Chapter 107 12: Bloodpine Forest Raid - Phase 1 [Moonlight Maiden]

The huge black wooden gate opened slowly, the loud creak resounding across the small hamlet village now devoid of any life. Still, the players, who started to arrange themselves properly, thanks at the front, melee damage dealers ready a few steps behind, then healers and magic casters in the back.

'That won't do you any good...' Zell thought as he remembered the moment the gates opened...

Woosh! A massive steel lance, twisted and black like something from hell, burst through the air with a thunderous howl before it penetrated the neck of a fully armoured shield-bearer; one of the sturdiest tanks in the game dropped to the ground as his head ripped clean from his shoulders.

'Ah, they're here... Let's have more fun this time, my dear brethren!'

A huge figure began to appear from the gate slowly, a height close to 7-8ft tall, holding a huge battleaxe filled with blood and guts; these demons didn't just break into the raid; they massacred most of the vampires before coming.

The demon had a fierce face with golden eyes, twisted horns, a disfigured face full of sharp spines, and a huge mouth with broken fangs and jagged teeth.

"Brother, look at all the prey! Let's feast and look for the little maggot our prince told us to find!" The 8ft demon bellowed in a twisted and strange language, the common demonic language.

However, now that he was reborn, Zell could understand them clearly. He wondered if this so-called "Prince" was looking for himself.

Suddenly, a smaller demon who held a longsword appeared, his horns neater and more refined. Yet his face was still disgusting and filled with weird growths, but closer to human than the larger goblin.

Unlike in his last time meeting them, Zell was now calm and able to see them clearly; it was no wonder he lost so easily the last time; presuming the larger demon was more powerful was the most idiotic thing he did, sending the girls to fight against the smaller devil, what a foolish choice.

The smaller demon was far stronger than a regular brute.

'He seems to be close to the next stage... but that was something supposed to be a legend. Why is there someone of his power so early on!?'

A horrifying thought filled his mind as the players began their assault, dashing past Zell with their swords and other weapons slamming down, some angry at the cheap "1-shot" mechanic that killed their tank in one hit.

"They weren't serious in my last life..." Zell murmured to himself, grasping his weapons and looking up; he had to hand it to these raiding guilds; despite their tank being permanently dead, they still charged forward and were currently keeping the tanks and DPS alive against the huge demon who swung his axe knocking back the two tanks before another two replaced them. At the same time, healers topped the first two up.

Before, a huge blast appeared on his right and left, causing two big portals to slowly open with lightning crackling around them. The moment the two portals stabilised, countless evil monsters began to pour from them; luckily, some adventurers stayed close to both of Zell's parties, wondering if special loot would drop here, thus easing the strain on Tessa and Anya's parties.

'Good... Don't die on me.'

Zell's eyes narrowed, the crimson eyes emitting a fierce and dense flame ignoring the battle between the large demon, only watching the smaller nightmare, which seemed weak, struggling to deal with the lesser geared off-tank, a tank that tanks the extra monsters and not the boss.

'This guy is crafty, let's wait for the next tank switch, and I'll catch him off guard.'

"5"

"4"

He grasped the short, stout axe in his hand before lifting it above his shoulder and pulling back; all his muscles tensed as his strength filled the single arm and leg which pushed forward.

Zell tossed his axe at rapid speeds a second before the tank swap needed to happen; the off-tank didn't survive as the boss's tank breaker killed him, the small demon slashing his body in two halves with a faint smile.

Instantly a black axe struck the small demon, who couldn't react fully as the axe smashed into his chest and caused the black flesh to tear apart, oozing strange black blood as he staggered.

A moment

That's all Zell gave him.

His body filled with flames as he cast Flambur on his Zweihander and shot forward with a powerful onslaught, swinging down his sword against the dazed demon; with a loud crunch, the devil bade stopped the blow; however, it pierced his shoulders and crushed his right shoulderblade, a deep gash forcing his blood to pour.

The demon was wounded twice in seconds by a mere filthy human bug.

Anger

Rage!

"Filthy insect!"

The demon's form changed from a neat and pretty figure to a deformed monster with four arms, each holding a sword. The sheer force of his aura that burst forth from the transformation caused Zell to take a few steps backwards with narrowed eyes.

"I, Azmael, servant of Valdris, Prince of Wrath! Swear on my demon core! I shall kill all of you filthy human insects!

Zell's body was illuminated with crimson flames, bulging as he activated his demonic bloodlust, holding his sword tightly, facing this 7ft monster, whose eyes now only locked onto him.

Meanwhile, on the right flank.

Griselda dashed through the trees like a wild wolf, her body climbing across the trunks and running along the forest, allowing Cryska to hold out her arms, firing shadow bolts as she saw fit.

Loud cackles came from her mouth as a warm, sticky, damp filled the small leather harness, which began to seep onto Griselda, who snapped her head to the left and gnawed a goblin to death, crushing its weak neck between her teeth.

"Fucking goblins! Take my magic! Gyahahaha!" Cryska screamed as her seductive purple flesh glimmered in the red moons, causing many players who watched her become aroused, both female and male, as her shadowy magic melted the poor goblins into a pile of goo before it healed herself and the party.

Thanks to her skill point, her shadow bolt changed its properties, becoming less powerful in a duel, but surpassing even the battle cleric Anya's healing power in group combat.

Umbrias

10 Mana

Instant Cast

A dark bolt of shadows that eats away at the target's soul and body with a maximum range of 40 metres heals the caster and all her party/raid for one health + 20% of all damage dealt.

[79 Shadow damage]

Stood in the centre of a huge clearance on the right hill, a beautiful maiden with shimmering white hair danced; her dance seemed to bewitch the monsters while killing them slowly as their bodies burned in a strange, corrupted flame.

A flame black and crimson, identical to the one burning from Zell's body.

Her once beautiful dance, almost divine, now fallen, desolate but resolute.

Veronica's dance is no longer dedicated to the gods above, only a single man and her sister.

The man who stood fighting a demon far larger and more powerful and didn't give in no matter how tough things got, given a chance to live once more, he still fought.

Shown the reality that he was still a weak ant and died once more... He stood up again and sacrificed his humanity to fight... Her growing love, deep affection and respect for him filled her upgraded dance, which merged the taunting and seductive dance into a brand-new one.

-Seductive Waltz of Death

20 Mana

Instant Cast

Dance a tempting waltz that causes all enemies to focus on the dancer for 3 seconds, slowing all enemies by 20%.

Your sexy body dedicated to a single man causes enemies to become frustrated, forcing them to attack you to win your body. Still, a demonic flame corrupts them for 8 magic damage every two seconds while they are affected and explodes for 105 damage after it ends.

"This beautiful black rose blooms for just one man."

[30 Second Duration][105 Area Damage] [120 Damage Over Time]

Her movements were fluid and graceful, each step and spin a work of art. Her dance was a thing of magic, a seductive and deadly spell that entranced all who laid eyes upon it.

'Zell... Don't give up! You can do it... You saved my life... No matter how many times we restarted time. It was you who saved me! My sister told you it was once! But you've saved my life more times than I can remember... As a little girl, being ambushed by a demon prince... Always... You always sacrificed yourself! This time I refuse to let you die, even if I fall and become a vile demon or even lower!'

The full moon's light gleamed off her silver tresses, casting an ethereal glow upon the clearing. The twisted boughs of the gnarled trees loomed overhead, their grey leaves rustling ominously in the breeze, and black trunks, as dark as the very shadows that blanketed the forest, swayed in unison with the wind's melody.

'May this dance empower you, help you feel at ease.'

As she danced, countless goblins emerged from the forest's shadows, drawn by the allure of her dance. Their twisted, green bodies were wracked with jealousy, for Veronica's dance was dedicated to a single man.

'My heart is racing, filled with thoughts of you...'

They charged towards her, their eyes filled with hatred and envy. But they were no match for the power of her dance. They were engulfed in flames as they approached, burning for 30 seconds before exploding in a shower of ash and embers.

'Zell! The right-wing is fine! Fight with all your might!'

Veronica danced on, her movements becoming increasingly frantic as she channelled her power into her spell. The clearing was filled with the screams of the dying goblins and the crackling of the flames that consumed them.

But she did not falter, her dance becoming a deadly symphony of seduction and destruction. The blood moons watched with a keen, evil eye, their light illuminating the scene of carnage below as if they were enjoying the twisted spectacle. And as the last goblin fell, Veronica's dance came to a close; the clearing was left silent, and the only sound was the whispering of the leaves and the dancing of the shadows.

"Hah... Hah...."

Her body was covered in sweat, mana close to zero and tight pain in her chest, yet she smiled because, in her mind, she received the response that made all this pain and effort worth it.

'Good work Veronica, your feelings and words... I will fight with everything! But even if given a choice again.'

She leaned against a thick trunk, watching Anya crush the remaining goblins and imps in a pile with a scary, crazed look.

'I would save you without even thinking.'

"Ah!?"

Veronica felt her body fill with goosebumps and shuddered; her already raging heart hastened as she slapped the tree, feeling shy.

"Idiot... Stop making me die...My heart cannot take it!"

Suddenly, the right portal began to shudder before it burst open, a huge monster around 5ft tall tearing through before it vanished completely.

"Eh?"

Veronica gasped; with one swing of its mace, the giant cow-headed demon crushed the heads of four players as their bodies flew into the centre of the village.

Moments later, the same happened to the left side; as she looked down, almost half of the entire raid party was dead, mangled, and crushed by the large demon.

"I... must keep going... my....dance is useful!"

Lethargic and exhausted, the small high dwarf once again...

Continued her dance.