Chapter 14 – Unfair Disadvantage

Four obnoxious Heroes stood in front of me, and I wanted nothing more than for them to die. Somehow, they had evaded my soldiers, avoided my traps, and now stood before me, hale and hearty.

“How’d you do it?” I asked, sneering as I bought time for a spell, my fingers twitching in the gestures of Soul Flare.

“Easy, our Sorcerer just used a high-level Illusion spell, and we walked right through your stu—” The warrior who was leading the group spoke up, but was cut off when the Ranger elbowed him in the gut.

“Shut up, Klink.” The Ranger said, her voice smokey.

“Oh, right.” Klink, the Warrior, looked embarrassed.

I needed another fifteen seconds.

“So, gib the mage.” I said, smirking, my fingers nearly done with the casting.

“What’s that?” The Sorcerer stepped forward, his hands outstretched, pointing at me.

“I said gib the mage.” The countdown finished, and the bolt of Soul Flare ripped from my hands, the rune exploding in power.

A dark bolt of flame, the size of a large boulder, rocketed toward the Sorcerer.

He took it full on in the chest, not expecting me to attack. I was a villain. Unfair disadvantage was part of my retinue.

The flames consumed his entire body, and his AMHUD fell to the ground, clinking as it landed in the pile of ash that was now his body.

“One down.” I said, turning my hands and beginning another casting.

“Holy shit.” Klink said, staring at the disintegrated body of the Sorcerer who had been so bold as to skirt my entire Dungeon.

“There’s plenty more where that came from.” I said, stepping sideways, circling the group.

I was casting again, this time something bigger, something more intense. I wanted to bring Gahenna to them. I wanted them to experience The Underneath.

An arrow wizzed past my head, then another, and another. Apparently the Ranger was low level, and was a horrible shot. Or she was toying with me.

“You’re horrible at this.” The Rogue said to the Ranger as he sprinted toward me, both daggers extended out.

I slowed my casting, and pulled my own dagger, catching his cross slash with my own blade.

Sparks flew from the blades as they ground together, and I switched my casting, storing up the energy I had used or Gahenna Gate, and opened my palm in front of the Rogue’s face.

I cast Firebolt into his face, searing the hair from his scalp and flipping him backwards. He landed acrobatically, then brushed away the burnt ash of hair from his head.

“You asshole, I loved my hair.” He spat before attacking me again, this time with a volley of arrows following behind him from the Ranger.

I threw my hands up and cast Dark Barrier, using a quick Spell tier modification trick I knew from my skillset.

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Casting Skill – Tier Drop

By lowering the active power of a spell by 1 tier, you can activate a spell in a higher tier with a lower cost and a lower activation time, up to instant casting. This reduces the power of the spell considerably, but allows certain spells to be cast instantly.

Skill Category: Active

Skill Type: Casting

Skill Level: N/A

Skill Proficiency: N/A

Skill Effect: Reduces the active Tier of a spell by 1, reducing its casting time by that set tier amount, and reducing its cost and power by 50%.

Sometimes you just need to be able to instantly cast something big, as a show of force. ~Adrianna Shadowstrider

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The Rogue slammed into the barrier, and the arrows punched into the wall, though one of them made it through and slammed into my leg.

“Shit.” I stepped back from the sudden pain in my leg and ripped the arrow out, throwing it to the ground.

The injury took a solid forty HP from my pool, even though it had been slowed considerably by the barrier. I would need to be careful and stop being so cocky about all of this.

I grabbed at my skillset again, and pulled a skill I had rarely used since my time in the Academy: Rapid Casting.

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Casting Skill – Rapid Casting

By increasing the speed at which you are able to cast a spell, move your hands, and gesture, you reduce the overall casting time of spells in any tier, but also reduce their power, and increase their cost. Summons cannot be used under the effects of Rapid Casting.

Skill Category: Active

Skill Type: Casting

Skill level: 2

Skill Proficiency: 22/1,000

Skill Effect: Reduces casting time of all spells by 30% - 2.5% per skill level beyond 1 (Currently 27.5%)

Skill Effect 2: Reduces power of all spells by 25% - 5% per Skill level beyond 1 (Currently 20%)

Skill Effect 3: Increases Casting Cost of all spells by 30% - 5% per skill level beyond 1 (Currently 25%)

Skill Duration: 1 hour or until dispelled

Gotta cast fast. ~Sanic, Blue Mage

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A rotating image like a clock surrounded my hands for a moment, and my fingers flowed through gestures and spell motions as though they were a liquid.

I continued my saved Gahenna Gate spell, my hands burning through the motions.

I felt that familiar tug on my mind again, but this time I was able to resist it.

The casting continued, and it seemed considerably longer than previous attempts. I was worried the barrier wouldn’t hold as the Rogue slashed against it and the Klink, the Warrior, leveled his enormous battle axe against it, slamming the dark wall, sending spiderweb-like cracks through the darkness.

I knew it wouldn’t hold much longer, but I needed to get this casting off.

Underneath the Rogue and Warrior, runes began to rotate on the floor, completely ignored by their attacks.

They continued to strike at the barrier, the runes continued to rotate and appear.

Finally, the wall shattered, peppering me with solidified dark magic shrapnel, reducing my HP even further, but I continued to cast.

The runes finally completed, and an explosion of dark magic, like a wall of fire, erupted from the ground.

The Rouge was consumed outright, his entire body disappearing within the dark fire, while the Warrior managed to charge through the fire, along with an arrow, which punched through my shoulder.

I was knocked off balance by the arrow, causing me to step back, and Klink’s great axe came flying through the air.

I managed to get my dagger in front of me, just barely, though it did little to stop the momentum of the axe.

I took the blade deep into the right shoulder, nearly cutting my arm off.

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Debuffs Added

Shattered shoulder: Your shoulder is shattered, causing you to be unable to use it. You also cannot cast Wizard spells requiring both hands. Duration: 2 minutes.

Bleeding: You have sustained a deep wound and are bleeding at a rate of 4 hp/sec. Duration: 30 seconds.

Physical Shock: You have sustained a severe wound, and are experiencing the effects of physical shock, causing nausea, dizziness, and difficulty focusing. Spell costs are increased by 50%, and your Health, Mana, and Stamina regeneration rates are reduced by 50%. Duration: 2 minutes.

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Holy shit, that strike really did some severe damage.

I teetered backward, barely keeping my balance, my body fighting against my control.

I wanted to collapse on the ground, to hold my arm, to find something, anything to cure my wounds.

My mind wandered as I drunkenly stumbled backward, nearly tripping over my own feet, until my left hand brushed against the potions on my belt.

I grabbed one and barely managed to pop the cork off the top before I poured it into my mouth.

The bitter cherry flavor of the healing potion rushed down my throat and I could feel the healing powers working their magic on my body.

My HP bar regenerated quickly, though the bleeding was dealing quite a bit of damage. I was down to less than half, even with my healing potion.

I whacked my head against the wall, and realized the axe was still stuck in my shoulder. It had bit deep enough that it stuck.

With my left hand, I reached up and pulled on the handle, ripping the blade free from my shoulder.

“Damnit.” I shouted, the world around me echoing inside my intensely foggy brain.

Blood sprayed from the wound and I collapsed to my knees. An arrow slammed into the stone wall above my head, bringing me back to the fight at hand.

I had a moment of clarity and I pulled on everything I had left to try one last spell. I wasn’t going to make it much longer if the bleeding continued, and I needed to kill off Klink before he slammed his enormous and metal-coated fists into my face.

The arrows that were flying past me, one of which pierced my robe and found its way into my abdomen, were landing everywhere, their heads sparking against the stone ground and walls.

The last arrow dropped me to thirty percent and I collapsed onto the ground, with the axe in my hand.

“I’m so boned.” I said, mumbling as I struggled to stand, my right arm still completely useless.

“I took this one like Stalwart.” I realized, understanding that I needed help to defend my territory. I couldn’t just be an overpowered boss, I would need assistance if I was going to maintain any kind of control over my Dungeon.

Sure, my soldiers were circumvented this time, but they were also an integral part of my plans. I had failed to anticipate that someone would be able to completely ignore them. I would need to do better with my Wards in the future.

My consciousness began to wane as my HP dropped to twenty percent. I could see Klink’s boots, burned and blackened from Gahenna Gate, approaching me through the mental fatigue and haze.

I moved my fingers, letting go of the axe, and started casting something I had never had the opportunity to use before, since my HP was rarely this low without me dying.

I started casting White Nihil, a powerful spell I had been keeping a secret for a long, long time. It was toted as a rare, yet incredibly powerful, spell even amongst those who practiced the dark arts like myself.

For a Tier I spell, it was stated to be as powerful as a Tier III. We would find out in just a moment.

My figners contorted into unfamiliar and painful shapes while Klink slowly approached. He held his right arm at the shoulder, which was completely missing, exposing bone in his shoulder that was blackened and burned.

“You took my arm.” He said, his voice full of agony.

He picked up his foot and slammed it against my head, jarring my teeth.

Still I continued to cast, hoping to get the spell off before he crushed my skull entirely.

Fifteen percent HP as an arrow slammed into my spine from close range.

Down to seven percent. I was going to die defending my Dungeon again.

“Come…On…” I mumbled through bloodied teeth, my head feeling like it was disembodied.

I felt dizzy, everything hurt, and I legitimately wanted to just die. But I needed to win. I had to.

My fingers stopped contorting and my hand splayed out of its own accord.

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Devastating Spell: White Nihil

By calling on the powers of the absolute darkness, Death Herself, the strength of White Nihil overcomes the caster, losing control of their body and becoming a host for the soul of Death. Beware, as this power, if used repeatedly, can result in permanent death.

Spell Category: Death Magic

Spell Class: Tier I

Spell Cost: All remaining MP

Casting Time: 30 Seconds

Range: Self

Effect: Become the embodiment of Death, tripling all of your combat stats for 3 minutes.

Effect 2: Doom

Doom: Once you have used White Nihil, Death Herself will provide you with a Doom countdown, where you will die a permanent death upon reaching it. This is the total number of uses you are allowed for White Nihil.

Even Death Herself has limits, love. Just like me. ~Altara Cinza, Mother of Flame

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An aura of darkness surrounded me, pushing Klink back, and blocking all of the incoming arrows.

“Five.” My voice said, though it was tinged with femininity and extreme darkness, the kind of voice you hear in nightmares when facing off with a Daemon.

“What in the High Heavens!?” Klink said, falling backward, his metallic armor clanging to the ground.

“Holy shit, he cast White Nihil.” The Ranger said, her voice shaking.

The arrows stopped coming, Klink backpedaled across the floor, the Ranger threw down a smoke pellet and disappeared from sight.

I could feel her, though. Just as though I could see her. She was so poorly hidden.

With one arm, I reached out and my hand extended into a blade made from bone. I punched it through the chest plate of Klink, impaling him into the stone floor.

I withdrew the blade and the light in his eyes went out. His AMHUD chirped, signifying his death. A small notification threw itself in front of my eyes, but I didn’t have time or patience for simple, human things. I was Death, and I was to visit it upon those who would try to do me harm.

I flowed forward, my legs no longer touching the floor, but floating instead. I reached the place where the Ranger thought she was hiding and, with both hands now blades, I rent her head from her body without a second of hesitation.

A muffled screech echoed as her body came into view, the stealth magic fading from her body, like a thin haze that was swept away from in front of a building in the night.

She crumpled to the floor and I looked for another creature to slay. Anything to sate my blood lust.

A blare of sound came through my head, like an annoying fly that sat on my shoulder, but I would not be dissuaded. I had more reaping to attend.

A blue creature, like a large pixie, appeared before me and I struck at her, my blades going through her body.

I put a hand up and used a powerful spell, Death Siphon, to try to consume her.

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Death’s Siphon

Using the power of Death Herself, consume the energies of the soul of a targeted enemy, adding a portion of the consumed soul essence to your own stats, permanently. This carries over after White Nihil has faded.

Spell Category: Death’s Touch

Spell Class: Deific

Spell Cost: None

Casting Time: Instant

Range: Touch

Effect: Deals 350 Soul Damage to a single target

Effect 2: Consumes 5% of target’s total stats as permanent additions to your own – Effect persists beyond end of White Nihil

Without will, you are broken. Without soul, you are empty. Without power, you are nothing. ~Lady Death

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The spell triggered, though nothing happened to the blue creature. Angry and tired of its games, I pushed on through it, the appearance of it scattering as I flowed towards the door to the chamber I was unwittingly trapped in.

Upon reaching the door, I found that I could not leave. I pounded on the door as hard as I could, but nothing would open it.

A timer in the corner of my vision turned to zero, and my presence faded before I could continue my slaughter.

“Five.” My voice echoed in the empty halls of the room.

I collapsed back to the ground, my head pounding, my body aching, my HP at a mere one percent.

All of my debuffs had faded, though I was certain I was going to die if even Leese tapped me on the shoulder wrong.

Everything that had happened was a blur, but the AMHUDs of the four Heroes sat scattered around my Boss Chamber, like little nightlights, lighting up the darkness on the floor.

“What in the world happened to you?” Leese asked, her image appearing in front of me, her hands on her hips.

“I used a forbidden power, I think.” I said, confused as to exactly what had happened.

But I had finished the battle. I had won, and that was what mattered the most.

Against four Heroes, I stood my ground, and managed to finish them off. I would soon reap the rewards of having accomplished such a task.

I checked my notifications and saw several that had been dismissed without my knowledge.

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Combat Log

Hero Slain: 547 EXP Gained

Hero Slain: 695 EXP Gained

Debuff(s) Acquired

Hero Slain: 530 EXP Gained

Hero Slain: 379 EXP Gained

Combat Initiated

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I checked my character sheet to make sure I was keeping tabs on all of my EXP, when I noticed another system notification.

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Raid Complete!

You have successfully fended off a Raid of Heroes

Rewards:

2500 Glimmer

2500 EXP

1 Unidentified Sword

1 Unidentified Axe

1 Unidentified Staff

1 Identification Scroll

1 Ability Point

Achievement Status – Complete 5 Raids without Dying: 1/5

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It definitely felt good to have the achievement notifications, but I was hoping I would have leveled up from the fight. I suppose not, but there are worse things to deal with than no leveling up. Besides, I now had an additional Ability Point to spend in my Dungeon Lord tree, which meant I could upgrade another ability.

An excellent use of resources, not to mention that I also had more Glimmer now.

I checked my Currency page to see the Dungeon status and found something interesting.

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Dungeon Currency:

Gold Coins: 282

Glimmer: 2790

Unassigned Resources: 25

Iron: 15

Copper: 15

Prismasteel: 0

Manasteel: 2

Health Essence: 45

Mana Essence: 28

Stamina Essence: 33

Identify Scrolls: 2

Unidentified Items: 5

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So the currency tab kept track of everything the Dungeon had within it that could be enumerated. That was excellent information to have.

I was also extremely curious as to what the Essence was that was referred to, but I would likely need a more advanced skill set before I could get to that.

“Leese, when’s the next Raid?” I wanted to prepare, and sleep, since I felt like I had just been hit by a truck. And my HP was basically at zero.

“You’ve got about eight hours before they arrive.” She answered, raising an eyebrow at me.

“You’re not going to let the forbidden magic thing go, are you?” I asked with a sigh.

“No, because you tried to kill me.” She looked away, anger in her features.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t in control.” I said, pushing through the doorway into my bedchamber in the back of the Boss Room.

“No, but could you at least let me know when you’re going to do that again?” She shrank and lighted on the table as I rolled myself into my bed.

“Sure, sure. Now, though, I need to sleep. Wake me up in a couple hours.” I said, half mumbling.

“Will do.” She answered before my mind went to a blissful place of emptiness.