Apocalypse game, p.38
Apocalypse Game, page 38
I smirked. “If that’s the case, then your words are a compliment. I never had any intention of working with your kind. The only use you serve is as experience points.”
“Fool!” it roared, its hackles rising as it stalked forward. “Then allow me to rid this world of an undeserving Demon Lord so that a new one may be chosen.”
“Bring it, Sylvester. I’ll make a rug out of you.”
The Midnight King pulsed with shadows as it launched at me just as I shifted into Demon Form. But as it flew through the air, the darkness clinging to it grew denser.
I raised my hands to defend myself, but as the Midnight King hit me, its entire body phased right through me, sending a spike of ice into my heart as the shadows clung to me, burning along my skin.
As it passed through me, it solidified once more, spinning faster than I could turn and lashing out at me. Its barbed tail whipped toward me and slammed into my stomach. One of its spikes punched the breath out of me as a lance of pain struck my chest, slicing through the Kevlar and stopping as it hit a rib, and I went flying.
I clipped the fender of a minivan and rolled as glass shattered and shards of a taillight scattered in the dim light. It cracked underfoot as I stood and focused on the Midnight King.
Ailment: Major Bleeding
-25 HP per Minute
I didn’t have time to worry about my wounds. With the adrenaline flooding through me, I didn’t even feel it as I knelt and popped more flares, tossing them as I would grenades, sending them scattering around to light up the tunnel.
They hissed before sparkling crimson light surrounded us, revealing dozens of cars and more human bones than I wanted to see, most of them broken open for their marrow.
The Midnight King hissed as the light burned away his shadows, slowly draining its mana.
As it recoiled from the light, I brought my gun up. I fired in short bursts, making sure each was on target. The bullets struck its obsidian skin and passed harmlessly through, pinging off the concrete wall and striking vehicles behind it. After firing half of my magazine, all I’d done was take a small bite out of its mana pool.
I tossed it to the side. It was next to useless right now, and trying to keep using it would just waste time. It clattered to the ground as I unleashed Rend.
The thick blades rushed out as dark as the Midnight King’s fur and sliced into the shadows hovering just off its body. Resistance met Rend as they struck the oily darkness, and I was afraid it wouldn’t be able to break through, but a second later, the mist gave way, and Rend bit across the Midnight King’s shoulder.
Five thin scratches bubbled yellow blood as the king hissed.
It flicked its tongue out, sending it arcing towards me.
I threw myself in a roll, and it snagged on the edge of my coat as it passed before it slammed into the side of a car, denting the metal. I rolled when I hit the ground, and as I came up, I lashed out with the other side of Rend.
They crossed the distance in the blink of an eye and ripped across the Midnight King’s snout, scoring only a few superficial wounds.
Dammit. That shadow is basically armor. It’s mitigating so much of my damage. I’m basically doing nothing.
Well, then, time to step up my game.
It’s time to see what Displacement can do.
As the Midnight King roared at me and pounced, I leapt to the side. It sailed overhead and landed just shy of one of the numerous cars around us. It whirled around and snarled, dripping darkness to the concrete that stuck like tar, bubbling and hissing as it pooled.
I raised my hand, aiming for its neck as I cast Displacement.
The air shifted and distorted where I’d aimed. In the blink of an eye, a ripple formed on top of the Midnight Beast, spreading into a transparent sphere that warped and twisted, collapsing in on itself as it imploded. It sucked every inch of matter within its domain into itself and vanished, taking a large bite of the Midnight King’s shoulder with it.
A tremor pulsed next to me before the air popped, and a shimmer deposited a hunk of shadow and flesh next to my feet. It rushed out as it slapped against the ground, spilling blood and viscera out next to my boots.
The king howled, but as it tried to take a step, it stumbled as it tore open the wound on its shoulder further.
Shadows rushed to cover the damage, but there was a rush of wind as Salvatore appeared on top of the hood of a car next to the Midnight King.
He aimed at the vulnerability I’d created and unleashed a salvo with his dual pistols. Explosive gunfire shattered the tense battlefield as bullets swarmed the Midnight Beast. The rounds sparked against its fur and exposed muscle, sending blasts of flames arcing off along with a torrent of smoke.
It tried to claw at him, but he just jumped into the air, dodging the beast’s swipe with an inch to spare. The grace he displayed as he flowed was unreal. He moved around the king and into the air with lithe precision. He landed on the hood of a nearby sedan and brought his machine pistols to bear.
The king yelped as tufts of its fur caught ablaze, and its mana plummeted. It tried to back away but slammed into the side of a pickup truck and overturned it, sending it rolling down the tunnel before it crashed into another vehicle.
As Salvatore clicked empty a handful of seconds later, the Midnight King’s mana was a third of what it was, and it hadn’t entirely stopped the incendiary rounds from blistering its flesh. Numerous patches of missing fur and oozing skin littered its once magnificent coat.
The Midnight King roared in absolute rage. “You dare!”
It surged toward Salvatore, but he just vanished before the Midnight King could sink its claws into him.
He reappeared a dozen feet away, a wry grin on his face as he quickly reloaded. “You’re not the only one who’s an ambush hunter.” Salvatore raised his pistols. “How about round two?”
“How about I do you one better?” Adeline shouted.
She held out her palms, index fingers and thumbs touching, and a small blue flame appeared in between. The flame grew in intensity, banishing all the darkness in the tunnel before it sparked, and a huge gout of azure fire launched from her hands towards the gigantic panther. It struck its flank and stuck like napalm before she whipped her hands to the side, laying a thick layer of fire along the asphalt, melting the road as the flames burned bright, forming a wall of flame.
The heat was so intense sweat beaded along my skin from a dozen feet away, my face flushing as the air shifted into arid warmth. The flames licked at the Midnight King, whose mana was just about drained.
A low yowl rumbled from its throat as it searched for an escape from the blazing cage Adeline had trapped it in. Its eyes flashed with predatory fury, and in one swift motion, it flicked its barbed tail out, catching one of the large trucks on the bumper. The thick ivory spikes impaled through the metal like it was cardboard, and even as part of its body sizzled and cooked, it flung the truck back toward it.
It tumbled through the flames and created an impromptu bridge for it to escape. It hopped onto the cab, crushing it as it used the truck as a launchpad and leapt free of Adeline’s attack.
I don’t think so!
As the Midnight King jumped, I surged forward, aided by Demon Form. I raised my claws as Adeline canceled her spell to allow me through.
The Midnight King towered over me, half again as tall as I was, but I didn’t let its size dissuade me. As its eyes flashed, I whipped my hands in an arc, using Rend to cover the distance between us in a second.
Ten gashes rose from its fur, slicing deep into its muscle and spilling yellow down its powerful chest.
It screamed in pain, the ferocious roar staggered me, and my vision swam as my head pounded. I tried to blink my eyes clear, and by the time I had, the Midnight King turned, sending its tail hurtling toward me.
Rend was still on cooldown, and I wouldn’t be able to use it in time.
I prepared to cast Displacement in front of me, but as the spell was on the tip of my tongue, Finn barreled in front of me, a terrifying visage in his armor. His hand raised as Void Shield appeared in his outstretched palm.
The Midnight King’s tail met Finn’s shield and drowned in the abyss. Finn slammed his arm down, and as Void Shield dissipated, the Midnight King’s tail went with it. He’d bisected it nearly in half.
Bright blood gushed from the wound as the king leapt away. It paid no attention to its surroundings and fell back against a large panel van, denting it as the Midnight King scrambled to get away from us.
“Oh no! You’re not getting away that easily!” Finn shouted.
He held up his hand, and a small rift appeared in front of him. A miniature vortex of shadows. He plunged his hand into it and withdrew a massive claymore. It was pure black steel molded into an intricate, flowing design that dripped shadow.
Finn took a step and swung the massive blade down and caught the panther on its flank, parting its flesh with ease, scoring a thick gash until it stopped at the bone.
The king bellowed and thrashed about in agony. It shook, and an errant paw collided with Finn. He let go of the sword as he flew back and clipped a sedan, rolling with the impact.
Adeline and Salvatore were next to him, covering him as he struggled to shake off the hit and stand.
I didn’t wait for him. Demon Form only had half a minute before it timed out, and my mana was low enough that I only had enough for one more Displacement. But despite that, I grinned.
Let’s see how much damage I can cause in thirty seconds.
The others’ skill sets were highly effective at taking down the Midnight King’s mana, and we’d carved a good chunk of its health away. But it was still in the fight, wounded and bleeding, but not down yet.
I raced toward the beast, my feet gliding over the concrete as I vaulted a car and came face-to-face with the Midnight King. I ducked under another paw swipe as I primed Rend. As I got in close, I angled toward its bloody flank and unleashed my skill.
My claws flicked out and bit deep into its already weakened flesh. Ten vicious wounds poured blood out as its health plummeted.
The Midnight King snarled and snapped its jaws at me.
My back hit the overturned truck, and I couldn’t dodge. I steeled myself, and as its fetid breath rolled over me and ivory fangs lunged for my head, I brought my hands up.
It slammed into me with overwhelming force, but I ground myself, and as the undercarriage of the truck dug into my skin and the stench of oil and gasoline overpowered the Midnight King’s rotten breath, I gritted my teeth and pushed back. My bones creaked, and my muscles screamed at me as I held the top and bottom of its snout.
The Midnight King tried prying its way free, but my strength was just enough to hold it back. My arms shook with the strain, and it was only thanks to Demon Form that I could even match its strength.
If I didn’t do something in the next few seconds, I’d be devoured.
I smiled as its fangs pressed against my palms, and I cast Displacement.
The air in front of my face shivered as the sharp scent of ozone burned in my nose, and Displacement took hold inside of the Midnight King’s mouth.
It realized that something was wrong and quickly tried to back away, but it was too late.
As it whipped its head to the side, Displacement took hold. Half of its snout and jaw crumpled, morphing into an unrecognizable obsidian mass as it writhed before it swirled and disappeared, leaving behind a mess of blood and bone peeking out from the king’s jaw.
It recoiled with an ear-shattering howl that crumpled my psyche. My vision went white for a split second as something warm dripped from my ears as the Midnight King thrashed about. It backed away with a silent roar that thrummed through the soles of my boots as my sight returned, and I shook my head. Blood pounded too loud in my ears as the world quieted, save for a shrill whine that buzzed like a mosquito.
The king was a mess. Blood dripped through its ruined mouth, parting around its missing teeth as it tried and failed to close its jaw. Its barbed tongue hung limply to the side, a clear, viscous poison mixing with the blood that snaked down its chest and paws.
I wasn’t done yet.
An ineffable sensation tugged at the back of my mind, and I knew Rend’s cooldown had ended.
With a snarl, I raised my hands and activated Rend. Obsidian dominated my world as the blades ripped into the beast’s pulped snout and jaw. Monster blood splashed across my face as even more flesh and teeth scattered in an arc, clacking against the concrete as a bright red critical flashed overhead.
Rend carved deep into it, ripping apart even more of its head. But despite the massive amount of damage we’d done, the Midnight King was still standing, and underneath the rage and misery was pure, unadulterated hatred.
It would see me suffer if it could.
And I was swiftly running out of ways to kill it. I had ten seconds left on Demon Form, and then we would be at the Midnight King’s mercy.
Out of the corner of my eye, Finn stood, his Abyssal Armor cracked and weathered. Adeline and Salvatore beside him. Salvatore had his pistols trained on the king, but Adeline’s flames had snuffed out, leaving her holding her rifle tight to her shoulder. By the way, Salvatore wasn’t lighting up the beast any longer. He must have run out of his incendiary rounds.
If I was going to do something, it had to be now.
A glint of obsidian sticking out of the beast caught in the crimson glow of the flares, and a plan formed instantly. I tensed, preparing for one last charge.
Yellow flashed as the Midnight King turned to me, murder in its gaze. Even weakened, even in agony, it still wanted to tear into me. The monstrous panther lowered as it prepared to lunge at me.
We both moved.
It leapt into the air as I dove forward. I timed my movements as to where I thought the Midnight King would land, but there wouldn’t be much left of me to complain if I was wrong.
But my calculations had been true, and as the beast pounced on where I’d been standing, I rolled and came up alongside it, right where I wanted.
I turned, thrusting out with my hands, and they closed around the steel grip of Finn’s massive claymore. A frigid cold burned my palms, sending goosebumps up my skin as I wrenched the blade free. I groaned as the sword slid from its temporary sheath with a splash of blood and a tremor that vibrated up the edge.
As I ripped it free, I stumbled as the weight settled, and I had to use most of my enhanced strength to keep the sword from tipping over. My muscles quivered with the strain, and I brought it back, putting my entire body into wielding the blade.
Resistance met me as I turned and then gave way as the tip of the sword collided with a car, shattering the windows. Glass twinkled as it rained to the ground, and the Midnight King swiped one of its paws at me.
I turned the claymore just as its claws reached me, and steel met flesh. An arc of yellow scattered droplets all around me as I ducked the errant spray and whirled, gathering as much momentum as I could before I brought the blade up under the Midnight King’s throat.
Steel split fur and sinew as the sword carved a bloody swath across its neck. Blood poured in a river behind me as I followed through with my swing and ripped the blade free as I stepped through.
With one last flourish, I pivoted even as the last of Demon Form faded away and plunged the tip of Finn’s claymore through the ruined maw of the Midnight King and down its mangled throat.
Its luminescent eyes narrowed as the light slowly dwindled in them. The Midnight King’s destroyed mouth worked up and down, but whatever garbled last response it had fell on deaf ears.
The king gave one last huff, its breath sweeping up a cascade of dust as its body went limp, and the light was finally snuffed out.
Demon Form fled from me, and suddenly my body weighed a hundred pounds heavier. I staggered back, then stumbled to my knees as the fatigue I’d been ignoring flooded into me. I sagged against the ruined pickup and sat on the ground as my heart pounded in my chest, no longer caring about the thousands of picked clean bones littering the once-mighty Midnight King’s lair.
Then Finn and Adeline were next to me, shaking me while their mouths moved wordlessly.
I just grinned at them and laid my head back as I stared at the bright crimson smoke of the flares as it drifted around the ceiling.
Chapter 26- Overrun
After patching up my wounds and an hour of rest to allow the Mantle’s health regeneration to kick in and restore my bloody, bruised, and broken body, my hearing finally returned. When I was finished healing, I breathed a sigh of relief as all the pain that had settled around me vanished.
Oh, that’s much better than the intense agony I was in a second ago.
Before I got up to join the others, I pulled up my status.
Combat Results!
1 Killed (Midnight Beast): 343 Exp!
1 Killed (Midnight King): 2856 Exp!
Experience Boost (27.5%): 880 Exp!
Total Gain: 4079 Exp!
AC Earned: 2,393!
Level Up!
I whistled.
Damn. That almost makes the several near brushes with death worth it for that kind of experience.
System Notice: Newport threat level has decreased!
Newport Threat Level: 11
System Notice: The Midnight King has been defeated!
Beast Skill Available: Shadow Mist
Shadow Mist (Rank 1): Conjures an aura of shadow around the user, allowing them to become intangible for a short time. All normal damage accrued is converted and drains mana rather than health.
Cost: 200 Mana
Damage Mitigation: 20% (Scales with Wisdom)
It was certainly an annoying skill to get around, and I’d seen its effectiveness firsthand. It was something I wanted, but I would have to level up my mana before using it. With how much it cost, and then the drain, it’d eat through my mana faster than anything else in my arsenal.
Character Page
Name: Killian Dunn
Race: Human
Class: Demon Lord (King)
Health: 550/550 (605)
