Chapter 616: Deep Winter War: General Mizo Arcane (two)

Frenzy has cast [Dark Healing].

A Skeletal guard has been healed.

A Skeletal guard has been healed.

A Skeletal guard has been healed.

/Salamander: Frenzy: Healers? How's the mana?

/Salamander: Jojo: Hovering at sixty percent.

/Salamander: Gumworm: About the same.

/Salamander: Miserable-Bacon: Less than half. Why do I have all the glass cannons? Fucking mana sponges.

/Salamander: Frenzy: Keep pulling, find us another named.

/Salamander: Soju: Yep. Incoming!

/Salamander: Tiki-Bob: Single pulls only!

The necromancer scanned the area outside their makeshift headquarters. It was littered with the bodies of the enemy. Inferno had engaged the boss, and the floodgates were immediately released. Most of the mobs were 60-70 level fodder, but they were dropping rare items and gear. The two named mobs they had taken both dropped legendary growth weapons.

"Sucks to be you guys." Frenzy's dark eyes show a bit of amusement while looking at the hud. Most of their rival guilds had camped too close to the anomaly and were immediately overrun during the ensuing chaos. The elite players from each guild were banding together with their counterparts from others while hastily retreating.

Soju has been slain.

/Salamander: Frenzy: What happened to Soju? SHIT! Don't engage; retreat back to the cave!

A Black-Wing creature, closely resembling the gargoyles from old cathedrals, glided toward the Salamander guild. It carried a long trident in one hand that somehow was able to cause ranged damage.

/Salamander: Tiki-Bob: He's their Air Commander! Should we scatter?

Frenzy considered her options for a moment; the cave that had been sheltering them could very easily turn into a death trap.

/Salamander: Frenzy: Query him!

Bet-ya has queried [Air Commander Sunder]

Air Commander Sunder: Level 130

Ranged/Melee Damage Dealer.

Immune to stuns. May control up to 500 fliers.

(Detailed data not available)

/Salamander: Bet-ya: Best I can do, his level is too high.

/Salamander: Frenzy: Tanks fall back to the entrance and create a wall. Everyone else into the cave!

The Necromancers sent her skeletal guards out to retrieve Soju's corpse, two of them were insta-killed by the Air Commander. "Shit... I may have fucked up."

Sunder banked toward the entrance of the rift cave; his red eyes focused on the retreating inhabitants. "DIE FOOLISH MORT...AAAAHHHH"

The shouted words turned into a scream of agony as his wings were suddenly wrapped up with dozens of emerald fire strands. The creature fell to the ground with a jarring impact, screeching in pain as the emerald flames burned into his flesh.

A single salamander controlled all of the strands. It sat calmly while holding the beast at bay. The smell of cooking meat hissed while steam rushed into the air from the dread flames touching the frozen ground.

Nix has cast [Elemental Root: Emerald Dread Flames].

The high-pitched screams rose when several more strands of dread flame anchored it in place. With root in place, Nix found the strain on the hand-held strands acceptable.

"Protect, Nix!" Frenzy shouted while switching out her scepter for a ranged staff weapon. "Ranged fighters, scan the sky!"

"Huh? The hell are you guys going to do? Protect me from what?" Nix's yellow eyes watched as nearly a dozen ranged fighters from Salamander rushed out of the cave. "Get your butts back inside... Oh crap."

Every flying creature in the battle suddenly changed direction and focused on Nix. Although their levels weren't high, the sheer numbers would likely take him and Alpha out of the equation.

/Alpha: Nix: How long does Endo have left?

/Alpha: Pon: Thirty percent. Hold that bastard.

/Alpha: Nix: Right. He's not the issue. We're about to have company.

An instant later, Ducky appeared in front of Nix, followed closely by Soup.

Ducky has summoned [Cal, Tor, Ea'Shadai].

Three Arch Wings appeared in the air near the salamander, their eyes instantly scouting the air.

The Water Witch notched an arrow into her recently acquired bow. "We have incoming; hold them off for a few minutes while Alpha finishes their target."

Shadai nodded and flashed into the sky, followed closely by her two brothers.

"I feel smart letting you wear my summoning bracer." Nix tried to smile at Ducky, but his salamander form made it impossible.

Ducky nodded in agreement. "You were right."

"Hmmm... And what are you going to do?" The salamander's yellow eyes glanced at the jade-colored turtle. "You don't have a ranged weapon."

Soup pointed to her mouth. "Nom, nom, nom."

"Going to eat them? I see." Nix felt a twinge of guilt as he considered his options. If push came to shove, he'd release the Air Commander and light up the sky. More than likely, the result would be the Salamander Guild wiping.

[Whisper: Nix to Frenzy] Hiding in caves again? Have your melee people attack this gargoyle thing. Don't be so lazy.

[Whisper: Frenzy to Nix] If you say so, but he's a bit high for us.

The first wave was only about three dozen fliers of different shapes and sizes. Ducky's bow 'twanged' repeatedly, finding her targets while the Arch Wings attacked from above. With their strength combined with the ranged fighters from the Salamander Guild, they were able to put down all but a handful.

Soup's Aquamarine eyes stared at her target, a group of four fliers with melee weapons. They dive-bombed Nix with weapons extended. A jade-colored hand clenched into a fist and punched skyward.

[Sonic Boom]

A deafening sound followed the sudden displacement of 15 meters of air resulted in the mid-level fighters disappearing in a bloody explosion of flesh and bone.

"Huh... That's pretty good, I guess." Nix would have patted her head had he been in human form.

/Inferno: Jun Li: Snipers, greenlight on anything in the air.

/Inferno: Darsi: Understood, we are weapons-free.

A breach appeared ten meters from the emerald salamander; a moment later, the pounding of heavy steps sounded as dozens of armed knights streamed through. Their armor glistened in the sunlight, black surcoats emblazoned with an orange Phoneix marked them as the Knights of Glory.

"TAKE KNEE!" A thin knight with several chevrons on his shoulder shouted in a voice much larger than his body. At his command, they knelt as one with their rifles held close to their chests. "AIM!" The knight counted in his head; the command to fire was given exactly five seconds during their drills. "FIRE!"

With the arrival of Glory's finest, the air near the Inferno Leader was quickly cleared. Instead of moving on, the knights held positions.

/Alpha: Semmi: Endo is down. On our way, Nix.

/Alpha: Nix: Take your time, just hanging with my guys.

Nix released the strands and jumped to one side; the end of Sunder's trident stabbed at him and then shot something at the approaching group.

/Alpha: Pon: His trident is a ranged weapon too? I want it!

/Alpha: Nix: Already called dibs for Fajii.

/Alpha: Wind: This guy is nearly dead already.

[Backstab][Void Strike]

Wind has scored a critical hit.

Wind has landed a significant strike.

Sunder has been stunned.

[Dual Chain][Backstab]First Strike]

Semmi has followed up Wind's attack with a significant strike.

Semmi has landed a critical hit.

[Dual Chain][Balefire: Hex]

Pon has followed up Semmi's attack with a mortal strike.

[Dual Chain][Rockfist]

Fajii has followed up Pon's attack with a mortal strike.

Air Commander Sunder has been slain.

"COME! WHO WILL CHALLENGE ME?"

The voice echoed across the battlefield. The General rose slowly into the air until he was about ten meters off the ground. The transparent disc he was standing on expanded until it was twenty meters in diameter.

/Inferno: Nix: I'll take some of that.

/Inferno: Pon: Me!

/Inferno: Semmi: What happened to the 6th Commander?

/Inferno: Jun Li: She attacked the healers and was killed by Vooni's team.

[General Arcane will pick a random member of the Assaulting Guild to duel.]

Quest Updated.

World Event Quest: Defeat General Arcane

A random person from Inferno must fight Mizo Arcane. If that person loses, the recently defeated troops of the General will be resurrected. If that person loses, this raid will move to the second stage.

Nix dropped his salamander form, standing next to Pon as both of them stared at the disc. "Our luck isn't that good."

Pon's old face scowled but he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's not gonna be us. There's no way."

A single pillar of light illuminated someone on the far side of the battlefield, a moment later a second figure appeared on the disc.

Nix shared a glance with Pon before both of them started laughing.

/Inferno: Nansu: Who is it? I can't see.

/Inferno: Semmi: It's Floyd.

/Alpha: Pon: This will be short.

/Alpha: Nix: Fucking OP bastard.

Floyd stood near the edge of the disc, his curious gaze taking in the battlefield. The mid-tiers had held out better than Semmi or Junie predicted, more than half of them were still in the fight. "Question before we start."

The General smirked slightly, the chosen was little more than a kid. Twin gun holsters with daggers strapped to his legs. "Ask away."

"How do I win?" Floyd's verticle iris's stared at his opponent, analyzing him and his weapons.

/Inferno: Sharl: Single saber with a pistol, he probably has some sort of shielding technique or artifact. Be careful.

"A winner is declared when one of us is killed or thrown from this platform." General Arcane pulled his sword with his right hand and drew his pistol with the left. "No more talking."

The words had barely left his mouth before the Naga teen flashed toward him with a dagger in each hand. He ducked under the initial slash and then dodged to one side when his opponent's pistol pointed at him.

[Copyright]

Floyd has assumed the form of Mortimer, the Bone Emperor.

The surprise on Arkane's face was evident as he literally froze in place just before an enormous paw slammed into the side of his head and sent him hurling into the sky.

[Stage One Cleared]

The entire raid watched as the human projectile stopped suddenly. A protective barrier formed around him and carried him back to his platform. When he stepped onto it, the top tier disappeared.

/Inferno: Morti: Nice swat.

/Inferno: Floyd: Thanks. I learned from the best.

Three Large Gates formed in the air above the battlefield. Huge figures filled the space, leaping down to the battlefield with impacts that shook the ground.

/Breach Commander Mtui: Alpha team, through the breach and target Kharanta!

Breach Commander Renz: Bravo team, head into the breach and kill Yabiz!

/Breach Commander Polai: Charlie and Delta team, take the breach to Fortanxi!