Turning The Tides
Turning The Tides
"You can try to inspect them if you want, I'm out of here," another player answered him before sprinting away. The charging Wendigos were too much of a scene to bear, their height, size, strength, and hideousness were enough to cause shivers to run down one's spine.
"Keep it together! We can handle these things! Tanks huddle up at the front! Archers and mages get ready to blast them down!" White Ghost shouted out instructions trying to calm his men down.
"The players are panicking, dying at this level will waste a lot of their time to regain their lost EXP. Do you really think we can hold those off with just banding together?" Zhang Shi questioned the tactician.
"If you have better ideas, I'm all ears, otherwise just shut up and do what I say! Wan Yi, lead the Berserkers! Intercept the advance of the Wendigos, and leech their aggro while our men retaliate! Cervantes, where the hell are you?!"
"Right here boss," a player showed up right next to White Ghost.
"I want Skelly here yesterday! We can't waste any more time. We're down to the last hour before he secures the palace," White Ghost ordered.
"Sure thing, Boss. Although Skelly's all the way over there. Why not just focus fire on him and bring him down? We should have more than enough archers with sniping skills."
'For fuck's sake, what is it today with everyone questioning me?!' If looks could kill, White Ghost would have killed Cervantes. Instead, he took a very deep breath before declaring. "That's not Skelly up there."
Cervantes frowned, looked back at the bearded draugr on top of the walls and scratched his head. "I think you might need glasses because I've never have seen another draugr with a beard that long."
"It's a condition to conquer a kingdom. The player with Kingship needs to stand inside or around the palace otherwise the time limit will be halted. That's a clone or body double. Whatever the case it can't be Skelly." White Ghost explained clutching his hand into a fist trying hard not to strangle the one before him.
"Oh right, I forgot about that. Alright, see ya guys in a few, I'll get him here once I find him." Cervantes replied with enthusiasm.
The player touched his temple with two fingers and disappeared.
"Why does he do that every time? I mean it's not like his skill actually requires that action to activate?" Wan Yi wondered shaking his head.
"I've wondered the same. My best guess is that he was influenced by some old animated character. Anyway, Wan Yi, get ready you have an important role to play here. You'll have to handle two of these," White Ghost pointed at the Wendigos.
"Just two? Hah, that's a piece of cake, even without a Legacy."
"Yeah, I always admired that irrational side of you, now go. Show our members how we do things." White Ghost sent him off.
"Right!" Wan Yi roared and charged ahead, despite all of the members slowly retreating from the incoming Wendigos.
Wan Yi pulled out another battle-ax, dual-wielding them at the same time, he whirled them as he ran forward charging into the gullet of two Wendigos.
"HEAVEN DAWNERS! WITNESS YOUR GUILD MASTER CHARGE BRAVELY IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY! ALONE! HOW DARE YOU CLAIM YOURSELVES AS MEMBERS OF OUR GUILD IF YOU FEAR THOSE BEASTS?! I AM ASHAMED OF YOU ALL!" White Ghost's voice sounded through the battlefield.
Suddenly, all the retreating players halted, they saw their leader charging against the retreating tides and this brought both a sense of shame and at the same time a sense of excitement.
"Vice guild master is right! We need to help him! I'd rather die and lose a level than someone calling me a coward! I'm off to die, who's joining me?" a player called.
His friends and the players around him who had been fleeing nodded raised their arms together and charged behind their guild master.
"Oh, not bad, that White Ghost is really good at leading people," Dave commented.
"Indeed, with but a few words he managed to spark the sense of camaraderie and bravery in his underlings. He reminds me of a certain someone," Dortha smiled while looking at Dave.
"Yeah, humans are emotional creatures. Mere words alone wouldn't cut it. Without action, and I'm talking about Wan Yi, who charged head first, White Ghost's words would have changed nothing. Wan Yi is the muscles, but White Ghost is more dangerous. He is the brains of the entire Guild and he knows how to use the muscles well. However…" Dave didn't finish his words.
"Yes, even with brains and brawns, one cannot surpass ultimate power."
The screeching whistling sound of the Wendigos blared through the battlefield as two of them clashed with Wan Yi. Both creatures simultaneously slammed their enormous limbs at the guild master.
Wan Yi had to halt and cross both his battle axes to hold off the blast. But mere axes were not enough to contain the power resulting from creatures that had gone head to head against the Ash King's most powerful battle units, the Sworn Stalwarts.
Wan Yi was forced to his knees, the strength behind the massive units was enough to crater the ground around him. Even with his barbaric strength and beefy HP, he was not a match to the beasts in a direct strength contest. Whatever served under Dortha, needed to have a certain level of power. And Wan Yi's level of Strength was still far from holding off one, not to mention two Wendigos on his own.
"Fuck, I miscalculated," White Ghost cursed as he realized that the players who went to replicate Wan Yi's feat were sent to an early grave.
The hope he garnered in the players began fading, the fear of the massive creature began wriggling its way back into their fragile hearts. He needed to do something and fast.
"LIGHT GOD! Give me power! Bless your devotees with power to vanquish their foes! I call upon the power of the god of creation! Demiurge! Grant us your blessing!" White Ghost's voice sounded high and mighty.
Soon after, an enormous, yet very familiar light and avatar showed up above White Ghost.
The golden avatar had both his hands folded in front of him and looked at all creation in disdain. His mere existence was too much for the world to bear and the earth began quacking. Yet his light was powerful enough to fight against the darkness and forced the withering ground around White Ghost to grow filled with life. Small sprouts grew up from the dirt giving hope for life after death.
"Huh, so Demiurge is this guy's patron. I should have made that conclusion a while ago," Dave mumbled.
"You speak the name of gods lightly, Childe," Dortha commented. He had an annoyed look on his face, not at Dave, but at the light that began premating the darkness the Undead's present had created.
"Oh, I just had the chance to meet him. He wasn't much," Dave revealed nonchalantly.
"Huh, an Undead surviving an encounter with the God of Light, that is certainly a first."
"Yeah, check this out," Dave grinned then placed a foot above the gate wall and shouted.
"HEY DEMI-CUP! DON'T YOU DARE INTERFERE YOU LAZY ASS PRICK! THIS AIN'T YOUR FIGHT!" Dave shouted.
White Ghost gazed at Dave like he was an idiot. The Avatars of Legacies do not speak, they were mute. But what happened next caused the mastermind of the Heaven Dawn's guild to yelp.
"Y-You! What are you doing here?! And WHAT did you just call me?!" The avatar spoke. Were it not for his stuttering at the start his tough image might have been more convincing.
"I called you DEMI-CUP! Get the hell out of here, this isn't your fight. Go back to sleep you sloth!" Dave shouted back.
"Humpf, I do not heed the words of lesser creatures!"
"Do you need me to get Nick to come over? Speaking of him, did you get your door fixed yet? Nevermind don't tell me I'd rather find out next time we come to visit!" Dave taunted the god.
The avatar gulped audibly until he screamed like a child throwing a tantrum: "Hooligans, the both of you! Do you have any idea how long I need to wait to get that door repaired?! Screw you and Nick. If you come over… I'll… I'll…. ARGH!!! I'm done! You!" the avatar pointed at White Ghost who was stunned by stupor.
"NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER CALL ME WHEN THIS PERSON IS NEARBY!!"
And with that, the avatar went out like a light bulb turning off.
Though the avatar had disappeared, White Ghost's Legacy remained active. After all, the avatar had only ever been meant as a cosmetic effect to the Legacy Skill. White Ghost himself continued to glow in the light of his Legacy, but the mere fact that Dave had actually told off a god had been enough to shatter the remaining figments of hope the players had.
"Damn…how badass you got to be to be able to scare off a god with mere words?" A player spoke.
Another one added, "Seems like Skelly had traumatized Demiurge, enough that he never wants to appear again in front of him. Damn bruh!"
"SILENCE!" White Ghost shouted, "The avatar might have been useless, but I still have the skills! [Bless They Be!], [Light, Vanquish the Dark]!" White Ghost held his staff up and lit up the sky. The powerful divine light caused the Wendigos to wince. Their flesh burnt as the powerful divine power supporting the White Ghost acted as a perfect counter to their existence.
"Well, the mental blow was still worth it. But I suppose I need to do something because the Wendigos aren't fighting well with all that light."
"Worry not, Childe. Those creatures only become more vicious the more threatened they feel… Childe?" Dortha's words fell on empty ears.
Suddenly, the Draugr that had stood next to him morphed back into Tiny.
"Where is your master?" Dortha asked the small Grave Lord.
The creature unable to speak words in his blob form changed a part of his slimy body to a mouth and spoke guttered words, "Lost contact! Lord, kidnapped!"
"CURSES! CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT! YOUR LORD HAS BEEN ABDUCTED! HEED THE CALL, BRING CARNAGE AND DEATH ONTO THE VILE!" Dortha didn't even wait to hear the reply, his mouth gaped, growing fangs as sharp as knives, claws as long as swords, and fur darker than the night.
"Even if I turn to madness, I shall never let those who harm our Childe live! Today, my hunt begins, and by its end, this field will be painted red in blood!" Dortha sniffed at the air, crouched and jumped horizontally at a random direction, with speed enough to break the tower beneath his feet.
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"Did it work?" A voice asked on the other side of the battle.
"I bet he never saw this coming," another voice chimed in with glee.
Dave needed a moment to realise that he was suddenly standing in the middle of an entire hostile army.
"You didn't expect this did you now?" Zhang Shi laughed.
Dave turned his head to the frontline where the Wendigos were. There he saw duplicates of Wan Yi, White Ghost, and Zhang Shi at the frontline taking command.
"Hmm, illusionists?" Dave asked while summoning out his greatsword and shield.
"Yes, and a few doppelganger classes, enough to make duplicates of us, and enough to fool you," Wan Yi explained.
"And how did I get this far?" Dave flexed his shoulders preparing for the incoming fight.
"That'll be me, thank you," a player wearing gray robes answered.
"Thank you, Cervantes. You've done a wonderful job, that will be all." White Ghost dismissed him.
"Yeah, I don't want to get in your way. If I die and become an Undead that would suck for you guys, see ya," and with that, the player had teleported out.
"You do realize, you've screwed yourself with this? I can just bring my boyz here. A hundred thousand strong army right into your ranks." Dave asked mockingly. Unfortunately, it was just a bluff. He had already tried that the moment he found himself in the unknown location, but it didn't work. The Super Guild must be using some item or skill to prevent him from summoning his reinforcement.
Still, not all was lost. The draugr only needed to buy some time. By now, Dortha and the other would have noticed his absence. He needed to survive long enough for the Abyssal Knight to rescue him.
"There is no need to waste time talking to a doomed man. He just wants to waste our time. Let's wrap this up," White Ghost replied and buffed his two comrades.
"Damn, I hate dealing with smart asses. Fine then, you sure you want to come at me three against one? That's kinda unfair," Dave asked.
"Hah, is the mighty Draugr implying that we are unfair?!" Zhang Shit questioned shamelessly.
"All is fair in war, Skelly, you should know this by now." White Ghost agreed and pointed his staff at the undead.
"True, but I wasn't talking about my situation," Dave casually placed his greatsword over his shoulder, and his shield tucked slightly close to his chest.
"Zealot! Chaos! Demonic Ascension! Doubler!"
Dave buffed himself into his ultimate and powerful form. Horns as long as blades, and raven wings sprouted from his back. Red lighting crackled from around him as his body gained a dark volcanic sheen from the Chaos runes. His muscles pumped up as he added Herculean Strength. His avatar grew a few sizes bigger and thanks to the added effect of Doubler his size only stopped when he hulked over his three opponents.
"SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"