Black Central Fields…
Aunder whistled a folk tune from his home world. He walked unhurriedly toward an army that called themselves the Punishment squad. Analyzing the leader who hovered above them, he somewhat admired those crimson angel wings flapping in the chilly wind.
Supreme Punisher- Atlas
Level: G-1.1
Type: Arch-Spirit.
Work under: *Genesis Omen Director*
Special: Solid Purity Blast. [24% chance of instant death.]
Weakness: taint.
Resistances: all darkness elements.
Despite hovering around Central Fields, the Punishment squad were nothing more than observers, at least for now. Mortem also awaited, and he looked different. Instead of being an eight-inch-tall, fairy-boy, he was five feet tall, red eyes glowing just a bit, batwings spanning at least fifteen feet wide. Muscled, red and gold aura that looked like lightning, spiraled around him. The entity was equipped with a wicked katana which actually impressed Aunder.
Chaos Mortem (Unrestricted Entity Mode)
Level: 9001 (compressed)
Type: Entity
Work under: Venus, Goddess of Love
Special: ???
Weakness: love, taint.
Resistances: all dark elements.
Secret: likes to sneak grapes from his main master's bowl when she isn't looking. Secretly likes dark elves.
Aunder's eyes widened. His level was not only visible but impossibly high. Entities hid their levels, but every now and then one slipped. The highest he recorded before this was eight hundred. The cap should've been one thousand, right? What could a G level be?
"Why did you come here, drunk?" Mortem said. "Don't answer that. This station, this setup—"
"A trap," Aunder said. "That much is obvious. Now are you going to give me a good fight or what?"
"A trap you say." Mortem chuckled deeply. "You found us because we summoned you. It is time you receive pain for killing innocent entities. We were going to kill you, but the Watchers declined to give us permission on the grounds of investing too much time and resources into the stone-viper games. So the next best thing will be to make you wish for death."
Aunder laughed.
"Come, bat boy, you can try. And just so you know, I'm here to kill you."
"An open threat, just as expected. Punishment squad you witnessed it so, I will proceed to kill him on grounds of self-preserving all."
[Aunder has been challenged by Entity, Mortem.]
[Aunder has entered a Maxed Death Sentence!]
[Warning: this should not be taken lightly!]
[Life and Death!]
Aunder's cloak fluttered as the winds lifted. He gestured at Mortem to come at him. The entity drew his sword. The Viper did not.
"You will pay for what you did to them, I swear it," Mortem said. In a blink, he was beside Aunder. The Viper's eyes widened—HE couldn't follow that speed. He…couldn't follow that.
He still dodged Mortem's sword. Or so he thought. A grazing sliced at his cloak. "You do not take this fight seriously—you TAKE THIS ALL AS A JOKE. Wearing your cloak against a foe, hiding yourself, and you dare spout out talk of honor."
Aunder laughed.
[Aunder's HP has dropped—]
He cut off the prompt. He wasn't going to die, so why read it? Maybe he would. If Mortem proved himself to be a worthy fight. The entity came at him again with impossible speed, but this time, Aunder anticipated where he would swing. Yet, Mortem didn't swing.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* Judgement's Dragon God's hammer.>
Ki...no. And White Ki…it shouldn't exist. Purity in disguise and the batboy could utilize it without official permission from his chain of command. The dragon-shaped energy blast engulfed him and all his could do was laugh as he felt real pain.
[DOUBLE Hyper-Critical! Your HP has dropped to 200% Warning, you took a MASSIVE amount of damage. You will feel the ache.]
The black cloak burned away, revealing a tan man with long black hair, purple eyes that glowed, shirtless. A tattoo of a beautiful woman was on his back, the goddess of his world.
"Fighting with Ki," Aunder said. "I suppose it's only fair to take every advantage possible."
He teleported to the side of Mortem and delivered a roundhouse kick that spiraled the entity two miles away. The entity wasted no time instantly teleporting back to him.
[Mortem's HP has dropped to 15.5B]
He felt the batboy channeling. Timing it perfectly, he dodged all three Ki-balls, knowing damned well not to be foolish enough to let them hit.
"If Ki was a pretty lady, she'd be the one I'd never get," Aunder said.
"You still do not draw your sword," Mortem said calmly. "Very well."
[You have been caught in a death-blind.]
Energy tendrils materialized around the Viper.
[Aunder is dying…]
[Aunder is fading.]
"You've earned this," Mortem said. "Farewell."
Aunder laughed.
"I really should stop letting you get your hopes up."
Abruptly, the bindings dissolved.
((Aunder triggered- *Book of Life*: once per day, you may fully heal.))
[Aunder fully healed. Status effects cleared.]
Mortem's eyes widened.
"Mortem, no matter how much you beef yourself, it will be years before you can catch me, fairy-boy."
He teleported in front of the entity. Mortem teleported out of the way of his flick. That's when he plunged his sword through Aunder's chest so fast, that time briefly stopped.
The entity grinned.
"As if I'd fail to some mere mortal after being blessed by seven different gods."
He pulled back his sword, spin-kicking the Viper backward.
[Aunder has been injected with taint.]
[Warning, Mortem has no idea that his weapon was secretly fused with taint.]
[Aunder's HP has halved and will continue to halve for the next five seconds.]
Aunder dropped to a knee, panting. Taint. The opposite of purity, an element that's an enemy to even residents of the dark. He stood, grin dropped.
((Aunder triggered Self-stabilize))
The chakra wouldn't burn away every drop of the taint, but it'd hold the micro-leftovers off to a corner, caged by his pool of magic.
"Prepare yourself, batboy," he said then drew a sword with a glowing orange blade. "You asked for this."
[Aunder is now taking the fight seriously.]
With one swipe of his blade at the air, black magic the size of two cities crashed onto Mortem like a tidal wave. And the entity didn't see it coming.
[Mortem's Hp has dropped to 1300%]
"I am not finished," Aunder said calmly. He sprinted toward the recovering entity, moving at the speed of sound. Swinging the blade, Mortem just barely blocked. Sparks and magic erupted between the swords. Mortem snarled, overwhelmed.
Aunder kicked him into the air then teleported in front his flight path. He smashed the entity to the ground with a downward kick, then hovered.
((Chakra flight engaged.))
He gently landed in front of the entity.
"I can almost smell the regret," Aunder said. "You despicable creatures created a death game and just expect someone like me to play along." He picked up Mortem by the throat. "Playtime's over. I've had enough of this." He aimed one hand at the Punishers. "What will happen when I kill them?"
"You're a fool, drunk," Mortem wheezed. "A fool who believes he's won."
Aunder's eyes widened too late.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* End of Tears>
The Ki-blast rocketed the man backward several dozen feet, skidding along the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth and a few wounds.
"If you honestly believe you're ready to challenge them, then you're an idiot." Mortem walked over to the Viper and grinned.
[Aunder's HP has dropped to 50%]
"Not so tough, now are you?" Mortem said, aiming a hand. Aunder laughed.
"Well done, Mortem, giving me a high-level challenge that could actually make me bleed," he said.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* Hammer of Justice>
"But you've made one miscalculation."
Aunder teleported to the side of the entity. Mortem snarled as his attack plunged into the ground.
"Chaos Mortem, entity blessed by six deities, deceived by one. You seriously believe you stand a chance against me. The gods who forced me into this game simply have no idea."
Dark purple aura erupted around the Viper. His purple eyes glowed brightly. If anyone were to witness it from a distance, they'd see the giant shape of a winged reptile.
[Aunder has invoked 5% of Viper Mode.]
The planet began to shake. The noon sky darkened to night. The moon in the sky turn red then bled. Actual blood drizzled. The universe shuddered, fear rippling through it like shockwaves.
"Whoops, it seems like I injured the Moon goddess," Aunder said. "I normally do not hurt pretty ladies—and in fact, give them more loving than they'd expect. But for deities." He chuckled. "I have no love for them." Mortem trembled involuntarily. "Now you're probably wondering why I'm stomping out a level nine thousand fellow such as yourself. Let ask you this instead. Is the deity that selected me, the strongest of a warrior race, trustworthy? Probably not."
He slashed off Mortem's ear with the edge of his blade. The entity yelled in agony. "I can image how badly you treated my counterpart. He who is not from my race. He who doesn't have the inherit absolute power." Aunder smashed the entity's face into the dirt. "You aren't a deity, yet you have the audacity to challenge me." He kicked him forward. When the entity landed, he reverted back to normal. "He who has no honor. He who supports this game. You should've just left me alone to my drinks. Now you're going to pay for it." He aimed a hand at Mortem. Intense magic, energy, chakra, and essence gathered into his palm, creating a black, white, and blue glow that seemed to invert its colors every second. "Die."
Mortem trembled, holding his ear, eyes wide in utter fear. He…was dead.
Someone appeared in front of Aunder. Someone who's beauty he could not describe. She grabbed his arm.
[Aunder's special skill was disabled.]
"That's a hardworking servant of mine," the obvious goddess said. "Out of respect for the games, I will not kill you, this once." She glared at the observing Punishment squad. "Of course they'd simply watch and let this happen." She sighed. "Off you go. You will no longer have access to this area."
"I do not think so, deity," Aunder said. When he tried to move…he couldn't.
The goddess winked.
"Bye-bye," she said. "And do try to follow the rules."
[Aunder is being forced back to his previous location.]
"As if I'd let you power up to one hundred percent." The woman giggled. "It still wouldn't be enough to make me blink. Bye!"
**
Niyoto…
[12th Quarter.] [Norline Street.]
Clyde shuddered as he felt…something surged through him. Many sensations picked at him, from drowning to electrical to fear. Then as quickly as they came, the feelings vanished. Ruri sniffed the air.
"Clyde, are you okay? You.."
"Don't worry about me," he said. "It's the cold breeze I guess. Let's just get this contract-breaking out of the way, so we can discuss what to do about the demon lord. I'll even give you guys tomorrow off as a job well done against the minotaur herd."
"You mean we don't have to spend the day researching?" Chika and Ruri said.
"You don't have to research," Clyde said. "But while exploring town, if you do see something, I expect a report."
Alice rubbed Clyde's shoulder.
"Look at you, all leader-like." She kissed him. "A far speck above the mortal that gave me cake. Did you know that that was the first time I've tried birthday cake?"
"I see," Clyde said.
"Her father was even super restrictive back when we were kids," Ruri said. "He made her eat boring luxury meals from the demon realm. Well, the meat was good—but you know what I mean."
"And then you snuck hot pepper into my soup," Alice said. Ruri giggled.
"I suppose I was a bit too much of a prankster back then," the hellhound said. She and her friend smiled at each other.
The adorable smiles dropped as they reached the front entrance of the minotaur cult headquarters.
Yuki shook her head.
"I wonder if I'll ever understand humans."
Chika patted her shoulder.
"That's why you've got me. Now let me take the lead in this one."
"Be careful in there, human sister," Alice said. Chika smiled.
"You know I will," she said. "Should take no more than a few minutes."
The party stood out of sight while the silver-haired girl stealthed. Clyde wondered what kind of crazy and whacky shit lied within that large church-like building.
Black Central Fields…
Aunder whistled a folk tune from his home world. He walked unhurriedly toward an army that called themselves the Punishment squad. Analyzing the leader who hovered above them, he somewhat admired those crimson angel wings flapping in the chilly wind.
Supreme Punisher- Atlas
Level: G-1.1
Type: Arch-Spirit.
Work under: *Genesis Omen Director*
Special: Solid Purity Blast. [24% chance of instant death.]
Weakness: taint.
Resistances: all darkness elements.
Despite hovering around Central Fields, the Punishment squad were nothing more than observers, at least for now. Mortem also awaited, and he looked different. Instead of being an eight-inch-tall, fairy-boy, he was five feet tall, red eyes glowing just a bit, batwings spanning at least fifteen feet wide. Muscled, red and gold aura that looked like lightning, spiraled around him. The entity was equipped with a wicked katana which actually impressed Aunder.
Chaos Mortem (Unrestricted Entity Mode)
Level: 9001 (compressed)
Type: Entity
Work under: Venus, Goddess of Love
Special: ???
Weakness: love, taint.
Resistances: all dark elements.
Secret: likes to sneak grapes from his main master's bowl when she isn't looking. Secretly likes dark elves.
Aunder's eyes widened. His level was not only visible but impossibly high. Entities hid their levels, but every now and then one slipped. The highest he recorded before this was eight hundred. The cap should've been one thousand, right? What could a G level be?
"Why did you come here, drunk?" Mortem said. "Don't answer that. This station, this setup—"
"A trap," Aunder said. "That much is obvious. Now are you going to give me a good fight or what?"
"A trap you say." Mortem chuckled deeply. "You found us because we summoned you. It is time you receive pain for killing innocent entities. We were going to kill you, but the Watchers declined to give us permission on the grounds of investing too much time and resources into the stone-viper games. So the next best thing will be to make you wish for death."
Aunder laughed.
"Come, bat boy, you can try. And just so you know, I'm here to kill you."
"An open threat, just as expected. Punishment squad you witnessed it so, I will proceed to kill him on grounds of self-preserving all."
[Aunder has been challenged by Entity, Mortem.]
[Aunder has entered a Maxed Death Sentence!]
[Warning: this should not be taken lightly!]
[Life and Death!]
Aunder's cloak fluttered as the winds lifted. He gestured at Mortem to come at him. The entity drew his sword. The Viper did not.
"You will pay for what you did to them, I swear it," Mortem said. In a blink, he was beside Aunder. The Viper's eyes widened—HE couldn't follow that speed. He…couldn't follow that.
He still dodged Mortem's sword. Or so he thought. A grazing sliced at his cloak. "You do not take this fight seriously—you TAKE THIS ALL AS A JOKE. Wearing your cloak against a foe, hiding yourself, and you dare spout out talk of honor."
Aunder laughed.
[Aunder's HP has dropped—]
He cut off the prompt. He wasn't going to die, so why read it? Maybe he would. If Mortem proved himself to be a worthy fight. The entity came at him again with impossible speed, but this time, Aunder anticipated where he would swing. Yet, Mortem didn't swing.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* Judgement's Dragon God's hammer.>
Ki...no. And White Ki…it shouldn't exist. Purity in disguise and the batboy could utilize it without official permission from his chain of command. The dragon-shaped energy blast engulfed him and all his could do was laugh as he felt real pain.
[DOUBLE Hyper-Critical! Your HP has dropped to 200% Warning, you took a MASSIVE amount of damage. You will feel the ache.]
The black cloak burned away, revealing a tan man with long black hair, purple eyes that glowed, shirtless. A tattoo of a beautiful woman was on his back, the goddess of his world.
"Fighting with Ki," Aunder said. "I suppose it's only fair to take every advantage possible."
He teleported to the side of Mortem and delivered a roundhouse kick that spiraled the entity two miles away. The entity wasted no time instantly teleporting back to him.
[Mortem's HP has dropped to 15.5B]
He felt the batboy channeling. Timing it perfectly, he dodged all three Ki-balls, knowing damned well not to be foolish enough to let them hit.
"If Ki was a pretty lady, she'd be the one I'd never get," Aunder said.
"You still do not draw your sword," Mortem said calmly. "Very well."
[You have been caught in a death-blind.]
Energy tendrils materialized around the Viper.
[Aunder is dying…]
[Aunder is fading.]
"You've earned this," Mortem said. "Farewell."
Aunder laughed.
"I really should stop letting you get your hopes up."
Abruptly, the bindings dissolved.
((Aunder triggered- *Book of Life*: once per day, you may fully heal.))
[Aunder fully healed. Status effects cleared.]
Mortem's eyes widened.
"Mortem, no matter how much you beef yourself, it will be years before you can catch me, fairy-boy."
He teleported in front of the entity. Mortem teleported out of the way of his flick. That's when he plunged his sword through Aunder's chest so fast, that time briefly stopped.
The entity grinned.
"As if I'd fail to some mere mortal after being blessed by seven different gods."
He pulled back his sword, spin-kicking the Viper backward.
[Aunder has been injected with taint.]
[Warning, Mortem has no idea that his weapon was secretly fused with taint.]
[Aunder's HP has halved and will continue to halve for the next five seconds.]
Aunder dropped to a knee, panting. Taint. The opposite of purity, an element that's an enemy to even residents of the dark. He stood, grin dropped.
((Aunder triggered Self-stabilize))
The chakra wouldn't burn away every drop of the taint, but it'd hold the micro-leftovers off to a corner, caged by his pool of magic.
"Prepare yourself, batboy," he said then drew a sword with a glowing orange blade. "You asked for this."
[Aunder is now taking the fight seriously.]
With one swipe of his blade at the air, black magic the size of two cities crashed onto Mortem like a tidal wave. And the entity didn't see it coming.
[Mortem's Hp has dropped to 1300%]
"I am not finished," Aunder said calmly. He sprinted toward the recovering entity, moving at the speed of sound. Swinging the blade, Mortem just barely blocked. Sparks and magic erupted between the swords. Mortem snarled, overwhelmed.
Aunder kicked him into the air then teleported in front his flight path. He smashed the entity to the ground with a downward kick, then hovered.
((Chakra flight engaged.))
He gently landed in front of the entity.
"I can almost smell the regret," Aunder said. "You despicable creatures created a death game and just expect someone like me to play along." He picked up Mortem by the throat. "Playtime's over. I've had enough of this." He aimed one hand at the Punishers. "What will happen when I kill them?"
"You're a fool, drunk," Mortem wheezed. "A fool who believes he's won."
Aunder's eyes widened too late.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* End of Tears>
The Ki-blast rocketed the man backward several dozen feet, skidding along the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth and a few wounds.
"If you honestly believe you're ready to challenge them, then you're an idiot." Mortem walked over to the Viper and grinned.
[Aunder's HP has dropped to 50%]
"Not so tough, now are you?" Mortem said, aiming a hand. Aunder laughed.
"Well done, Mortem, giving me a high-level challenge that could actually make me bleed," he said.
<Mortem channeled *White Ki* Hammer of Justice>
"But you've made one miscalculation."
Aunder teleported to the side of the entity. Mortem snarled as his attack plunged into the ground.
"Chaos Mortem, entity blessed by six deities, deceived by one. You seriously believe you stand a chance against me. The gods who forced me into this game simply have no idea."
Dark purple aura erupted around the Viper. His purple eyes glowed brightly. If anyone were to witness it from a distance, they'd see the giant shape of a winged reptile.
[Aunder has invoked 5% of Viper Mode.]
The planet began to shake. The noon sky darkened to night. The moon in the sky turn red then bled. Actual blood drizzled. The universe shuddered, fear rippling through it like shockwaves.
"Whoops, it seems like I injured the Moon goddess," Aunder said. "I normally do not hurt pretty ladies—and in fact, give them more loving than they'd expect. But for deities." He chuckled. "I have no love for them." Mortem trembled involuntarily. "Now you're probably wondering why I'm stomping out a level nine thousand fellow such as yourself. Let ask you this instead. Is the deity that selected me, the strongest of a warrior race, trustworthy? Probably not."
He slashed off Mortem's ear with the edge of his blade. The entity yelled in agony. "I can image how badly you treated my counterpart. He who is not from my race. He who doesn't have the inherit absolute power." Aunder smashed the entity's face into the dirt. "You aren't a deity, yet you have the audacity to challenge me." He kicked him forward. When the entity landed, he reverted back to normal. "He who has no honor. He who supports this game. You should've just left me alone to my drinks. Now you're going to pay for it." He aimed a hand at Mortem. Intense magic, energy, chakra, and essence gathered into his palm, creating a black, white, and blue glow that seemed to invert its colors every second. "Die."
Mortem trembled, holding his ear, eyes wide in utter fear. He…was dead.
Someone appeared in front of Aunder. Someone who's beauty he could not describe. She grabbed his arm.
[Aunder's special skill was disabled.]
"That's a hardworking servant of mine," the obvious goddess said. "Out of respect for the games, I will not kill you, this once." She glared at the observing Punishment squad. "Of course they'd simply watch and let this happen." She sighed. "Off you go. You will no longer have access to this area."
"I do not think so, deity," Aunder said. When he tried to move…he couldn't.
The goddess winked.
"Bye-bye," she said. "And do try to follow the rules."
[Aunder is being forced back to his previous location.]
"As if I'd let you power up to one hundred percent." The woman giggled. "It still wouldn't be enough to make me blink. Bye!"
**
Niyoto…
[12th Quarter.] [Norline Street.]
Clyde shuddered as he felt…something surged through him. Many sensations picked at him, from drowning to electrical to fear. Then as quickly as they came, the feelings vanished. Ruri sniffed the air.
"Clyde, are you okay? You.."
"Don't worry about me," he said. "It's the cold breeze I guess. Let's just get this contract-breaking out of the way, so we can discuss what to do about the demon lord. I'll even give you guys tomorrow off as a job well done against the minotaur herd."
"You mean we don't have to spend the day researching?" Chika and Ruri said.
"You don't have to research," Clyde said. "But while exploring town, if you do see something, I expect a report."
Alice rubbed Clyde's shoulder.
"Look at you, all leader-like." She kissed him. "A far speck above the mortal that gave me cake. Did you know that that was the first time I've tried birthday cake?"
"I see," Clyde said.
"Her father was even super restrictive back when we were kids," Ruri said. "He made her eat boring luxury meals from the demon realm. Well, the meat was good—but you know what I mean."
"And then you snuck hot pepper into my soup," Alice said. Ruri giggled.
"I suppose I was a bit too much of a prankster back then," the hellhound said. She and her friend smiled at each other.
The adorable smiles dropped as they reached the front entrance of the minotaur cult headquarters.
Yuki shook her head.
"I wonder if I'll ever understand humans."
Chika patted her shoulder.
"That's why you've got me. Now let me take the lead in this one."
"Be careful in there, human sister," Alice said. Chika smiled.
"You know I will," she said. "Should take no more than a few minutes."
The party stood out of sight while the silver-haired girl stealthed. Clyde wondered what kind of crazy and whacky shit lied within that large church-like building.
