Chapter 61

Lone Arrow inspected the Abyssal creature:

Greater Chaos Demon

Level

400

Hp

400,000

DN 45,000

MA 35,000

Skills ???

The demon, indifferent to the two inspecting it, continued munching on the remains of the werewolf.

“What are we gonna do now?” asked Lone Arrow

She looked over her shoulder repeatedly, checking for signs of the two guild players.

“We can’t fight it, but look over there.” Dave pointed at something far behind the demon.

It was a tunnel.

This Chaos Demon was simply a level-checker (1). It would be certain death for low-level players to enter the Underworld. To discourage them from making the effort, the demon was placed at the entrance as a deterrent.

“Come on.” He walked forward, toward the demon.

Lone Arrow hesitated and looked around for the guild players again.

He probably has a plan. Whatever it is, I’m in. Doing anything beats waiting for the guildies to gank us.

When they entered the Demon’s Aggro-range, it howled and tossed aside the carcass it was feasting on.

“Use Blink and get to the cave while I distract the demon!” Hoping to buy a few seconds, Dave used [Royal Decree] to summon the ghost knights from his ring.

The two ghost-Knights obeyed Dave’s instructions and attacked the Demon, leeching the aggro from Dave and Lone.

Lone Arrow waited until she saw the Demon was distracted by the ghost-Knights then used [Blink] to teleport past the demon and run for the cave.

Once the Demon’s aggro was focused on the Knights, Dave followed Lone Arrow at a run.

The Demon opened its maw wide and spat two fireballs. Radiating immense heat.

The fireballs struck the knights and instantly turned them to ash.

Dave’s eyes widened. Lone Arrow hadn’t gotten to the tunnel entrance yet, and he was even farther away from it.

The demon turned towards him, howling in rage it opened its maw and started casting the same skill. Two more fireballs shot out of its mouth. This time at Dave.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO THE COOLDOWN?!!” shouted Dave. His legs didn’t stop moving.

He turned to face the coming infernos and activated [Rising Strike], using the moment of invincibility it granted to negate the incoming damage. His use of the Skill protected him, but the heat still scorched his skin and singed his hair, including his beard. He was left looking like a Raggedy-Man.

As Dave staggered up, a wicked idea occurred to him. He used Spectral Bomb to plant a skull in the ground. Smirking, he resumed his run toward the cave.

The Demon kept casting fireballs.

Monsune and Pain-Killer entered the chamber. They faltered on sighting the Demon, but recovered and continued moving into the chamber, approaching the Demon’s aggro range.

Dave finally made it out of the demon’s aggro-range, and the demon just stopped mid-cast, the fire fading away.

“Not even close, baby!” Dave crowed.

“Yeah right! You smell like burning hair and meat” She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Dave didn’t deign to answer her. His plan saved her ass too, so she would just have to put up with his antics.

Dave looked back at the demon and spotted Monsune and Pain Killer just beyond its aggro-zone.

“You saw the two guildies, right?”

“Yah, but they don’t have the chops to get past the Demon.”

The Demon, without any targets to attack, had returned to its gruesome feast.

“If they don’t risk it we are home free, and if they do, the Demon will take them out.” Dave continued watching the two guildies.

After a brief huddle, Monsune took a ready stance and Pain-Killer ran directly into the Demon’s aggro-zone.

“We should probably just go. Look, there’s light coming from down the tunnel,” Lone Arrow pointed.

Dave looked and saw the light Lone indicated. But he just smirked, saying “Nah, let’s wait here and see. I have a good feeling about this.”

Pain-Killer entered the Demon’s aggro-range causing the demon to react with his standard attack. But Pain-Killer used a skill that made him briefly invulnerable, resisting damage from the Double Fireballs.

Dave did not know the name Pain-Killer’s skill, but he knew all immunity-Skills came with long cooldowns. He would not be able to use the same skill again anytime soon.

Pain-killer drank a Cleanse Potion just as Monsune entered the Demon’s agro zone and attacked it with [Wind-Cleave].

Dave’s smile grew as Pain-Killer and his partner got closer and closer to the cave entrance.

They were using Aggro-Switch, a basic strategy. One player moves into the monster’s agro zone pulling attacks and building threat. Then the second player enters and attacks the boss, pulling aggro when the first player drinks a cleansing potion. Once the first player is far enough from the monster he attacks it, and the second player drinks a cleansing potion clearing his agro. Then just rinse and repeat, leapfrogging through the monster’s zone. It is like a game of tag with the monster playing ‘It.’

Pain-Killer drank another cleansing Potion and Monsune attacked the demon, building up his threat level. Momentarily free from attack, Pain Killer moved closer to the tunnel then turned and attacked the boss with a [Shield-Toss], pulling aggro again.Monsune drank a potion, and cleared of agro advanced toward the cave.

It was going as planned, the idea might sound simple and repetitive, but it required timing and coordination.

Close enough to look the draugr and the archer in the eyes Pain-Killer yelled, “You’re all gonna die in there!” He believed it too, but his spidey-sense was tingling, and he didn’t know why.

Dave snapped his fingers.

[-321]

The demon already finished casting his fireballs.

[-89 000]

It was an instant Kill, of course.

You have slain an enemy

+20 Contribution point

Pain Killer was reduced to floating motes of lights and the demon turned on Monsune.

Moments later, motes of light replaced Monsune.

“You...are truly evil,” Lone Arrow moued in admiration at the smiling draugr.

“That’s a relative concept.” he turned and entered the cave.

“Do you have any torches?”

“Here.” Lone Arrow threw a torch to him.

Dave proceeded down the damp looking tunnel, torch held high.

“What are we going to do when they send more people after us?” .

“I just got some contribution points; so going back to the Dead-Realm shouldn't be a problem anymore.” He looked at the End Mission option.

His expression soured.

“Shit.”

“What is it?”

“The damned game is trolling me!”

End Mission option disabled

“I can’t leave…”