Dave's sword culled through the enemy; they were mostly calamitous beings that were far weaker than the real ones. None of these calamities had a title of their own. For example, the lesser calamity of fear, Naandloushii, or the greater version of it, the shadow that Flanker killed with the sole of his heel, all had a title. As for this fodder, they were monsters, of random shapes and forms, crabs that walked on tentacle legs, turtles that had scorpion tails, and some other random variation of hybrid monstrosity. It was no different than an escape of a group of monsters from a research facility.
The undead drove their swords deep into the creatures, impaling them on jagged flamberge great swords, then sliced them up, severing their limbs then stomped on them to continue onward. The undead didn't care. They moved forward, slew the enemy, and had them grounded to bits of bones and fractured exoskeleton under their boots. The undead were a march of death that left no one standing in front of it.
Calamities by the thousands came surging from the flank, trying to take Dave's army by surprise. Sadly for them, if they had tried the same tactic by coming from the front, they would have, though whimsically smaller chance to break through Dave's army, hat chance would be astronomical compared to the idiotic attempt at trying to break through the Doom Knights that were holding the flank.
The calamities came, the Doom Knights raised their swords, the calamities were no more.
Simple, effective, and brutal. The Doom Knights were on a whole other league and with them holding the flanks, there was no way Dave's army would be broken through if not with a power comparable to a world-shaking boss.
Clamorous sounds echoed from behind Dave's army. Then flashes of light shot from behind him and into the calamities in front of him. Spells and casts from players of the North came to decimate the enemy up ahead.
Solo players charged ahead of Dave's army and into the fray, a brave, yet completely idiotic behavior. Most of the players were killed in less than ten seconds. And the wiser of the bunch retreated when they noticed their friends dying.
"Move out of my way!" Dave shouted at the solo players, he didn't want anyone causing his formation to falter. Having an undead stop his attack against the calamity in fear of hitting a player was something Dave didn't want to deal with.
"Get the hell out of there!" more players shouted at the solo players and called them back to group up with them.
"Davey, need an arrow?" Dave's voice com sounded.
"All help is appreciated, Zoe."
Zoe's ice arrows shot forward and turned many of the calamities to ice statues that were shattered by the swords and spears of the Death Knights.
"Aren't these guys too weak?" Zoe asked.
"Fodder, the real deal hasn't come yet."
"You think there is a boss class here?"
"Definitely, they are too organized to be acting out on instinct. Everyone be careful of any calamities that look unordinary."
"Define unordinary, I have one with a horse's head and butterfly wings." Flanker said.
"I'm talking about bosses, there should be one here."
"I see it," Perfect Shot said.
"Really?" Dave asked.
"Yep, he is in the back, about half a mile deep into the snow, he is… climbing the mountain."
"What? The mountain. Oh shit!" Dave cursed. Then shouted, "Onixya! Tiny come out!"
The two came out of Dave's side bag. The dragon rose high into the skies and howled at all the beings under it, while Dave's Grave Lord stared at Onixya then jumped up. It also took a draconic shape, and howled the same, causing many of the players to be stunned.
"Shit! Skelly has two dragons!" One player called out. Little that he knew, it was only Tiny feeling jealous of Onixya.
"Onixya! Hold the fort, burn every Calamity you see to cinders. Tiny, with me to the mountain!" Dave called and jumped up.
Tiny came rushing and scooped Dave then flew forward, changing shape to a wyvern, they were smaller but much faster and flew nimbler.
Dave's wyvern closed upon the entity that he noticed jumping to the top of the mountain with utter ease.
Dave noticed a frightening similarity to the being that was jumping up to climb the mountain and another being he saw before. Mainly, the wings. Though they were clearly broken and unfit to use. Otherwise, he could have simply flown up to the top.
The creature turned to lay his eyes on Dave. But Dave was surprised the bing had no eyes, it only had a round pale face with a mouth and a nose on it. And a big circular shaped hole where his brain should be. The creature had a dream catcher standing behind its head. And shriveled wings, darker than black that sprouted from behind it.
***
Samkiel
Level: 666
Tier: Greater Calamity of Betrayal.
Danger level: Calamitous!
Damage: 1,000,000
HP: ∞
PD: 0
MD: 0
Skills: Unknown.
Samkiel. The first traitor to heaven, the most wicked and vile. Once he had the audacity to bring down the holy order and bring chaos to heaven. But by the will of the creature Demiurge, he was banished to the box, a shameful existence to the world's architect to have one of his own betray him and be left to live. Destruction and anhelation seemed too easy and too forgiving a punishment for him, thus he was sentenced to forever be placed among the calamities.
***
"God damn it, another immortal. Tiny, he plans on getting into the labyrinth I made. I can't have him have access to Asmodeus's troops." Dave said.
Tiny flew even faster until he was close enough that Dave was in jumping range then flew toward the creature, Durandal pointed at his chest.
The creature hissed, he pointed one thin and skinny pale hand at Dave. A horizontal crack opened up in the middle of the creature's hands revealing two rows of teeth, a mouth that shot out a black ray at Dave.
Dave decided it was best to dodge something he didn't know, but it was too difficult to maneuver in mid-air.
Yet, Dave never ceases to impress. His wit gave him a great idea, he activated the eye on his massive shield and cast a spell in mid-air. Draconic Spectral Skull, just one, and the moment it was summoned he willed it to explode. The impact caused Dave to deviate from his earlier trajectory, dodging the blow, he then spun around himself and used the same trick again to adjust his trajectory. The second explosion placed Dave back in the same path he first was intended to use, and the sword in his hand was now pointed at the creature's chest.
A destructive impact and a hail of snow and rocks fell from the sides of the mountain due to the massive rattling the mountain had received. The strength behind Dave's flight was powerful enough that he managed to pin the fallen angel into the mountain and cause an avalanche while doing it.
The creature hissed at Dave. He pointed his hand once again at Dave's face, but the undead wouldn't let the calamity shoot him in point-blank range. Dave let go of Durandal and kicked at the angel's elbow at the same time, he had the archangel blast a hole into his own shoulder.
The creature hissed and tried to escape by pulling at the heavy sword to remove it out of its chest, while Dave hung to the creature's leg.
"You're going nowhere!" Dave said.
But unfortunately for Dave, the angel had other plans. He suddenly fizzled into liquid matter causing Dave's grip to falter and grab nothing but air. Then the angel re-materialized and shaped itself back and hopped up, jumping away from Dave and headed into the mountain's top.
"Crap!" Dave shouted and chased after the angel. But the latter was too fast for Dave.
Even tiny tried to chase after him but failed in catching up, it was as if the angel had eyes on the back of his head, he managed to shoot at Tiny without having to look at where he was causing the Grave Lord to dodge the attacks and fail at stopping him.
Once the angel was at the top of the mountain, he entered through the cave that was the temple of the mere-folks who used to be the guardians of Pandora's box
"F.u.c.k if he makes it to Amadeus it would be hell to pay!" Dave cursed. And right as he was at the top of the mountain, an explosion so loud and so devastating blew up, rattling the top of the mountain and turning it to cinders.
Smoke and dirt and vaporized snow flew up everywhere. If Dave was just a few meters higher, he would have been taken out by that explosion. Dave's ears buzzed and his mind was in chaos, yet thankfully, he was grabbing tightly.
Tiny was nowhere to be seen, but he didn't seem to be dead, Dave never received the notification of such. Still, the explosion was worrying. If he had this much destructive power, why didn't he opt to challenge Dave and chose to go up? Dave thought about this possibility but decided to ignore it. Perhaps he had other plans.
"Sc.u.m like existence such as yours is unfit to demand my collaboration!" Spoke a voice so loud and so booming that Dave's already rattled mind threatened to collapse.
"F.u.c.k…he shouldn't be here," Dave said. and just as he was about to jump down and escape from the mountain's perimeter.
"Draugr, I know you're there. Come on up," said the voice.
"Damn…" Dave cursed and rose up.
Where there was supposed to be a mountain tip, was nothing but rubble, and only the sturdiest of stones that managed to survive the explosion from before.
And now Dave knew who the originator of that explosion was. Asmodeus. The lord of Hell has properly set foot in the land of man.
Dave stood up and looked Amadeus in the eyes. All six of them.
In the hand of the god of hell was the struggling form of the fallen angel.
"Can you believe this, draugr, this kind, this distasteful once holy and now corrupted degradation of holy dung has dared ask me for collaboration."
"I find that amusing and at the same time confusing, I guess you didn't like the way he looked at you?" Dave said.
"Amusing, draugr, for one with no eyes have no means to see. But no, I do not parley with the holy."
"He doesn't seem that holy to me, I mean he betrayed Demi-cup. Your enemy,"
"Demiurge has never been my enemy, draugr, you fail to understand the relationship between the gods. We are all brothers, and don't think just because I rule hell that I am inherently evil."
"You're not evil?"
"No, I am. Like really evil, still that's not the point."
"Huh."
"The point is, this sc.u.m has betrayed his master, he betrayed his god and decided to use me to get to my own brother. Heathen. Loathsome, and despicable."
"I guess those are words that you should really like, I mean, demon god and all, you know."
"Yes, but not when it concerns betraying my brother, if it happens to the lesser ones to the likes of you, in your lowly organization, then I welcome it, but if it concerns the divine order, it is a chaos that I wish not see. Still, now even if, heartless as it might sound, even was the type to agree to such preposterous claims and betray my brother for the likes of this disgusting excuse of existence this waste of breath in this world…" Asmodeus said, and with every word he uttered, his grip turned tighter on the neck of the calamity.
"I cannot agree to what he speaks… and do you know why? Foul thing!" Asmodeus shouted the last words, but they were clearly directed at Dave.
Dave looked at Asmodeus and forcefully stopped himself from gulping. 'Never make them see you sweat.'
"The contract," Dave said.
"CORRECT! I may be evil, I may be vile, I may be the most despicable of all, but still, I am a god, not just of hell, but I'm a god of contracts as well. And contracts must be respected, so, on behalf of our collaboration, here is a token of my sincerity in respecting the contract." The god of hell clutched his hands, and with it, the calamitous angel died on the spot, turning to cinders.
Loads of loot dropped onto the ground.
The greed in Dave's eyes shone bright, and as he was about to take a step forward, Dave stopped.
He then laughed and said, "I killed many calamities, none of them dropped this much loot."
"So?" Asmodeus said.
"I mean, it's tempting but I won't take it."
"Are you sure? I won't stop you." Asmodeus added.
"I'm not gonna be trusting that am I, also. I just noticed something, you hate my guts. But you can't take another step forward can you."
The smile on Asmodeus's face intensified.
"I now understand why that loathsome Nicholas has chosen you. You do have a mind under that skull."
"Bonuses of working with the gods."
Asmodeus left the area, and the loot disappeared with him. Dave cursed inwardly but it was better than the alternative.
As for what happened, Dave thanked his wits and instinct to not be too greedy. The two of them were still under contract, and that contract stated that Asmodeus was to get the castle of the burning heights. And right now, the castle is in the depth of the mountain, though anything that passes through its perimeters will be in the domain of the god of hell. Even if it were to fly over it.
If Dave would have taken a couple of steps forward, he would be right above one of the buried castle's walls, and Asmodeus would be in his right to do whatever he wished to the draugr. As he would be, technically speaking, is a part of hell.
"Damn, that was really close," Dave said. then used his coms, "Any updates?"
"We're losing," Ralph said.
"What? I just had their ring leader killed. What's going on?" Dave asked.
"I don't know, but even more of these calamities have shown up. They will soon outnumber us."
"I have a hundred million undead army!"
"Yeah, well the calamities have more. I have no idea where they're coming from."
"F.u.c.k! I'm on my way." Dave said.
And just as he was about to teleport back into the city.
More noise came from the depth of the opened cave.
Demons, so many of them that Dave couldn't even believe his eyes. First were the gargoyles, they flew up from the mountain's top like the harbingers of the apocalypse.
The skies turned red as more of the demonic flying creatures came out.
Then the demons, knights generals, and all the other classes came out.
They all saw Dave, and went past him, ignoring him and running down the mountain slope with no regard to safety. The demons fell down like a magmatic explosion out of a long-overdue volcano.
"What the hell is happening" Ralph's voice came into Dave's ears.
"I guess we have some unexpected, infernal reinforcements…" Dave replied to Ralph.
****
