Chapter 358: Double Tap

“Now, there’s a bunch of demons walking around. Do you know if there’s a mind weaver controlling them?” Ilea asked.

“Aye, two of them even. They don’t send them out too far or for too long. Head after a couple hours in the foresssts, they turn wild.” The lizardman spoke. “Come, we shouldn’t talk in the open.” He grabbed the human warrior and glanced around, leading them into an abandoned building before he closed the door behind himself.

“Three.” Ilea repeated. Shouldn’t be a problem but coupled with Green it might be annoying. Just have to be careful not to let any escape.

“Yep.” The lizardman said and sat down on a chair, awkwardly moving the tail to the side. He sat near a window, looking out. “A demon in every squad. If someone tries to flee, the monster attacks.”

“You’re strong enough to deal with one, aren’t you?” Ilea said.

“Perhaps. But the weavers notice and go out to investigate. Have you ever felt mind magic grip your very thoughtss?” He asked.

Ilea chuckled and ignored the question. She wondered how the mind weavers reacted to the dead demons she slaughtered on the way up. I think she can handle a couple mind mages at least.

“What about the market? And your patrols? Seems fucking weird.” She asked.

“Bizarre, isn’t it?” The lizardman said. “He thinkss himself a god and forces us to take part in thiss play.”

“The Lady will cause a distraction, maybe you can talk to everyone and help out while I kill the demons in and around the city.”

“The Lady will help?” The human asked, hope flashing in his eyes.

“Ah ssshut it.” The lizardman replied. “I will help, if only to be rid of this charade. I’ve been in this city for too long already.”

“Good, then I’ll inform her and we get started.” She said and got up.

“When, tonight or perhapss tomorrow? How much time do you need to prepare?”

Ilea shrugged. “Five minutes? Just don’t antagonize the demons and focus on the Lady. I’d like to avoid a slaughter. Good luck.” She gave them a thumbs up and vanished, blinking a couple times downwards before she found the room again.

“Already back?” The Lady asked.

“Yep. Some of the sentient people in the city will help with the distraction. Just spook them and if you can, lure out the king. Can you handle the combined attacks of Mind Weavers? There are two, supposedly.”

She nodded and smiled. “I can hold them off for a while. Five to ten minutes perhaps if they focus solely on me.”

“Should be plenty. Ready to go in a couple minutes?” Ilea asked.

The Lady beamed with joy, her eyes slowly turning red. “Thanks to your blood, yes.” She looked up, her teeth and nails turning sharp. “Let us cleanse this city.”

Ilea nodded. “Start your distraction in around three minutes. I’ll work my way towards the city from the forest outside.”

“Shouldn’t we plan this out more? Organize and inform the people? I could be of use as well.” Collin tried to interject.

“My people have suffered for long enough.” The spirit said and touched his shoulders. “Move up and help the injured, only after the demons have been taken care of. I cannot bear to lose any more of my devout order.”

“See you in a couple minutes then.” Ilea said. “And don’t rampage. I’ll take care of the higher leveled targets.” Ilea said and vanished.

She sped back the way Collin had shown her, black wings and ashen limbs at the ready, tucked in behind her as she rushed through the dark tunnels. Her Sphere and memory led the way.

It took her barely fifteen seconds to cover the distance, appearing in the woods as a cold breeze brushed over her. The dust she had collected fell with her ash, her armor instantly reforming.

“Now.” She said and spread her wings. “Let’s go on a hunt.”

The trees were spread out rather far and without leafs. The low suns giving enough light to spot movements at a high distance.

Ilea flew low, through the winter forest, finding her first target barely ten seconds later. She landed with a heavy impact, the group fanning out in confusion as she grabbed the demon of their squad. “Go to the city, help clear out the demons. Don’t move until I killed the mind mages and engaged the king.” The demon’s head exploded in her grasp, blood and brain matter landed on her ash before she vanished once more.

She fanned through the outskirts, killing every demon that she came across. Her senses were on overdrive, noticing every smell, every movement.

After five groups she had rid of demons, she had closed in the city considerably. Walls and houses were visible in the distance, watchtowers above.

An slight headache suddenly formed in her mind and a big grin formed on her face. That, was a mistake. She quickly located the Mind Weaver, hovering a couple dozen meters to her right and above the trees.

“FoOliSh Hu-”

His chest was pierced by ten ashen limbs, his back exploding outwards.

Ilea punched her flat hand into his throat and crushed his spine, hearing the kill notification a moment after.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Mind Weaver – lvl 209]

Adam Strand, still cursing these lands. She put the body into her necklace as she did with all the demons, even if it wasn’t a turned citizen of Stormbreach.

Around three minutes had passed already, Ilea moving in circles around the city, closer and closer as she hunted for any hidden demon or the squads they were part of.

When she reached the walls, she simply blinked through, relying on her sphere alone as she rushed past the abandoned buildings.

The ivy, trees and old stones didn’t make it seem like the city was lived in at all. It had been nearly two years since the elves had slaughtered their way through the western cities.

Ilea wondered if Stormbreach had looked the same before then or if nature really had reclaimed so much in such a small time frame. She whipped to the right, finding a demon with a single human.

He had no time to react when the demon was taken by the flying monster, pierced through and carried away like prey.

Another one. She put away the corpse and blinked, appearing close to the main square. Signs of battle. She noted the destroyed stands, blood pools leading away from the area.

A familiar pressureexuded from the Mind Weaver floating above the people of Stormbreach. What remained of them at least.

Demon Spawn stood amongst them, ready to lash out at any given moment. As soon as I kill that Mind Weaver. Well. She paused only for a moment and walked out of the house she had been hiding in. Let’s see if my acting is any good.

The Mind Weaver immediately turned her way, the black abyss of his eyes staring into her soul as he spoke into her mind. “HeAlEr…HaVE YoU coMe tO plEdGe FielTY?”

He hadn’t attacked yet, she noticed. “Yes, I have.” She spread her arms and walked closer, trying to make out all the demons in the group of people. There were dozens of them and ten times the humans and other races. Focus on me you damn idiot.

She looked at the Mind Weaver as a loud noise resounded, coming from a distant part of the city. I don’t have much time. She sighed and sacrificed a thousand health, a blink bringing her into the center of the people.

Her healing activated and brought her health back, the ash from her wings and half her arms exploding outwards as her chest started heating up.

The rest of her arms shot out, more and more ash forming and spreading at the same time. She pierced only the heads, blinking through the crowd and quickly back to her sixteen limbs as she decimated the demons.

Precise and quick strikes, carefully balanced not to injure or kill any of the bystanders. Lances of ash formed and shot at the Mind Weaver as a distraction and challenge.

His magic slammed into her mind, not quite comparable to a single Blue Reaper. Maybe they should be called demons instead. She thought, seeing many of the warriors and mages among the men and orcs fight the demons too.

Word had spread, the lizardman having done an excellent job. Now, before he starts killing them. Ilea thought and blinked up, seeing the demon teleport back and away from her.

Wings spread and her speed increased, following the demon through the city before finally, one of her limbs slashed his back.

He tumbled down and crashed into a house, his magic expanding around him before a heavy fist slammed into his skull, flattening it instantly.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Mind Weaver – lvl 179]’

Ilea turned and blinked, flying back to the square where the remaining demons were engaged with the survivors.

It wasn’t the same massacre as in Ravenhall or Morhill, the demons too low in level and lacking a advantage in numbers. Their claws and teeth were dangerous still, ferocious and with abandon they fought.

She landed amongst them, her ash cutting through the beasts with ease. She used some of her limbs to heal those badly injured. Weaving through the monsters and men, her fists and limbs delivered heavy blows.

Her head spun to the side, quick movement flying past. A white haired woman clad in a black cloak followed by a savage looking hunter.

A beast jumping from rooftop to rooftop and most certainly the demon she had faced before. Faced and lost to.

Ilea killed four more demons and checked the people around her, the lizardman from before giving her a thumbs up. “Move the injured to the center. We’ll take care of them afterwards.”

She blinked and once again spread her wings.

The spirit was fast. So was Green but the demon was somewhat bound to the streets and roofs while the Lady simply floated.

He caught up to her, the two tumbling through the air before they crashed landed on the cobbled road, stone cracking under the force.

The Lady of benevolence had shed the fair and wondrous disguise, teeth and claws slashing into the armored demon.

He responded in kind, digging deep with his own natural weapons before he threw her aside.

“Stop it, Green.” Ilea said and landed between them, checking on the Lady. Doing better than I expected. She smirked and watched her get up, anger in her eyes. “I’m your opponent.”

“The king has no opponents, huntress!” He slurred and brandished his claws. “You… you were there, in the snow city. You killed so many, masters of the mind. Ruined my plans.”

The Lady stepped next to her, damn near fuming. “Let… me.”

Ilea put a hand on her shoulder. “Your people need you.”

Red eyes glanced at her, surprise showing on her face before they slowly turned golden once more. “Y… you’re right.”

“Go.” Ilea said again as she watched Green advance.

The Lady nodded and jumped to the side, rushing off to a side street.

Green looked her way but growled once again when an ashen lance flashed past his head.

“Told you, I’m your opponent. And new king of this town.” Ilea said with a smirk, her ashen limbs fanning out as she crouched. “Let’s see who advanced further.”

“Advanced… I became king. You are nothing, just a monster. I will turn everyone into spawn, the great… green.” He vanished.

And appeared right in front of her, his claw slamming down on her.

Ilea lifted her arm and pushed against the claws, her legs bent and pushed into the ground. The cobblestones moved and cracked slightly. Her ashen armor held and she smiled, a heat filling her. Payback time.

Heart of Cinder had been damaging her for a while now, building up more than it ever had.

Green kicked her in the stomach but she simply took it, most of the force going into the ground where her ashen limbs helped her stabilize. My turn.

Heat and fire surged, turning stone to ash and setting the very air on fire as the stored up heat was released in a sphere around her.

The shock wave and heat sent the demon back, his body impacting the ground several times before he came to a stop. He groaned and slowly got up, coughing up blood and adding to the puddle forming below him.

Damn near all his skin and muscle was gone, at least from his front. And yet he lived, perhaps protected by the miss matched pieces of armor. Now burnt up and useless.

“You’re still alive?” Ilea asked, joy in her voice.

“I…,” He gurgled and slowly got up, tissue reforming as he stumbled and caught himself. When his chest closed once more and his throat had reformed, he spoke. “I am king. And you will be my feast.” He roared and jumped at her.

Ashen limbs disintegrated, Ilea dodging the frontal and telegraphed attack. The demon was fast but she had evolved, had learned not to rely solely on her physical prowess. A powerful punch filled with destruction and cinders slammed into his side.

Green stumbled and roared once more. He turned and attacked in a flurry of strikes, forcing Ilea back step by step.

She found an opening on the sixteenth strike and slammed her fist in his stomach, a second punch slamming into his chin, actually lifting the monstrous demon up into the air.

A hand rushed out and grabbed his massive clawed foot, spinning before she let go. Ilea followed the flying demon, crashing through one wall of a house and stopping on the next. She slammed her heels into the floor and landed on his chest with her right knee, crashing them both through the next wall and onto the street beyond.

A clawed hand shot up and grabbed at her head, another roar sending spittle and blood onto her ash. The claws slowly pierced the ashen armor.

Right until Ilea slammed her fist down on his skull, hitting a second and third time. Destruction flashed through his brain, the collective force of her fists and empowered body as well as the demon’s skull turned the cobblestone to dust below them.

She stopped and charged Absolute Destruction.

The demon started moving again after four seconds, clawing into her with both arms but barely finding purchase against the powerful defense. Finally, he managed to get through the ash on her face, only to get caught in the bone below.

Ilea felt his claws dig into her left eye, blinding her partially as blood started to pour. Ten seconds would be enough. I’ll see you in the next hell. A thousand points of health were sacrificed, blue runes flashing before her fist slammed into and through his skull. Bone exploded outwards and whatever was inside was smashed to pulp.

She ripped his clawed hand out of her helmet and jumped back, her armor of ash reforming and her eye reforming. No notification. She smiled, ashen limbs forming behind her and spears above. Nearly as though as I am.

She watched his headless body twitch, tissue slowly reforming.

The demon was stronger than her, purely physically speaking. But other than ferocity and speed, there was little he excelled at. Let’s not tempt fate. I’m not a villain after all.

The spears followed by sixteen limbs of ash slammed into the creature’s body, destructive healing mana pumping inside as her limbs ravaged through every bit of the demon.

Finally, a noise resounded in her mind. She was down to two thirds of her mana, instant healing and health sacrifice coupled with charged destruction took their toll. Meditation was already flowing through her as she watched the minced remains hanging on to the scratched bone, only the skull destroyed.

‘ding’ ‘You have defeated [Frenzy King – lvl 340] – For defeating an enemy twenty or more levels above your own, bonus experience is granted’

‘ding’ ‘Azarinth Fighting reaches 3rd lvl 13’

‘ding’ ‘True Ash Creation reaches 3rd lvl 9’

‘ding’ ‘Heart of Cinder reaches 3rd lvl 2’

Her mana regenerated quickly before she collected the body. Not as clean as the rest. She noted, happy with the skill upgrades. The fight had been easy but she attributed a big part of it to the Intelligence of the demon.

While he had the capacity to think, in the end he was more monster than anything else.

Ilea ascended and flew back. The fight had taken them a sizable distance away from the square.

She landed amidst the people and checked the situation. The demons were taken care of and the injured were being healed by none other than the Spirit of Blood.

The name was program too, the woman literally making the injured drink her blood. She glanced at Ilea and sighed, a smile on her lips. “You made it.”

“I did.” Ilea replied and looked around. “How many died?”

“Three.” Came the reply. Hurt in her voice but more so understanding.

“I’m sorry.” Ilea said and meant it. She knew that with more planning and preparation, they might have had zero casualties. Still, she didn’t blame herself. The results could have been worse too, much worse if Green had found out about them earlier than he did.

“It is much more than I had dared hope.” The Lady said quietly, making it clear that she was ready to die. “Too long has it been.”

“But now we are free once more.” Collin said as he stepped up and helped with the injured.

“You killed him?” The lizardman stepped up to Ilea with a grin. “Honestly, I gave the fight to him seven to three.”

“Without seeing me fight?” Ilea asked, acting insulted.

“He regenerates.” He said.

Ilea smiled. “I regenerate harder.”