Chapter 284 - Episode 284: It's Just The Beginning.
Chapter 284 – Episode 284: It’s Just The Beginning.
Aspen is shocked and he immediately runs back and immediately disappears behind the subjects. Kyle and all his friends are immediately shouting and yelling then orders his clan and his allies to charge at the subjects. All of them are running past me and Avriel, I see Cecilia, Poshmeleon, Valentino, Aven, Ian, Chriss, Ilvia, and Allen are burning in excitement. Thousands of players are still coming out from the portal and immediately run toward the subjects.
Everyone is clashing their weapons against the subjects but it surprises them that subjects' skins are solid as a rock and their weapons are unable to even scratch the skin. They keep trying their best and finding a way to deal with the subjects. I can tell that they will be able to handle this many subjects and so I look at Avriel and ask her about the underground because I believe there's still a lot of them down there and I will take care of them on my own.
Avriel and I with dozens of her underlings are following us to the cabin where she was thrown from. I look around and Avriel is leading the way and I see a path to the basement but before I can step a foot on the stairs she warns me to be careful because those subjects down there aren't the same as back then. I tell her that it's nothing to be worried about since I have prepared for this, she nods with understanding and we all go down the stairs to see what kind of nightmare that Avriel saw earlier.
We reach the bottom of the step, I grab my staff and light the path for everyone. I look around and this place is like what ants are making down the ground, and to be honest this reminds me of the Headless Cult's hideout. Well, I'm not surprised since Aspen is a member and I believe he got this idea from them. We start walking forward and see so many holes and I kind of amazed by Avriel that she managed to leave this maze-like nest.
The moment we take a step forward, we can hear a rumbling sound of footsteps is coming toward us. I look at Avriel and she's readying her daggers and her underlings are doing the same, I put my staff in my inventory and it becomes pitch black because I believe they are attracted by the sudden source of light coming from one of the paths. The only people that can see in the dark are only Avriel and I while her underlings can't since they don't have the skill. Avriel looks back and tells her underlings to go to where there are no threats and find any kind of information for us, they all nod and disappear into the shadow.
I grab my sickles and look at Avriel.
"Get ready, and stay on my back."
Avriel nods and slowly walks behind my back.
We hear the footsteps are getting closer and closer, and as soon as I'm sure that they're behind the wall, I dash toward the sound and I immediately swing my left sickle. I see four subjects are coming from there and I break the subject's armor with my sickle then I attract my sickle back while swinging and then whip my right sickle toward him. His guts are coming out from his chest and stomach, Avriel suddenly leaps to the front and uses the momentum from jumping over my head then stabs her daggers on his neck, she cut off his head then kicks him away from her so she can land behind my back again.
I wrap my sickles and leap forward while grabbing my scythe from my inventory. I struck the top of the head of another subject with the tip of my scythe and pull my scythe as hard as I can, I can hear the cracking sound of bone from the subject. I throw his head away from the blade and run toward the next subject with Avriel is following behind me. Avriel runs past me and baiting the subject to target her instead of me, and while he's busy with Avriel I throw my sickle to the subjects in front of me while using [Afterimages], [Doppelganger], and [Shadow of Death's Wrath]. I unwrap my sickles and jump on top of the subject's shoulder and strike my sickles on his skull, Avriel dashes forward and stabs his neck while I'm pulling his head off.
I turn around while wiping the blood from the sickles, I see my doppelgangers and the reaper butchering the subjects. We both start to hear footsteps are coming from all directions, I have no idea how many of them down here, but this is going to a pain in the ass.
"This is going to take a while, Avriel."
Avriel looks at me and nods with understanding.
(At the surface.)
Ivonna is tanking four of the subjects on her own and she seems to be in a struggle but then William and Emma approach her and push the subjects away from her. Ivonna looks at her thank them both, she looks around and everyone is busy with their own problem, Ivonna looks up to the sky and a pegasus is flying above her.
"Aegis!"
The pegasus comes down and kicks the subject in front of Ivonna then neighing to show dominance. Ivonna smiles and rubs the neck of Aegis then she gets on top of her, Ivonna casts [Protection Dome] and [Rejuvenation Dome], all the players receive 100% DEF and 100% Health Regeneration and Heal Amplification inside the area of effect, but if she rode Aegis, she receives 25% Spell and Skill Amplification so everyone receives a total of 125% buff of each skill she cast.
Ivonna looks around and sees Hans and Leo are running to the back, Ivonna flies and lands in front of them. Hans and Leo are startled to see her come down from the sky, Ivonna looks behind them and raises her eyebrows.
"You didn't find any?"
Leo shakes his head.
"No, all the villagers in this place have become the subjects. It's the same on the other sides as well, there are no survivors in this village."
Ivonna nods with understanding.
"Okay, let's deal with all the subjects and don't let a single one of them escape, especially Aspen."
They both nod and go to the battlefield.
(18 hours later.)
Kingstar is covered with bruises while he's drinking a health potion, he looks around him and he still has no idea if they're in advantage or not because there are still thousands of subjects in front of him. Queenstar is at the frontline with the commanders, she's covered with blood but not hers, it's the subjects' blood and players around her. Liu is running toward Kingstar while holding his right arm that seems to be injured, Kingstar looks at him while nodding up.
"Did you find him?"
Liu shakes his head.
"No, we didn't see Aspen anywhere and the others couldn't find him as well."
Kingstar is gripping his sword's handle so tightly while gritting his teeth.
"Where's that motherf*cker!"
Liu shrugs but then he groans in pain because of the injury, Kingstar looks at him and nods up.
"You can take a short breather, Liu, and thank you for going to the enemy's line to search for Aspen. Let us take over the battle from now on."
Liu nods and he goes to the back with his members and commanders.
Kingstar raises his sword and orders the members to follow him to the frontline and help Queenstar and the others. All the members are shouting in agreement and they're all run to the frontline and deal with the subjects that seem to be endless. Kingstar looks at Queenstar with her weapon is no longer being held but dragged is enough to tell that she's exhausted.
"Alexa! You can withdraw now!"
Queenstar turns around and nods but then suddenly the players in front of her are getting thrown away and some of them hit Queenstar. Kingstar is surprised to see players are flying so suddenly, and when he looks at the front he sees a long brown-haired guy with a scar on his face while holding a massive broadsword. Kingstar grips his sword so tightly and glares at him with anger and hatred.
"Kalitzar!"
Kalitzar smirks and swings his massive broadsword as if he's swinging a twig.
(At the same time in the underground.)
We both are staring at the table that Avriel's men found, we look at it for quite a while, and then I grab it. I look at it and use my [Understanding] skill to see what this thing is, and after I know what this item is, I look at Avriel and offer it to her. She looks at me with confusion and grabs it from my hand, she looks at it while furrowing her forehead. I cross my arms while staring at her.
"Swallow it."