinting at, being your secret.¡± Athela evaluated her boyfriend in silence, and finally shook her head. ¡°This conversation has been enlightening, but no. Neither Fay nor I have slept with anyone else other than you and Genua. But you already knew about Genua, and we felt like it was ok to do because you''ve also slept with her and she¡¯s your thrall.¡± Riven still averted his gaze, but he visibly relaxed from the tense posture he¡¯d been in and let his shoulders slump. He wiped his eyes. ¡°Ok. That¡¯s good to know.¡± ¡°I want you to know, Riven, now that we¡¯re on the subject¡­ Eh. How do I put this?¡± She scratched her chin thoughtfully, looking up at the star-laden sky. ¡°It was¡­ It was very hard for me, at first, to accept Fay. Harder than it was to realize that Genua has your child inside her. Back when you¡¯d initially chosen me as the one you wanted to be with, I chose to open myself up to having a relationship that included Fay because I knew it would make you happy. But since then, I¡¯ve discovered that I¡¯m very much into her too, and it¡¯s opened up an entirely new avenue of experiences I¡¯d never explored before. I would never hurt you, Riven, I would never cheat on you, and if I ever wanted to introduce someone else into the relationship I¡¯d talk to you first. But also know that I¡¯m very aware of how fragile men¡¯s egos are.¡± She gave him a wink. ¡°I would never do anything that I even thought would make you jealous or upset. I am truly in love with you, Riven, and if having Fay around makes you happy - then I¡¯m happy. If you choose to once again explore things with Genua, then I¡¯m fine with it. You¡¯ll be taking care of her two kids soon anyways, and she is acceptable. If you choose not to do that because you¡¯re content with Fay and I, then all I can say is great - and that I¡¯m happy as long as you¡¯re happy. Same thing with Kathrine.¡± Athela held up her hands in a shrug. ¡°I used to be a very jealous person, but I know you care and I¡¯ve had a lot of fun with the way things are right now. I would never ruin it. But if it made you feel better, you could always give me a minion¡¯s mandate, ordering me to never do something like that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to force you to do anything, Athela.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t. But I wouldn¡¯t mind, if it gave you peace of mind. You¡¯ve never ordered me to do anything against my will except in jest, like when you forced me to keep hitting myself the other day as punishment for stealing Fay¡¯s snack.¡± She grinned, and the two of them laughed together as she nudged him and snuggled up against his chest. ¡°I suppose that was well deserved though.¡± She eventually said, as he otherwise sat in silence. ¡°No, the secret that Fay and I had was something else entirely. We were going to surprise you with it on Christmas, but if you want to know-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to know if it¡¯s a surprise present. Save it for Christmas.¡± Riven said, holding her close and leaning into her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to be such a pussy, just the thought of you with another man really sucked. God I feel like such a hypocrite saying that.¡± ¡°With another MAN, huh? Oddly specific. Your feelings are your feelings.¡± Athela shrugged, leaning back into him comfortingly and stroking his back. ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯ll ever need. I can¡¯t speak for Fay, but that¡¯s how I feel about it anyways. And she¡¯s obsessed with you, she¡¯s literally waiting or you to go pounce on her right now - so you should probably oblige her before she gets huffy!¡± Riven rolled his eyes with a wide smile, and ran his hand through her hair. ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s been rather aggressive lately.¡± ¡°Indeed. Also, I should probably ask - what do you think of Kara? She¡¯s rather nice. Isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Of course she¡¯s nice. She seemed absolutely crazy at first, but I think she¡¯s just had a rough life from what little I know about her. Why?¡± ¡°Do you think she¡¯s pretty?¡± Riven scoffed. ¡°Yes, but not as nearly as pretty as you or Fay. You don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± ¡°Good answer!¡± Athela giggled, and pulled his face towards her and plant a kiss on his lips. ¡°Which leads me to another question. I realize you said that you¡¯re jealous when it comes to other men. But would you, theoretically, be jealous of other women? Say, perhaps, if we got permission from you first - would you be angry if Fay and I experimented with other females outside our relationship?¡± ¡°Outside of our relationship? That completely depends on the dynamic of that other relationship.¡± Riven replied. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I truly would be a hypocrite to deny you that. Honestly seeing you date other women wouldn¡¯t bother me that much as long as you asked first, and as long as that woman - whoever it was - didn¡¯t try to steal you away from me emotionally. I want to be first priority, just like you and Fay are mine.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Athela fistpumped. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®nice!?¡¯¡± Riven asked with a laugh. ¡°Did you have someone in mind, perhaps Kara - since you brought her up? Aren¡¯t Fay and Genua enough for you?¡± ¡°Oh they¡¯re more than enough! But as long as you¡¯re alright with it as long as it¡¯s women, we wouldn¡¯t have a problem expanding our horizons!¡± Athela replied smugly. ¡°I¡¯ve developed a little bit of a crush on Kara. We were going to bring this up together, but since we¡¯re already here talking about it I might as well get it out. We didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be jealous of other women and it appears we were right, given our relationship dynamic and your earlier reaction when you found out that Fay and I were using Genua. We wouldn¡¯t have pursued it if you weren¡¯t comfortable with it, but now that we know you are¡­ it makes things rather exciting!¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°It is! But there¡¯s one small problem.¡± Athela held up her fingers and pushed her thumb and pointer finger together. ¡°Kara doesn¡¯t want to be a thrall.¡± Riven blinked. ¡°So? I don¡¯t want her to be a thrall either. Thralls are mind slaves, and I like Kara.¡± ¡°Yes, but how are Fay and I supposed to seduce Kara if she''s not a thrall?¡± ¡°The old fashioned way?¡± ¡°But she¡¯s not into girls.¡± Riven snickered at the unamused expression Athela had. ¡°Well that¡¯s tough shit for you then. Find another girl to date. Maybe Kathrine would be into it, if she manages to survive whatever she¡¯s going through right now. I hope she¡¯s alright, anyways.¡± ¡°Yeah me too.¡± Athela stated with a small frown. ¡°But as you¡¯ve said many times now, we can¡¯t help Kathrine and can only hope. Back to the moment though! About Kara - she isn¡¯t into girls, but she is into you.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow. ¡°I said she¡¯s pretty, but I¡¯m quite comfortable with the status quo. I don¡¯t want to have another girlfriend, Athela.¡± ¡°Oh come on!¡± Athela pleaded, a sly and seductive smile on her lips as she backed up with a fake pout. ¡°Do Fay and I a solid! Be our wing-man!¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously asking me to wing-man for you two so that you can sleep with Kara?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Athela nodded aggressively. ¡°Using you to fish for straight women is the equivalent of using catnip for cats, or crack for a crackhead! I mean just look at this handsome jawline! You¡¯re fucking beautiful!¡± Riven straight-faced her as she pinched both his cheeks and wiggled them around. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just saying that you were hypocritical and acknowledged that Fay and I had made big exceptions for you!?¡± Athela pressed, an eager light filling her eyes. ¡°And you even said you¡¯re not jealous of other women as long as they don¡¯t try to take us away from you, right? Come on, Riven! Be our wingman and help your bisexual girlfriend out a bit! Add her to your harem!¡± Riven for his part, pursed his lips - unamused. ¡°I¡¯m not getting another girlfriend, Athela. I can barely juggle you two as it is, and the Kathrine thing is only in name because of the requiem.¡± ¡°Ok well what about occasional flings!? It would be fun to spice things up from time to time, wouldn¡¯t it?!¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°Well¡­ perhaps I can see that. How do you know she¡¯s not into girls though? Have you even tried pursuing her yet if you were going to ask me for permission first?¡± ¡°More or less dropped a couple hints and felt out the waters.¡± Athela replied noncommittally. ¡°I didn¡¯t actually do anything though, not without you saying I could. I fell flat on my face with the flirting too, so to speak, but she oggles you every chance she gets with big puppy dog eyes. You¡¯ve had to have seen it.¡± Riven couldn¡¯t necessarily disagree, after taking note of things when Allie had pointed them out the first time. ¡°Ok, but how are you going to use me to get to her?¡± ¡°Simple! Fay and I already made a bet with her, one that we lost on purpose!¡± ¡°The bet you two had when you were whispering at the beer pong table?¡± ¡°Mhmmm!¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a degenerate. And what did that bet entail?¡± Athela cackled and tugged her knees up to her chest, but didn¡¯t deny the accusation. ¡°We told her that we¡¯d get you drunk and rope her into a foursome with us later today if we lost. And of course, we lost intentionally so that we would have the chance to sleep with her too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so fucked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fucked yet, but I will be if you agree!¡± ¡°Seriously Athela, do you have no moral compass?¡± ¡°You saying that while rolling your eyes and smirking doesn¡¯t really drive the message home. But no, I do not have any moral qualms about what we¡¯re about to do as long as you¡¯re not jealous or upset about it. She¡¯d be into it if you were there, no harm no foul!¡± Riven snorted, and proceeded to get up. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that Fay is waiting for me and you¡¯re going to show up shortly afterwards with Kara then?¡± Athela beamed a smile and gave two thumbs up. ¡°You got it! I let them know you¡¯d be late when I saw what you were up to. Just make sure to do a good job for Kara so that she feels satisfied whenever its my turn. Ok?¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting a lot of pressure on me here. I¡¯m not sure I can perform.¡± ¡°Oh, Riven, Riven, Riven¡­ Of that, I have no doubt in my mind that you¡¯ll do quite fine. More than fine, actually. As I¡¯ve said, you¡¯re quite the catch - and I¡¯m honestly baffled that you¡¯d ever be jealous of any other man given who you are and what you look like. Now - let¡¯s get going so we don¡¯t piss Fay off anymore than we already have! I¡¯m excited!¡± ¡°Mhmm. Oh, and Athela?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell the others what you saw here. I don¡¯t need them knowing specifics.¡± ¡°Of course, Riven. I would never do something like that without your say so.¡± Chapter 305 (+ shoutout!) Chapter 305 [As a pureblooded vampire, you have finally come to embrace your predatory heritage and have fed on enough prey to expand your bloodline. For further expansions, you will need to continue feeding on mortals, and will expedite the process by increasing both the amount of blood you drain - as well as by increasing the variety of races you feed on. Please choose one of the following for the trait Bloodline Expansion 1: Riven wiped the sweat away from his face, and pondered which one he should choose. There weren¡¯t any descriptions beyond the basic titles, so he couldn¡¯t really compare well. Maybe Prince Rantali would have some insights, coming from a royal vampiric lineage in one of the other universes? He should ask when he got back. ¡°Thanks baby, you did a really good job!¡± Fay panted next to him, scratching and massaging his bare back in a way that made his skin crawl. ¡°That was amazing, and I have no doubt that Kara will be coming back for seconds after this - as long as Athela doesn¡¯t get too crazy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you went along with this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you were overtly jealous when it came to Athela less than a year ago.¡± Fay pursed her lips in thought. ¡°Well I was less secure in our relationship than I am now, and Athela was an entirely different case. As I¡¯ve said before, I would have been alright with anyone else at the time - but Athela felt like a threat to my bond with you. I¡¯m glad it worked out the way it did though!¡± Riven nodded, tired from the recent physical exertion, as his attention turned to where Athela was intertwined with the bound dark elf on the island¡¯s forest floor. Kara was currently blindfolded and screeching through a gag as Athela had her way with her - so at first glance he would say Fay was wrong. But Kara had been more than happy to reciprocate for all of them after she¡¯d finished, and had insisted on finishing whatever Athela wanted her to do too; which may have been a bit on the crazier BDSM side given what Riven was witnessing. He supposed it fit Athela¡¯s personality. Riven dismissed the notification, lovingly ruffled Fay¡¯s hair, and stood up to get dressed. ¡°You should join them. I¡¯m going to head over to the camp and talk to Rantali, I have some questions regarding my vampiric bloodline expansions.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay for another round?¡± Fay asked, but she stayed seated and leaned back to get a better view. ¡°It¡¯ll be fun¡­¡± Riven chuckled at her lustful expression. ¡°It was certainly fun, but we¡¯ve already been here for almost an hour! You two vixens are crazy.¡± Fay gave him a pouting expression with pooched lips, but began to crawl over to where the other two women were with a backwards glance. ¡°Fine, but if you change your mind - you know where to find us!¡± Riven gave her a thumbs up, finished putting on his pants, and headed out of the foliage and shrubbery towards the camp on the island¡¯s shoreline. It didn¡¯t take long to get there. ¡°Ah-ha! The triumphant hero returns!¡± Prince Rantali remarked upon Riven¡¯s entrance onto the beach. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such a lady¡¯s man, Riven! How was the drow?¡± ¡°Her name is Kara.¡± Riven passed him by, and reached for a meat skewer being handed to him by Genua. ¡°Thanks Genua, your cooking is really something else lately.¡± The elf thrall beamed with delight while kneeling next to the firepit. ¡°Thank you! That is very kind of you to say!¡± Riven took a seat in a chair next to Prince Rantali and across from Retesh, noting that Azmoth was flying across the bloody sea to catch more squid monsters in the distance. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this stuff is all real.¡± ¡°What stuff?¡± Rantali asked, taking a smoking pipe from one of his men on the other side of where he sat and inhaling deeply. He blew out a ring of smoke, and offered the pipe to Riven. Riven refused it politely with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks. As for what stuff I¡¯m referring to¡­ it¡¯s all this.¡± Riven gestured to the pocket realm around them. Then he snapped his fingers, and a wisp of blood magic formed over his palm before disappearing entirely. ¡°I didn¡¯t know magic existed back in my home world before the integration.¡± Prince Rantali took in another deep inhale from his pipe, and let the smoke out long and slow in a stream. His red eyes evaluated Riven¡¯s curious expression with interest. ¡°No magic? What kind of barbaric world did you hail from? I¡¯ve heard the rumors of how you, the lost prince, were found on an outer rim world. But again, my Kingdom of Garth is far removed from the politics of the bigger players in the multiverse. I know little beyond mere rumors.¡± Riven leaned back in his chair and started tearing off pieces of meat from Genua¡¯s cooked meat skewer. ¡°The planet had legends about magic, but nothing solid. Regardless that is not why I came back early despite the other three remaining behind to have fun.¡± Riven grinned in amusement. ¡°I have questions for you about my expanded bloodline, I was hoping you could help.¡± Rantali raised both eyebrows, and put the pipe down. ¡°So that¡¯s what the sky turned red for. Now it makes sense, though usually the first bloodline expansion happens as a very young child for vampires. So that is rather odd. I had been wondering¡­ but your pureblood lineage is far greater than most, if not all, of what my kingdom can give showing for. I do not mean to say that I cannot give wisdom and advice on these matters, but would you not wish to ask those of the Blood Moon Requiem? It is usually left to the matters of family to discuss such private matters. Surely at the end of this floor, when we reach the final sacrificial altar, Elysium will grant you communication with them. And if not them, then who?¡± Riven didn¡¯t bother mentioning that he¡¯d only been a vampire for less than 2 years. Or at least, he¡¯d been posing as a human by means unknown to him. Likely his parents¡¯ work. ¡°I have been thinking the same thing.¡± Riven replied. ¡°And if you do not know what it is that you are seeing, then I trust you to be honest enough to tell me. But if you do have knowledge on the matter, then I feel there is no reason to wait.¡± Prince Rantali gradually nodded. ¡°Then I would be honored to help if I can. Tell me what it is you have been offered.¡± ¡°Four options. Increased Regeneration, Improved Vampiric Perception, Blood Golem Creation, and Enhanced Thrall Minions. None of them give any descriptions beyond the titles. Any input?¡± Prince Rantali thought about it, then whistled. ¡°You have four good options here. Two are obviously better though. Increased Regeneration will obviously heal you faster after wounds, and Improved Vampiric Perception will simply expand your range of dark sight and hearing heart beats. But the Blood Golem Creation and Enhanced Thrall Minions expansions are quite rare. And I do feel qualified to speak to you in detail on such matters.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Riven waved at him to go on, and Prine Rantali continued after another period of thought. ¡°Blood Golem Creation obviously allows you to create blood golems. What the title does not tell you, is that you must choose between two paths if you do this. You must choose an internal or external path. Internal is self, where you can create blood golems that inherit some form of your power - though they¡¯ll never be as strong as you. The external path is others, where you can create copies of other people if you use their blood - but again they¡¯ll never be as powerful as the original.¡± ¡°And Enhanced Thralls?¡± ¡°Enhanced Thrall Minions will make them far tougher to kill, giving them a hefty endurance boost, while also imbuing them with regeneration properties usually only seen by vampires. You¡¯re also able to create them slightly faster than normal. If you have a lot of thralls, or have a thrall you particularly don¡¯t want to die, Enhanced Thrall Minions is a very good choice to take. I would recommend-¡± Riven didn¡¯t even think about it further, and clicked Enhanced Thrall Minions while looking straight at Genua. She had his kid inside her, and there was no way he¡¯d let her come close to death again like she had when that naga had nearly assassinated her. ¡°You aint dyin on me anytime soon, old lady!¡± [You have picked Enhanced Thrall Minions. You are now able to create thralls at a 10% increased rate. All thralls under your direct control will gain 200 base stat points to Endurance, a 65% bonus to base Endurance, and regains the Vampiric Regeneration trait.] Genua¡¯s body stiffened as the trait took hold, and she let out a brief, surprised gasp as the bones and organs inside her became more solid. But it only lasted for a moment, and her red eyes narrowed in Riven¡¯s direction with a scowl. ¡°I am not OLD! Especially not for an elf. I don¡¯t even have any wrinkles.¡± Riven chuckled. ¡°How old are you exactly?¡± ¡°42 years of age.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ancient.¡± ¡°Hey! Athela is two centuries old! Isn¡¯t she? And SHE says that she¡¯s young for a demon!¡± ¡°She¡¯s an old hag too.¡± ¡°Oh, now you¡¯re just trying to be rude!¡± Genua grinned and rolled her eyes, going back to cooking and ignoring Riven¡¯s laughter. *** Narg still felt drunk days later, was in massive amounts of pain, and coming in and out of consciousness every couple minutes while within his nether realm. [Evolution failed.] [Evolution failed.] [Evolution failed.] Something was wrong. The insights he¡¯d obtained must have been wrong. He didn¡¯t understand, and frantically tried stop his body from mutating so that he could begin the cycle anew. But the energy inside him refused to be quelled, and it appeared that Elysium wouldn¡¯t accept his attempt to stop the process. Narg was afraid he was going to die. [Evolution failed.] [Evolution failed.] [Evolution failed.] His green skin bulged. His orange eyes popped in a gore-filled mess. His bones cracked and his organs ruptured as he continued to reheal all the damage at an ever increasing and rapid pace. He wanted to scream whenever he was awake enough to realize what was going on, but either his lungs didn¡¯t work, he didn¡¯t have a properly formed mouth at the time, or he was simply in too much shock due to the pain. [Evolution failed.] [Evolution failed.] [Evolution Halted.] [Malformation detected. Soul damage accrued. No other souls have access to this nether realm. Do you wish to contact your bonded master for assistance?] Malformation? Soul damage? Narge would have groaned if he could manage it. This wasn¡¯t unheard of, especially in his family¡¯s lineage. They were, for lack of better words, genetically dispositioned to this particular problem. But it hadn¡¯t happened in a few centuries, especially not at a low E-grade transition state, and he just happened to have it given his terrible luck. He¡¯d already been underperforming as a minion, and had been 100% useless on this new floor because he simply hadn¡¯t been there. Not that it seemed like they even noticed, or needed his help - which stung that much more. What would Riven say if his master knew that Narg was defective? It may take decades for this kind of defect to go away in order to let him try for an evolution again. And he wouldn¡¯t get another shot at entering the Abyssal descent. [Soul Lattice Decay detected. No other souls have access to this nether realm. Do you wish to contact your bonded master for assistance?] Great. Just great. Even the insights he¡¯d acquired from the last floor were disappearing. Why had Lillith of all people picked him? What had she seen in him that made her decide it was a good idea to put the weight of his entire clan¡¯s pride and hopes on his shoulders? Gluttony was certain to gobble him right up when the Great Maw saw this. There was no way Narg was coming out of this alive. Even if he did, it would be in extreme shame, not only to himself - but for his family. He was, just as he¡¯d always been, a failure. Regret and depression washed over him. He wanted to be great, he wanted to be useful, he wanted to help. But what could he, a defective, small, runt-of-the-litter beholder demon do for people like Riven? For the three other ARCH-demons in his retinue? He didn¡¯t hold a candle to them. Not to a single one. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps it was time to give up. To do the right thing, save as much face as he could, and let Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation know that a better demon should be selected for this spot. ¡°What the system calls a malformation, was left there intentionally.¡± A deep, thundering voice called out to him from behind. Unfortunately, Narg was too damaged to move even here in his own Nether realm. Instead he remained slug-like, limp, and by all appearances - dead. However that didn¡¯t stop the surprise from welling up inside him. How had someone come into this place without his permission? That was absolutely impossible to do. And there hadn¡¯t been a notification requesting access, so how? Was Narg actually going insane? ¡°I am speaking directly into your mind.¡± The voice said once again. This time, the visage of Gluttony flashed through Narg¡¯s thoughts, with a deep burst of hunger that left Narg paralyzed. Except, he was already paralyzed. Now, he was doubly so. The voice laughed at his thoughts. ¡°I apologize for startling you, little one. Please do not think that I would throw you away over a birth defect. But once again, this is not actually a defect. It is not a malformation. It was left there intentionally by your ancestors, intentionally. You just don¡¯t see it for what it is.¡± To this, Narg remained silent and stumped. But his curiosity was piqued, and his shock at being addressed directly by the Great Maw was only dwarfed by his reverence towards the spiritual entity. If he and his bloodline didn¡¯t have a malformation running through the heritages, then what was it? Why would Elysium call it that? Why was it left there intentionally? ¡°I will preserve your soul lattice while you figure it out, but the answer remains inside you - little one.¡± Gluttony said, as Narg felt the insights he¡¯d gained with his soul lattice and soul expansion not only reinforce themselves - but double, and then triple. His one good working eye widened in amazement as he felt the original sin¡¯s malignant energy running through him in tidal waves that washed away his pain and suffering, but did not entirely heal him either. ¡°Look inwards, deep in your soul, where what Elysium deems to be a malformation is birthed.¡± Gluttony said, as his deep voice began to fade away. ¡°There you will find your answer, if you only take the time to unravel what it is. Do not panic, know that I will not cast you aside, and stay the path. We will be seeing you soon.¡± It was like a great weight had been lifted, and Narg wanted to laugh in delight and cry at the same time. But he was still in slug mode and didn¡¯t budge. Instead, he just let himself relax and rejoice in feeling the Great Maw¡¯s presence, and rejoiced in the new knowledge that he was not cursed to shame his family after all. Regaining his mental fortitude, he did just what Gluttony said - and soared into his spiritual world where he tried to unfurl the mysteries of what his ancestors had apparently left there on purpose. It may take him some time, and he may not get it all right at once, but he would not disappoint the Great Maw. He would come out victorious, and finally be of some use after what could only be seen as an embarrassing show so far. *** ¡°This will go down in the history books as the easiest floor descent in the history of my kingdom!¡± Prince Narzkal Rantali guffawed while making his way onto the yacht made of blood ice and dragging along the bald slave he used as a lunchbox for fresh blood. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± ¡°Truly.¡± One of his knights agreed, walking up the ramp. ¡°This has actually been rather enjoyable. It¡¯s a shame we have to part ways after this.¡± Riven gave the man a polite smile, and helped Genua up the ramp to make sure she didn¡¯t fall. She gave him a pleased nod of thanks and settled down on one of the seats, before Azmoth flew onto the deck next. ¡°Narg is having some issues with his insights and evolution, he won¡¯t be back for a bit.¡± Riven said to the rest as they one by one came on board. Retesh was rather bored, Athela was absolutely giddy, Fay looked satisfied, and Kara had a deep blush that didn¡¯t seem to want to go away. Though she did intentionally brush by Riven on the way to her seat, and was brave enough to hold eye contact for a solid few seconds before sitting down next to Athela at the front. It was obvious she was still nervous and unsure of herself, though after her tango with the rest of them - she certainly wasn¡¯t trying to hide in the background like she¡¯d been after Allie¡¯s rant. ¡°Are the bone wyrms good to go?¡± Riven asked. Retesh gave the affirmative. ¡°They¡¯re in formation.¡± ¡°Anyone else have anything to say before we get going?¡± Riven asked the rest. Surprisingly enough, it was Kara who raised her hand to speak. ¡°Do you mind if I speak to you in private on the way to the last altar?¡± Riven cleared his throat and gave her a friendly smile. ¡°Sure. Not a problem at all. But if that¡¯s everything, let¡¯s get moving. Kara, you can sit in the front with me so we can talk while I steer. We should get there within the hour since we already scouted it out, and as long as there aren¡¯t any monster swarms of other teams trying to get in our way - we should be smooth sailing through the rest of the descent¡¯s floor.¡± Chapter 306 Chapter 306 The ocean rushed past and the yacht created waves as Riven¡¯s mana blasted out the back - sending them at high speed. Meanwhile Riven¡¯s storm lances of blood and shadow arranged in patterns around his totems. The totems themselves were given control over the magic chained to Riven¡¯s soul, and although they could not produce actual storm lances themselves yet - they could produce similar magics and had enough of a hold over them to auto-cast if enemies were inbound. Sitting in the very front of the yacht where a set of seats were crafted further away from the rest of the group in a semi-secluded location. Or at least as secluded as one could be on a ship this size. ¡°So¡­ What is it you¡¯d like to talk to me about?¡± Riven casually asked while continuing to steer the large boat. This time around no one was partying, as they were intending to head out soon into more serious situations after leaving this floor. ¡°Does it happen to do with what¡­ Uh¡­ We did together, recently? I hope you didn¡¯t feel like Athela or Fay were pressuring you.¡± Kara furiously shook her head and blushed, but kept her eyes on him and didn¡¯t look away with her hands clenched on her lap. ¡°No! No, not at all, it was very enjoyable - your excellency!¡± She fidgeted with her hands and awkwardly smiled. ¡°I¡¯d, uhm, do it again if the time comes! But that isn¡¯t what I came to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± He smiled. ¡°Good to hear. Alright, well go on and tell me then. And please don¡¯t call me excellency.¡± She hesitated, and tucked her hair behind her ears before adjusting her cloak around her shoulders. ¡°Uhm¡­ What about Majesty? Or would you like me to call you-¡± ¡°Just call me Riven, please.¡± He said with a barely stifled sigh. But when he saw how uncertain she was, he gave a firm squeeze to her shoulder and smiled encouragingly. ¡°I prefer Riven from the people I enjoy being around. Just pretend like you don¡¯t know I¡¯m Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation. Forget everything my sister said when she was in bitch-mode. It was certainly uncalled for and I¡¯m sorry she said those things to you.¡± Kara stuttered in her response. ¡°I w-would never consider your sister a bitch! Please don¡¯t-¡± ¡°Well she was certainly being a bitch then, regardless of whether or not you want to say it.¡± Riven replied without hesitating. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it next time I see her, even if you won¡¯t be there to see it. Just know that it¡¯s coming, and that I am truly sorry for her putting you on the spot like that. She of all people has little to no room to talk about the things she said.¡± A storm lance smashed into a gigantic squid that tried to leap out of the water as one of his totems activated, and the corpse ended up spraying viscera all over the yacht. Riven barely had time to deflect the bulk of it with an ice shield, but he heard cursing and screams of disgust in the background which made him cackle a bit. Kara remained wide-eyed and horrified at the plastered remnants of the titanic squid now pressed up against the shield, but Riven flung it away a second later and she regained her composure. ¡°Riven, do you feel completely at ease right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She paused. ¡°How does it feel?¡± ¡°How does what feel?¡± ¡°Being completely in control of situations like this all the time.¡± ¡°All the time?! Ha! Definitely not the case, my friend. Definitely not.¡± Riven shook his head. ¡°I am the supreme victim of happenstance through my life, and in many aspects I simply got lucky. I¡¯d say that 50% of what I¡¯ve done is because of me, and 50% of what I¡¯ve done is because of the heritage I have and the people I have come to know.¡± ¡°That could be said for most, if not all people.¡± Riven thought about it, and gave a cheeky smile. ¡°Yeah I suppose you¡¯re right!¡± She gave him a momentarily flat look, then burst into laughter at his expression and waved a hand in front of her face. ¡°I should probably get to why I came to talk to you then.¡± ¡°Yes. You should. You look like it¡¯s been eating you up inside.¡± Kara grimaced. ¡°More or less. Ever since I found out I had to come here with my father¡¯s demands to reach floor 40 or be disowned, I¡¯ve had something of a life crisis. I thought I¡¯d die in that room two floors back until you found me and helped me for no reason.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t for no reason.¡± ¡°Riven, please be real with me.¡± ¡°I am. Everyone has a reason for doing the things they do.¡± ¡°And what was yours? Boredom?¡± Kara replied with a sour expression. ¡°Or was I just another pretty face to take advantage of?¡± Riven¡¯s expression fell, and his words came out with a hint of sadness. ¡°I really hope you don¡¯t think that.¡± Kara for her part looked shocked that she¡¯d even said it, and quickly hid her face behind her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it. I apologize. If someone like you wanted to take advantage of me, you could do it a million different ways. There¡¯s no way I could stop you and no reason for you to hide it behind nice words. There¡¯d be no reason to gift me this bow you¡¯d created, as if you hadn¡¯t just made an absolutely amazing weapon many would kill for in the course of a few minutes like it was trash. You wouldn¡¯t have spent three billion coins on me either, a sum that could bankrupt my entire clan, in order to save my life. I just am not used to people being kind to me, not since my mother died. It¡¯s easy to snap, and it wasn¡¯t long ago that I¡¯d felt like I¡¯d lost my mind - and even tried to kill you because I just assumed you were the same vampire who¡¯d stolen my things. I was and still am a complete mess.¡± Riven stared ahead, focusing on the oncoming ocean that continued to pass them by at high speed. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. I¡¯m not angry.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really. If anything, I feel bad for you. Outside of you trying to stab me when we first met of course!¡± He winked when she began to laugh, causing her to hide her face again. ¡°But you¡¯re beating around the bush, so to speak. What is it that you wanted to talk about?¡± Kara let out a long sigh. ¡°Back to what I was saying then. My father had sent me here with the demand that I reach floor 40 or be disowned by the family. It was essentially a death sentence, due to political pressure by Zefima¡¯s mother as we¡¯d talked about before. It was in that moment, that I realized¡­ That I realized no one truly cares about me.¡± Her voice cracked with a stifled sob. ¡°No one. No one left in my family cared. No one in the entire world, the universe, or even the multiverse cared about Kara Blackbow. Not until you came along and showed me the smallest bit of kindness as a complete stranger, and that was after I had tried to stab you.¡± Her words pandered off, and she sniffled while wiping at her eyes. ¡°I just¡­ I want you to know that I appreciate what you did. And that if I can ever repay the favor to you, I will. But I don¡¯t know how someone as worthless as me could ever help someone like you, a prince of an S-grade faction and the idolized reincarnation of an original sin that demonkind literally worships! I tried thinking of things that I could do to show you what it meant to me, but everything that I thought of seemed absolutely futile and meaningless in the end. I thought about trying to help you to the end of the Abyssal Descent, but I would only be a burden and would essentially be freeloading off your power to get me further, because there¡¯s no way I could make it by myself. I thought about trying to pay you back after begging my father for the funds in small amounts over many decades so that our clan could save face, but it¡¯d take generations to do so and there¡¯s no chance he¡¯d agree for someone as lowly as me. I thought about becoming your thrall, but I can¡¯t stomach the idea of my mind not being my own, and it wouldn¡¯t really be me anymore. I thought that if I did turn into a thrall, it would be spitting in your face after you¡¯d gone out of your way to save me in the first place, especially after I overheard you say something along those lines in the last floor. That in turn made me even more certain that I wanted to pay you back somehow, and I thought that perhaps showing you how I felt through making love would be an appropriate expression of my feelings¡­ but even that is a farce. There¡¯s no way I could compete with Athela and Fay, and they seemed to be more interested in me than you were when we-¡± ¡°To be fair-¡± Riven cut her off with a raised hand. ¡°I thoroughly enjoyed it. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t. But yes, I¡¯m emotionally invested in those two and barely know you. I think you¡¯re playing me up as the hero a bit too much here.¡± ¡°But you ARE a hero! To me!¡± Kara said with a wide smile and wet eyes. She clasped her hands in front of her. ¡°What may seem like something small to you is literally life changing for someone like me. And you¡¯re the only person in this entire cosmos that has taken the time and energy to help me when others would not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to make me blush, woman. Please don¡¯t do that.¡± Kara choked back a laugh, but managed to shake her head in exasperation with an eye roll. ¡°By the gods. You are truly something else. What I am trying to say, Riven, oh great Reincarnation of Gluttony, is that I have only come up with two means of ever paying you back. And I want you to choose one.¡± Riven skeptically pooched his lips. ¡°Uh huh. And what would those two means be? Pitch it to me straight.¡± Kara blinked away more tears. ¡°I want to be your sacrifice at the last altar like Prince Rantali told you to-¡± ¡°Absolutely fucking not.¡± Riven nearly stopped the boat to smack the dumb bitch. ¡°I nearly stopped this boat to smack you, dumb bitch! Do you think that I went through all this just to kill your depressed ass!? No! NO! I already said that you¡¯re not getting sacrificed so don¡¯t pitch that stupid bullshit again or I really will stop this motherfucking boat and smack a hoe. This is you going back to crazy mode Kara like the one where you tried to stab me for looking like another vampire asshat even though I look FAR better than that asshat vampire who stole all your shit!¡± Kara blinked at the slew of cursing and insults, but merely giggled instead of getting offended. ¡°Fine. But if you don¡¯t do that, then the only other option I see is to let me pay you a life debt back, by working for you until that debt is paid in whatever way I can.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Kara be realistic, there¡¯s no way I can get you back to my world from here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Gluttony¡¯s Reincarnation and a prince of the Blood Moon Requiem. You already spent three billion to save my life. There are less expensive means of traversing universes, so of course you can.¡± Riven thought about it. Was she right? He had no idea how traversing universes worked. But yeah, she was probably right. With his connections he could probably get it done. He even had a few items on him that may be able to do it. But why would he? He stopped to stare at her, as she continued to silently cry with a happy smile, on her knees with her hands clasped pleadingly in front of her. She¡¯d been sent here to die by her own family. In that moment, he realized that she truly had nothing. Nothing but the idea that he gave an inkling of a shit about her, when literally no one else did. It broke his heart. Letting out a groan and rubbing the bridge of his nose, he exhaled with a wheeze. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll consider it, but no promises.¡± ¡°REALLY!?¡± ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m only taking you on as a friend. Ok? Don¡¯t get any ideas.¡± Her gaze softened, and her hands fell to her lap. ¡°All I was wanting was a friend anyways.¡± God damn it, he needed to harden himself by eating more people so shit like this didn¡¯t tug at his heart like she was doing right now. She was just so fucking pitaful! ¡°There are a few ways I can think of off the top of my head.¡± Riven eventually said after a long bout of silence. ¡°First is we could try to add you to the guild, and have you access the guild hall feature to teleport home. Second is my staff can create portals to places I¡¯ve already portaled through, such as my world Panu at Riven¡¯s Eye Wormhole. But I¡¯m not convinced either of those options are enough to traverse across universes. Third is I could always hire someone to take you there by ship, but that¡¯d take a long time, I¡¯d have to pull a lot of favors, and it may be unsafe. Yet again, I don¡¯t know if any of that will actually work, I¡¯ll have to think about this - but I¡¯ll try to get it done before we leave the descent.¡± Her lips quivered, and she nodded - before lunging forward and throwing her arms around him in a bear hug. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem. Now let me go before you make me cry too. The Reincarnation of Gluttony isn¡¯t supposed to cry. I¡¯m just supposed to kill and eat things and look badass.¡± She sputtered a laugh, squeezed him hard one more time, and did as he asked by letting go. ¡°You don¡¯t know what this means to me-¡± ¡°I said shut up and go away didn¡¯t I?! You¡¯re making me get emotional! Less QQ and more pew pew! Go away, Athela probably wants to hit on you and try to bed you again anyways.¡± Smiling wide, Kara yet again shut up and gave him a firm shoulder squeeze like he¡¯d done to her earlier. Then she stood, brushed against him one last time, and left the front of the boat to go sit next to Athela further back. *** [You have entered the pocket realm of Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. You have been designated Team Leader of team DEEZ NUTZ. Your objectives are simple: survive the monster attacks for at least 24 hours while traveling over or through the ocean of blood. Acquire gifts from the sacrificial altars, where opportunities to enhance your gifts will be presented to you should you decide to take them at the last altar, where contact may also be established with outside entities to help to further your goals at a price. You must touch all three altars from Floor 22 in order to proceed to Floor 23. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] [You have touched 2 of 3 sacrificial altars, accepting 2 Blood Tokens to be used at the very last sacrificial altar without having taken the opportunity to sacrifice any of your party members. You have stolen 18 Blood Tokens from a rival team. You have 3 mandatory hours left to spend on this floor.] The third and final sacrificial altar was straight ahead, looming over them like a spire from hell that flowed up into the sky where a flat platform was waiting for them, just like the others. It too was covered in a shield that prevented people from flying to the top, meaning that a straight walk was the only way to get up there. At the very least, the spiral staircase was huge and big enough for demons even Azmoth¡¯s size in his larger form to pass by - so it wasn¡¯t cramped. ¡°Everyone off.¡± Riven called, parking the ice yacht next to the spiral staircase leading upwards. ¡°And no funny business. Athela, I¡¯m looking at you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an angel! Figuratively speaking, of course!¡± She made a heart symbol with her hands and put on an innocent face. ¡°That¡¯s a gods damned lie and you know it! Now move that ass of yours as hop to before I have Azmoth carry you!¡± Azmoth let out an evil laugh and cracked his knuckles. Athela grumbled and stuck her tongue out at both of them, but jogged off the yacht along with the others as they all started up the staircase that wound around the altar¡¯s tower. Unfortunately he heard the telltale thuds of heartbeats far overhead, and was quick to inform the others that it may another group waiting in ambush - or just another one passing through. Either way, given how this entire floor revolved around sacrificing other people for blood tokens to exchange for prizes at the end - it wouldn¡¯t surprise Riven at all if they came across campers. They¡¯d already seen it once before. ¡°Azmoth, to the front buddy. Take your giant form, possible ambush ahead. Athela you¡¯re in second, and when we get near the top - scout for traps. Retesh, Genua, Fay, and Kara to the back with me as usual.¡± ¡°Azmoth likes ambushes!¡± He replied, shoving ahead of the other vampires and Retesh, who more than happily gave up their spots at the lead in order to let the bigger, far tankier demon take any hits thrown their way. Azmoth then began to morph, his bones and armor cracking and snapping with a rush of flames as he became many times larger - eventually presenting at about 50 feet in height with his wings, appendages and shields all following suit. The lich, archer and two support mages quickly adjusted their own spots in line, letting Athela take second place. Prince Rantali and the other warriors took the middle just ahead of the casters while Riven kept guard at their flank - with Kara¡¯s bow having locked in the arrows Riven made for her from blood lances, and Fay¡¯s grimoire held tight against her chest. Around and around the spiraling staircase they went, higher and higher as the ocean below became smaller. It wasn¡¯t long before the sound of battle cries and metal on metal ripped through the air, as arrows and spears raced down the staircase near the last third of the way up. The curve didn¡¯t allow Riven to see who was attacking his largest archdemon, but sparks of the projectiles continued to skid off Azmoth¡¯s huge frame and the shields he¡¯d brought up in front of him. Athela hadn¡¯t even had time to get ahead at this point, but she didn¡¯t care as she vanished into thin air with a malevolent laugh. ¡°SHIELD WALL!¡± Prince Rantali roared, as he and the three vampire knights next to him all slammed their shields into the spiral staircase floor and projected four large barriers ahead of them - protecting themselves and the casters behind. An explosion of green Unholy light rocked the spire, pushing Azmoth back a single step before he roared and rushed ahead with a burst of flame. ¡°Keep going, we¡¯re right behind you.¡± Riven called out to Prince Rantali in his golden set of tacky armor, and the other vampire quickly acknowledged this by passing the order along to his men as they kept the projected barrier shields out in front of them and proceeded up the stairs. Screams and the echoes of battle filled the stairway, and Athela had no doubt joined in the fray up ahead as screams of ¡°MONSTROUS DRIDER¡± and ¡°TWO ARCHDEMONS¡± filled the hallway; alongside the plastered remains of multiple enemies now smashed against the walls, ceiling, and floors. But there were too many of them to be just one group, and Riven¡¯s hearing confirmed it as more and more heartbeats started filling the stairway from above. Now that they were closer he could tell the individual beats apart, whereas earlier and farther below it¡¯d been hard to do so. Interesting. They continued to march, and slowly but surely the battle came into view. It wasn¡¯t one group, but dozens or even hundreds. That, or someone in the enemy camp had some kind of minion ability or enslaving power - but identification information didn¡¯t work here so he couldn¡¯t be quite sure. Regardless, his two massive archdemons were being piled with attacks on the enormous stairway by dozens of other descenders at a time, throwing off curses, projectiles, lightning strikes and fireballs in a vain attempt to bring Athela and Azmoth down. The descenders seemed rather weak to be here though, far weaker than many of the other groups that¡¯d been present. That didn¡¯t mean their enemies were weak by normal standards, but by descent standards? Absolutely. Their numbers made up for it, but in a one to one match they were rather poor in the power category. Retesh clicked his bony fingers together and raised his staff to start absorbing ambient mana into its gemstone. ¡°Go!¡± From behind their group, the dozens of bone wyrms Retesh had created earlier in the floor began swarming up the stairs. The lich then proceeded to raise his hands out to either side, and from thin air - siege weapons of familiar make began to take form. They were large, strange, cone-shaped things made from bone that glowed with green and teal energy within the holes leader down at their tops. They looked almost like spiraling seashells with an evil twist, and they were the same creations that Retesh had used to attack Riven back on Floor 2¡¯s boss fight - where Riven had to fight off his entire team to win it. Cannonballs of miasma quickly formed within the cores of each of these siege engines, and within moments there were dozens of the miasmic projectiles flashing overhead and into the enemy lines. From what Riven could gather, each of these siege weapons were actually attacks the lich himself was making as they were drawing on his own mana - given the rippling mana signatures in the air between them. But the attacks were being concentrated and empowered with whatever the creations or skill did, exemplifying their explosive power and range. ¡°Genua, unleash your aura for passive healing and smite any motherfucker who comes too close. Are you able to concentrate it on Athela and Azmoth?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll concentrate the effects on them. The aura will also damage any enemies within its effect and give them bleeding debuff stacks.¡± ¡°Good. Prince Rantali, if you want to go ahead and fight you can - I¡¯ll be staying back here to make sure the other casters are safe. Otherwise you can keep the barriers up and just watch.¡± ¡°We¡¯re fine watching, thanks!¡± Riven chuckled at the man¡¯s remark. ¡°Fine. Kara, try to snipe as many of their casters as you can.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Ok! B-but there are so many! How do I know who to target!?¡± She replied, her arrow literally shaking in her grip as she drew it up and aimed at one of the distant wizards throwing useless lightning bolts at Azmoth¡¯s back as he stomped through the enemy crowds with carnage in his wake. Riven exchanged a look with Fay, and then put a hand on Kara¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Steady yourself. Take in a few deep breaths, and pretend this is just a shooting range. There¡¯s no reason to be scared.¡± She shifted her gray eyes to stare at him wordlessly, but hardened her jaw and tried to stop the shaking. It only worked partly, but it was better than previously. Riven didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d made it to level 200 with that kind of mindset, and was curious what her story was. He¡¯d have to ask later, but nerves could be fixed. ¡°Are you going to help?¡± She asked sheepishly. ¡°With the fight?¡± He smiled. ¡°Only if needed. It¡¯s time to pull your weight! Now shoot!¡± He watched the arrow fly overhead, and it did end up hitting someone - though it certainly wasn¡¯t her target. Instead it was an armored tanky chaos dwarf with burning black eyes, that let off a howl of pain as the arrow ripped through his shoulder and sent him spiraling down a few steps. ¡°Good.¡± Riven said, patting her on the back encouragingly and moving on. Fay for her part had already set up a wide swath of curse traps in front of their backline, and was setting them off further ahead into enemy lines. They were far more powerful now that she¡¯d become an archdemon, with the flashing runes lighting up and blowing away multiple people at a time as she lazily pointed to spots she wanted to eradicate. A dreamwalker zone was also in effect, making enemies see them at odd angles or not at all depending on where they stood - as their projectiles fired wide and way off the mark well over half the time. ¡°Riven, do you mind if I go collect some specimens?¡± Fay casually asked, keeping her eyes ahead but beginning to transform as her Greater Succubus traits began to manifest. Her horns changed from small pointy ones to long, curling goat¡¯s horns wrapping around the sides of her head - forcing her to take off her hat. Her tail began to turn from black to blue, and grew neon blades down its center with a long pointed stinger at its end. ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Specimens of what?¡± ¡°Enemies. It has to do with my new insight and ability.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to expand further?¡± ¡°Not unless you force me to! It¡¯s a surprise!¡± Riven pursed his lips. ¡°Then go right ahead, but be careful! You never know when some asshole is going to bring out one of those swords that almost killed Athela back on Panu, and we surely aren¡¯t the only ones that have such a thing. You¡¯re not as sturdy as the other two archdemons and I get worried that-¡± ¡°You worry about me too much! Haha but that¡¯s why I adore you!¡± She covered his mouth with a hand, blushing, and gave his forehead a nuzzle with her nose before laughing again and taking off with a quick flap of her wings. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back!¡± Coating herself in illusory magic, she headed into the fray and disappeared entirely. Though there were signs of her arrival, as people were sliced apart and skewered by something invisible - or in some stranger cases, they disappeared entirely. Just what exactly was she collecting from them? And what was this surprise she was talking about? Riven really hadn¡¯t the faintest clue. It would have helped if she told him what her ability was, but he wasn¡¯t about to spoil the surprise that Athela and Fay were concocting behind the scenes. In some ways, he was a little bit excited to see whatever it was. Chapter 307 Chapter 307 One would have thought that Fay overpowering other level 200¡¯s while simultaneously not killing them outright was a hard task without Athela¡¯s help. Fay¡¯s core skillset was based in illusion and trickery, centered around her curse traps and dreamwalker zone. However, she was also adept in many utility based skills, two of which were Silvertongue - and Charm. They only worked on far weaker enemies than herself with poor Willpower, but these idiots fit that bill to the T. ¡°It would mean so much to me if you dropped your weapons, darling¡­¡± The succubus said with a wide smile and glowing pink eyes as she infused the charm into her selected target - while keeping their area invisible to the rest of the battlefield. Soothing words dripped off her tongue, infusing the command into her target¡¯s soul to add onto the prior effect and compound it. ¡°And put these on¡­ before taking this potion.¡± [Charm (Depravity) ¨C Infatuate any enemies within range of sight that look upon you when activating this ability, causing them to lose focus. The farther away they are from you, the less effect this ability will have. The more willpower the enemy has, the less effect this ability will have. Channeling ability that costs increasing amounts of mana over time.] [Silvertongue (Unholy Succubus Trait): Soak your words with unholy mana to briefly capture the minds of lesser beings, allowing only those with a less Willpower than you to be affected and enabling you to persuade them more easily. This spell scales with both Willpower and Negative Charisma, as well as the amount of mana you put into it. As a Greater Succubus, this is an inherent trait that works even better on those attracted to females. Moderately high mana cost, low cooldown.] ¡°Y-Yes mistress!¡± The entranced, white-scaled draconic man replied as he took the energy suppression manacles and helped shackle himself. ¡°Perhaps we will have time alone after this, to speak and-¡± ¡°Yes, of course darling. We¡¯ll have all the time in the world!¡± Fay said sweetly, patting his cheek and leading his hands to the uncapped potion that sparkled with an eerie gray light. ¡°Now drink, and go lie down with the others there. We can talk later.¡± The draconic man she¡¯d seduced relaxed the spines across his scaled neck, sighed while staring puppy dog eyes at her, and drank the potion she¡¯d given him before lumbering over to the two other passed-out bodies on the floor. Taking care to expand her dreamwalker zone further on as Athela and Azmoth continued to slaughter these unusually weak descenders up the stairwell. There was something odd about the entire situation, but at the same time - it also meant that she had a far easier experience charming and controlling them. Given that she now had three quite rare variants captured, with the last of them drifting off into a dreamless sleep via the potion she¡¯d just given the man, she wasn¡¯t going to complain. She¡¯d immediately gone for the species that were far rarer on Panu, ones that they¡¯d not have the opportunity to find and capture there, given that Riven would need a wide spread of blood types for his furthered bloodline expansions. They also needed to be mortal. This excluded demons, angels, and undead - but left most of the other races open for grabs. The draconian warrior with white scales was the last of what she¡¯d take. Sleeping next to him was a witch of a rare mer-human variant Fay hadn¡¯t ever seen before, having a deep yellow shade of skin, purple eyes, purple hair, webs between her fingers and gills along her neck. The witch had been the easiest and second of all to subdue. The first target she¡¯d acquired was a half-ogre barbarian of some kind, though he was so mutilated that Fay wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he died before Riven got a chance to taste his blood at the farm. Despite this she opened the portal after making sure all of their shackles were fastened, and shoved them inside with her hands tail; closing the prison realm of ¡®Fay¡¯s Dreamscape Dungeon¡¯ with a pop. ¡°All in a day¡¯s work!¡± She said while slapping her hands together to brush off the muck from strenuously pushing the half-ogre inside. ¡°Now where did that smexy Riven get off to!?¡± *** He was still in the backline, and hadn¡¯t used any of his own spells or aura control at all yet. He still wanted to see what his Shadow-Blood storm aura¡¯s empowering effects had on his minions, but that could wait for a fight that didn¡¯t make him want to yawn. Riven was both thoroughly impressed with his own team while thoroughly disgusted with the lack of fighting prowess this other side had. Were they intentionally throwing bodies at him to wear his mana down? Did they even know it was him? Because he had an unlimited amount of ambient Blood mana at his disposal on this floor. How was a team like this supposed to surpass this or any of the lower descent floors? Watching his two demons Athela and Azmoth slaughter everything in their path with Fay and Genua supporting them was like watching kids ruthlessly stomp through an ant pile. The two large rampaging archdemons were even making it a contest, seeing who could kill in the most extreme displays of gore and violence. Their enemies fought back furiously, but did little to no damage - often missing thanks to Fay¡¯s illusions, and what damage did manage to hit them was quickly healed by woven threads of blood mists that circled their side of the battlefield given Genua¡¯s new passive aura. Riven literally didn¡¯t need to do a damn thing, and it was also good practice for Kara. Because despite these opponents not being on par with him or his archdemons, or even his thrall, they were on par with the drow archer. He leaned on his staff and glanced over at the still shaky dark elf, who¡¯d grown slightly more confident while firing arrows now that she realized she probably wasn¡¯t in any danger. She was still traumatized from the time she¡¯d nearly been eaten by that monster two floors ago right before Riven had saved her, and it showed. Perhaps she¡¯d be better working at the guild as a bartender or maid, rather than a warrior. She didn¡¯t have the heart for it in his opinion, unless things changed. That, or maybe she¡¯d just need babysitting for a while and would be put in Hakim¡¯s team for lower-level and less dangerous missions should the guild take any on in the future. He certainly didn¡¯t see himself remaining as ¡®king¡¯ of the necropolis long term, or perhaps he did - but only in name. Allie would be the one running it. The more he thought about the potentials of guild life, with adventuring and small jobs and perhaps some off world excursions together like this, the more he liked it. Jackal¡¯s flaming eye sockets in its horned skull suddenly flared with intense brightness for no apparent reason, getting Riven¡¯s attention with a surprised raise of the eyebrows. ¡°Everything ok, buddy?¡± The staff quivered in his hands again, and then remained still once more. ¡°Well that¡¯s odd.¡± Riven scratched his head. That certainly wasn¡¯t normal for Jackal to do, but not being able to talk to the staff was something of a hassle. Even in its demonic canine form, the winged beast couldn¡¯t really read or write. It had a baseline consciousness and intelligence, but smarts weren¡¯t really in its repertoire. Even messenger, the armor covering Riven from the bridge of his nose down to his toes was more responsive when it came to questions - where the gluttonous maw across his chest would open up and occasionally point to things with its tendrils. Basic things, like bodies or cheese or pie that it wanted to eat. Usually it was bodies that were too far off for it to grab without Riven flying over. ¡°Doing a great job guys!¡± Riven called over the screams, explosions, and clashing of metal as he pulled out a pipe and casually watched the slaughterfest on the enormous spiral staircase. ¡°Lookin¡¯ good!¡± ¡°You lazy asshole!¡± Genua laughed with a side-eye underneath the blood priestess hood and head ornament. She was becoming obviously more and more pregnant as the days went on, and kept her hands underneath her belly while cycling divinity into her aura that leaked into the clouds above. Those same aura clouds powered by her Faith stat both healed his tanks and peeled the skin off her enemies. Riven smirked underneath Messenger¡¯s facemask, picked up Jackal and twirled it about in one hand while checking the rear for any potential interlopers coming up behind them. ¡°This is a good experience for you Genua! I don¡¯t know what you mean by saying I¡¯m a lazy asshole, and it¡¯s considered rather rude for a vampire¡¯s thralls to call them out like that!¡± He pointed Jackal¡¯s skull top in the direction of her aura¡¯s clouds. ¡°By the way, those are pretty damn potent! I¡¯m impressed!¡± ¡°It is all thanks to you, master. And the Blood God of course.¡± Genua bowed her head in respect. ¡°I am glad that our children have such a good father figure!¡± Our children? Was she talking about Len alongside the unborn child? Riven immediately felt a bit queasy, and slightly uncomfortable. He knew that Genua had been wanting him to adopt Len, and he certainly would if that¡¯s what she wanted. He owed it to them, especially to Len, for having killed her real father and her big sister. But that was only if Len would accept him in that role, a role that Genua apparently already mentally placed him in despite the few talks they¡¯d had about needing to sit down with Len about it first. It¡¯d been hard enough having that initial talk back in the woods near Hakim¡¯s cabin, when Riven had first admitted to Len that he¡¯d been the one to kill them. It didn¡¯t help his case very much that it¡¯d been somewhat in self defense, Len had thought him to be strong enough to choose between different options of what he could have done instead. She was also right. If Riven had wanted to, he probably could have done it a different way and let Ethel live despite Ethel¡¯s attempt to kill him. Maybe. Probably. He didn¡¯t know for sure, but it was definitely a possibility he¡¯d ruled out at the time in favor of Azmoth¡¯s suicide bomb in order to make sure that bastard prophet had died.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Genua¡­¡± Riven said, coming to stand next to her as he lowered his voice for a more private conversation, given the line of vampires and the drow archer still next to them. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure Len is going to accept me as her dad. We should probably hold off on assuming that she will until we have that talk with her.¡± Genua for her part looked very confused, and turned 90 degrees to look at him with rapidly blinking red eyes. ¡°Hmm? I don¡¯t understand what you mean by that. You¡¯re her father!¡± Riven¡¯s polite smile dropped into a more stoic frown. ¡°Genua, seriously. I told you that I¡¯d adopt her, but-¡± ¡°Adopt her?¡± Genua asked again, even more confused as she furrowed her brows - and then began to laugh with a sing-song chime to her voice. She lifted one of her hands off her belly and tugged at his left cheek lovingly - which was very strange behavior coming from the high elf thrall. ¡°Riven! Stop joking around! You¡¯re her biological father, just like the child I carry now. Stop being so silly!¡± ¡°Eh¡­ What?¡± Messenger¡¯s facemask withdrew to reveal his entire face, and he aggressively scratched his chin with narrowed eyes. ¡°Genua, is this some kind of prank?¡± ¡°What do you mean, dear?¡± She said, completely straight faced with a flush to her cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re asking really weird questions. I should be asking the same of you! What are you going on about, with adopting Len? Oh those memories of the day I gave birth still ring clear to me. Don¡¯t you remember it too!? Can you believe it¡¯s been so long and how much she¡¯s grown up since then!? I vividly remember the day that Len was born - how could I forget! You were with me in Greenstalk Village nearly seven years ago now, before our planet merged into Panu. You held my hand and told me that the birthing women would be late to help as they were at another pregnancy, and so you had to talk me through it for half the time I was in labor!¡± Riven¡¯s eyes went from narrowed to wide with shock, and he felt a lump starting to form in his throat. ¡°Oh¡­ Eh, er, hmm. Genua? Are you sure that memory was with me?¡± Genua frowned, and then shoved one of his shoulders a bit irritatedly after realizing he was serious. ¡°Riven, it actually kind of makes me angry that you don¡¯t remember that day. That¡¯s a core memory for me, for us. Do you seriously not remember Len¡¯s birth? I hope for your sake that you don¡¯t ever tell her that. It¡¯d break her heart.¡± His skin began to feel clammy, and cold, and he began to try formulating what the next question would be. The question that he dreaded to ask, but he had to do it. ¡°Genua¡­ that memory was probably with the man named Farrod. Your ex husband, the man that I-¡± ¡°I was NEVER married to anyone else!¡± Genua violently hissed, eyes widening in a menacing fashion as divinity sputtered along her body. It was a reaction so fierce and so abrupt that she almost reached out to strike him, but she regained her composure less than two seconds later - returning to the free-spirited version of herself that she¡¯d presented over the last couple of days. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly! You¡¯ve always been my husband!¡± The battle continued to rage around them, and she returned to looking ahead - concentrating on healing after Riven remained speechless for the next ten seconds. His voice came out as a whisper when he did decide to speak, and his hand gripped Jackal¡¯s shaft to the point that his knuckles were turning white underneath the ivory plating and bloodsilk threads of the armor he wore. ¡°Do you remember Ethel? Do you remember your other daughter, Ethel?¡± Genua once again furrowed her brows in confusion, then stared at him long and hard. ¡°I¡¯ve never had another daughter. WE have never had another daughter, Riven. It¡¯s only been Len, and the child I¡¯m now pregnant with. I¡¯m beginning to tire of these asinine questions, Riven. Please, don¡¯t make jokes like this again. It¡¯s beginning to bother me.¡± Riven was shocked. Dumbfounded. A mixture of emotions swirled up inside him and he couldn¡¯t put into words just what that mixture all meant to him. He wanted to cry, to sink down into a hole and never come out again. All the talks he¡¯d ever had about thralls and how they were mind slaves were one thing on paper, and he¡¯d even seen the results firsthand as Genua had gone from hate, to acceptance, to liking him, and eventually - to lusting after him or even seeing him as her husband now. It was not only fucking weird, but it was fucking sad. And he was to blame, even if she had been the one to ask for this. Perhaps this was what she had wanted, to forget the family members of hers that he¡¯d murdered. But to him, it was a new weight put on his shoulders - knowledge that Ethel in particular would be forever forgotten by the mother that¡¯d once loved her, due to a vampiric virus that raged in Genua¡¯s body and through her mind. Worse yet was that Len was not a thrall and would forever remember her big sister and father. What would Len have to say when she realized that her mom didn¡¯t recognize the names of Ethel and Farrod anymore? What the fuck? What the actual fuck? Just what the fuck had he done? When had the transition gone from persuasive to an absolute override of memories? When had that happened? He hadn¡¯t even known that it WOULD happen! Stoically nodding, he turned to leave - but was stopped when Genua reached out to grab his wrist. ¡°Dearest, don¡¯t look so sad! We¡¯re doing so well!¡± She said happily drawing him in and giving him a peck on the cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll get Lillith back in no time, and then we¡¯ll be able to go home and see Len again as a family! I¡¯m sure she misses you! Maybe we can have a family baking night like we used to do back in the village, or we can all go fishing together! Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Uh-Uhm, yeah. That¡¯d be¡­ That¡¯d be great.¡± He tried to give an affectionate peck back, but needed to pull away quickly after while wiping at his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sad, I just - I just have something in my eyes. Sorry.¡± Genua didn¡¯t look convinced, but let go of his wrist with another knowing side eye. ¡°Fine. Let me know if you wish to talk about it. I¡¯m here for you, master!¡± Master? Hadn¡¯t she just called him her husband? Hadn¡¯t she called him ¡®Dearest¡¯ just now? Did she even know what she was saying anymore? Or did she think that he was both husband and master now? Jesus Christ. ¡°Absolutely, Genua. Keep up the good work. You¡¯re doing great, and know that I appreciate the effort.¡± *** Five minutes later, Fay returned. They¡¯d gained ground, but these enemies hadn¡¯t given up yet despite massive losses numbering over a thousand now. Riven was convinced that there was some kind of portal up above producing them given the constant stream of opponents, and he was even more convinced that these were not normal descent contendants given their lacking power - which bade the question of where they were coming from and who they were. More than that though, was the knowledge that he¡¯d been very thoroughly mistaken about what thralls actually were and what vampiric venom containing his mind-altering virus could do. He had underestimated just how vampirism affected a thrall¡¯s mind, and what it meant to truly be a ¡®mind slave.¡¯ ¡°Genua¡¯s really performing out there! Just look at how fast Azmoth¡¯s gash healed a moment ago!¡± Fay exclaimed, whooping and cheering on her comrades in the front lines. ¡°GET THEM GUYS! YES, TEAR OFF THEIR LIMBS JUST LIKE THAT! MAKE THEM SQUEAL! STOMP THEM INTO THE GROUND AND TURN THEM INTO PASTE!¡± The succubus nudged Riven eagerly. ¡°Damn, Azmoth is really having fun with this! But back to Genua. Do you think that perhaps we could get you to make an entire squad of thralls? She¡¯s far superior than most thralls I¡¯ve ever seen, and I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s because you¡¯re a pureblood. That, or Gluttony has something to do with it. My Lord Gluttony? Would you happen to know?¡± Gluttony¡¯s maw erupted in space next to them. ¡°No, my child. This is my first ever reincarnation, and though vampires do contain many of the traits I desire - such as the need to feed and a high affinity for Blood, I am afraid I don¡¯t know much about this particular subject.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Fay said, tapping her blue lips as Gluttony disappeared again and bobbing her horned head side to side. ¡°Well either way, the quality of your thralls is on another level. You should seriously invest in getting an elite squad put together for your own personal guard! I know you have the Willpower to do it.¡± Riven halfheartedly smiled back at her, still leaning hard on Jackal¡¯s shafter while his mind went into overdrive at the implications of what Genua¡¯s conversation now meant to him; and what it meant should he ever decide to acquire more thralls in the future. He let out a shallow breath. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯d be pretty powerful.¡± ¡°Right!?¡± Fay exclaimed happily while bobbing up and down on her toes - tail slapping against the floor. ¡°OOOOooooh, it¡¯d be so cool! Just imaging going back to Panu with an entire set of ten or however many thralls you can get before leaving here - all of them at level 200 or above; all of them with a taste of your own powerful bloodline and just absolutely CRUSHING the other top ten rankers on the power board! You¡¯d be unstoppable. That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the answer.¡± She harumphed, making her large breasts protrude and arching her back with a sagely nod. ¡°It¡¯ll be a plan for the ages! What do you think about starting now? ¡­Riven? Riven? Hello?¡± Fay waved her grimoire in front of his face a few times to get his attention? ¡°Planet Fay to Riven?! Are you there!?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m just deep in thought, sorry babe. I apologize.¡± He pulled her into a firm side hug, beginning to scratch the back of her head and around her horns just like she liked. She shuddered in ecstasy and melted into his embrace with a drawn out happy sigh. ¡°Yes, this is the stuff. You need to do this more often.¡± ¡°Anything you want, Fay. I¡¯d be more than happy to give you some of those full body massages again.¡± ¡°Those full body massages always turn into-¡± ¡°Yeah and you like it when it does!¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± She elbowed him in the side as the two of them started to laugh. ¡°There we go! There¡¯s my happy Riven again! So what do you think about the thrall squad idea!?¡± Riven considered it for a while, and clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ve very recently had some unexpected insights concerning thralls. Yes, Genua is a great asset to the team now¡­ but I would never want to turn people who didn¡¯t deserve it. Not after what¡­ Eh, for another time maybe. But yes, I¡¯m fine with the idea as long as they¡¯re terrible people.¡± ¡°Terrible people?¡± Fay repeated, hands on her protruding hips with squinty eyes. ¡°What does that mean? By what definition is someone terrible?¡± ¡°People that have done horrible and cruel things needlessly. Use your imagination.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°Or people that have outright attacked us that we¡¯d kill anyways. Such as these guys.¡± He gestured to the crowd of oncoming enemies that continued to die like flies. She clapped her hands excitedly in front of her and began to hop up and down again. ¡°Great! Great, that¡¯s awesome to hear! Did you want me to capture one now for you?¡± Riven shook his head and dismissed the notion with only a single glance upwards, stepping over some mangled bodies on the way and picking up one of the spatial sacks the vampires and Kara had missed while looting. ¡°Nah. We have no way to take them with us to the next floor, do we? Unless we drag them along as captives and use them to fill our own party, but then we¡¯d have to look after them on the descent down and that¡¯d be tiring.¡± Fay gave him a sheepish grin. ¡°Right! Of course, of course¡­ If only we had some way of transporting 50 or so prisoners in an alternate dimension or something. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?!¡± Riven chuckled and smacked her hand away as she tried to grope his ass. ¡°It¡¯d be great. Maybe one day we can find an item like that. It¡¯d be nice to hold prisoners there for me to eat and feed on, or for changing them into thralls over the long term. I wonder if something like that is on the Elysium Markets? If so it¡¯s gotta be expensive, but I haven¡¯t even heard of anything like that around.¡± Fay became pink in the cheeks again and let out a long whistle. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯d certainly be nice. Oh look! There¡¯s the top of the stairway! Maybe we can finally get out of this damnable floor and get onto the next one soon. I¡¯m a little bit interested to see just how many people are still up there after having killed so many on the way up the stairs!¡± Chapter 308 Chapter 308 The top platform beyond the stairway was finally in sight, and Riven had been correct. There was a portal of some kind spitting out enemies on the opposite side of where the main sacrificial altar was, but watching it was very odd. The portal wasn¡¯t like any portal he¡¯d ever seen before. It was more like a flat pool of blood about thirty feet around, perfectly circular, that continuously took the shapes of these people and their belongings. The process took more than thirty seconds for each person to form, and even after his team had killed them down to the last man - they would not talk unless he or Fay used their Silvertongue abilities on the targets. Even then, they seemed to have no recollection of who they were, why they were attacking him, or how they¡¯d gotten here. But every time they released their hold on the enemy in question, that enemy would go into a rage and try attacking them again without any self-preservation in mind. ¡°This is troubling.¡± Prince Rantali said as yet another of the people formed from the blood pool and was wasted by one of Retesh¡¯s stave blasts. ¡°There is no mention of such a thing in the documents provided for me by my kingdom. I think that this would have been of particular note, because of how this floor has remained the same over the course of many ages.¡± ¡°Do you think it leads somewhere else? Or is it a new addition to the floor?¡± One of the vampiric knights asked thoughtfully. ¡°We could - HEY!¡± The shackled bald prisoner in rags that Prince Rantali had been dragging along to feed on quickly dashed towards the blood pool with a scream of defiance. ¡°I WILL NOT BECOME ONE OF YOUR THRALLS!¡± With a splash, the man landed in the pool and began to sink. Riven wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d expected to go through to the other side after the knight¡¯s comment, or the possibility of a two-way portal being present had given light to the prisoner¡¯s escape attempt - but it didn¡¯t matter because it didn¡¯t work. Within mere seconds, thrashing and screaming from within the pool of blood was heard as the man tried to get back out - his face peeking over the top just twice as everyone else just watched - before a large brown leech rose up out of the liquid and chomped down on the man¡¯s skull. The beast sucked the poor guy back down into the depths, and quickly disappeared as a new enemy began to slowly form out of the blood once more. ¡°I know what this is.¡± Genua said, surprising the others as they focused their attention on the Blood Priestess. ¡°Or what it once was.¡± She knelt beside the pool, and dipped her hand into the liquid without fear - though Riven took a step forward and placed himself next to her to make sure she wasn¡¯t dragged down like the other guy. Reaching in further all the way up to her shoulder, whispering to the pool like a mother would a child, she eventually withdrew her arm. On her palm as her hand retracted, the enormous leech that¡¯d eaten the prior man had perched its head - and let her pet it as the enormous monster purred like a cat receiving an ear-scratch. ¡°This was a pool of atonement, stolen from the Blood God¡¯s realm, but it is now corrupted in a way that I cannot quite understand and carries the scent of blasphemy. It was once a powerful artifact meant to collect and keep damned souls, nurturing them into servants the Blood God can use. And it should not be here¡­¡± She said, letting the leach go back to the depths after another whispered word - watching the creature slip back into the inky red. She cocked her head to one side as if worried, and then glanced back at Riven next to her. ¡°My connection to the Blood God was¡­ It was just cut off.¡± ¡°What do you mean it was cut off?!¡± Prince Rantali said, suddenly frantic and panicked. ¡°A Priestess of the Blood God cannot simply have their connection cut without the intervention of another god, or a being equal to-¡± Prince Rantali¡¯s words were muted as a massive geyser of blood erupted from the pool to swallow Riven whole. It pushed away his allies and overpowered him entirely, suppressing Riven¡¯s aura like one would snuff out the life of a fly by smashing it between one¡¯s fingers. Riven writhed and kicked, but was quickly pulled away into the swirling red pool before anyone could do anything about it. In an instant, his reality shifted. Riven was staring back out at his friends, none of which could enter the pool now. He could only see them as they frantically attempted to break through, but it was an absolute and impenetrable barrier to passage. His hands touched the silky smooth exterior, once again trying to press forward and infusing his mana into the effort - but nothing came. Even Athela¡¯s mind link that they used for speech once in a while wasn¡¯t working. ¡°This indeed appears to be a warped S-grade artifact that is somehow linked to the Abyssal Descent¡¯s Floor 22.¡± Gluttony said from within Riven¡¯s soul. ¡°I don¡¯t think that we are meant to break out by brute force. But I also don¡¯t believe this was put here by Elysium on accident, it has likely been part of this floor for eons and was made to appear only if certain criteria were met. There will be a way out, the laws of balance concerning Elysium¡¯s trials demand it. We merely need to find out what that way out is, and why we were separated from the others and cast into this item.¡± His eyes widened. What was an S-grade artifact doing here of all places, in an F-grade soul lattice building event? Entire D, C, B, and A-grade nations far more powerful than the Thane Necropolis would commit genocide to get their hands on something like this. Riven did a once-over with his surroundings to make sure nothing was coming for him. There were a few leeches the size of his arm or bigger swimming around, and one as big as a passenger airplane, but they all ignored him entirely. One even brushed up against his arm, but did not attack. There were also speckled lights further in the depths that he couldn¡¯t make out from here in detail, and the relatively small barrier between the artifact¡¯s insides and the Abyssal Descent on the opposite side, but that was it. ¡°Curious.¡± Riven muttered, speaking through the blood without issue. To others it may have been toxic, or would have drowned them, but to him - he could breathe this stuff as if it was air infused with energy. ¡°I really need to make a bath like this back home.¡± Gluttony laughed, and Riven began to draw out a message in shadow along the interior of the barrier. ¡°I am going to explore. I¡¯ll be back.¡± Then, grinning, he added: ¡°Team Deez Nutz aint scurd.¡± The attempt at humor fell on a poorly receiving audience, even despite Athela being the one to name it that way. Athela and Fay both appeared to be frantically yelling and trying to break through, while Prince Rantali and the others appeared nervous. Everyone except Genua that is, who remained calm and nodded to let him know the message was received. And honestly he couldn¡¯t blame her. If anything the others were overreacting, he was literally surrounded by the type of mana that he had a 100% affinity for - and was nearly unkillable in this kind of environment as long as nothing beyond E-grade was waiting for him here. Or perhaps that was overconfidence speaking? Though the thought that this was supposed to be an S-grade artifact was not encouraging. Riven had acquired all of this power, enough to destroy entire cities, in the F-grade. C-grades could theoretically wipe out populations of entire planets when on a rampage, and S-grades could obliterate the planet entirely if it wasn¡¯t reinforced somehow. He didn¡¯t let his minions know what he was dealing with though, because Athela looked like she was already having a panic attack on the other side. Waving and turning around, Riven began to swim further into the depths. That was when he got the notification that made him rather curious about what he¡¯d find here. It seemed that Elysium, or whoever had placed this here, didn¡¯t want the gods peaking. [An extra formation against outside spying has been added to the ones already in place during the Abyssal Descent. Twelve SSS-grade layer formations of anti-sight, magical penetration rebuff, anti-divination, karma-cutting, and anti-seeding have been added to this artifact¡¯s interior. You have been cleansed of all potential tracers, child of Blood.] *** ¡°How¡­ Strangely familiar¡­¡± Riven said, touching down on a sandy bottom indicating the ocean¡¯s floor. Whether or not this ocean was part of the artifact, part of Floor 22, or part of both - Riven couldn¡¯t be certain, but that wasn¡¯t the part that he recognized. In front of him was a gigantic hole, carved from the bedrock that led like a cylinder down into the earth. In and along the cylinder were the swirling lights of souls, millions of them, in glowing spiritual clouds so thick that even despite the giant chasm leading downwards - he couldn¡¯t see what was at the far end. Were these the souls that¡¯d been leaking out of the blood pool into the other side? Riven thought yes. It was the only explanation that made sense and he was able to read the basic outline of what the enchantments around these souls could do. Each of them was ready to be taken out and molded into a true shape, enslaved beings ready to be given form. The enchantments layering each of these bright souls like painted orbs were similar to the vampiric thrall markings along Genua¡¯s own soul core realm, but they simultaneously had a stark difference. When Genua had become a blood priestess, some of those markings had manifested on her skin, expressing themselves as sigils of power that bound her more tightly to the Blood Sub-Pillar. But these¡­ These markings were familiar in a way that reminded Riven of the runic language seen during Allie¡¯s descent into the underdark, when she¡¯d found the vampiric precursors. She¡¯d only discussed it once, but had drawn out many of the runic markings to see if he perhaps had a better understanding of what they meant - given he was linked more closely to the Blood Sub-Pillar than she was, and sometimes the pillars spoke to their users. Riven hadn¡¯t had such a moment then, but now - as he looked at the swirling mass of souls, he was beginning to have that experience here.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The sea of blood around him contracted, forcing itself into his body little by little - and visions began to appear one by one. The images that came and went in the blink of an eye rapidly cycled through his thoughts, as the Blood Sub-Pillar itself reached out and touched him. Images that he didn¡¯t quite comprehend at times. Riven saw the blood pillar split into five pieces, with four of them being hidden in different corners of a dark expanse as the fifth fragment came up into the light. He saw raging wars as entire civilizations were eradicated, fighting over the different pieces as eons passed by. He even saw Gluttony being born from Blood, and eons later - watched Gluttony claim one of the fragments for himself, dragging it into his abyssal maw to swallow it whole. Then, the last image of significance was the rise of the Blood God, resting on a throne carved from the flesh of other gods that¡¯d competed for his mantle. Riven couldn¡¯t quite make out what the Blood God looked like, but the instinctual knowledge that this was the new supremacy over the Blood Sub-Pillar was as clear as day. Other images were less impactful and less meaningful. It was all genocides, wars, and slaughter. Fuel for the fire as the Blood Pillar took a new shape from whence it¡¯d been sundered. He snapped out of the trance and immediately called out to Gluttony. ¡°Did you see that?¡± The sin¡¯s reply was quick. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do they mean? You were a part of one of the visions, and¡­¡± Riven¡¯s voice trailed off expectantly. ¡°It is unfortunate, but that aspect of my knowledge has been carved from me.¡± Gluttony said sourly. ¡°Part of the pact with Elysium was that I lose not only power, but knowledge regarding many of my past exploits. I only vaguely remember finding that shard in a previous lifetime from now, but what I did with it or how it came to be - I do not know. However, I will send a message to my priests in the enclaves after we leave the Abyssal Descent - and will ask them if they know anything about the Blood Pillar¡¯s sundering, or the five pieces it had split into. It feels¡­ Important. As if a piece of not only the pillar, but me, is missing after having looked upon the vision. I hadn¡¯t even recalled it at all up until now¡­¡± Riven growled a curse at Elysium under his breath. ¡°Alright. Time to swim through the clouds of souls?¡± ¡°It appears to be the way forward, so yes. Unless you¡¯d rather sit here and, as you say, ¡®twiddle your thumbs.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what twiddling is and I don¡¯t think you do either, but I¡¯m beginning to like Earth-human sayings.¡± Riven chuckled, not confirming or denying the accusation of lacking such knowledge, and without delay he leapt into the chasm to begin diving again. The blood flowed around him, embracing him as he sped past the entangled souls at a steady pace. As time went on, the cylindrical chasm began to turn from sand to stone - with the same odd, runic language that held aspects of Blood affinity, yet they were different from the type of Blood he was used to. Regardless of this, his sub-pillar still sang to him every time he saw such a marking - with the pillar itself expressing to him that these were part of a whole he hadn¡¯t known existed. Was this why Genua had said this place had the taint of blasphemy? Why would the current Blood God want to keep knowledge like this hidden, if that was the case? Why would Elysium put this here, a hidden part of an otherwise constant floor level in the Abyssal Descent for eons? Why had it appeared only for him, with no mention of it in Prince Rantali¡¯s records? ¡°Gluttony¡­ I have a question about my thrall. I was hoping you could help.¡± Riven said as he flowed through the undercurrents with the ease and grace of a fish. Gluttony already knew what he was about to ask. ¡°You were hoping you could restore Genua¡¯s memories.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± ¡°Possible, but it would be a hard thing to do. The vampiric virus you injected her with is meant to override any thoughts, impulses, or obligations that counteract being your loyal servant. It creates the perfect, obedient, adoring slave to your will - only leaving behind the remnants of the original person that do not conflict with your own desires or interests. As I have previously stated, I have not had much experience with vampires before. Your kind were created by a pantheon of gods long lost to time, the same ones who created the precursors your sister talked about. I have also lost much of my previous knowledge after being let out from my abyssal prison, so even if I did know more once; I have no knowledge of it now. But my theory is that it could be reversible if you found a way to retroactively program the viruses. That, in turn, would require a significant knowledge set on not only the Blood Sub-Pillar, but how vampires were created in the first place and how the virus intrinsically works.¡± Gluttony paused. ¡°But why would you want to reverse it? This is what Genua wanted. She was in turmoil, and now she is happy. Would you really deprive her of that, just to make your guilt less of a burden? As I see it, you have done her a favor. Ignorance, in this case, is bliss. So unless you can somehow find Ethel¡¯s likely hibernating soul in the black beyond of existence, somewhere in the immeasurable void that spans realities, and return her soul back to this realm - it would be in Genua¡¯s best interest to keep her this way. Not even I at the very peak of my power would have found that an easy task to perform, even if I¡¯d been given a trillion years to do it. Not after the souls have been mixed into infinity and scattered to the winds, and it becomes dangerous when you begin to dive into the deeper realms of existence where even the darkness of the void is gone - and only madness thrives.¡± That¡­ didn¡¯t sound creepy at all. Nope, not one bit. ¡°It just feels wrong, and I feel terrible about it. Especially for her daughter, Len.¡± ¡°Until there is an opportunity to fix it, which is questionable at best, you should not dwell on such things. It may be impossible to fix, but if you wish to do so - only worry about it when the opportunity to repair what is broken presents itself. And right now, I believe we have bigger problems than whether or not your pet thrall remembers her dead daughter.¡± Riven was about to ask what Gluttony meant, when the clouds of souls in front of him parted. It was¡­ a tomb? Riven had come to an end of the cylindrical drop, but before him was an open cavern that spanned for miles - its entire outer perimeter lined with hundreds of thousands of coffins. They each had their own platform jutting out of the walls, with the same strange sigils expressing Blood-affinity that didn¡¯t match what he had come to know of his own Blood Sub-Pillar. Yet his pillar continued to scream at him, wanting him to touch these markings and to devour the essence they held - to repair what had once been lost. There was also a gargantuan statue at the far end made from crystal in the visage of an enormous blue-shelled clam with a small but vibrant red orb shimmering in its halfway-opened mouth. The orb¡­ now that caught his attention. Even given its relatively tiny size at such a long distance away, the purity it contained was godlike and burned in his mana sense like a burning sun amidst an otherwise desolate tundra. Energy resonated out of it was spectacular, pure, refined to a point that he could barely stop himself from salivating. It whispered to him across the currents, wanting to be taken, and promised power should he do so. ¡°What is that?¡± Riven asked, his fangs extended in excitement as his eyes went wide. ¡°That orb about a mile from here¡­ I want it.¡± He pushed forward, making straight for the open maw of the clam. But the second Riven floated a couple feet into the vast chasm before him - the runic sigils on all the coffins turned from red to a deep blue. A strange aura began to permeate the area as the ground began to tremble in an earthquake. The entrance into the chasm was abruptly sealed shut with a thick white light reminiscent of the times he¡¯d had dungeon boss battles with the satyr warlord in Negrada, or when he¡¯d faced off against the giant rat monster and the invaders near Hakim¡¯s home town, and a notification displayed itself. ====================================================== WARNING WARNING WARNING HIDDEN TRIAL BOSS FIGHT: BLUEBLOOD PRECURSOR CLAM, HAS BEEN INITIATED. ELYSIUM HAS SEALED OFF YOUR POINT OF EXIT UNTIL THE BATTLE IS COMPLETE. SPECIAL EVENT: THE CLAM¡¯S PEARL IS A CONDENSED AND FILTERED BLOOD MAGIC RELIC PROCESSED OVER THE COURSE OF TWENTY THREE TRILLION YEARS, WITH THREE OF FIVE PATHS FOR THE SUB-PILLAR OF BLOOD STILL LINGERING INSIDE THE PEARL¡¯S CORE. IF YOU OBTAIN THIS TREASURE WITHOUT DAMAGING IT, THE BOONS IT WILL PROVIDE YOU INTO THE TRUE NATURE OF THE BLOOD PILLAR ARE NEARLY UNPARALLELED. WARNING: THE CLAM¡¯S PEARL IS CONSIDERED A TABOO, HERETICAL ARTIFACT BY THE CURRENT BLOOD GOD. BEGGING BATTLE IN 5¡­ 4¡­ 3¡­ 2¡­ 1¡­ ====================================================== The blue crystal statue of the clam snapped shut to create a sonic boom that scattered sand and stone, and the runes along the coffins on the walls all exploded simultaneously with ripping torrents of power shooting out towards the clam at high speed and increasing velocity. The clam grew in size, becoming larger than a football stadium at tremendous speed, its shell warping and the ruby light from the orb it held inside beginning to blind Riven with its brightness. Cracks along the tomb¡¯s bottom ripped into fissures, and blue ribbons of power began seeping from the fissures and formed along the edges of the clam¡¯s mouth. But the aura was just oppressive, and it crashed into Riven like a tidal wave. He was thrown back in a rush, slamming into the white barrier Elysium had sealed him in with, and struggled to stay conscious as his mind was assaulted by an alien presence. It was unlike any other he had ever encountered to date, completely enraged and on an entirely different level than any opponent he¡¯d ever fought before. He was caught completely by surprise given just how powerful this monster was, and fear began to settle into the back of his mind. Bones in his face and ribs started to crack under the immense pressure, and his lungs were being squished. Was this creature even F-grade? It had to be at the very least at peak E-grade, or possibly even early D-grade. But he had few comparisons when it came to the D-grade and couldn¡¯t be certain. Despite all the blood mana around Riven fueling his body in an endless torrent of extra power, he simply couldn¡¯t detach himself from the wall due to the pressure as he fought back with his own aura, spiraling tendrils of dark storm twisting into crimson folds of ice as his eyes flashed bright red. Jackal came up in front of him of its own accord and he flooded mana inside the staff, increasing its potency while he used it as a shield of sorts as the blue ribbons of power continued to crush him like a frog under a boot. His totems immediately began to crack and dissolve when he brought them out, so he quickly deposited them back into his spatial sack when he saw they¡¯d be of no use - but that god damned aura the clam produced was just unfathomably powerful. It was also equally in tune with the Blood Sub-Pillar than Riven was, and was perhaps even more complete in its synergy - given his recent understanding that he was truly lacking insights into what the Blood Sub-Pillar had been in previous eras. With a scream of determination and as red glowing cracks started glowing and spiderwebbing out from his eyes, Riven roared in defiance and lifted Jackal up high through their mental connection. The storm answered. Thunderclouds of red and black erupted from his position, spitting out black lightning and needle-like raindrop projectiles in all directions as whirlwinds of shadow caressed the area around him. The stone walls shattered and groaned. The ocean between himself and the clam began to freeze sporadically in chunks, and Elysium¡¯s barrier that he¡¯d been pressed up against rapidly began to frost. ¡°I will not die here!¡± Riven hissed through bared, fanged teeth, and with herculean effort - he managed to peel himself off the wall bit by bit and limb by limb. Fighting with everything he had, he pushed harder than he ever had before as his own aura slammed into the opponent¡¯s blue tide. The passives of both combatants crackled and roared, tearing at each other like beasts coming to reincarnate themselves amidst the sea of blood that was tossed about with rabid ferociousness. A voice echoed out from the clam, with a booming laugh that didn¡¯t sound human at all. Nor did it sound demonic. Rather, it sounded simply foreign, alien, like the ancient sea creature¡¯s very will itself. ¡°I have waited for untold amounts of time, lingering in the hidden depths of the Abyssal Descent in hopes that one of the multiverse¡¯s best young talents would trigger Elysium¡¯s promise. Long has it been since a promising child of Blood has made it to my lair, and longer still has one withstood the test of my aura. But today, I feel something different in you. Now, finally, I may be put to rest¡­ Come, vampire, and show me that you are worthy of my secrets! That you are worthy of pursuing the path of recreating that which has been broken, and unchaining your race from the shackles of the traitorous throne!¡± Chapter 309 Chapter 309 He pushed himself to his absolute limit just to stay upright under the massive amounts of pressure the clam¡¯s aura was exerting. The mere action of lifting his head was strenuous against a force that could crush mountains, but his own aura was maintaining its hold. Profane Blessing of the Crow exploded around Riven¡¯s body to enhance his speed and stamina with wisps of red and black trailing off his skin, shimmering amidst the storm as he raised his staff towards the beast. Dozens of critical storm lances bloomed around him, drawing back on tightening wretched snares that prepared them for launch. Thousands of gluttonous storm razors erupted in a swirling vortex, spinning their blades at extreme speeds while rotating around his position. Black lightning strikes snapped out at random amidst a booming roar produced by his aura¡¯s storm, and pillars of crystalized red ice began growing up through the chasm all around him. Finally at an equilibrium with the aggressive foreign energy trying to crush him, Riven breathed normally. His mind sank into a state of zen, becoming one with the blood around him, as he fed upon the ambient energy in big swaths of intake that flooded his soul pillar like a tidal wave. ¡°This is a peak E-grade monster.¡± Gluttony said into Riven¡¯s mind. ¡°Almost at the cusp of evolving further. Be wary, it will not be an easy fight and I don¡¯t want to lose my prized new host to an early death.¡± Riven was thinking the same thing. His life was truly on this line this time, and despite his greed at wanting that blasphemous pearl in the Clam¡¯s mouth - he decided to take the risk of summoning his legionnaires from the Blood God¡¯s realm anyways. The pearl wasn¡¯t good to him if he was dead. And the wards here might very well block the Blood God from seeing inside even if he did summon the legionnaires. Riven grunted his acknowledgement to Gluttony¡¯s information, let go of Jackal to hover in front of him, then smashed both his hands together. Tearing them apart with strings of blood and death mana ripping through space between his fingers, eight flashes of light appeared - four to either side of where he floated. [Legionaries of the Blood God (Death / Blood)(Tier 2): This is a temporary summoning spell that does not require minion slots. You may summon up to 8 Elite-Class Bloodstricken Undead from the Blood God¡¯s realm, equal in combat level to your own, and may designate whether or not you wish to summon Blood Knights, Blood Sorcerers, Blood Assassins, or a combination of the three when you do so. Undead are non-sentient and last for 5 minutes before disappearing. 1 day cooldown time. Very high mana cost.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] [Summoned Blood Sorcerer, Bloodstricken Undead, Level 200. ELITE.] Eight hooded skulls etched with unholy crimson runes on their foreheads stared with crimson orbs for eyes in their skull sockets. All eight sorcerers wore crimson robes of shifting runic black sigils and held staves with ruby orbs that flickered blood mana. He only ever used this spell when he was in truly dire need, and now was as good as any to get them on board. Yet the Clam before him seemed content just to watch and wait, only having unleashed its aura up until this point that continued to pound into his own with continued furiosity. ¡°I have not seen bloodstricken in quite some time.¡± The clam mused, rumbling from its position on the floor in the miles-wide chasm. ¡°But they are not enough.¡± Then, the clam moved. The stadium-sized beast launched itself off the stone floor, rocketing towards Riven as its mouth closed down tight. Blue ribbons trailed out behind it to propel it forward as its shell gained a solid layer of protective power. ¡°SHIT!¡± Riven unleashed his own attack to stall the monster¡¯s advance. Arcs of black lightning rumbled throughout the storm clouds and veered towards his opponent with thunderous booms. Enormous pillars of ice surged upwards and forwards to crash into the oncoming clam like a train, exploding with crystalized shrapnel and clouds of frost when they buckled under the pressure. The needle-like rain oriented itself to hail down on the clam as it pushed forward. Gluttonous storm razors smashed and cracked through the top layers of the clam¡¯s barrier defenses, adding corrosive sin afflictions with each strike that continued to stack by the thousands. But still the clam continued to fly through the ocean unhindered, despite large chunks of its barrier tearing off and burning away under the assault. Riven tore a black hole through space behind himself and each of his sorcerer summons just before the clam made impact, teleporting them and their mass of gathering lances all via riftwalk as a crash resounded on the opposite side of the room. Debris and rubble began raining down from the ceiling and walls where Riven had just been, where the clan had created an enormous crater along the back; but underneath it all - an exposed additional layer of Elysium¡¯s seal was seen under the rock layers. This entire chasm likely had the seal underneath the outer rim. He would have been utterly crushed if Riven had stayed where he was. Raising the free hand that didn¡¯t have Jackal in its grasp, Riven clenched his fist - and detonated all the razors still embedded in the clam¡¯s remnant barrier. [Gluttonous Storm Razors (Blood / Shadow / Sin): All of your Storm Razors will acquire stacking gluttonous afflictions upon impact. This affliction slowly eats away and corrodes your enemy over time as Sin damage unless dispelled, and the affliction can stack. Should you decide to detonate a selected razor, that detonation will burn through the nearby afflictions as fuel for an additional burst of Sin damage.] The monster¡¯s defenses were torn asunder in a flash of purple light, launching pieces of solidified mana in all directions as Riven grinned. ¡°Fire!¡± His sorcerers all followed his lead at the command, each shooting off somewhere between ten and twenty blood lances each that raced across the chasm at high speed with piercing tips. Riven¡¯s own critical storm lances were far faster given the imbuement of Snipe and the propulsion of the slingshot snares attached at their backs, and the crackling black arcs of lightning and blood trailing behind them started to attack the residual mana of the clam¡¯s aura in explosive strikes. CRASH Dozens of Riven¡¯s lances blurred forward and made impact, piercing through the rebuilding barriers the clam was constructing on the fly and tearing through into the clam¡¯s shell. The monster made a rumbling noise and continued its turn towards him though, seemingly unbothered by the attack as it completely ignored the other lesser blood lances that his summons were firing. Some of the normal blood lances flung by his summoned sorcerers didn¡¯t manage to even pierce the barrier at all as it rebuilt itself, and others that did manage to break through the barrier didn¡¯t manage to proceed further into the shell - only shattering when they made contact. He silently thanked his lucky stars that his own lances had a serious piercing upgrade with his latest evolution, and realized that his sorcerers would be somewhat useless against this opponent outside of simply draining its mana barrier by knocking chunks off. [Critical Storm Lance (Blood / Shadow): Your third evolution of blood lances are now wreathed in double the amount of black lightning as they previously were, have twice the flight speed, travel 50% farther when imbued with Snipe, and leave trails of lingering Black and Red storm energy in their flight paths that can strike out at enemies for a short time should they get too close. Chance for armor piercing strikes and critical strike damage are both drastically increased with this evolution.]Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°This thing is an absolute tank!¡± CRACK-SNAP-WHOOSH Three sorcerers on his left collapsed in on themselves amidst the loud snapping of reinforced bones when a swirling orb of blue blood tore a hole in the ocean like a gravity well. They didn¡¯t even last more than a second, putting up minimal resistance before they were snuffed out like flies. If it wasn¡¯t for Riven¡¯s enhanced reflexes under Blessing of the crow, he would have likely met a similar fate when another one of those blue gravity wells appeared right in front of him too - sucking all the blood in the area into a concentrated pit of devouring magic. He flashed backwards, using messenger¡¯s flight to further reinforce the power he was putting into manipulating the environment around him for faster movement. A series of barriers from his sorcerers engulfed two more of the gravity wells that popped up in adjacent areas he was soaring through, delaying and containing the clam¡¯s mana long enough for Riven and the other casters to get out of the way. He dodged, rift-walked, and spun around to return fire when his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. From the shell of the creature a mile from his position, large bumps the size of hills were forming along its shell. Those bumps were opening up with charged energy underneath the hard outer layer with a power spike that was rapidly increasing to surpass even his own maximum output. WHOOMPH KABOOM In an eyeblink, the clam discharged - and it was like watching a futuristic battleship unleash an entire payload all at once. An intake of ambient Blood mana caused the clam¡¯s shell to expand and then contract, releasing tens of thousands of pointed short missiles that blew apart the area surrounding the clam in their expansion. Riven watched in horror as tens of thousands turned into hundreds of thousands, and his gut sank further when all of those missiles that¡¯d been expanding out in all directions simultaneously turned to home in on his location. They were locked on. ¡°Holy shit¡­¡± ¡°MOVE!¡± Gluttony screamed as the missiles began to pick up velocity, each breaking the sound barrier with individual sonic booms that shattered space inbetween the clam and Riven with a maelstrom of ear-shattering sound. Riven immediately opened another rift, only for the clam to let out a pulse from its shell - creating the visage of a blue moon behind the clam like a sunrise peeking over the horizon. Riven¡¯s rift shut down instantly, and his horror mounted as a system notification appeared. [You have been afflicted with the debuff: Blood Curse of the Blue Moon¡¯s Exchange. This debuff can only be active on a single target and a single ability, at the cost of 10% of the caster¡¯s maximum Health. Blueblood Precursor Clam has paid the blood price and has selected Riftwalk as its chosen ability to lock down during this curse¡¯s duration of 30 minutes. This curse cannot be dispelled by any means below the caster¡¯s own grade, the maximum health lost by the caster cannot be healed for 30 minutes, nor can the caster re-use this curse for 60 minutes.] ¡°WHAT KIND OF BULLSHITTERY IS THAT!? THE BASTARD JUST GIMPED ME!¡± The enemy¡¯s barrage was beyond Riven¡¯s maximum output. Gravity wells were appearing around his position to trap him inside the area. And 30 minutes of not using Riftwalk was a nail in the coffin he was about to be buried in after he was ripped apart by the mountain of missiles headed right at him. His sorcerers attempted to stall the oncoming barrage in a valiant sacrifice to save him, but were wiped out like flies before a tsunami. Riven cycled the vast majority of his mana into one singular ability sigil on his pillars, eradicating all of his forming missiles in a quick gambit for speed. Profane Blessing of the Crow exploded with energy as the soul sigil was fed to maximum capacity, causing Riven¡¯s muscles to bulge and tear before rapidly repairing themselves as he turned to flee. Innumerable missiles bore down on his location, his body radiated with energy as his aura continued to battle the ever-oppressive clam¡¯s will, and it was suddenly game time. Riven rocketed backwards with an earth shattering explosion of mana that eradicated all the closest missiles in a shockwave of energy as he rushed headlong into the forming storm clouds of his aura. The missiles followed. He ducked and weaved, using Jackal¡¯s passively stored energy reserves to blast more of the enemy missiles as icy pillars rose up from the ground to intercept the wave of carnage homing in on his body. Black lightning strikes with enormous twisters of shadow and red ice crackled and boomed, tearing apart hundreds of the speeding torpedoes that actively tried to swerve around these obstacles while trailing his flight. Riven considered his options. His summons were gone, and he couldn¡¯t call on any of his other minions either. He¡¯d just tried again to no avail. Blood Nova was something he was keeping in reserve for a hard hitter given its cooldown, and if he was given the opportunity - possibly even a finishing move due to the empowering effect the ambient blood mana would have on his explosive projectile spell. Blaze of Profane Glory would have been a good option if he wasn¡¯t literally swimming through an ocean of Blood right now. He guessed that the flames would do SOMETHING, but may be snuffed out rather fast given the potent, wet environment of almost purely foreign mana when regarding the Infernal Sub-Pillar. He banked left when he came up against the wall, still thinking fast as he felt an impending series of missiles at the forefront come within range. CRACK-SNAP-CRASH Riven¡¯s spiked gauntlet from Messenger whipped out with his left hand to literally punch the speeding projectiles before contact, and his right hand used Jackal to bat them away with explosions of hellfire on contact with each strike. Watching the ambient Blood mana snuff out Jackal¡¯s passive fiery blasts with each smack, he was doubly sure that Blaze of Profane Glory would be a no go. CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK Stone exploded behind him like the wall was hit by a gatling gun, with shrapnel blasting out in a wave that followed his trail by mere meters despite traveling faster than the speed of sound. Dozens and then hundreds of missiles smashed into the stone wall he was speeding along, pressed up to it and flying by with only inches between himself and the outer perimeter as the storm of black and red raged overhead - a limitless hail of blue roaring through it. The storm filtered a good amount of the missiles, but it wasn¡¯t as much as he¡¯d like considering his own aura storm was being suppressed by the clam¡¯s aura in turn. But the sieve effect wasn¡¯t insignificant even despite this. Passing through that storm with all of the lightning strikes and twisters ravaging the barrage across black thunderclouds and deadly red hail - it reduced the number of threats by about a fourth. What else could he do to get rid of these things? Surely the clam had used some kind of trump card, there was no way it could cast that ability twice. Even if it was peak E-grade. Right? If that wasn¡¯t the case, if Riven was wrong, he was rather fucked. But he had to think positive here and banked on the idea that the barrage the clam had sent was a one time deal for the remainder of this fight. Attacks on that scale generally were single use with long cooldowns, or they were trump cards. He needed to lead the projectiles repeatedly through his storm, through swaths of wretched snares, into swarms of his ravenous beetles, and across the paths of critical storm lances with lingering energy trails until the bombardment was dealt with. Anything to whittle away the number of homing missiles hot on his ass. The key to this plan was making sure he didn¡¯t die in the process until he¡¯d exhausted the enemy¡¯s barrage, and giving that homing effect and that hundreds of thousands of missiles were currently locked onto him - it was going to be a rough patch. Riven began to- SMASH His left arm was nearly ripped off in a spray of blood and tendon when a missile smashed through it and detonated. He was sent spinning, skipping like a stone on a lake until he came to a skidding halt half-imbedded in the rock wall. He also felt a cold sensation spreading up from the wound of his shoulder where Messenger had been mangled, and the flesh began to freeze as the blue discoloration wrapped itself along his blood vessels. [You have been poisoned by Oathseeker Missile. 3 Stacks of Freeze Venom have been applied.] That was only a single missile that¡¯d landed, potent enough to tear through sin-affiliated armor that was easily some of the best - if not the very best - that Panu had to offer. If any more of those missiles managed to hit him, Riven was very likely a goner. Gluttony¡¯s soul projection intercepted the next oncoming swarm as his maw ripped through space and opened wide, black tendrils spilling out with a demonic roar. Riven was dazed but not completely out of it, and despite Gluttony taking out tens of thousands of the missiles by smashing them aside or swallowing them whole - Riven and Gluttony were still too weak at this stage to compete against the monster head on as it was. Gluttony¡¯s visage evaporated with a shriek of rage when the barrage became too much, as his soul clone projection was banished back to Riven¡¯s inner realm. But it¡¯d given Riven time to get his bearings back. ¡°ffffffFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!¡± His good hand gripped the mangled shoulder, fingers digging deep into the already exposed wound. Withdrawing Messenger¡¯s extension at a mental command to his armor, he formed claws along his fingertips and ripped off his own left arm to stop the freezing poison from spreading further. The pain was extreme. Panting and sealing the wound closed, he tossed aside his limb and blurred to the right - avoiding another series of impacts as the stone wall once again shattered like exploding glass in a trail behind him. ¡°I¡¯M NOT DONE YET!¡± Riven yelled, laughing like a madman as the adrenaline spiked. He wove around another incoming formation of the barrage, twisting through five of them and smashing aside the rest with another explosive blow of Jackal while maintaining his extreme speed via Profane Blessing of the Crow. His body was basically a nuclear reactor at this point, pumping out so much energy that his very skin was starting to peel off - and if not for his vampiric regeneration it likely would have already done so numerous times over. His eyes darted about, catching movement in his peripherals that he constantly dodged or blasted away. It was only when he had a moment to think clearly that he enacted his previously constructed plan, and opened his mouth to unleash a swarm of ravenous beetles from his insides. The insects erupted out of him like he was belching one of the plagues of Egypt. The sin spell cast them out, projectile vomiting thousands of the tiny creatures that intercepted the missiles one by one in massive detonations and explosion as Riven continued to peel off and zig zag through the storm - with the lightning strikes, hail, and twisters continued to batter the following blue torpedoes. Numerous massive nets of wretched snares were cast out at clumps, expanding with black, sharpened, prickly ropes that entangled entire clusters of the missiles to bring them down. Critical storm lances were cast out at the clam¡¯s distant shell whenever he got a chance to peak at it through the absolute shitshow around him, leaving trailing ribbons of raw storm energy behind the supersonic projectiles of blood and shadow that struck out and lashed at the barrage too. Explosions and shrapnel went everywhere. It was all encompassing, a part of the storm he found himself in, and it was absolutely maddening the kinds of maneuvers he was using to zip around giant pillars of crimson ice rising off the walls and floor. Those same pillars continued to shatter just as fast as they appeared - while the stone outer wall continued to detonate all around him in a massive roar of sound and fury. This Floor 22 had been something of a joke up until now. Unfortunately, the way things were currently going, he¡¯d be lucky just to get out alive. Chapter 310 Chapter 310 Ten minutes of fighting passed him by, but those ten minutes felt like an eternity as death¡¯s door was hanging wide open for him to drop in at any moment. [Malignant Prophecy has activ-] [Malignant Prophecy has been blocked.] [Malignant Prophecy has been blocked.] [Malignant Prophecy has been blocked.] [Malignant Prophecy has been blocked.] BLOCKED?! Riven had known it was bad, but with Malignant Prophecy trying to intervene on his behalf AND being blocked? It was less than encouraging, so now he was truly pulling out all the stops as he tried different combinations and attack methods at his disposal in a game of cat and mouse - where he was usually in the position of mouse. New gravity wells tried to catch him off guard and the clam would occasionally try to crush him by means of battering-ram style attacks whenever he seemed tied down by the missile barrage. The entire place looked like a madhouse of flashing lights and violent energies that shook the underground chasm at a constant rate. With his left arm missing and regenerating at a far slower pace than what was normal even for a grievous wound such as that, and with over half of the enemy¡¯s bombardment still trailing him through the storms and swarms and ribbons and snares - he couldn¡¯t wait any longer to take the fight to the enemy. He had to go on the offensive, not just take pot shots at it whenever an opening occurred. Thankfully his gluttonous storm razors seemed to do some amounts of damage to the peak E-grade entity by stacking sin afflictions that ate away at the giant clam¡¯s shell, and his critical storm lances hit even harder with piercing effects - but took longer to manifest than the swarms of razors he could summon with a snap of his fingers. What really sucked was that Voodoo Doll, Hells Armor, Profane Glory, Black Lightning, and Legionaries of the Blood God all had either failed him in one way or the other - or simply didn¡¯t penetrate the clam¡¯s outer defenses. Riftwalk was sealed. Soul Clone Projections were down after Gluttony¡¯s main projection had been banished back into Riven¡¯s soul for taking out a large chunk of the barrage to save Riven¡¯s life when he was embedded halfway into the wall upon losing his arm. His storm was great at taking out some of the incoming homing missiles the clam had sent out, but did only small amounts of damage to the clam¡¯s main body with the passive aura effect. Furious Storm passive build ups from his staff worked to an extent, but only in moderate amounts and only at close range. Ravenous Beetle Swarm was very effective when the projected summons got close, but occasional pulses of blue energy would wipe them out in massive numbers whenever the swarm eating away at the clam¡¯s exterior became too prevalent. Unlike the razors that left behind sin afflictions even if they shattered, the beetles did more damage but were themselves needed to maintain a steady stream of said damage. The beetles were also slower than the razors were and had a harder time catching the clam whenever it changed positions - because despite how large the thing was, the monster was certainly not slow. There were the options of Gluttony¡¯s Aspect of Demonic Heritage, his Tier 3 Sin skill, as well as his tier 3 Blood Nova for a hard hitter at range. The problem with these was that he had only a single shot at using either one of them for this battle given their significant cooldown times, and wanted to wear the clam down for a while if at all possible in order to make those skills count. Funnily enough though, despite the real danger to his life - Riven was beginning to have fun in a way that only extreme joyrides had given him in the past. He¡¯d felt this way from time to time since the system had intervened in Earth¡¯s destiny, and he rarely got to go all out like he was now. ¡°COMERE BIG BOY!¡± He spun, smashing through homing missiles with storm energy that surged out from his kicking leg as he flung another storm lance in a trailing arc straight into the oncoming clam. Dodging another projectile and creating a nova of flame with his staff when it connected with the shell, Riven skidded along the gigantic creature¡¯s top layer and backflipped off of it before reattaching himself to the clam with a wretched snare from where his stump arm was. The immense speed the clam¡¯s charge had sent the creature ripping through the ocean beneath him, and Riven was violently tugged along for the ride when his snare went tight. Crashing back down onto the scarred, pockmarked shell where fissures and cracks were abundant. One of those areas in particular was deeper and more riddled with damage than all the others. In front of where Riven stood and exactly where he¡¯d shot his last storm lance, there was a large crater in the clam that smoldered and crackled with remnant sin and storm energy. A stark contrast to the deep blue shell, the red and black crackling inside the pit Riven was digging had a solid twenty yards of depth into it and about twice as large a diameter. It was the largest of a few areas he¡¯d been working on during the battle, and if he could just get through the shell into the softer underside¡­ That was when things would get real. CRUNCH The clam smashed into another wall of the cavern, sending stone chip debris flying everywhere in a cloud of hail as the ceiling let off dust from spreading cracks. He was flung forward, but the snare attaching him to the clam¡¯s back kept him tethered like a seatbelt even despite the tremendous force - and after he regained his footing, he turned with a wild look in his eyes to point his staff downwards into the nearby pit. ¡°I¡¯LL BE TAKING THAT PEARL!¡± [Furious Storm: This staff can passively build up charges of furious storm, which utilizes a supercharged dose of any single energy from the pillars of Sin / Unholy / Shadow / Death / Blood / Infernal. You may only unleash one type of energy at a time. Power of furious storm depends on the amount of charge emitted.] Riven¡¯s staff erupted with built up energy for the twelfth time at close range, sending a healthy dose of Sin energy into the large crater with a beam of condensed purple light. The beam connected with the pit¡¯s bottom, a laser twice the size of his arm eating away at the clam¡¯s defenses and reinvigorating nearby gluttonous afflictions to further their corrosive effects. ¡°You are quite the pest¡­¡± The clam¡¯s alien voice muttered as its body began to pulse. ¡°I can see why you were allowed to access this hidden trial. Elysium chose well, but your test is still not over - you must kill me first. A task I am afraid you still might not be up to.¡± The clam exploded with raw power, sending that strange foreign blue blood mana crashing into its surroundings along all directions and sending Riven¡¯s body spiraling out towards the ceiling. However Riven had already encased himself in an orb of crystalized red ice. His storm roared around him, twisters and cyclones ripping apart the oncoming missiles and gravity wells as an enormous, charged critical storm lance began to form along Riven¡¯s outstretched arm. Black lightning crackled along his limb with a red hiss as the lance began to form, and with a gesture the lance grew to extreme proportions with a flare of energy along his skin. It erupted off his body and condensed with a snap of energy at high speed - rocketing towards the largest of the craters with a resounding CRACK.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. A large piece of the shell shattered. ¡°HA-HAAAAAA!¡± Riven¡¯s remaining arm spun the staff in his hand and smacked away another two missiles and he dodged another three with a blur to the left - instantly creating a dome of ice around himself before layering it to withstand the impact of yet another two. ¡°GOTCHYA BITCH!¡± Snares tore through the air in swaths, lightning danced around him and streams of energy swirled in the air behind trails of lances as he continued to snipe the clam with lances while beginning to build up another swarm of gluttonous storm razors. Pushing off the stone wall and landing on a platform of ice, he raced around a series of crimson pillars that sprang up from the walls and ground - maintaining a flight path on the side opposite the oncoming missiles tracking him. Pieces of the pillars ripped apart and sprayed into various directions with subsequent booms, and shifting his body weight while launching himself towards the turning clam¡¯s body - he shot the swarm of razors out towards the shell¡¯s crater again. The crackling, spinning razors flashed forward, tinted with purple light while shredding through another barrier the clam tried to pull up. Riven didn¡¯t have time to see how much of them had landed properly before needing to speed away again as more of the nearby walls were evaporated in sprays of stone with dozens of impacts, and he raced into a nearby stormcloud to emerge out the other side. Only to meet a long fleshy tendril that slithered out from the clam¡¯s mouth that slapped him into the next century. ¡°UMPH!¡± CRACK BOOM Like a speeding bullet he was sent smashing through two of his own crystalized pillars, though a chunk of detached wall, and cratered into the floor far below in a dramatic, earth shattering crash. ¡°How does it feel to be hit with my appendage, vampire?¡± The clam laughed in a booming voice. ¡°It has been too long since I¡¯ve used it! Ah, the thrill of this battle is quite stimulating!¡± Riven, still in the crater, sent out an enormous discharge of black lightning and sped away from the crater while circling back around. He cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Appendage? The way you talk about it makes things sound quite iffy.¡± ¡°If I am to believe this monster at face value¡­¡± Gluttony said warily. ¡°I believe he just smacked you with his penis.¡± ¡°He did NOT! Clams don¡¯t even have those.¡± ¡°He even used the word ¡®stimulating¡¯.¡± ¡°THAT WAS NOT A PENIS! It was just a strange fleshy tendril or something!¡± The clam let out another laugh. ¡°What if I were to say that it WAS!?¡± ¡°THEN I¡¯D SAY IT¡¯S RATHER SMALL FOR A CLAM OF YOUR SIZE!¡± Riven¡¯s staff smashed through a gravity well right when it appeared beside him and shot ahead through the storm - narrowly avoiding a sharp blade-shaped pulse of energy released from the clam¡¯s mouth when it opened up wide. Bubbles blasted out through the blood ocean, popping and sending Riven into a concussive nightmare that he only barely penetrated by condensing the mana around him into a sharpened cone. Ripping out the other side and seeing the wide open mouth of the enormous clam in front of him, he was about to take a chance and send a blood nova inside when Gluttony intervened. ¡°UP!¡± Gluttony tugged on Riven¡¯s body, forcing him to veer off course and only barley avoiding the snapping jaws of the clam when it lunged forward. The impact sent a shockwave of energy through Riven¡¯s body but he rotated with his change of direction and blasted energy into his feet - causing him to rocket over the clam¡¯s dorsal shell again and straight towards the large crater he¡¯d been working on all this time. The fleshy tendril followed. ¡°Penis incoming.¡± Gluttony commented, just now starting to feel a bit more confident about their chances now that the tide had very recently turned to be on more even footing. Confident enough to make stupid jokes anyway. Riven was not amused as he crashed directly along the crater¡¯s perimeter and anchored himself again with another wretched snare - the sticky black ropes tying him down like an anchor. ¡°That snake like thing is not a fucking penis, dipshit!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very kind thing to say to your buddy, Riven.¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the epitome of evil, but instead you¡¯re here making dick jokes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just never had a reincarnation get slapped by a penis before-¡± ¡°YOU¡¯VE NEVER BEEN REINCARNATED BEFORE EITHER!¡± Riven ignored the laughter and sent yet another empowered lance directly into the deepened crater. The shell¡¯s bottom this time actually cracked all the way through with a small spray of flesh, and Riven threw up a pillar of crimson ice to skewer the fleshy large tendril racing towards him from the front of the clam¡¯s mouth - eliciting a pained roar from the monster he was currently latched to. ¡°If ANYTHING that is a tongue! Nefajia crecus blood nova!¡± His hand released the staff and underwent the proper motions as he spoke the words, finally seeing an opportunity to dig all the way into the clam from the outside. The area around him shattered, trembled and split. A huge shockwave smashed through the ocean and tore asunder all the nearby projectiles heading his way, and was followed by an enormous condensed globe of swirling blood mana that vaporized the entire interior of the crater with tremendous force. KABOOM Riven¡¯s wretched snare tether snapped as he was thrown off by the impact of his own spell, but he took far less damage than the clam did. The fissure that¡¯d been at the bottom of that crater was ripped open entirely, with fragments of shell and a purplish flesh underneath spraying out of the beast in dozens of house-sized chunks. The clam let out a feral scream of rage and pain, whirling and spinning rapidly before crashing into the nearby wall again and then flopping onto the floor with yet another crash. It was now or never. [Gluttony¡¯s Aspect of Demonic Heritage (Sin)(Tier 3): A martial art that enhances you through the power of your fully formed Mark of the Sinner. Your body merges with your soul clone for 1 minute, allowing you to take on an ultimate demonic form as an aspect of the Great Maw. Very long cooldown, which can be reduced by killing and eating others.] His body exploded as the tattoos along his skin all lit up from black to violet and messenger ripped off his skin to fly into his spatial sack - making room for the change and taking Riven¡¯s cloak with him. His arm grew back instantly. Muscles tore apart and rebuilt themselves. A long black tail sprouted from his backside, his bare chest split open to reveal a vertical gluttonous maw with razor sharp teeth. Huge demonic horns sprouted from his head and his hair receded to reveal pitch black skin with glowing violet sigils emblazoned upon his skin, and his hands and feet exploded with claws. Legs snapped backwards and grew larger, inverting like a T-rex, and spines tore open across his spine while he grew to five times his normal height. Bone spikes tore out of his kneecaps and elbows, and his teeth grew like knives. Flapping four black and violet demonic wings many times his own height to gain momentum, his demonic body surged forward with a scream of feral rage. Thirty feet tall and well over a few thousand pounds, he extended his claws and torpedoed towards the open, gaping wound in the clam¡¯s shell. It was time to finish this, and the glint in his eyes was a testament to the violence Riven was about to unleash on his absurdly tanky creature - even if it was the last thing he¡¯d do. The clam¡¯s voice echoed within the chasm as it opened its mouth to expose the pearl. ¡°I¡­ Surrender.¡± ====================================================== CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE DEFEATED THE HIDDEN TRIAL BOSS: BLUEBLOOD PRECURSOR CLAM. ELYSIUM HAS UNSEALED YOUR POINT OF EXIT. YOU NOW HAVE TWO CHOICES: FINISH THE BATTLE AND ATTEMPT TO KILL THE CLAM FULLY, GAINING FAVOR WITH THE BLOOD GOD; OR ACCEPT THE CLAM¡¯S SURRENDER. YOU MAY CLAIM THE CLAM¡¯S PEARL NOW IF YOU WISH TO LET THE CLAM LIVE. SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO GAIN FAVOR WITH THE BLOOD GOD FOR MORE HIDDEN PRIZES, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT NOW. ========================================================== The missiles around him all exploded without preamble. The gravity wells disappeared too, and the clam kept its mouth open with the shining pearl on its¡­ tongue¡­ in full view for Riven to take should he accept the surrender. Riven paused mid flight, veering left and flaring his wings to come to an abrupt and quite surprised stop. ¡°Surrender with a boss fight? Is that even a thing?¡± ¡°Apparently for this trial, it is.¡± Gluttony said. ¡°That is an identifiable system message. Elysium does not lie about things like this. If it considers the battle complete, then it is complete - should you want to take this out.¡± Silence. And then more silence. Riven already knew what he was going to choose. Despite being royally pissed off at this monster that¡¯d nearly crushed or eaten or blown him up a billion times, and even after having finally dealt some serious damage to the beast, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to try and continue a fight that he had a very real chance of dying in; despite enjoying having gone all out for the first time in quite a while. Even if the odds were now in his favor, the clam wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d want to tango with again anytime soon and a way out was something Riven would be more than happy to take. ¡°You¡¯ll answer my questions if I agree?¡± Riven asked as the seconds on his transformation ticked by. ¡°Yes.¡± The clam eventually said. ¡°I will answer whatever it is you wish me to tell you, and you may have the pearl as promised. My surrender is absolute, and I find you a worthy contender for the task at hand. I wish to converse with you about what it is I¡¯m tasked to do here, and hope that we can come to terms before one of us is slain in prolonged battle. Please, accept my pearl and allow me to talk - so that you may understand what it is you truly hold in your grasp when the treasure is passed.¡± Chapter 311 Chapter 311 [You have chosen to end the boss fight. The Blood God has not been made aware of what transpired here, per the agreement with the deceased gods of the previous Blood Pantheon. You have obtained the following rewards:] [Prize 1] [Trishard Blood Pearl (C-Grade Blasphemous Blood Artifact): This relic has condensed the affinities from 3 of 5 paths the Sub-Pillar of Blood may take, and has non-permanently bound to you: Riven Thane, as its new wielder. This item is shielded from the Blood God¡¯s farsight, detection, and scrying abilities - and will be viewed as a normal Blood artifact by all but the most powerful of his Blood Clergy, Blood Precursors, and the bearer of this item. This item holds long lost and buried secrets of the Blood Sub-Pillar, and is marked as an extremely taboo artifact by the current Blood God. Study and meditate on this item for further insights into powers now lost to all but the dead. +200% bonus to Dao insights regarding the Blood Sub-Pillar while meditating with this item in hand. Large amounts of Blood mana of any type may be stored inside this Trishard Blood Pearl, and it creates ambient Blood mana at a steady rate to either be used as stored mana or to be used to change environments. This item may be stored within your soul space at will. Must naturally be of 99% Blood Affinity or more to properly wield this item. [Prize 2] [Blasphemous Enriched Blood Lake (Unique Guild Hall Add-On): A large portion of the Blueblood Precursor Clam¡¯s realm has been cut off from the Abyssal Descent and has been molded into a hyperdense, energy-rich cultivation resource for you to use. This lake will appear as a normal blood lake to any clergy of the Blood God and may also provide an ample environment for growing exotic Blood-affinity plants and dao treasures. While meditating within or near the lake, the current Blood God will be blind to any taboo experimentations and objects, and abundant amounts of Blood energies will be available to your call. The Blueblood Precursor Clam, along with the leech swarms of the Abyssal Descent¡¯s Floor 22, will reside within this lake and are disguised from being blasphemous creatures while they remain within or near the lake; and they will protect your guild hall with their lives should it come under attack. Riven held out his hand as Messenger wrapped around his body again, and shakily took the extended pearl from the clam¡¯s appendage with a gentle touch. The pearl was only slightly larger than a baseball, and was incredibly heavy to the touch when he first grasped it given the extreme density of the mana within. It was like holding a thousand nuclear bombs between his fingertips, and the purity of the mana was like a supernova to his mana senses. Cycling Blood mana through it caused the item to float though, and it hovered an inch off his open palms while moving it around without much issue afterward the change. He rolled it around in his hands for a time, admiring the absolute godlike aura this item gave off. A C-grade artifact when he was only in the F-grade was akin to giving a stone-age tribe a military grade bazooka to bring along to their next scuffle between primitive tribes, and though he could likely get better items from The Blood Moon Requiem or The Church of Gluttony: would they be able to provide said items that he could actually use right now? 99.99999% of items like this one had strict use requirements that prevented relatively weak people like him in the F-grade from using immensely powerful artifacts. He knew not only because of his own limited experiences, or due to the shopping at various conclaves, but also because he¡¯d discussed these ideas with Lillith. He¡¯d very specifically asked Lillith for an SSS-grade weapon from the church to use with Gluttony¡¯s upcoming second class before she¡¯d been kidnapped by the system, but she¡¯d said that it¡¯d be impossible and was more likely to kill Riven upon trying to use it due to the severe gap in power; similar to how the ring had burned Riven back in Negrada¡¯s hellscape dungeon when he¡¯d first tried it on so early in Chalgathi¡¯s trials. Be it level requirements, stat requirements, faction requirements, pillar requirements, race requirements, or a combination of those things - most higher grade items would have him out of the loop. But this C-grade one only had a 99% Blood Affinity requirement, which for most people would be a far harder obstacle to overcome. But not for him. And on top of that, the real treasure here was the knowledge it could pass onto him should he learn about the three paths purified somewhere within the depths of this swirling orb. Even now, he could see occasional flickers of blue in the deeper core of the pearl whenever the blood circulated certain ways; though he didn¡¯t see any signs of gold and silver. Not yet, anyway. Perhaps that would come later, or perhaps not. Perhaps it didn¡¯t have anything to do with those colors and was merely a play on words. He was looking forward to finding out though, and was particularly curious about the single path that was not labeled as ¡®Taboo¡¯ by the Blood God: The Supreme Path of Red and Black Domination. Had he already started down this path with his more basic and likely far weaker Path of Red and Black? He was guessing yes, though a mental prod to Gluttony revealed no answers on the subject. Gluttony merely gave a mental shrug, and reminded Riven that his memories had been stripmined by Elysium as part of the pact to get out of his abyssal prison. ¡°It¡¯s like a small piece of heaven¡­¡± Riven muttered, holding the pearl up against his chest. The clam laughed, and lowered its appendage back into its shell before snapping its mouth shut - but it still projected its words through the bloody ocean without problem. ¡°Heaven, you say? I never would have thought to see the day a reincarnation of Gluttony himself would claim such a thing. Hail, scion of the Great Maw, and welcome to the Abyssal Descent. You performed admirably, and it is an honor to have one such as you claim the pearl. With your backing, it is my hope that you can one day truly aspire to recreate the lost fragments of the Blood Sub-Pillar.¡± ¡°It is a matter of speech from my old world. Forgive me, Gluttony.¡± Riven¡¯s body shuddered as the whispers of the pearl embraced him in body and soul, and it took a lot of effort to keep his eyes open with the lines of power drawing into him like fonts of bliss. Even now, his soul lattice was expanding rapidly and the long-standing cracks of his once shattered soul realm that¡¯d been patched back together by Gluttony were now not only disappearing entirely - but were being reinforced. ¡°Tell me¡­¡± Riven whispered. ¡°Specifically about the enriched lake¡­ Why now? Why this?¡± The clam rumbled, and the cavern shook underneath the vibrations it made. ¡°Do you not wish to have it?¡± ¡°It is not that I do not wish it to be mine. Having your support at my beck and call near the place I call home would be suitable, certainly. The same could be said for the leeches. But it is strange¡­ that a guild hall add-on would be what you chose to give, rather than something else.¡± Riven¡¯s eyes lifted, and he shakily put the pearl into his soul space, producing a sharp exhale when it entered his chest. He almost wanted to dig it out again right then and there, but the power it was radiating was just too distracting for him to think clearly while touching it. ¡°Lillith was gathering rare plants for a garden at the guild hall, back on the second floor of the descent. It was as if she was expecting to not have access to them ever again.¡± ¡°Lillith of the Black Skies?¡± The clam asked. ¡°The one and only. She spoke in a way that hinted at an upcoming calamity.¡± Riven raised an eyebrow, but the clam did not reply. ¡°Gluttony will not answer me in great detail either, as he says he is not entirely sure of the situation at large and does not want to feed me false pretenses. I feel like he¡¯s lying.¡± At this, Gluttony¡¯s laugh echoed throughout the room - but otherwise the great sin did not say anything to nullify Riven¡¯s thoughts. When the clam did not reply, Riven continued with a frustrated edge tugging at the corners of his lips. ¡°Jarntus Bemule, a human Earl of the Idorac Federation in Universe 10 and of a planet bordering my own ancestral home of House Wraithtide, came to me in one of the trading communes earlier in the descent as well. He spoke of how his leaders are pooling all their military might into one solar system in preparation for¡­ something. Of which he is not sure. And my mother¡­¡± Riven trailed off upon remembering his mother¡¯s visionary message back on the first floor. ¡°She too has hinted of something big to come. Guild halls have the ability to transition between locations, between worlds even, and I can¡¯t help but feel like this gift of yours also correlates with all of these. A preparation for things to come. Am I wrong?¡± There was a long pause. ¡°I believe Gluttony would be a better candidate to speak on such things, as I am but a mere guardian.¡± The clam eventually said. ¡°But I can tell you what I have observed while being banished here in the Abyssal Descent for so long.¡± Another pause, and Riven gestured for the clam to continue. ¡°Cracks¡­ are forming along the outer perimeters of Elysium¡¯s borders.¡± The clam began again. ¡°Cracks in the very membrane of what Elysium is. It is just a guess, but I believe that the multiverse is breaking down. Why or how, I cannot say - but what will follow is likely anyone¡¯s guess. The scope and outcome are vague, but such things do not happen without reason or without consequence; and binding a piece of this realm to your guild hall in the form of a lake is just a means to keep an eye on you while you fulfill the wishes of a pantheon long dead. A pantheon that I made a promise to, before being put here so long ago.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°I see. It is unfortunate you do not know more, but I appreciate the insight nonetheless.¡± Riven gave a small bow of respect, noting the clam¡¯s shell was already repairing itself at a rapid rate. ¡°I have many questions about the Blood God, the fractured pieces of the Blood Sub-Pillar, and what this pearl actually is. What it all means, why it all happened the way it did, and why me. You said you would explain, and I wish to keep you to that promise. I intend to pursue this taboo path down the road of Blood, as it feels right¡­ and it is what Gluttony wants. I require your insights.¡± The clam let out another laugh. ¡°I intend to answer all of that, vampire descendant. Though that will take time, and will likely require many weeks if not months to go over the full history of how and why such as you ask. For now, let us discuss the basics¡­ we will have much more time later when you return to your guild hall and apply the lake to it. And if I am correct, after overhearing your words in your stay on Floor 22, I do believe it is in your best interest to proceed at a faster pace through the descent to make it back to your homeworld. The world quests of integrating planets always grow harder to subvert should you sit on them, and it would not be wise to let your enemies grow in strength while you dawdle here listening to an old clam and his stories for too long.¡± *** [You have re-entered the pocket realm of Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. You are designated Team Leader of team DEEZ NUTZ. Your objectives are simple: survive the monster attacks for at least 24 hours while traveling over or through the ocean of blood. Acquire gifts from the sacrificial altars, where opportunities to enhance your gifts will be presented to you should you decide to take them at the last altar, where contact may also be established with outside entities to help to further your goals at a price. You must touch all three altars from Floor 22 in order to proceed to Floor 23. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.] [You have touched 2 of 3 sacrificial altars, accepting 2 Blood Tokens to be used at the very last sacrificial altar without having taken the opportunity to sacrifice any of your party members. You have 2 mandatory hours left to spend on this floor.] Riven emerged from the bloody pool as a thunderous roar of souls ripped out of the artifact and flooded towards the sky. They were all the souls that¡¯d been trapped there in the blood ocean, in what Genua had called a Pool of Atonement. He was a bit agitated that he couldn¡¯t take the S-grade artifact with him, but at the end of the day he probably wouldn¡¯t qualify to use it anyways and didn¡¯t really have a use for it either. So he¡¯d requested the clam let the souls go, and watched as the tiny lights spiraled out towards the dark skies above before vanishing into the nothingness of the abyss. Free at last. ¡°UMPH!¡± He nearly lost his breath when Athela¡¯s body smashed into him with a bear hug, as the demoness violently sobbed and fell to her knees with tears rolling down her face. ¡°Riven!¡± She hiccuped and cried, burying her forehead against the abdominal armor of Messenger as he felt his rips about to pop. ¡°R-Riven I was s-so worried!¡± She coughed and trembled, and Riven knelt down to scoop her up in his arms while holding her tight. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Riven said with a smile, brushing his fingers through her hair to massage her scalp comfortingly as she clung to him like glue. ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sorry I scared you.¡± Fay was almost equally upset, biting her nails and trembling on the sidelines - but her tears were those of relief; and she gave Athela a moment to hug him before coming over herself. ¡°You definitely scared us.¡± Fay said, leaning in and shakily embracing him. ¡°But I had faith in you. When the notification for the boss battle came up, the letters were somewhat scrambled and we all freaked out. It said something about a clam? Like I said, the notification was blurred due to anti scrying wards. We tried breaking in numerous times but couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I was not worried.¡± Genua promptly stated. Kara on the other hand was slightly shocked, pale eyes wide while staring at him. Despite everything she¡¯d seen and now knew, she was still adapting to the idea of what and who Riven was. ¡°You¡­ Solo¡¯d a hidden event boss monster by yourself? In the Abyssal Descent?¡± Azmoth gave a grunt and aggressively nodded, flaming wings flaring out to either side while he crossed his arms. ¡°Not worried. Riven too overpowered. Agree with Genua.¡± Prince Rantali let out an amused huff when he side-eyed Azmoth and pushed a golden gauntleted hand through his bloodied blonde hair. ¡°Just what happened inside that thing?! And why are there souls flying out? Did you get any prizes for defeating the boss monster in there?¡± Riven hesitated. He knew that the description of the pearl said it would hide the fact it was a taboo, blasphemous item from most other people - but nothing in the multiverse was infallible. For now, at least until they passed this floor after contacting what would probably be The Blood Moon Requiem at the last sacrificial altar, he would keep the pearl hidden. He didn¡¯t need any S-grade monsters like his great grandmother looking at it up close with some kind of item detection ability that¡¯d pierce the veil. If he did talk about the pearl, he¡¯d make sure he didn¡¯t tell Rantali - another vampire and child of the Blood God - that the item was indeed blasphemous. For the same reason he didn¡¯t want to reveal anything about the information that clam had given Riven regarding The Supreme Path of Blazing Azure Creation, which is the strain the clam was most affiliated with. The descriptions had been temporarily vague, but the gist of it was that if he managed to explore different great paths down the Blood Sub-Pillar - he¡¯d be able to unlock different aspects of what blood could do. Not much to go off of, but Riven would have a lot of time to talk things out when meditating on the pearl and when the clam was acting as a guard dog to his guild hall. ¡°That¡¯s a bit complicated. How about we finish this floor first?¡± Riven replied. Prince Rantali nodded, and gave Riven a small bow. ¡°That is fine if you don¡¯t want to say, but unfortunately I am not sure that we can proceed together past this point. It depends on the floor, but if we can - then certainly I will accompany you! It would be an honor.¡± Deferring to Riven, Prince Rantali stepped aside and gestured towards the obsidian sacrificial altar at the other end of the platform they stood on. Riven ruffled Athela¡¯s hair, slapped Fay¡¯s backside, fistbumped Azmoth and gave Genua a warm smile while beginning to walk forward. None of the others said much, including Retesh and Kara, but rather they too inclined their heads with respect as Riven used Jackal like a walking stick to cross the bloodied stone. The staff clicked along the floor as the rest fell into line, and wordlessly Riven used his open left palm to produce the blood tokens they¡¯d gathered from the orcs he¡¯d eaten and the azag hive warriors the orcs had killed just before that. The red crimson coins shimmered in the air in front of him, and he collected them one by one. The altar itself was just like all the others: a large slab of obsidian stone with dried blood covering it; although this one had the naked dead body of another participant pinned to the stone with a large spear jutting from the man¡¯s chest. Bones of the dead were scattered all around its base, and Riven¡¯s feet crunched over the piles until he came to the altar¡¯s front. Ripping the spear out of the dead man on top and unceremoniously pushing the body off the altar¡¯s flat surface with the head of his staff, he flung the spear aside and slapped the blood tokens down. [31 Blood Tokens Received by the last sacrificial altar. The Abyssal Descent will pay 57 Blood Tokens for Prince Rantali¡¯s sacrifice, 49 Blood Tokens for Kara¡¯s sacrifice-] Riven swiped the notification away. ¡°I decline to sacrifice anyone. And no, no one else will be coming forward to speak for the party.¡± [Each Blood Token is a valuable bargaining chip. Before making your decision on whether or not to sacrifice anyone, review the list of-] ¡°I said no. There will be no sacrifices.¡± Riven swiped it away a second time. He saw all of his party members also decline their own messages when Elysium tried to bribe them too, and he could almost hear Kara¡¯s sigh of nervous relief when she saw that he¡¯d maintained his stance on not killing her. Despite the dark elf¡¯s offer to sacrifice herself for such a situation previously, he¡¯d known that she still wanted to live. More than anything, he suspected that she¡¯d given him the self proclaimed ultimatum of sacrificing her to make up her debt - or choosing to have her on for a life debt where she¡¯d work to repay it indefinitely - as a way to have an in and stay with him after this event dive. He chuckled at the idea, because it was a poorly disguised ticket to a better life for her in more ways than one - but he wasn¡¯t about to tell her that he¡¯d seen through the obvious ruse because at the end of the day it was harmless to him and his team. If anything, Athela would seriously enjoy it. He still seriously doubted she¡¯d be a good asset in terms of fighting power, but he wouldn¡¯t mind hiring her on as a guild manager or something like that. She didn¡¯t seem to enjoy the pursuit of power or fighting at all, so he had a heavy guess that she¡¯d latch onto the idea like a moth to flame - but that was all a discussion for another day. [The Abyssal Descent acknowledges your choice, no further Blood Tokens will be dispensed. You have touched 3 of 3 sacrificial altars. You have 2 mandatory hours left to spend on this floor.] [No prior gifts have been given at other altars due to lack of sacrifices. Do you wish to apply these new gifts and upgrades to yourself, or spread the benefits over your entire team?] [Entire team has been selected. 31 Blood Tokens have been absorbed by the sacrificial altar. Converting Blood Tokens now for gifts and enhancements.] Without warning Riven¡¯s spatial sack flashed, and the jade halberd he¡¯d bought on floor 2 was brought out by the system. He¡¯d barely looked at the thing since getting it, but Gluttony had wanted it for whenever the second class was created - so that was that. All around him, other members of the group had items of their own start to flash out of spatial bags - or they were simply torn off the bodies of the wearers for inspection by Elysium. Athela¡¯s black tiara, Azmoth¡¯s shengari shields, Prince Rantali¡¯s breastplate, Kara¡¯s quiver, and Retesh¡¯s tattered old cloak joined my halberd alongside my halberd. Each of the items began to glisten and shimmer as the obsidian altar reached out with crimson threads from its base to touch the items simultaneously. Small and large alterations along the various items took place in their own distinct ways, and a few new items appeared in front of the vampiric knights Prince Rantali had brought along. Fay and Genua had new items built from thin air as particles condensed to take shape in front of them. It took a few minutes, but at the end of it - Riven was pleased with the results. Each of them had bonuses that weren¡¯t anything to scoff at. Fay received a simple but effective bone wand with a single unholy rune at the base that amplified curse magic and nullified the cost such magics took on her in the form of pain or HP. The green affliction fireballs Fay was taught to use by the succubus Lavini during their training on Floor 1 was often disregarded due to the significant pain these flames caused Fay - but using the wand to cast them would help solve this problem. [Bone Wand of Curse Reduction: Channel curse magics through this wand to amplify their effectiveness and power by 10%. Pain, debuffs, and other curse costs caused by casting curse magic is reduced by 66%. Cast time while using this wand is also reduced by 18%. This weapon requires a combat level of 200 and an Unholy Affinity of 46% to use.] Fay was outwardly excited, and turned to repeatedly slap Riven¡¯s shoulder like a dog itching a scratch. ¡°Wow! Riven this is just what I¡¯ve been wanting! Items that can reduce curse costs are like, super rare!¡± WACK-WACK-WACK-WACK-WACK ¡°Ok! Ok, just stop hitting me!¡± Riven laughed, shoving her off of him and pushing the new item into her hands. Genua received prayer beads of all things. They were colored red and black, just like the ornamental headdress and form fitting priestess outfit she had on, and they hung in a loop from her fingers as she studied the sigils carved into each one. [Prayer Beads of the Red Dawn¡¯s Chant: While holding these prayer beads, you may chant the mantra engraved onto these beads repeatedly in order to increase the efficacy of any miracle you intend to cast. The longer you chant, the more potent your miracle becomes up to a 50% increase in power and efficacy. +180 Faith. This charm requires a combat level of 200 and a Blood Affinity of 59% to use.] It was nice to see some good new items for the team, but the upgraded items were only now finishing their transitions.