Holy Blood 21

Chapter 21

“Fire!” Nolliha shouted and the mage groups launched a barrage of spells towards the demon. They slammed against demon managing to stagger it back a step. A wave of arrows flew through the air then coating the demon’s skin. Only about three managed to pierce its skin. It roared as a black jet of fire streaked towards one side of the force. 

I reacted without thinking. I threw a shield of the caller over the elves that were about to be engulfed by the attack. Even with the shield, screams still rang out from the people hit. Kano sent her arrows at the demon at that moment and he roared in pain. His gaze turned to her.

“Holy filth! Cursed minion! Eat you. I will,” he roared.

“Looks like you made him mad,” I commented to Kano with a grin. She just knocked another arrow and let it loose. One of the demon’s arms shot out and bit it from the air. Its head turned towards us as I felt like he locked on to us. Waves of astral energy started to ripple from him, as he premiered another attack.

“All these people are going to die if we take more of those fire blasts,” Lulu said.

“I agree, but we’re stuck between a rock and very deadly demon,” I retorted channeling my Light of Blood as quickly as I could to heal the elves hit by the fire blast. A tentacle jerked towards us and began to glow as it readied its fire blast. Mohr took off running towards the demon and after he built up a good amount of momentum, threw his spear like a javelin. 

The weapon connected with the fire right as it was leaving the demon. There was an explosion as the spell was forcibly canceled. The demon roared in pain as the end of his tentacle was ripped to shreds by the blast. The spear spun through the air blasted by the incredible force end over end until it altered its path mid-air air angling for Mohr. I could sense he was using astral energy to recall his weapon, a handy skill that I would need to find out if I could learn or not.

Thus far, we’d only managed to irritate the demon. It possessed a few cuts from the spells and one missing tentacle head from Mohr’s counter strike. The demon was just about to hit the first line of the shield wall. Shit was about to get even messier. 

“I wish I could see that the bloody level was of the creature,” I said with a growl.

“Just think of the information while focusing on that feeling you get,” Lulu said with a tremor in her voice.

“Are you fucking serious?” I asked as I did as she said. Sure enough, the basic information of the demon popped up in my head. “Why haven’t you told me before now?!” I demanded.

“To be honest. I thought you knew. You were always so confident. It’s just a little gimmick, not even that hard to figure out,” Lulu replied glancing around my back to take in the fight. “Though, now that I think about it quite a few people would actually have trouble with this.”

Younmi, Demon of Gluttony

Level: 150

Health: 100,000 Astral: 20,000

“That is ridiculous,” I said after taking in the stats of the demon. I couldn’t see if it had taken any damage, but I held out hope. 

“Now you understand why I’ve been hiding,” Lulu said.

“There should be a way to defeat it,” I retorted. This was a game. A very reality, if you exclude the magic, based game. I thought through my skills then remembered my favorite. I stepped forward and kneeled down to one knee and brought my hands together. “Bloody Prayer.”

The nasty weather happening around us paused almost instantly. I looked up to see a circle was ripped open in the clouds like something was entering from the outer atmosphere. A blood red moon resided almost forlornly. A slit formed across its surface opening to form a red silted eye. Six blood red wings opened around the moon.

I shivered at the power I felt coming from the moon. Otris was truly the Goddess of War. The thought that anyone might lose while fighting under her seemed ludicrous. Arcs of red lightning flashed across the sky. One of them slammed into the demon who was starring dumbfounded up into the sky.

“Argh! Impossible. This is.”

‘Hurry,’ I heard Otris’s voice whisper into my ear from the wind.

“Everyone! Now!” I shouted leveling my staff at the demon. I used Raining Blood since the demon was large enough to take almost the entire skill himself. Blood red blades rained down digging into the demon’s hide, after that I focused a Light of Blood on him which ate away at his flesh. Kano loosed an arrow a second, while Mohr rushed forward crossing the ten meters faster than an Olympic sprinter, to deliver a strong blow to the Demon’s stomach.

The Dark Elves weren’t to be left behind. They unleashed all the skills and magics they had. The warriors rushed forward, hot on Mohr’s heels to hack at the demon. The thirty seconds of attacks felt like an hour. The light from the blood moon waned as it warred with the storm clouds surrounding it.

“Fly. Puny!” The demon roared regaining its senses it struck out with its tentacles and threw the warriors that were attacking it several dozen meters. Their bodies were twisted into angles that were not natural. Half of its tentacle mouths opened and breathed fire into the dark elf line. I only managed to throw a shield on some of them. They survived… barely. The others weren’t so lucky.

A black magic circle formed above and below the demon as its multiple mouths started chanting. A dark elf that was still in the radius withered away in less than a second. Everyone backed away as fast as they could. I checked my astral levels and grimaced at how low they were.

I bowed my head, “Goddess. I want to save these people. Please give me the power!” I sent up in prayer. I knew it was selfish to hope the Goddess might have a way of solving this for me. The Dark Elf mages and warriors continued to send spells and long-range projectiles at the demon, but they would turn to dust or dissipate when they hit the black spell work. It would only be a matter of time before they ran out of astral energy too.

“Abaddon! This isn’t meant for two level forty players. This is a full-on raid meant for a hundred if not more players all around level hundred. I just don’t see us being able to win!” Lulu said trying to pull me back.

“Are you telling me we triggered something that was supposed to happen with a full raid?” I asked angrily.

“I would say that it is impossible under normal circumstances but in this game… I don’t know,” she replied shaking her head. I ground my teeth in anger. There had to be a way through this! 

“Sir Priest,” I heard and looked up to see Elder Gasale walking towards me with a smile. “Please do me a favor. Offer my soul to Lady Otris. I feel I have outlived my time on this plane and having a place to go while saving my people isn’t a bad way to go,” he said.

“Elder Gasale… I don’t know if it will change anything. Maybe it would be better if you stayed to lead your people,” I said grabbing his shoulder to try and turn him back to the village.

“My people… My people will die. No. This is the way I want to go. Please do this for me,” he said patting my hand.

I grimaced but nodded. I gave up my life to get revenge for my family. I knew exactly how he felt. “I will try to make it painless,” I assured him.

“Young man. I have known enough pain for three, almost four lifetimes. This will not bother me.”

I nodded then led him to the frontline. Everyone in the defense line reached to lay a hand on the Elder as they backed away. Seeing that, I knew these people weren’t evil. Their great, great ancestors might have been, but they were not. The demon stared at us then started laughing when he saw the Elder coming to the front of the line.

“Feed me. Come have you? Young tasty. Old flavorful.”

“You will regret this day demon,” Elder Gasale said. I pulled the knife I’d been using for all this time to draw blood from people offering to Otris. 

“Lady Otris. My Goddess. Elder Gasale wishes to spend Eternity in your realm. As I take him before his time please reward him for his sacrifice!” I called to the Blood moon that still hung in the night sky. I plunged the dagger swiftly into his heart, the whole time Elder Gasale’s smile never wavered.

The storm was blasted from the sky as Gasale’s body exploded into a rain of blood. I wasn’t sure what to expect until all the blood flew to Kano’s body and appeared to fuse with her. Her form shifted, and I saw Otris in the flesh for the first time. A red aura overtook the night. Kano’s bow enlarged to a massive size. “And he will be!” she said as she loosed her arrow.

“No!” The demon shouted as it backed away.

A streak of red cut across the battlefield and exploded when in contacted the demon. She managed to blow its head clean off with the single attack. The rest of the demon’s body stood there, the crater on the neck smoking, filling the air with a brimstone smell. Kano fell to her knees as her body turned to dust.

“Is it… Is it over?” Lulu asked coming out from behind me.

As if it heard her, the demon’s wound started to writhe. A new tentacle burst from the spot with a single eye and mouth. “DEATH! YOU! DEATH TO!” The multiple mouths roared out before devolving into horrid screeching and screaming. Lulu screamed as she hid behind me.

“Really…” I said glancing back at her.

“Sorry,” she replied with shaking legs.

Before I could think of anything to do about the situation, Mohr took off at the demon. The tentacles struck at him ripping pieces from his body. He slammed his spear into the chest of the demon, penetrating deep. The mouth latched onto his body. There was a pause then his body was torn limb from limb.

“Mohr!” I shouted mad that I wasn’t able to do anything. I looked around, the elves were hanging on barely. I didn’t even want to know how many gave their lives during the battle. “Otris! I offer the blood of the fallen to you. Give us the strength to make it through the battle!” I called holding my hands out. All the blood flowing along the ground lifted into the air and turned to smoke. Wounds and astral energy were recovered.

With my summons gone, all my astral energy recovered. I spit on the ground and charged the demon. Mohr’s spear was still lodged into its chest. I channeled every skill I had, starting with a Raining. With that, I cast shield on me. Finally, I kept Light of Blood channeling at joint of one of his tentacles since my magic seemed to melt his body.

“Weak. Priest. DIE!” I dodged a tentacle. If only I could cast without my hands. Then I could use more than two Lights at once. There was so much blood aura from my offering to Otris that my astral energy was kept topped off. I was ducking and weaving around the tentacles as I burned the demon’s health down. Once I was sure I had his attention. I jumped into the air flying just out of reach.

I had a close call when one of his tentacles extended further than I expected. After a minute of this death dance, where he couldn’t get me with his reach, he started firing spells at me. With seven of the bloody things shooting at me it got real hairy up in the air.

Watching the demon, I had a thought. I never once saw that I needed to use my hands to cast my skills. My astral energy was still being fueled by the offering, everyone having backed off to watch the fight. I imagined another hand at the tip of my wings. It was the easiest place to focus on without causing me to fall from the sky.

It was weird but another stream of Light of Blood flew down at the demon. Not giving it a chance to adapt, I imagined my wings being covered with hands. Thirty-two streams of light from my skill, fired at once slamming into the demon with enough force to make it fall to its knees.

“BURNS! IT BURNS!” 

I felt my astral energy deplete rapidly. I knew this was a gabble. Right before my astral energy ran out, I stopped the attack and flew up to check the damage. I only had a little bit left of flight after all. Looking down on the demon, its body was only half there. It still writhed but looked like it was on its last legs. 

A second later, several dozen magic attacks rained down the on the demon turning the surrounding area into a crater. The demon reached up to the sky with its last tentacle before it fell to the ground. Once it stopped moving completely, I flew down and landed next to Mohr’s spear which was amazingly unharmed. I pulled it out and walked back to the front line.

“Deal with the Dead!” Lulu yelled as her skeleton ran forward.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” I demanded when she moved up next to me.

“Just watch.” A ghostly outline formed over the demon and it looked around as if it was confused where it was. “Demon Younmi. If you want to continue on this plane you will serve me for a hundred years,” Lulu said.

“Never!”

“I read a lot about the underworld. If you really want to go there feel free,” Lulu said waving her hand and turning around.

“WAIT! Servant. Yours. Will be. Souls. Give. You will.”

“Maybe. Only when I deem it. A hundred years. Got it?” Lulu said crossing her arms over her chest.

“Years. A hundred. Understand.”

Hundreds of black chains shot from the space around the skeleton and wrapped around the ghost. Magical markings formed all over the ghost’s body along the chains and it was pulled into the skeleton. When the binding was done, the skeleton collapsed in on itself until it was a small plate barely a hand width in size.

We breathed easier for a few seconds before we were hit with a slew of notifications. 

The first Raid level boss has been defeated on the Terran server. Enjoy the rewards that come from your efforts!

The first Rare Pet has been claimed. 

A Major event has happened! This might affect the weave of the world.

Hell has been slighted. It will collect its due in time.