The Dead Fortress: A LitRPG Epic (World of Samar Book 3)

by LitRPG Freaks

  He hoped he wasn’t mad at him for leaving so abruptly the other day. Calista said that morning they hadn’t seen Willy since Bishop logged out last week. He considered sending a message to Tyler or one of the other GMs about a glitch with his wolf when he received a message. The icon blinked before him and he tapped it.

  “Tavin?”

  He read through the message, but all it said was she would be catching up to them soon enough.

  “Helpful,” he muttered and sent a quick message to Calista to let her know he was on his way. He didn’t pick up any quests by the time he reached there, but his guild was gathered and ready to show him the few they’d done without him. They were all level 27, but barely, so he would be able to catch up after a few quests, and once they cleared the Demon encampment.

  “Please tell me you have the quest to find the Gornath texts?” he asked Calista as they walked behind the rest of the guild later, moving south towards the camp. He finished the few easy gathering quests and was a few bars away from hitting level 27 with everyone else.

  “What’s it called? Breaking the Queen’s something or other, right?”

  “Thank God. I thought I was stuck with a personal quest again.”

  “Nope, we all got that one. I remember now because Jimmy bitched about it all day Friday. There’s no real direction and no hints on where we’ll be able to find the texts.”

  “Yeah I noticed that, too.”

  Her hand slipped into his and he grinned. “I have to go back to Weston soon to check the shop. I think you should come with me.”

  “Still don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “They won’t arrest you on sight. Benji and the other half-breeds walked through the front gates easily enough. None of the guards stopped them and no one barged into the guild house to arrest them for treason.”

  He frowned. “Alright, I’ll go with you. We’re hopefully going to have to see the trainers soon, right? After we knock out this Demon camp, we’ll be closer to our next tier abilities.”

  “Do you know what you’re going to do already?”

  “Hell yeah,” he said and told her about the Fiery Arrow options he was dying to reach. “Hopefully I’ll get it before we hit the next dungeon.”

  “The next dungeon in the Demon Realm? Yeah, probably be a good idea.”

  He kicked a rock along the road. “I haven’t seen Willy yet. He won’t come when I call.”

  “I’m sure he’ll come around,” she assured him. “He’s your companion.”

  “Companion, not pet. He acts differently, he always has but this is the first time he hasn’t met up with me. It’s weird, him not being here.”

  “If you two are finished flirting,” Jimmy hissed over his shoulder. “Demons, twelve o’clock.”

  Bishop pulled his bow off his body as Calista drew her mace and ax from her hips, and they hunkered down in the bushes beside Jimmy and the others. The encampment was surrounded by a wooden wall of timbers with several watch towers around it.

  “They weren’t kidding,” Benji whispered. “I count six watch towers all together.”

  “Any Demon players?” Arthur asked.

  “None that I can see. Bishop? Can we borrow your eyes?” Shamus asked.

  Bishop stepped back and brought up Demon Vision. His eyes rolled back in his head and he departed from his body, flying high over the camp. He counted as many Demons as he could, but it was the big one in the very back, surrounded by four commanders that had him cringing, wishing the LongBeards were with them as backup. There were six towers, but only one archer in each. Barking made him turn around and he spied kennels to the far left. When his vision ran out, he sank back into his body and blinked furiously.

  “This is not going to be an easy fight,” he informed the others, “but if we do it right, we should make it out alive and in one piece.”

  He told them the layout of the encampment and warned there might be more quests popping up once they started attacking. The smart thing to do would be to knock out the watchtowers first and move in from there. He counted around thirty Demons, not including the massive one in the back or his four commanders.

  “They’re grouped in fours and fives,” he said, sketching out a rough outline in the dirt. “If we can pull them carefully, we won’t risk being overrun, but that big mother in the back. He’s the one I’m worried about.”

  “How bad do you think he is?”

  “Remember the slaver we faced? Yeah, I’m thinking him, maybe worse, but hopefully not,” Bishop said. “Seeing as this is part of the main storyline, it could go either way. Oh, and there’s kennels. Hell hounds of some sort.”

  “They were penned up though, right?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not sure if they were Hell hounds or not. I heard them, didn’t see them,” Bishop said.

  “What else would they be?” Shamus asked.

  “No idea, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. There’s only one entrance in, so I suggest myself and Giles take out the Demons in the watchtowers. Once the coast is clear, we move in and work our way around, leave the big guy for last.”

  They nodded in agreement and Bishop made ready to move right around the encampment as Giles moved left. He nodded to Giles and they aimed at their designated guard towers. Bishop drew back hard and fired his Increased Swift Bow. The shot hit home and he followed it up with Instant Shot, and finished off the archer with Execution. He waited until Giles killed his Demon before he moved to the next. This one managed to get two hits off and Bishop cursed as he watched the poison drain on his health bar from the bolt sticking out of his leg. He had to use a potion to remove the effect before it drained him, and then he moved onto the last Demon.

  Figured this one would mess up their entire plan.

  Bishop drew back, ready with Increased Swift Bow, when the Demon turned its green, flaming gaze on him and bellowed. At first, Bishop just attacked him like normal, but Calista yelled and the sounds of a fight sounded back near the entrance to the encampment. Bishop ducked under three more shots fired his way and, rolling into the bushes for cover, he retook his aim and drew back on Fiery Arrow, followed by Instant Shot. The Demon landed a hit to his shoulder and he flew back from the impact, his life taking a heavy hit. He managed to draw back for Execution and finished off the Demon.

  Racing back towards the front of the encampment, he heard Maverick’s violent roar and saw a few Demons go flying over their heads and back into the camp. When he rounded the corner, he skidded to a stop in the dirt and instantly unleashed Rain of Thorns as Giles unleashed his bleeds and traps from the other side. Nearly all the demons had rushed out of the camp to meet their attack. Thankfully, the biggest one had remained inside, but two of his commanders now stood blocking the entrance.

  Bishop concentrated on the Demons breaking away from Calista, Arthur, or Maverick. They charged straight for Benji and Jimmy, but he managed to draw them away enough for Jimmy to get off his life drain attacks. Bishop wanted to see what the others were doing, but Calista yelled in a fury and he was left awestruck as always when he watched her fight. She moved so easily through the moves; it was like she was fighting in real life and not in a game. Every move was flawless, every blow delivered with intent.

  He kept up his Fiery Arrow and Instant Shot, saving up his larger attacks for when they turned their attacks to the two big guys they would have to bust through to get inside the encampment and finish this quest.

  The last Demon fell and Bishop heard the coins clink into his bags as Maverick and Calista looted the rather amusing pile of bodies at their feet. Arthur stood right outside what Bishop assumed the aggro range was for the other two Demons. A prompt appeared in front of Bishop and he grinned as he read it.

  You have received: 10 Demon Shards.

  “Getting closer,” he mused as he hustled over to the others. “Maverick and Arthur? We’ll follow your lead.”

  Arthur bowed and motioned Maverick forward. She snarled, flashing her fangs, an
d rose up on her hind legs. Her paws glowed a vibrant blue as she powered up her attack. When she fell forward, striking the ground, it trembled like an earthquake beneath their feet, stunning the two Demons. Arthur ran in, his axe glowing bright red with his fury power attack and Calista was right behind him.

  Bishop focused on his Fiery Attacks and used Penetrating Armor on both of them when it was available. The Demons were strong, but it was better than having to face a camp full of Demons and Demon players. Bishop kept up the aerial assault with Giles and watched as Arthur swung his axe high over his head, then brought it down with another fierce yell, finishing off the two demons. Their bodies collapsed to the ground and he smirked as he looted them. More coins clinked home and Bishop grinned wider when he heard the familiar ding.

  You have reached level 27.

  New Oils available for use. Please see your Trainer.

  “Nifty, I can use more oils now,” he told the others.

  “Like what?”

  “Dunno, have to see the trainer,” he said and walked with the others towards the entrance to the encampment. The large Demon hadn’t moved an inch and he still had two guards flanking his sides. “How do we want to proceed?”

  The rest of the Demons were dead already, but it was the noise coming from what Bishop assumed were kennels that bothered him. Something was definitely growling in there and snarling like the Hell hounds he heard before, but there was another growl in there, a very familiar growl that tore at him.

  “Willy,” he breathed, and without pausing to think, he sprinted into the camp.

  “Bishop!” Calista hollered.

  Willy, Willy was in those kennels and he was in trouble. Bishop sprinted even faster and kicked down the wobbly wooden door blocking his way.

  “Damn,” he whispered as ten Hell hounds whipped around to snarl at his intrusion.

  There, pinned against the back of the kennel, was Willy along with a few more white wolves. Willy’s ears were back and his hackles raised, but when he spied Bishop, he perked up and flashed his fangs. His growl grew deeper and he lashed out at the Hell hounds with a fury. Bishop tried to draw his shot back, but the hounds were too close and he had to use it to fend off an attack. They lunged at him and his life depleted quickly. He cursed, shoving back at the hounds, but their weight carried him to the ground.

  From outside, he heard more yells. Another roar of fury told him the three Demons had been pulled and were attacking his guild. If he could free the wolves, they would help and, from the sound of it, they would need it bad. Maverick roared, and the sound was cut short and Bishop feared the worst. With a yell of his own, his health at half, he pushed back, throwing the hounds off his body. Willy needed him and his guild needed him. Their cries drove him and he unsheathed his dagger, slashing and slicing his way through the beasts even as they clawed and bit, tearing his jerkin and his cloak. One latched onto his leg, gnawing on it like it was a bone. Bishop reached down and Slashed at the hound, but it held on and he saw the bleed appear in the corner of his eye. This hound was going to kill him and he was going to fail Willy and his guild.

  A vicious snarl drowned out the hounds’ growling and he watched as a giant, white body leapt into the fray surrounding him. Willy’s white fur was covered with blood in seconds as he tore through the hounds attacking Bishop. He made it to his feet with a sliver of health left and chugged a health potion. The second it was empty, he drew back on his bow and used Fiery Arrow against the hounds, finishing them off with Execution and Instant Shot until the last one fell dead at his feet.

  Willy limped to him and licked his face as Bishop knelt amongst the carnage.

  “What happened to you, boy?” he asked, ruffling the wolf’s fur and burying his face in his neck. “I’m sorry, I should’ve been here for you.”

  “Bishop! We’re kind of dying out here!” Jimmy hollered.

  “What do you say? Ready for some revenge?” Bishop asked and Willy snorted. “What about your friends?”

  The four other wolves trotted over, some with blood matting their fur, and nudged Willy. Bishop dragged himself to his feet and, with his tiny army of wolves, charged out of the kennels and into the fight. The large Demon was the only one left alive, but his health was nearly full and Maverick and Arthur were at half already. Benji struggled to heal them. Debuffs had been placed on them they’d seen before with other Demons, not letting them heal to their full health.

  Bishop drew back and aimed Penetrating Shot at the Demon as Willy and the four wolves launched themselves at him. The Demon bellowed in fury as the wolves latched onto his body, biting and clawing at him, tearing chunks of his body off.

  The Demon’s health barely took a hit from the attack, but it distracted him and added five bleeds. Those helped drain his life.

  “Jimmy! Life Drain him!” Bishop yelled.

  Jimmy nodded and thrust his hands forward to use the attack. The Demon’s body twisted and turned as the life drain took even more from him, yet still not enough. He swung his spear wide, catching Arthur and Maverick in the sides. Calista tried to doge it, but he slammed it upwards and back down again, catching her in the head. She yelped as she was thrown to the other side of the encampment.

  “Calista!” Bishop yelled and started towards her.

  “No! Kill the bastard!” she snarled and Bishop turned his aim back to the Demon.

  Bishop attempted a Stunning Blow shot next, but the Demon didn’t even notice and fought right through the stun as if he never fired it at all. His attacks weren’t as strong as Commander Zanish’s had been, but Bishop couldn’t understand why the brute wasn’t taking any damage. His level was the same as theirs… Then he saw it and cursed himself.

  “He’s got a damn buff!” Bishop hollered. “Get rid of it!”

  The buff icon wasn’t one he was familiar with and assumed it was nothing like the rest of his guild. Though to be fair, they didn’t exactly prepare for this fight. They charged in when he did and now they were nearly all dead because of one damn Demon with a crazy buff keeping him alive.

  Sorgon rushed forward, performed a Whirling Attack that stripped the Demon of the buff, but he lost half his health in the process. The Demon grabbed him around the neck and tossed him like a paper doll across the encampment.

  “Kill him!” Jimmy bellowed, using another Life Drain, followed by a brightly lit Holy Light Attack.

  Bishop and the others attacked full force, the first waiting until the Demon’s health was low enough he could fire Execute and try to finish him off. But the killing blow went to Willy and his wolves. They fell on the Demon in a ravenous ball of claws and fangs and fur. The Demon screamed as its last bit of health drained away to nothing and, when the wolves stepped back, its body lay torn and bloodied on the ground.

  “Well, that’s lovely,” Jimmy commented. “Bishop, what the hell were you doing, man?”

  “Willy,” he told them as he went to check on Calista. She brushed the dirt from her legs and patted him on the shoulder with a smile as the white wolf rushed over to tackle Jimmy into the dirt, licking his face. “They had Willy and these other wolves in there. Sorry, I should’ve waited but I couldn’t let anything happen to him.”

  Jimmy scratched the white wolf behind the ears until he licked his face again and he sputtered. “Ugh, Demon breath.”

  Bishop helped Jimmy back to his feet and Willy nudged the four white wolves, moving them towards the trees. “Willy, what happened?” he asked and knew the wolf couldn’t exactly explain it to him in words. He threw his great big head over his shoulder and then shook it as if to tell them to follow. Arthur looted the Demons and Bishop smiled.

  You have received: 5 Demon Shards.

  “I’m going to follow Willy. Anyone want to come with me?”

  “Shouldn’t we be waiting for Winston?” Shamus asked.

  Bishop looked around the empty encampment. “Maybe. What do we have left to do? Burn the place, right?”

  Willy and the four wolves left t
he encampment, remaining in the trees where Bishop could see them, waiting for the others. Bishop picked up a torch nearby and set one tent alight. Jimmy and Calista caught the other ones on fire while Maverick focused on the largest one. Within moments, the flames spread and they watched the black smoke billow high over their heads as the flames devoured everything.

  “Alright quest is finished…and still no Winston,” Jimmy said. “Maybe we’re supposed to follow the wolves?”

  “Why not?” Calista said. “It’s an adventure, right?”

  “Because we haven’t had enough of those lately.”

  Maverick playfully punched Jimmy’s arm at his comment and they set off after the pack. Bishop checked the map as they walked. If they went too far south, they would cross a boundary into the next level territory and they were nowhere near ready for that. After a few minutes of walking south, they turned back west and the crackling of a campfire met their ears. Bishop smelt meat cooking and heard a rustling in the trees ahead. He slowed, but Willy appeared perfectly at ease, his hackles down and his ears facing forward. Still, Bishop held his bow in his hand and Calista drew her mace, just in case.

  Willy bolted with the other wolves and Bishop cursed, racing to catch up with his companion. But when he reached the small makeshift camp, he paused, confused.

  “Tavin?”

  “Hello, Bishop, I said I would be meeting you soon,” she said smiling as she petted Willy’s head. The wolf licked her hand affectionately and he frowned at their closeness.

  “Bishop,” a deeper voice said and he turned to see Winston. The man held out his hand and Bishop took it, grateful to have found the man so soon. As he did, the quest for destroying the Demons was completed and he saw XP points explode around him, but his rep decreased with Weston. “It is good to see you, my friend. I feared Godfrey would have thrown you in the dungeon.”

  “Not yet,” he said as he released the man’s hand and turned around. “Where’s everyone else?”