Demon Lords (World-Tree Trilogy Book 2)

by EA Hooper

  I really don’t have time for this, Vincent thought, readying Voidfire in his hand.

  Both men approached at full speed, and Vincent prepared himself to take out whichever made the first move, but then a barrier chain wrapped around his body. He glanced down to see Ryker had cast the spell just before the burly man pulled him out of the air.

  Vincent slammed into the ground, cracking the whitish tiles and even shattering Ryker’s own chain. He saw both Jim and Ned diving toward him, one with Void Crows and the other forming a dozen blades of hardened mana that seemed to float around his arms.

  Vincent cast Zero Field to throw himself across the street as the men crashed down at once. Jim’s shield sent him sliding the other way, but the other man’s shield flashed on impact. Ned turned and hurled his mana blades at Vincent. They slashed across the Ranger’s body, barely leaving scratches, but then they detonated with enough force that the nearest building collapsed.

  The explosions had burned and bruised Vincent a little, but he didn’t worry about it. He raised a finger and shot Void Gun in reply, but Ned Vanished out of the way. Before he could take another shot, Jeanie dashed across the tiled road while raising her basteel spear.

  Vincent dodged left, pivoted, and then struck the woman in the back with Voidfire as her momentum carried her toward the toppled building. The black flames engulfed her and a third of the ruins.

  That’s one down, Vincent noted, sidestepping a Void Crow.

  Ryker sent out another lightning-fast barrier chain that wrapped around Vincent’s leg. With his Density Shield making him heavier, he wouldn’t have expected even someone of Ryker’s level to be able to throw him around so easily, but the chain dragged Vincent across the road and slammed him through a building.

  Vincent snapped the chain with Void Gun and made his way back onto the street. He realized Ryker had been standing in one spot the entire time, and it looked like he had barriers anchoring him into the ground like Xan’s World Root. Before he could Scan the ability, two more Void Crows flew at his head, and he ducked and dodged around them.

  Feeling more desperate by the second, Vincent downed an ultra-ether, which restored nearly two-thirds of his mana. He blasted away both of Jim’s crows before drinking a mega-ether as well.

  The enemies also drank potions, and Vincent took the chance to glance around the battlefield. He noticed Devon hadn’t moved from the gate, although he’d equipped a strange helm and breastplate made of glittering metal.

  Ned had turned his attention to several devils that had somehow made it out of the crystals and followed Vincent all the way there. Vincent hoped the devils would hold off at least one of the four enemies, but Ned seemed capable of killing them beyond repair by stabbing them in the head with his exploding mana blades. In mere seconds, he had incinerated most of the devils.

  I need to make my move now.

  Vincent used Zero Field to rocket himself toward Ryker. The enemy sent out several barrier chains at once, but Vincent equipped Greenkill and slashed through them. Two Void Crows flew at him, but Vincent ignored them slicing across his arm and shoulder. He readied Voidfire in his hand as he neared Ryker.

  Ryker detached his anchor and used his chains to launch himself into the air, but Vincent followed him upward with Zero Field.

  You’re not getting away!

  Ryker made a floating barrier to stand on and equipped a crystallizing rod. His chains wrapped around Vincent, catching the Ranger mid-air and restraining his arms to stop him from aiming Voidfire. The burly man dropped from his platform and charged the rod with mana as he fell toward his enemy.

  With his arms tied to his side, Vincent couldn’t angle Voidfire upward in time. Ryker poured the last of his mana into the rod as he neared his target, and then a mountain of crystallized mana appeared, encasing them both. The crystal towered over the entire street, standing much taller than the ones the drones had unleashed earlier.

  Vincent couldn’t move inside the crystal, but luckily he still had Voidfire in his hand. He unleashed the spell, engulfing Ryker and himself in black flames. Vincent fell a few meters as the spell ate through the crystal. His clothes and flesh had burned away—again—but his Density Shield had ensured his vital organs took no damage.

  He finally came to a stop as the black flames faded, and he saw his own skeletal reflection in the crystal. Just when he thought he’d collapse and die, Vincent saw a dim flash of magic that only healed a few layers of muscle tissue.

  The crystals are interfering with the restoration process—those runes are barely keeping me alive.

  With his few working muscles, Vincent forced down potions. A few more layers of muscles rebuilt themselves after using an ultra-elixir. Pretty soon, he saw patches of skin regrowing.

  Vincent stood in a small cavern inside the massive crystal structure. The walls were too thick for him to see the silhouettes of his enemies outside, but he knew they would’ve spotted the black flames devouring the inside the crystal.

  Well, let’s get back to it.

  Vincent raised his hand, trying to cast Voidfire, but nothing happened.

  What in the world?

  Vincent could still feel his mana reserve, if only barely, but he noticed a heavy power pressing against his body.

  This isn’t like anti-magic runes. It’s more like—my Debuff Chains?

  Vincent noticed a slight shimmer run across the crystals, and he focused on it, trying to get Scan to work. After several seconds, he finally got a result.

  Destabilize (Upgraded) – Mana Usage: Varies | The user creates an aura from their palm that turns a target’s power against themselves. This spell loses power over distance. | Upgrade – Transfer Wave: This spell won’t lose power when traveling through solid matter.

  So, this is what Archie meant when he said not to underestimate Isaac. He developed spells just for capturing powerful opponents, and I fell right into it. I guess I lose this round.

  Vincent moved the Lotus Capsule from his tongue to between his teeth. Before he could bite down, however, Xan’s scrambled voice mumbled something over team chat.

  >Vincent: I don’t know if you can hear me, Xan. I’m trapped, and they have a destabilizing spell that’s like my Debuff Chains. If you got away from the Demon Lord, then retreat for now. I’m about to bite the capsule and use a Checkpoint Crystal.

  Xan shouted something over the chat, but it was too scrambled to understand.

  >Vincent: I’m sorry, Xan. I can’t hear you. I’ll be right back, I promise!

  His jaw tensed, but he paused at the sound of a muffled explosion. Vincent realized he could feel his magic again, and he moved the Lotus Capsule underneath his tongue. He planted his back against one wall, and then he blasted through the opposite side with Voidfire. The black flames tunneled all the way through to the outside.

  Vincent equipped Greenkill and hurried to escape the crystal. He had no idea what to expect outside, but it certainly surprised him to find Xan holding back Jim and Ned by herself. She’d made a swarm of butterflies and raised a World Fountain overhead. She even had four phantom blades floating defensively around her, which she could control better thanks to an upgrade she’d finished a couple decades ago.

  Xan rooted herself into the ground, and when Jim sent a Void Crow at her, she stabbed through it with a Light-Drain Longsword. Her blade consumed enough mana to cancel out the crow, though it did destroy the ethereal weapon, forcing her to replace it.

  >Vincent: Where’s the Demon Lord?

  >Alexandria: I killed him.

  A smile crossed Vincent’s face as he joined Xan under the rainbow rain.

  Noah, Jeanie, and Ryker are free, and most of the drones detonated themselves. I think this war is good as won.

  Jim glared at the two enemies, and then he glanced back at Devon over by the gate. “Hey! We need help over here!”

  “Isaac commanded me to guard the gate no matter what!” Devon shouted back in reply.

  “You damn idiot,�
�� Jim called. “If they beat us, you won’t stand a chance!”

  Devon paused as if thinking, but then he hurried over to join the fight. He equipped a glimmering longsword that matched his helm and breastplate, and Vincent Scanned all three.

  Bright Blade (Soulbound) – Material Rating: 500 | A shimmering longsword made of a dense material that feels strangely light to its user. | Soul Boost: This blade fills the user with an invigorating light, raising all their stats by fifteen levels. Stat potions have no effect while wielding this sword.

  Bright Breastplate (Soulbound) – Material Rating: 500 | A shimmering breastplate made of a dense material that feels strangely light to its user. | Soul Boost: This breastplate fills the user with an invigorating light, raising all their stats by twenty levels. Stat potions have no effect while wearing this breastplate.

  Bright Helm (Soulbound) – Material Rating: 500 | A shimmering helm made of a dense material that feels strangely light to its user. | Soul Boost: This helm fills the user with an invigorating light, raising their stats by ten levels. Stat potions have no effect while wearing this helm.

  >Vincent: I see why Devon wanted those Bright Shards. His player title isn’t so irritating now that I know the meaning behind it.

  >Alexandria: This might not be the best time for your weird thing about names.

  >Vincent: You don’t even want me to get started on Ned over there.

  Xan let out an audible sigh as the three enemies grouped together.

  “Three against two?” Vincent said. “That’s not really a fair fight, you know. You’re going to need a lot more help.”

  “You seem awfully cheerful for someone about to get thrown into a torture pit,” Ned said.

  “It’s hard not to be cheerful on such a wonderful day,” Vincent replied. “I get to see my friend again—right, Jim?”

  “I’ll skin you alive and make you eat your own flesh,” Jim replied.

  “Wow, someone hasn’t had a drink in a while, have they?” Vincent asked.

  Jim flicked his wrist, sending out a high-speed Void Crow. It reached halfway to the players before Vincent shot it down with Void Gun.

  Ned Vanished repeatedly, creating multiple doppelgangers of himself that charged forward with mana daggers. They didn’t notice the tome appear in Vincent’s hands or the knee-high wall he raised in their path to trip them. Most of the Neds fell, disappearing as they hit the ground, but one had hung back to equip a crystallizing rod.

  “Too obvious,” Vincent mocked, shooting Void Guns at him.

  Ned Vanished left and right, dodging the spells and shortening the distance between them with each jump. He failed to see the dozen crystal shards Vincent raised off the ground with Zero Field until a split-second before they skewered him.

  Vincent sent a sharper-looking crystal through Ned’s hand, causing him to drop the rod. The runes on the object lost their glow the moment it left his grasp, and Vincent used another Zero Field to hurl the rod over the nearby buildings.

  “Oops, you dropped your toy,” Vincent mocked.

  “Like we don’t have more,” Ned said, equipping two identical rods.

  Vincent had kept Jim in his sight the entire time, and he noticed his friend finally making a move. Jim took a crystallizing rod in hand and Vanished repeatedly, but Vincent’s sharp eyes followed his movements.

  >Vincent: Watch for Jim.

  He barely finished his warning before Jim rushed toward them.

  Vincent cast Voidfire to intercept Jim before he reached Xan. The spell struck his friend in the chest, but the explosion of black flames arched around Jim’s Alcubierre Shield.

  Xan raised a World Wall to cut off Ned and Devon as Jim collapsed. Even though the Rogue’s shield had protected him from most of the explosion, the initial impact had burned through his flesh.

  Vincent knew Jim’s spell required mana for each hit, so he blasted him with a multitude of Mana Magnums. Almost all the shots angled themselves away, so they only grazed him, but the last shot hit him directly, letting him know Jim had finally run out of mana.

  >Vincent: Now, Xan!

  Xan dove forward, already having readied a Mana Bomb in her hand. Her friend’s eyes widened as he saw the attack flying toward him, but a half second later the blast vaporized him.

  “We got Jim!” Vincent cheered.

  He refilled his mana before the World Wall collapsed, but when it fell, both enemies charged immediately. Ned zigzagged with Vanishes toward Xan, while Devon rushed at Vincent with his Bright Blade held high.

  Vincent tossed a Voidfire at Devon, but the young man sidestepped the spell. The black flames still grazed his shoulder, knocking out his shield as he continued his charge.

  Vincent raised Greenkill and blocked a flurry of strikes from Devon. Despite having higher Strength and Agility, the older man found himself fighting on close to even terms. Bright Blade might’ve felt light to Devon, letting him swing it much faster than basteel, but each hit felt like a pillar of steel when it struck Vincent’s sword. Their blades clashed a dozen times before Vincent realized skill alone wouldn’t let him overtake Devon.

  I wonder if his devil is that skilled, or if those are just Devon’s natural reflexes? I couldn’t help but notice Jim’s devil could still gulp down potions lightning-fast, so they must borrow from the traits of their host.

  As their blades met again, Vincent eyed the orosteel plates on Devon’s arms and legs where he hadn’t yet finished his full set of bright armor. With two quick Void Guns from his off-hand, Vincent disintegrated Devon’s knees and dropped him to the ground.

  The Ranger brought the full weight of his body down with his blade, stabbing Greenkill through Devon’s helm. The sleek skyglass ran through his skull and into the ground, pinning Devon there even as restoration runes kept him alive. With the blade skewering his brain, his body twitched and couldn’t force itself to move or fight back.

  Vincent refilled his mana and took a quick glance at Xan’s fight. She’d pinned Ned down with Light-Drain Longswords, also leaving him unable to fight back. While Xan finished off Ned with a Mana Bomb, Vincent pulled out Greenkill, unequipped it, and destroyed Devon’s body with a point-blank Voidfire.

  Once the flames passed, Vincent stepped over unbroken runes to heal his body, then he changed to a new attire since he’d ruined yet another set.

  “So, how many bigshots are left?” Xan asked.

  “Just Isaac,” Vincent replied.

  “This has gone pretty well. That devil army of yours really saved us back there. If they hadn’t engaged the drones first, our entire army would’ve gotten stuck in the crystals. Last I saw, the devils were still fighting off possessed people too.”

  “Yeah, I’m glad the devils were worth it.”

  Xan gave a worried glance. “Worth what?”

  “You know, the time and effort. That quest was brutal.”

  Xan’s concerned look faded in an instant. “Oh, well let’s refill on potions before we knock down the gate.”

  “Good idea,” Vincent replied as his thoughts wandered.

  I won’t have to keep up my lie much longer. Hopefully my friends will forgive me when all is said and done.

  Chapter 35 | Year 135

  Player: Old Man Vincent

  Location: Styxis (World) | Risegard (City) | Derelict Market (Region)

  Class: Ranger

  Subclass: Mage

  Vitality: Lv 330 (+20)

  Spirit*: Lv 340 (+20)

  Resolve: Lv 329 (+20)

  Perception*: Lv 345 (+20)

  Agility: Lv 330 (+20)

  Strength: Lv 328 (+20)

  It’d taken Vincent four Voidfires to knock down the first gate, and they’d quickly discovered the area around the Daiglass Tower was lined with anti-magic runes.

  Vincent cast Black Cinder from the Outer Sanctum, and he used the embers to damage the runes near the tower. After multiple attempts, he disrupted enough of them that they could no longer maintain an anti-magic fi
eld. Once he refilled his mana, he started working on destroying the next gate.

  “Isaac’s just wasting our time,” Xan said, waiting as her teammate hurled Voidfires.

  Vincent drank mega-ethers before attacking the gate again. “You think he’ll try to fight us himself?”

  Xan laughed in response. “I’d love to see him try.”

  Vincent’s next Voidfire blew open the half-melted gate, and to both of their surprise, a pool of world magic ran past their feet. They stared with wide eyes at the Inner Sanctum, which had been flooded with world magic. Even more surprisingly, every building—including the lower half of the Foundry—was covered in crystallized mana.

  Vincent took a step forward, and the world magic pushed itself away from him because of his shield, which used negative energy. To him, it seemed no different than walking on the white tiles, but he heard Xan splashing as she followed him into the Inner Sanctum.

  “What the hell happened here?” Xan questioned as they walked down the street.

  “I have no clue,” Vincent replied. The strange sight unnerved him, so he refilled his mana as a precaution. “We should stay on guard, though. Isaac must have at least one more trap up his sleeve.”

  Vincent heard a distant splash, and when he turned his head, he saw massive walls of crystallized mana rising from the world magic. Each tower of crystal formed in less than a second, and the crystals rushed toward both players. Even with Vincent’s superhuman speed and reflexes, he knew he wouldn’t have enough time to warn Xan, so he threw them in opposite directions with Zero Field.

  The wall of crystals flew past and encased the entire street. Vincent picked himself up with Zero Field and flew upward, trying to climb above the crystals’ reach. However, before Vincent reached any higher than the mountain of crystals, he collided with a barrier of world magic much denser than the ones powering the gates.

  Vincent spotted Isaac standing on a crystallized rooftop, so he cast Voidfire at him. The spell slammed into Isaac and the building. Black flames engulfed the dev, shattered the crystals, and collapsed the middle of the building all at once.