He wasn’t sure what would be at the top, but a long stretch of stone hallway with multiple exits off of it was not it. He pulled up the map which was no help at all. He peered down each doorway as they passed before reaching a dead end when the main corridor ended.
“So which door?” Jimmy asked frowning. “There’s like six.”
“Eight actually,” Benji corrected, smirking.
Bishop closed his map. “I guess we start with the first and go through each one until we find the commander. He has to be here somewhere, I can feel it.”
The others agreed and, moving back down the hall, they picked the first doorway on their left and took it. The last player barely stepped through when the floor trembled beneath their feet. Willy whined, pressing his body against Bishop’s legs as if trying to shove him, but Bishop could barely take a step because of his legs shaking so badly. He held out his arms to balance himself. A loud crack followed by an even louder groan filled the space and, suddenly, he dropped. The floor fell with him and Willy, plunging them into darkness as the rest of the party screamed down to him. Bishop landed in a heap of cloak and fur in the semi-darkness of another room.
“Shit,” he grunted, as he pushed to his feet.
There was no way to get back up and, as he watched, the floor closed in again, cutting off his view from the others. Willy licked his face and he scratched the wolf’s ears glancing around the room.
“Well that’s inconvenient.” There was only one direction to go. Not knowing if they could hear him or not, Bishop yelled up at them to keep going. He’d catch up with them, hopefully.
Bishop pressed forward, stalking through the muted lighting with Willy close to his side. He heard demonic screams and saw a number of skeletons chained to the walls and broken on the floor at his feet. Careful to step around them, he moved at a steady clip, checking his map every few minutes to see if he was close to the group at all.
Willy snarled and Bishop looked up just in time to see a demonic hound rushing towards him, howling as it threw back its massive, black scaly head. Willy managed to knock the beast down before it reached Bishop. The hunter fired Increased Swift Bow to knock down the hound’s health, then kept up a continuous rain of Instant Shots. The arrows hit its thick hide before it finally quivered and died with a growl. Bishop looted some coin from it and a few demonic hound teeth for trophies.
“Time to pick up the pace, boy,” he told Willy, and they set off at a run.
By the time Bishop saw the tunnel growing wider, he was down two health potions, his boots were damaged from one of the hounds managing to grab hold of his leg and give it a good shake, and he had killed nearly ten hounds. The group had to be close-by somewhere. He neared the end of the tunnel and poked his head and bow around the side.
The room boasted a tall ceiling with a set of stairs running down into it and a balcony running all across the upper half. Four larger demon guards were stationed around the room, guarding what appeared to be a portal. And there, standing right in front of it, was Azriel’s Commander: Argon. He growled with each breath he took, his great muscled chest covered in a fine layer of fur heaving as he did so. He carried a sword in each hand and his eyes gleamed a dark crimson.
Bishop glanced around frantically for any way to pass them all without being noticed.
“Bishop! Over here!”
He turned and spotted Jimmy, Maverick and the dwarf coming out of another tunnel twenty feet away. “Hey! You guys alright?” he asked.
“We three are,” Jimmy called back.
“What do you mean?”
Jimmy didn’t have to answer. Benji called his name from above with two more players, and barely a minute later Giles’ head popped over the railing at the other side of the room. The group all survived and made it to the first boss. A few were still healing up from their fight to get here, but they were all alive and well. Bishop motioned for them all to group up carefully and slowly so no one pulled anything before they were ready. But, not watching his step, Giles slipped on the stairs and rolled out into the middle of the room.
The four demon guards turned as one to stare at him and Argon’s eyes narrowed. “Who dares to breach my chambers?” he roared, turning his massive head to zero in on Giles. “Pesky half-breed! You think to challenge me? I will wear your head as an ornament around my neck!”
Giles yelled as all five demons charged after him.
“Tanks move!” Bishop yelled. He drew back the string and fired Rain of Poisoned Barbed Arrows to hold the demons in place. Obviously, the AOE didn’t work on Argon, and the Commander bore down on Giles, both swords swinging down to pummel the hunter.
Maverick lunged in front of him, taking the hit, and Bishop watched her life only drop a smidge. Arthur and the dwarf moved in quickly, drawing the attention of the four demons the second they were able to move, and Giles rushed to take his place beside Bishop.
Even in the midst of the chaos, Bishop couldn’t help but be impressed by the way his tanks passed around agro from the five demons. This was clearly not their first dungeon run and he was glad for it. The other DPS focused on the four lesser demons, taking them down, but one pulled away from the tanks and barreled right into Bishop and Giles. He rampaged on them, slamming his fists down repeatedly as their health drained quickly. Maverick roared in a rage and launched herself onto the back of the demon, biting into its neck and dragging it off of them so they could finish it off with their Executes.
“Thanks!” Bishop yelled as her beast form spat out a chunk of demon flesh.
Two demons were down, but the players were taking damage. Argon skidded to a halt and walked straight back to the center of the room.
“Get ready!” Bishop warned, as the demon threw his head back and roared.
Green circles swirled in various places around the floor, including right beneath Bishop and Giles. Bishop shoved the other hunter out of it just as green fire erupted from the stones.
“Watch the floor!” he screamed. “Watch the floor! Move if you’re standing in green!”
Panicked cursing erupted all around them as the others took hits from the fire. But it did give them a chance to throw all their efforts at taking down the other two demons while Argon was stuck in place for his special attack. As he straightened his head, ready to attack again, the last demon guard fell.
“Focus on Argon!” Bishop yelled, aiming for the demon’s face.
They all turned to attack him as he chased around the tanks, swinging his massive blades at them. The hits were bad, but Jimmy and Benji were on top of healing. Bishop couldn’t see the other healer anywhere and noticed a small floating blue orb across the room. Argon’s life took several big hits when Bishop and Giles unleashed Increased Swift Bow and a flying trap that would drain Argon of health. They had to move. The healers’ mana was dropping quickly and, if they ran out, all it would take was one more fire attack from Argon to knock out more of them.
“Almost there,” Bishop yelled. “Stay on him!”
Argon stopped as suddenly as he had before, clinging to his last bits of health. He moved towards the center of the room, each step bringing him closer to another special attack.
“Come on! Let’s kill him!” Bishop yelled a battle cry as the others joined him. Argon tipped his head back, staring up at the ceiling, yet the special attack never came. His massive body gave a shudder and erupted in bright green flames throwing them all back into the walls. When Bishop managed to sit up, all that remained of the Commander was a pile of ash and a small chest sitting near his feet.
Arthur rushed to the portal and quickly closed it before he sank to the floor. All the players stared at each other before bursting out laughing. One dead wasn’t too bad, but it worried Bishop it was the same healer who struggled earlier. Maverick shifted back, watching warily as Jimmy used a res on the healer to bring her back.
“Still not going to tell me what’s going on with her?” he whispered when he reached her side.
“No,
because it could be nothing.”
“We going to loot this boss or what?” Jimmy asked, tapping his staff on the floor excitedly.
Bishop walked to the chest and opened it. Several prompts appeared showing the loot. “Not too bad. Looks like we have a staff, a helm, and two daggers.” They briefly discussed who should get the items and when they came to a tie decision, let a roll choose for them.
You have received: Ornamental Demon Dagger. Damage 25-35. Agility + 9. Vitality +5.
Bishop equipped the new dagger and listened as coins clinked into all their bags. Argon dropped nothing else so they gave everyone a moment to eat and regain their health and mana before taking the stairs up to the main corridor and back out to the main room.
“Same as before?” he asked Maverick. “We can clear out the next two sectors, hit the second Commander, come back and clear the rest of the trash before we hit the big guy.”
“We’ll be up to our demon count without a problem if we clear all the trash first,” she suggested with a shrug. “But probably not a good idea to—”
She was interrupted by panicked yells. Bishop whipped around to see both sectors of demons guarding the main staircase charging towards them and Giles looking guilty as hell. “Sorry!” he screamed as Maverick shifted quickly and rushed to protect the healers as they darted out of reach.
Arthur and the dwarf stepped quickly into action, using their pulls as they went to draw the demons towards them, but there were too many of them.
Bishop took up position back on the stairs, using his Stealth Shot to hold several of the demons, then switched to Rain of Poisoned Arrows for the rest. Fiery Arrow and Instant Shots hit the demons from his place on the steps and he briefly considered using Assassin’s Tear, but damaging everyone right before taking on the other commander did not seem like a smart move. He used his Execute the second the cooldown wore off, picking out the demons close to dying, so he could help cull their numbers. Willy kept up a protective wall at the bottom of the steps, snapping his jaws at the impish demons threatening to overwhelm him. The fight was brutal and Bishop stopped counting, stopped wondering how many were left or who was still alive. He focused only on his shooting. When the last demon fell, Bishop sat down hard on the steps and watched as the players fell to the floor one by one, panting for air. They were all alive. Barely, but alive.
“Shit, Giles,” Benji was the first to snap. “What the hell did you do that for?”
Giles picked at his cloak, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “I accidentally let go too soon, sorry guys.”
Bishop perked up at that and grinned. “You know they make pills for that nowadays?”
Jimmy grinned as he cackled. “Pre-release your problem then boy do we have the solution for you.” He burst out laughing at his own corny joke, but so did everyone else. One by one, they made it to their feet and nudged Giles playfully. “Happens. Just happy it didn’t happen with the boss.”
“Me too,” Giles muttered. “Really, sorry guys.”
Sorgon and Shamus went to close the two portals and met everyone else on the second set of stairs. This time, when they stepped into the corridor, they remained a huddled group, hoping if the floor gave way they would fall as one instead of being separated again. This corridor was much shorter than the last and there were no rooms off to the sides of it.
“Anyone else feel like we’re walking into a trap?” Benji whispered.
“Great, now you jinxed us,” Jimmy muttered. “Nice going.”
“Just saying it’s quiet, too quiet.”
Bishop agreed, but didn’t say it out loud. The corridor opened to another room with a set of stairs leading down, much like the room with Argon. A portal sat in the middle but, other than that, it was empty.
“Glitch maybe?” Giles offered.
“Maybe,” Bishop replied, knowing they couldn’t get that lucky. They moved to the bottom of the stairs and still nothing happened. “Maverick, close the portal.”
She lumbered over to it and, right as it was getting ready to close, the portal exploded and a demon stood where the portal had been. Maverick lost half her health from the blow. The demon laughed with a high pitched screech. Bishop cursed, covering his ears at the sound, and watched his health quickly deteriorate.
“Have to interrupt her screams!” he yelled as loud as he could.
Arthur nodded, hefted his Warhammer onto his shoulder and with a battle cry, rushed forward slamming it into the floor at the demon’s feet. She shut up instantly and the healers quickly worked at bringing everyone’s health back up, all of them except Maverick’s. A block appeared on her health bar and she couldn’t heal past half.
“Arthur, this is on you two,” Bishop told him.
Maverick shook out her head, her fur ruffling around her neck, and snarled in annoyance at the demon and at Bishop, shooting him a look even in beast form.
“Yell at me later,” he told her, and she huffed again before charging in to attack.
Bishop expected this boss to be as difficult as Argon but, as long as she couldn’t scream, the only ones taking damage were the tanks, and Maverick who still refused to listen to his order to back off.
The Banshee Commander burst into flames as the last of her life drained away and left them with one final piercing scream before crumbling into ash. Arthur rushed to close the portal and, this time, it closed for real.
Bishop looted the chest and smirked when he saw a spear as one of the items along with a set of gauntlets, belt, and better yet, a recording they could play at their guild house of the demon’s screams. The spear went to Maverick, the only one who used such a weapon in the group.
“Alright, I won’t give you so much shit now,” she told Bishop.
“I’m just happy that lock on your health went away.”
“Same,” she grumbled, and she equipped the new weapon, spinning the black obsidian spear around her body before slamming it into the floor. “Very nice.”
The gauntlets went to Arthur and the recording to Jimmy. “Sweet,” he said, cheerfully. “I’m going to set this up in our house as soon as we get back.”
“Course you are,” Maverick sighed.
“Okay, people,” Bishop announced. “This leaves one last sector to clear of trash which will give us our demon quest, and then it’s onto the big boss. Eat, check your potions, and then we’ll move.”
A few of them needed more health potions and Maverick traded them out, giving more mana to the healers as well. They checked their buffs again and set off to clear the last of the trash. Bishop was at the bottom of the steps, watching his guild move as a team who’d been playing together for years. Suddenly, he remembered the group of players watching this all live in the auditorium. His lips twitched in a smirk, wondering what they were all thinking of him now. Wondering what those damn demon players thought, along with Rodney.
“Portal closed,” Shamus said. “Big boss time.”
“Missing a portal, but I’m assuming it’s with Azriel,” Bishop said. “Along with the person we have to rescue. All I can tell you guys is stay alert and watch out for ads and special attacks. Azriel’s Spawn flew and rained fire down on us, so I have no idea what the real Azriel might do.”
Not wanting his group to walk into a trap right off the bat, Bishop led the way this time and climbed the grand staircase to a set of obsidian doors. He pressed his hands to them and they swung inward silently. Braziers filled with green fire lined the passage. This one was short, barely thirty feet before it dumped them into a cavernous room. Cages hung from the ceiling and Bishop spotted Tavin amongst the NPCs hanging there. She was conscious and gripped the bars. He looked around for a way to lower the cages, but the lever was on the far side of the room.
Behind the last portal and the Demon Lord Azriel.
“You may have killed my commanders,” Azriel growled, stretching to his full height, spreading his wings out behind him. “But you will not survive this battle. Death comes for you this day!”
“Oh piss off,” Jimmy yelled at the Demon Lord, waving his hand. “We’re not going to die.”
Azriel’s eyes narrowed before his lips cracked into a wide grin, flashing a mouthful of fangs. “How can you hope to defeat me when one of your own has already turned against you?”
Bishop saw Maverick hang her massive head. “What’s he talking about?”
“He means me,” the elf healer said.
When Bishop turned to find her, he froze. She was no longer the elf in the off white robes with gold trim. Now she was a demon, with horns and glaring green eyes to match.
“Really? You didn’t think to mention that she might be switching sides?” Bishop muttered to Maverick who simply shrugged her beast shoulders.
He knew part of the storyline for the half-breeds was the risk of turning full demon throughout the game. Same went for anyone of the priest class who chose the exorcist spec. He didn’t think it would happen this early in the game though, and now the entire dungeon run was at risk.
“Come to me, my child,” Azriel said, and he held out his hand. “Together we will kill them all!”
“Can we attack her?” Arthur asked as the healer passed through them without a word.
Bishop listened to the group talk it over, wondering if they could attack yet or not, when the dwarf swung his great axe around and caught her right in the middle. Azriel snarled in rage and the healer grimaced, taking damage.
“I’m going to say yes!” Bishop fell back to the wall with Giles. “Tanks! Stay on Azriel! We can handle her!”
Even as they attacked the player who had been part of their guild, Bishop had to hand it to Dennis. This was not a twist he expected in a dungeon and it was awesome. The gamer in him was nerding out over it even as his character attacked the now demon player. She held out her hands and several imps sprang up out of the floor. Willy attacked them with a fury until they swarmed his body and he couldn’t fight them off.
“No!” Bishop lunged forward with his dagger, swiping and stabbing at the imps to try and free Willy, but the damage was too great and his wolf fell. “Damn it!”
The Wraith of Valenastrious: A LitRPG Epic (World of Samar Book 1) Page 14
