Denizens of the Labyrinth

The gate opened into a wide and open room, there were people already sitting in the space and Jazmel felt his hackles raise and his guard go up. He rested a hand on Yoru and immediately felt calm; but he was wary.

“We aren’t here to fight!” A man said, his arms raised and his weapon still across his back. It was a huge great sword, taller than even Jazmel. The man was quite large even then, but he was very friendly in the face.

“The system has held us here because we were waiting to be let into the castle. Check your system screen.” He said and Jazmel did quickly!

DING!

YOU HAVE ENTERED THE CASTLE OF THE DEMONS!

ESCAPE!

10/10

He looked around the room quickly and saw that there were indeed, ten of them present. As soon as he had looked about them, the wall opposite him rumbled as it rose up and revealed the path they were supposed to take.

“Stay close, demons are extremely hardy and powerful, this will be difficult.” Baek said and Jazmel knew he was taking this serious as Baek had drawn his sword. the others who had been waiting for a long time, rushed out and darted deeper into the castle. Trying to find their own way out, Baek was leading Tango and Jazmel and for Jazmel , who was safe enough.

Soon it was just them and the lone man, the great bear with his sword across his back, he had drawn it now and was holding it in one hand and resting the blade across his shoulders; allowing him to be quick to react with it.

The corridor which led out to the hallway split off into much smaller corridors too and this made Jazmel anxious about where to go.

“This is interesting.” Baek said and they all looked to him, even the bear like stranger.

“They all lead somewhere which could be considered an exit, there is no right one. Which means there is a challenge along the way.” Baek explained and they all looked either side. Jazmel ’s keen senses alerted him to look down the corridor they had been travelling and he could hear the sounds of many feet and claws rushing.

“We have company!” he shouted, Tango and the stranger got ready. Baek was already aware though and simply let his sword point before them. the corridor was swarmed by little black things with claws, talons, and fangs. Jazmel didn’t know what they were called but they were numerous and he; but he was ready for them.

Cleave!

He swung out his intent and the Mana mingled with the wild Mana in his new sword and slashed down the corridor in a frigid Mana that frosted down the corridor. The first of the black things were devastated; some were frozen solid while others were blistered from the grave iron’s Mana. He watched as they wailed and cried out from the pain.

“That is an interesting sword.” Baek said over his shoulder, but he didn’t move from where he was.

TIER II DEMON TERRORS X30 KILLED

“watch out now.” The stranger said and as more of the terrors; as the system called them rushed down the corridor towards the four men. But also, the thing that followed them that pressed dread into Jazmel ’s very core.

This creature stood at around nine feet and was pitch black, as dark as the darkest shadow of night. What Jazmel had first thought was a billowing cloak, it had instead actually been the dark wings of the creature. Its legs and arms were longer than normal and not in proportion to its small body, but it face was two eyes that burned with red hatred and then horns coiling up from its head.

“A demon dark wing, tier IV. I will deal with this.” Baek said and in a white flash he was suddenly in front of the creature and slashing at it with white Mana. The others couldn’t even watch the battle as the demon terrors swarmed them.

Wind blade!

Tango yelled as he whirled his short swords across his body in a slash, the Mana that exploded from them smashed the terrors and crumbled the ground of the corridor where they stood.

Cleave!

Fall of the black raven!

Jazmel jumped and with a downward slash, he hit the ground and his Mana exploded from the tip of the sword hitting the terrors and propelling them away some exploding into iced splinters and pelting those who had survived too.

TIER II DEMON TERRORS X23 KILLED

He didn’t have time to revel in the fight as increasingly poured down the corridor. But the bear like man acted fast.

Gae bulg!!

He forced all the Mana in his body to the tip of his great sword and then he slammed it into the ground, breaking through and causing most of the floor to break beneath the strength of his skill and he crashed through to the floor below.

Hundreds of the demon terrors were killed in the breaking of the floor and then even more were killed from the falling debris, Tango pulled him out of the way of falling debris and the stranger bellowed. “Go!” Jazmel and Tango were gone, rushing off down the corridor and deeper into the castle’s recesses.

They ran for almost an hour before they stopped to catch their breath. Baek was off battling a tier IV monster, the man with the great sword had brought the floor down and now Jazmel and Tango were alone, on a floor that they hadn’t even known existed.

“We need to find stairs.”

Tango led the way and Jazmel followed his fleetfooted mentor and Jazmel couldn’t believe how nimble he was. But he had been in a gate with Tango before and it was his first time seeing him. Tango was travelling through the corridor at a greater speed then him and just keeping up with him was pushing Jazmel to his limits.

The corridor was massive in size, Jazmel could tell that whoever crafted it was much larger than humans. The winged demon that Baek had fought was almost double their height; but it didn’t touch the ceiling at all. Which made Jazmel wonder if there were bigger and larger demons around too. He didn’t have to wait long; terrors didn’t swarm them at all. But instead, demons of humanoid size appeared down the corridor and bounded towards he and Tango. The demons were bigger and reminded Jazmel of hairless apes, their skins were blotchy and patched. Dark patches of brown and black and it reminded him of burn marks. They ran on all fours, their arms much longer than their legs and their gate was weird, but they still moved quickly and unnerving.

Wind blade

Drawing one of his long knives, Tango slashed downward, striking his skill into the lot of them and they fell beneath his attack. Some more damaged than others and Jazmel bounded forward to do his part too. Yoru was heavy on his side and the unnatural Mana had been fighting him insistently whenever it felt his will wane. He had to continuously pressure it beneath his dominance.

Cleave!

His sword sparked as he drew it quickly from the scabbard and he cut through two humanoid demons, and another fell before the oppressive Mana that Jazmel was exuding through his new sword. The creatures squealed and screeched, and he dove into them, carving a swathe of skills and pain.

Blade wrath!

Cleave

Cleave!

They were strong and while none managed to injure him or even touch him, he had to ensure that his attacks were strong and filled with intent to kill them. They were robust and quite strong after all.

DING!

TIER II HELL DEMON X19 KILLED

So, they had a name then, he noticed that only after he killed monsters did the system let him know what they were. He wondered if there was a skill of some such, Jazmel decided he would ask Tango and Baek about it later. The monsters died before them and Tango who had killed and maimed the others was already up and ready to go.

“We need to keep moving.” He said and Jazmel followed him as they hurried back down the corridor looking for somewhere to go. They happened across a corridor that descended sharply with some stairs and Tango darted down the steps; three at a time. The stairs turned sharply left and Jazmel watched as the agile Tango ran along the wall. He wondered just how high his dexterity was. But the tier of ranker seemed close enough that he would soon learn his own limits too.

But currently he was focusing on escaping the castle and the sounds that seemed to be harrowing them let him know the chase was still happening.

Jazmel cut the corner and burst into a full-on sprint, he was focused on doing his part now and gripping the hilt of his sword; he felt his focus lay on him with purpose and instantly he was calm and prepared.

The corridor descended again, and Tango was already at the bottom of the steps with his blades drawn and he dove into a fight. Jazmel was a few moments behind him but as he made it off the last step he saw a brawl. Monsters were trying to overwhelm a group of strangers who were doing their best to fight valiantly, and Tango had chosen to jump into the fight with him.

Cleave

Jazmel cut through the head and neck of a warped tree being that was driving its roots into the ground and forcing them up beneath the group of strangers. He cut through half of its face before it warbled and then tried to whip its roots at him. He cut through them also and drove his sword; Yoru no Tsubasa through its core. This sword was lethal, it was different to his others; it felt like it was an extension of him. But it was also stronger than the other swords he had carried.

Cleave!

Cleave!!

Fall of the black raven!

He hadn’t used this skill before, and he felt the air freeze as all warmth around him disappeared. The numbing Mana of the grave iron sent three ravens into the air and as they homed in on their target they turned into slashes and carved into the skin of a hulking ogre, the Mana from the grave sizzled as it touched the skin and the ogre screeched; Jazmel leapt into the air in a single bound and as he passed its boulder like skull. He beheaded it and the dull thud hit the ground and cracked it with its weight. The body slumped and he felt the Mana seep into him and push his stats. But currently he dare not look at his stats right now.

He cut through monsters, demons that were trying to tear through the other seekers that were there. The overwhelming numbers were soon dwindling and before long Jazmel found himself able to breathe. Able to think about their next steps and before he had to even ask, Tango was stepping up.

“We need to keep going! All of us, we need to escape the castle before something stronger comes out looking for us.” Tango called above the growing crowd discussion. Jazmel was already beside him, and they ran down the corridor; the same way that the demons had hurried down and just as they were making true headway, more demons poured into the corridor from barred doors that burst open.

They weren’t alone, for a beast built for nothing but slaughter crouched as it bent its body to get through the doorway of the corridor.

This was a revenant; more armour than flesh. Its body was pieced together with different nails and hobs that had been driven into its joints and Jazmel winced wondering about the pain it took. It bore nine arms, with a cruel sword or blade clutched in each hand and Jazmel sighed at what would be a monstrous battle.

The beast wore darkened battered armour. Not one piece was the same or alike in design and Jazmel watched as it hunkered forward with its blades ready for death.

“We need another heavy hitter.” Tango said before looking over at the group. “Are any of you a ranker or close to it?” he asked, and a girl stepped forward, nodding but clearly scared.

“Alright you others, clear out the lower monsters, one of you protect her. You use magic right? Good. When we are clear or you have a shot, hit it with your hardest skills.” He explained and they all did his bidding, Jazmel could tell they knew Tango was the most experienced of them all and he was trying to ensure they all survived.

Jazmel looked at the nine-armed knight and his eyes told him that not only was the armour thick, but this demonic knight had three cores inside its shields too.

“The knight has three cores.” Jazmel said and everyone sighed. But Tango merely smiled grimly.

“That just means one core each!” he darted forward and though Jazmel didn’t hear what skill he used, his body seemed to lose its physicality and become like a moving wisp.

Tango flew towards the knight and using the flailing arms; he floated above its head and then turning corporeal he dropped like a weight with both his blades and drove them deep into the skull of the knight. The helmet already well dented did nothing to defend the head, but it stumbled back, and Jazmel shouted out at Tango.

“The first core is in the right shoulder!” Tango floated down and with a sweeping strike he drove his blades into the shoulder and wrenched free the first core. It was a nasty colour. Like clouds before a storm and it was about the size of a lockbox. When Tango flicked it from his blade it landed not far from Jazmel and the four-pointed gem oozed Mana.

“You can see beyond the armour?” the girl asked him, and Jazmel nodded. He was watching with angst as Tango turned into the floating wisp again and evaded a strike from three swords.

“Where is the next one?” she asked, and he felt the Mana swirl from around them and small stones began to levitate as she charged her Mana for her strike.

“Left hip!” he said as he darted in, he drew Nozarashi and bounded forward as soon as he stepped close enough the knight whirled on him. There were no eyes within the helm, and he wondered how it was able to tell where he was bought he didn’t flinch. The first sword swung down on him, but he sidestepped the wide blade. it was more meat cleaver than anything else. The second was a badly chipped sabre; he parried this strike, but the weight of the knight drove him to a knee. He clenched his teeth and he felt blood in his mouth from the strike. It stabbed at him, but he swerved out of the way; from the third blade but he missed the fourth. This was a knife; at the last moment he countered the jab from the great knife it held in its hand. If it caught him; it would have pierced his chest and tore through him from neck to navel. But he managed to get his katana in the way. So instead, he was knocked off his feet and knocked off his feet and the breath in his lungs rushed out.

DING!

STATUS CONDITION; WOUNDED

STATUS CONDITION; BLEEDING (minor)

The system showed emergency alerts even though he had willed the screen closed. He was hurt and he knew it. Nozarashi had been knocked from his hand, but he wasn’t lying too far from it.

The ground groaned and he rolled over wincing. The knight was ambling towards his prone body. He willed himself up and when he was up on a knee Tango flitted in, dancing between the legs of the knight. He cut through a joint and hacked at a nail. The knight screeched at that, and Jazmel nodded; seeing what hurt it.

Just as he rose up; he drank quickly from a potion and wheezed as his body dragged the Mana from the potion to heal whatever was damaged inside him.

He sheathed Nozarashi and watched as the girl; who clutched her shortened staff. She willed her Mana to form a star above the knotted tip of her staff. She whirled it above her head and then shouted.

Exio!!

She flicked her staff, and it reminded Jazmel of a fishing rod being tossed. The star streaked through the air, hit the breastplate of the knight, and rocked the entire corridor. It was as if it had been struck by a true star; the dust that plumed from the girls strike blinded everyone; everyone but Jazmel.

He leapt into the dust and with Yoru no Tsubasa he stabbed into its hip and pierced the second core. It crumbled immediately and the Mana seeped into him. it was flourishing and he intuitively knew he had gone up another level.

The knight roared, not out of pain. But rather anger and Jazmel could tell the difference. This wasn’t a cry of misery it was a wail of wrath. The first knife stabbed down at him, but he was ready; he dodged and cut through the wrist. Removing the problem; the knife skittered across the floor. he parried three other strikes and then as the cloud of dust began to reduce; he darted out of the attack radius.

“Where is the third core?!” Tango shouted, he was off to the left and though he was unscathed he looked quite haggard, and Jazmel assumed that the ethereal skill cost him a lot of Mana.

“midriff! Just above the stomach!!” Jazmel yelled.

“Can you draw its attention?” he asked, and Jazmel nodded, Tango flit forward in his form and Jazmel bounded after him.

Blade of wrath

Fall of the black raven!

He struck out his skills with his sword, the Mana amassing and amplified off the tip of the blade. the armour was dented even further and in some parts it is peeling away. Jazmel could see the Mana swirling from his midriff and the orb was the width of a cauldron. It reminded Jazmel of the blackened hull of a cauldron, and he wasn’t surprised that it was pitch black in colour.

“I haven’t seen a core that big, it’s about the size of a named monster. Which means it was on its way to evolving from tier III to IV. We need to make sure that, that doesn’t happen!” Tango bellowed and swigging a larger Mana potion, he bounded past Jazmel who was also already moving.

“Girl!” Tango shouted over his shoulder and Jazmel knew he meant the mage.

“My name is Elai! And I already knew; I am charging up for another attack!” she yelled back and that made Jazmel instantly like her.

“We are going to need to put a serious dent in this core to make the knight fall.” Tango said and he took the vanguard straight away.

Wind blade!

Wind blade!!

“Now Jazmel !!” he yelled.

CLEAVE!

CLEAVE!!

CLEAVE!!!

The final strike peeled the last of armour off its stomach and the core sat there like a vial of black ink or oil.

“Get out of the way!” she shouted, and Jazmel dove out of the way.

Entei’s roar

She cast a blazing ball of Mana; it was the size of a cannonball in the beginning, but it rapidly expanded as it raced towards the knight. It tried to strike it and cut through it, but the blazing Mana skill burned through its arms, struck the stomach, and exploded when it hit the final core. The Mana burned up everything and soon everything beneath the remains of the armour was engulfed in her attack. the metal melted and the blades fell away, its arms now burned and warped from her strike.

It died, melted into a scrap of armour and now; bleached bones.

DING!

TIER III THE DEMONIC KNIGHT OF ASURA WAS DEFEATED!

+4 STR

+4 DEX

+3 INT

+3 WIL

+3 VIT

+2 AGL

He sighed and waited for his body to abate, as the changes took over. He opened the previous stats and looked again at what had improved before.

+3 PER

+3 AGL

+3 DEX

+2 END

He was reaching the eighties and nineties in stats, and he could feel his body stretching his limits and not for the first time did he begin to wonder after his ranker tier tribulation. He would need to begin preparing for these items and looking for what would be best for him.