Chapter 393

Phyr Moltenscale

Dungeon Avatar

Level 30

The Dragon Dungeon Avatar standing before James was, appropriately, a Dragonkin. Annoyingly, that meant Rue had won the bet they’d been placing on what the Avatar’s would be like. It had been a toss up between Dragonkin, or something such as a Kobold, or even just a cultist or dragon shaman type of humanoid player.

Phyr Moltenscale, the Dragonkin Avatar standing before James was covered in heavy plate type armor, emblazoned with red runes and melded with dragon scales. In one of its massive, clawed hands, the Avatar held a tower shield, with a roaring, five headed dragons on the front, a gem of different colors in each of the dragon mouths. In its left hand, a wickedly curved sword, that almost seemed to have been forged from dragon flames. The hilt of the sword was a dragon mouth, and sure enough, the mouth was open, further tying into the imagery the sword was attempting. At the very least, James had to give the Avatar credit. He definitely looked cool.

James wanted to engage in conversation with the Avatar. That, seemed most appropriate. However, they were on a battlefield, and now was not the time. He would try to remember to shoot the dungeon a message regarding its awesome look, after the fight. For now, he had a skirmish to win.

Which is why, even as the opponent’s eyes locked on his, and they came within range of each other, James ordered his massive Scapegoat forward. The summoned mob opened its mouth and let out the most obnoxious scream ever. Just as he’d seen the goat do to the Terminus, so too did the taunt wash over the Avatar standing before him, and a decent chunk of the dragons standing around it. Their eyes all focused on the screaming goat, and they moved forward, intent on silencing the screaming farm animal.

“Attack.” James called out in response, and the players all around him began letting fly with their various attacks and abilities. Given their opponent was a Dungeon Avatar, James’s players, the only players other than BLANK’s who had experience fighting in a battle such as this, wasted no time blowing their cooldowns and launching their most powerful attacks. Their focus was the taunted Dungeon Avatar. It was the greatest threat. Everyone knew that.

And while the enemy Avatar appeared to be a tank class, meaning it would have extremely high defensive capabilities, magical resistance, and a large health pool…getting hit by as many spells and abilities being launched at it as there were, would still kill it. Death by a thousand cuts…so to speak. At the very least, the Dragon Dungeon Avatar was going to be killed by actual players…and not a swarm of freaking fairies. Which James had still not forgiven Alex for.

“Coward.” The Avatar rasped, a deep throaty voice as it stepped closer to the scapegoat. It’s armor was flashing, its shield glowing, and James could tell the avatar had, at the very least, managed to activate a damage mitigating spell before the taunt happened. James’s mobs weren’t a secret. Especially his first-floor mobs. Meaning the enemy had likely already been ready for James’s trick. Regardless…taunts were taunts.

“Being smart doesn’t make me a coward.” James responded, his bow glowing as he began launching attacks of his own. On his shoulder, PurpleHazd glowed, well, purple, as energy crackled around him. From the corner of his eye, James saw the mage going through some sort of motion, pulling his cupped hands back and towards his side, as he chanted something out loud, annunciating each syllable. Crackling energy glowed as a ball of purple mana seemed to condense in his hands, growing larger with each sound he uttered.

“Ha.” PurpleHazd yelled, pushing his hands forward, sending violently swirling purple energy ripping through the air. The very world around that massive beam of power seemed to shimmer and crack, as if his plasma attack was ripping apart the very fabric of the world. Then, it collided with the taunted Dungeon Avatar. While the other attacks against the Avatar hadn’t seemed to slow his advance on the Scapegoat, the blast from PurpleHazd actually forced the massive Avatar back a step as it pushed hard into his chest-plate.

“Alright,” James said to the mage. “That was pretty awesome.”

The mage nodded, a massive grin on his face, before he collapsed to one knee, the roots keeping him securely in place on James’s shoulder. “Just got that baby at 50. Been dying to show it off to the viewers.”

James chuckled and looked back at the Avatar before him. With all of the attacks being launched at him, James knew the poor Dungeon Avatar was about to fall. Though, to their credit, the mobs that had surrounded it were rushing forward. And the ones that hadn’t been taunted were doing their best to not only attack James’s ranks of players, but also provide cover for their Avatar. It was valiant, but at the same time, pointless.

“You’re all, Cowards.” The Dungeon Avatar before James growled, once again pushing itself towards the scapegoat. The form before him flashed, another damage mitigating skill activating, but James couldn’t quite tell what build the dungeon had gone with its Avatar. It was some sort of knight or paladin path, that much was certain. Either way, he knew, theoretically, it wasn’t a threat to him. Not now, not in this situation. However, he was still going to play cautiously. He’d learned a lot during his battle against BLANK.

“Victors write the history books.” James called back as he sent his dogs forward. No matter what the armor class. No matter the damage mitigation, his dogs did true damage. And as the ten-foot-tall ghostly hunting dogs bore down on the creature, attacking it in unison, leaving no chances to counterattack, James felt sorry for the Dungeon Avatar before him.

BLANK had been a challenge. They’d played their characters well, and their Avatars had been a massive threat. Now, while the Dragon Dungeon had done a good job developing their terrain for the Fields of Battle, James could tell the player controlling the dungeon was not used to PvP. Whoever they were, they were trying, but they were outclassed. Their player’s, who’d challenged James’s to this battle, had relied heavily on their trump card, likely that Tiamat summoning, and with it failed, they were being easily routed.

The Skirmish, in that regard, was finished well before the six hours allotted to it. Because as James and his team finished off the Avatar before him, his forces making short work of the mobs and players that were in the area as well, he got word from Rue that Vinnie had taken down the other Avatar as well.

Additionally, as he’d expected, the Ghost Dreadnaught, along with the brave forces atop it, and their literal figurehead that was the glowing Indra Oak, handled the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, earning James’s side air superiority.

It had been fun, James would give the Dragon Dungeon that much. But the skill gap became painfully clear in those final moments. Which left a different feeling in James as his forces continued to route the Dragon Dungeon, and they made their way towards victory. Disappointment.