RD 2 Ch 49-51

Chapter 49

For once, I was thankful for my servant. She brought me a lounge to relax in, and she also found three goblets of wine and a nice selection of fruits.

I shared with Circe as the other three argued in circles for over an hour.

I couldn’t leave because, after this, they were going to let me drain some bloodlines and practice two abilities I absolutely needed to work on and advance.

“Are you concerned about your abilities?” Circe asked.

I hummed. “Not so much worried about their use, but more worried about everyone’s expectations. If they are expecting me to pop out SSS rank bloodlines like candy, I think that’s going to be a struggle. If the target’s willing, both of them should work.”

She nodded. “The unwilling in the prison might be a challenge.”

“The trick is to make them unconsciously ambivalent.” I winked.

Circe threw her head back, her light blue hair dancing as she laughed. “Yes, that’s one way. You’ll be giving bloodlines to valued members of the clan. Though, our goal will be to do a ritual with them and knock them out for you to come in and do your magic.”

I nodded. “We’ll see what we can harvest from the prison. My one attempt so far was able to strip an S rank bloodline and keep its quality to give to another. Sadly, I didn’t have a chance to practice this on any of the demons.”

“It takes time. Besides, most of those were lower-ranked bloodlines. I took a tally of bloodlines that people remembered from battle and searched our archives to see if they were all Heros Clan members,” Circe explained.

I sat up, interested in these findings.

“We have quite a wealth of bloodlines in the clan. So, I had to cross-reference any matches with clan records of activity. End result was less than ten percent of the demon hosts appeared to once be Heros Clan members.”

A rush of air left me. “Better than I expected. Honestly, amid it all, I was certain that Tartarus had been feeding demons hosts.”

“You weren’t alone in such a thought.” Circe clicked her tongue. “More worrisome is how they got everyone under the clan. You seem to be incredibly skilled at inscription. I would ask that you take a look at the clan’s barrier before you leave.”

I nodded. “Would love that. Before we leave for Tartarus, I’ll look into it. There’s always a chance that this is a feint only for them to strike at the clan again, though I think the possibility is small.”

Circe hummed. “One of these days you are going to tell me the whole truth, but so far, you have been correct in your assessments. An eighteen-year-old does not do what you do.”

“That instance ruined my plan. I had really hoped to come in here and keep my head down.” I shook my head ruefully.

“Now that doesn’t seem to fit your nature. Good luck trying that again in the future, though.” Circe smirked.

“Alright. That’s it!” Persephone stood from her lounge. “We are done arguing. If you want my help, then we will be bringing Bran for his inscription expertise alone. Let's go see the prison.”

“She’s lively,” I muttered before darkness swept me up and then receded a moment later, depositing me in front of a large stone building.

Blinking away the sudden disorientation from the change in location, I turned to Persephone.

“You can break the bindings on me, correct?” she asked while we had a moment alone.

“I’m confident, though it may take me some time.”

“I don’t have years.” She scowled.

Snorting, I couldn’t help but laugh. “I meant hours. Worst case a day. Mimi, you aren’t very trusting.”

“Stop calling me that. It makes me sound old.” She glared at me.

I shrugged. “You’re right. Great-great-great Mimi is more accurate.”

That earned me an eye roll, but she stiffened and glanced to the side as lightning and wind carried two of the other elders. “I am a young flower.”

“Sure, sure.” I nodded.

“Don’t do that.” Zeus was upset that his argument was over.

“Alright. Can I go strip some bloodlines?” I asked, trying to move past the prior conversation.

Zeus looked at Circe and Persephone and sighed. “Yes, let’s get that done. We’ll hold the rites for the new members tonight. Just let Circe guide you in when it’s time. I’ll handle the rest.”

With the three leaders around me, the guards scrambled to open the door and get out of the way.

The place was actually fairly ornate for a prison. I had half-expected dirty cells and starving people. Most interestingly, there were few guards.

Only a few decently powerful members were here to stop any problems.

The prison itself was just a square cell block with a rec area at the bottom.

“Alright. Let’s go.” Zeus marched through. “We lost several of the prisoners during the recent attack—that Katie from your initiation included. It is a shame we were unable to contain them with the guards occupied.”

I nodded at that. “Lost as in dead or gone?”

“There are no bodies, so it’s hard to be certain,” Circe admitted.

I glanced around and saw no other exit besides the one we’d come in. “They don’t go outside?” I asked Circe.

“Too much of a flight risk.” She sighed. “Most of these people killed a fellow clan member. That’s really the biggest crime that we’ve used this place for and kept them alive as a threat to everyone else.”

“That, and they have good bloodlines that we might want to keep circulating in the newest generation.” Persephone rolled her eyes. “Don’t be fooled.”

“Wait. They get conjugal visits?” I asked.

“Desperate outsiders within the clan,” Persephone added. “You’ve joined but can’t become part of the clan? No love found here? Well, come get a ‘donation’ from one of these SSS-ranked bloodlines and then have a kid in the clan.”

“Are you done?” Zeus asked dryly.

“Nope.” Persephone was a born cynic.

I was fairly certain she was doing her current antics half to piss off Zeus, the other half to inform me. “So, if I strip them…”

Persephone drew a finger across her neck while making a ripping noise. “There’s no purpose to them anymore. Well, they are worth experience. At least these kin-killers can serve someone in their death, though it should have come sooner. A swift death is more appropriate.”

“A swift death is quickly forgotten,” Zeus said. “We’ll keep some around for the clan to remember the punishment. That they’ll lose their bloodlines means the threat will be even greater.” He stopped in front of a cell that held a man leaning forward.

“What?” He looked up at the gathering in front of him before his eyes went red with rage. The man was at the bars in a second, reaching for Zeus’ throat.

But the white-haired man smacked it away with enough force that something broke.

“Strip him,” Zeus said.

I narrowed my eyes. The man might or might not even be guilty. Yet, that didn’t particularly matter. He’d attacked Zeus immediately. At the very least, he was unstable and dangerous.

Pulling on the man’s bloodline, he stumbled before flinging himself back into the prison and gritting his teeth.

“SS Rank,” Circe said to me as I worked to pull it free.

But the man was struggling enough that I couldn’t.

“Knock him out,” I said.

Zeus flicked a bolt of lightning that hit the man and flung him to the back of his cell, unconscious. The man buffed his nails and blew them off.

I ignored his theatrics and pulled again.

This time there was resistance, but it was closer to lifting a heavy weight instead of struggling over something.

Blood welled up through the orifices on his face and streamed out to make a tiny drop that floated in my hand.

Persephone whistled softly. “He’s been a repeat offender and trouble for the guards.”

I held up the drop.

[Bloodline of the Manticore SS]

“That bloodline hasn’t been seen in a while.” Circe nodded. “Bran, would you like the experience?”

I turned back to the man, and my face wrinkled in distaste. “Seems…”

Zeus didn’t let me finish, and there was a crackle and boom before the man was turned to ash with a massive bolt of lightning. The sound left my ears ringing and my eyes spotty.

“Warn me before you do that.” Persephone was blinking her eyes.

“He’s been here five hundred years and a pain in my rear.” Zeus spat into the cell. “Let’s keep moving. I want to test Bran’s ability. And, Bran, don’t hesitate in the future. No one here deserves your mercy or consideration of your conscience.”

Circe put a hand on my arm and nodded to confirm. “Holding a player is not easy. We’ve only taken the task on for those who are truly a danger to the clan or broader society. That man went on a rampage in Italy when we tried to capture him.”

“Feels like I’m just the Headsman,” I said.

Zeus glanced at me before returning to walking. “Deal with it. You aren’t in a position to lead within the clan. Nor will you be for a long time. For now, if it makes you feel better, this is an order, not a request.”

I rankled at that, wanting to turn around and leave.

But both Persephone and Circe slowly shook their heads.

I understood. This needed to be done, even if I did not enjoy being the one with the ability to carry it out.

***

By the end of my tour of the prison, I had collected eighteen bloodlines of SS or SSS rank. Each of them sat in my spatial ring. Once I transplanted them into someone else, I was going to get a drop of their blood. There were several bloodlines of lower grade, but Zeus demanded the essence of all of them.

For now, I wasn’t going to upgrade my class again. The stats from the S-ranked progress were too appealing for now. Especially since I was going to hit a wall until the Rapture. Like the high-level members of the clan, it was difficult to progress levels beyond a certain point, and even then gold became increasingly difficult.

Resetting my level was an advantage I couldn’t waste, especially in these last three goes of it.

Bloodline Manipulation didn’t rank up during the prison, but I did learn the limits. For an S-ranked bloodline, I could pull it out after some struggle. I suspected my spirit being so much higher gave me that edge.

As for SS and SSS, I needed the person to be unconscious. The latter was even hard enough then that I had to pause afterwards.

In a combat situation, it was going to be difficult to strip someone with anything above an A rank I suspected.

I was able to tinker with Powers of Blood, and it was simple enough to use on someone who was willing and even ranked up once from this.

The ceremony was fairly simple. Zeus made the sky thunder, and they did a whole big sequence of activities on the cliff, with waves crashing into it along with special wine that made the players enter a trance.

After that, I slipped in and gave eighteen level 200s Heros Clan bloodlines, only for Circe to take me away as a party took over the whole of Mount Olympus.

“Here we are.” Circe landed us on her island and glanced over her shoulder at the bright lights on the cliff. “You aren’t upset that we took you away, are you?”

“No. I get it. You don’t want anyone to know what I can do. That’s why the prison is pretty much empty now.”

“Just a few that were knocked unconscious before you saw them.” Circe shrugged. “Fear shouldn’t be the first tool to control an organization. However, it is effective enough that it shouldn’t be discarded.”

I both agreed with her and also disagreed. Then again, prisons weren’t a thing in my experience. Anybody who was too much trouble was a liability. And nobody had the time to babysit liabilities.

The whole idea of prisons bothered me. It was so wasteful to all involved.

Simone and Nyx hurried down the stairs. Someone must have notified them that I’d come back. “Finally! You leave during the day and stay away for so long.” Simone came up and wrapped her arms around me before giving me a soft kiss on the cheek.

I sighed, all the feelings from what I’d done melting away. “There were things that needed to be done. You would have hated it. But they needed doing.”

Circe nodded sharply at my words. “Alright. You three have fun. There are more things to do than I have time in a day. Repairing a clan, preparing for a battle, and moving.” She sighed and hurried away.

“Come. You need a bath and then a fun bath.” Simone pulled my hand and promised to help remind me of those I protected and were my everything.

Chapter 50

“Yeah. Love you too, Gloria,” I spoke into the rock, waiting a moment as Gloria handed the rock over to my father.

“Have you been training?” Thorin asked.

“Good morning to you, too, Papa.” I laughed. “Yes, I have. Things have become… complicated here. Demons were operating under the clan, in deep underwater caves. They had a Corpse Tree and were well-integrated, spying on the clan. They’ve been wiped out, only for the demons to attack en mass with a Demon General leading them.

“They failed to do more than wound the clan, but they got the location of Tartarus, where Elle is now,” I explained.

My father was silent for a moment. “Elle is… gone?”

“No. We have time to get there. It’s complicated, but the entrance is gated, and it won’t open yet.” I accepted a coffee from Simone as she sat back down.

Nyx was in the other chair. Her serpents were on high alert for anyone approaching our balcony.

“Don’t underestimate demons’ ability to unlock doors.” Thorin sounded like he knew from experience. Then again, he was a powerful individual wandering on his own. He was like a fat and juicy lamb to most demons.

“Fairly certain they won’t get this one because of what’s holding the door. Either way, I completed my physique,” I told him, trying to ignore the feelings I was experiencing as I waited for his response.

“Already?” He sounded surprised, and I bit back a small smile.

“Five days at the bottom of the ocean, and then I came up and got forged by a master smith here before being scoured and polished by Circe. Took a whole day, but I got it done,” I reported.

There was another long pause. “All in one day?”

Simone grabbed the rock with both hands as if she was strangling it. “What do you mean one day?”

“Normally, the process is done over months for healing,” Thorin replied, not reacting to Simone’s tone.

“You should have told him that! Bran has Regeneration to A Rank and put himself through hell!” Simone would probably be trying to strangle Thorin if he were actually with us.

“Oh.” My father paused. “That’s fine. He is stronger for it. What physique?”

Simone rolled her eyes and put the rock down before putting a hand to her head like she was going to faint. “He doesn’t even care?”

“Borrsons view pain as weakness leaving the body,” I told her.

“Lunatics. All of them.” She waved her hand dismissively at the rock.

“We are tough for it. Strong for it. Most importantly, we survive because of it,” Thorin intoned. “What physique?”

“Primordial Confluence Titan Physique F,” I said.

“F?” He was quiet for a long moment. “Must be capable of great growth. Elemental weakness?”

“None,” I confirmed. “All Elemental Resistance. A single skill.”

Thorin burst into what I assumed was joyful laughter. “Good. Good. Get strong. I will prepare Gloria to have the hottest flames so she can help you train your resistance. Now, about Elle.”

“She went to Tartarus, a hidden branch of the clan. Intended to—”

Thorin snorted loudly. “Hiding is worthless.”

“Well, she was taken against her will,” I clarified.

“Who?” he snapped. “I will go kill them.”

“Persephone. Leader of Tartarus. I’d hold off on the killing, though. She’s… got a little bit of a tangled reason. I’m going to try and untangle it and get Mom out,” I clarified.

He went quiet again. “Won’t kill… yet.”

“Good luck chasing her down, slowpoke,” Simone called out from the side.

I winced.

“What was that?” Thorin sounded angry. “Your phoenix wife? I will find a phoenix physique for her to train.”

“No. That’s fine. I’m the kind that stays back and supports Bran.” Simone waved her arms.

“Nonsense. Gloria, come here. Tell her how effective your training has been,” Thorin called louder to Gloria.

Gloria’s voice registered a moment later. “Run, Simone. Run for your life.”

“Baah.” Thorin scoffed. “You pick weak women,” he scolded me. “Your children might not be as strong as you, but then again, they’ll have Borrson blood.”

“Yeah. Not going down that route. If Simone doesn’t want the training, then I won’t force it on her,” I said.

“What about me?” Gloria asked.

“You are plenty tough enough for the training.” I tried to smooth things over.

“And I’m not?” Simone asked, and I flinched.

“Have to go. Talk to you later, Son.” Thorin made a quick escape, hearing the trap close between the two women on me.

This was why it was never a good idea to compare women when in a relationship with more than one. “You are both plenty strong and capable. Just, in different ways. Simone could probably do a physique, but it isn’t the best use of her time while we are here.”

I paused, and nobody jumped in to argue, so I took it as a good enough answer.

“Alright. Love you, Gloria. See you soon.” I handed the rock to Simone. “Alright. More training.”

“More?” Nyx asked with a piece of toast hanging from her mouth.

“Well, we aren’t likely to get an instance to rush into. However, I’d like to get used to my changes.” I flicked a blood blade out of my hand. “Think the coliseum is open yet?”

Simone sighed and shook her head. “Why do I love this man who only thinks about violence?”

“He also plays with inscriptions,” Nyx mumbled over her food. “Also. What about the instance?”

I nodded. After having taken control of the inscriptions, I hadn’t bothered much with it. “I’ll study more of it between fighting. There shouldn’t be any need to do things soon. It’s keyed to me. Others can’t do anything, and I most certainly can enter again. If it regenerated its charge more than twice a year, the clan would be sending level ones in more than twice. For now, I think we just leave it until the next equinox when I’m called back to deal with the initiation.”

I was tempted to use the instance as my own personal training facility, but twice a year wasn’t enough to anger the clan. I would only get three uses out of it before the Rapture anyway.

Picking up the last of my breakfast, I scarfed the food down.

Nyx matched my pace while Simone carefully packed hers up to take with her.

“Careful. He’s going to have too much fun at this arena,” Simone warned Nyx.

“I’m going to go down and fight him,” Nyx said. “There are plenty of things for me to learn. As of right now, I’m best at being a fighter.”

“Oh, you’ll be more than that eventually. We just need to figure out what,” I said.

“She could use her venom on your drinks,” Simone suggested.

I blinked at her and grinned. “That she could. Let’s try and think bigger, though. Nyx is incredibly useful in that she’ll be good at anything we put her up against. What do we need an expert in?”

***

We passed the time in the coliseum with various training sessions. Nyx wanted me to push her as much as I could, and I was pretty damn proud of her drive.

I got her a number of basic resistances and even pushed to see if we couldn’t get her Regeneration.

By the end of weeks of hard training, regeneration finally kicked in for her. That was fast even by my past life’s expectations.

“You certain that you two want to come?” I asked as we lined up on the boat with Persephone taking the helm.

“This was why I trained so hard this last week.” Nyx set her jaw. She looked strangely more mature after the training. But it could also be that she was holding herself straighter.

“She’s got a point. How many potions did she end up drinking?” Simone asked.

“Too many.” Nyx made a face and rubbed her tongue against her teeth as if she were trying to scrape a flavor off it. “That one batch has made me quite sour about them.”

“You’re the one who sat in a bonfire and chugged them one after the other,” I pointed out.

“Duh. I can become fire-resistant if I just put up with some temporary pain. I didn’t throw myself into a furnace with an angry elemental like some totally insane person.” She nudged my side. “Besides, you said some of this gets harder the stronger you get.”

I nodded. The stronger a player’s vitality, the higher ranking the poison was needed to really produce an effect that the system saw as growth. It was the reason that even though so many people knew about things like Regeneration and resistances, they didn’t always go out and get them.

Still, the elites of the Heros Clan had a variety of resistances.

Zane was on the boat with us as well. He’d vastly improved since the instance. I had a feeling that Zeus had sent him off to an instance just after we had exited. Zane had put on forty levels and a number of resistances.

He felt my gaze and turned, recognizing me and waving.

I waved back. I hoped to be on good terms with him, keeping that relationship strong as he grew to take over the clan. Though, I had made enough ripples in the clan that him being leader was uncertain at best.

The boat pulled away from the docks, quickly orienting itself east as Zeus talked to Zane and then headed my way.

“Know where you are going now?” I asked Zeus as he approached.

“Crete. I had a feeling,” he murmured. “Once she spoke of the labyrinth and the monsters within, I started putting it together. The exact location, though, we’ll need her for. I had another topic to discuss… My boat.”

“Your boat?” I glanced at Simone.

“I told you about this. The yacht that you sailed off with the guards.” She played the act we’d discussed.

I slapped my forehead. “Right. That boat.” I turned back to Zeus. “Demons. Those bastards. You might know by now that they killed all the guards who had been on it with me and even managed to punch a big hole in the hull.”

Zeus looked incredibly pained. “Don’t suppose you remember where it sank? It was quite an expensive boat. While replacing the hull would be… expensive. There might be people with skills in the clan that could help make it bearable.”

I paused and nodded before pulling out my phone, opening the map app, and making a talisman. “I bled on that boat, so I should be able to find it.” The talisman had a nice corner to it, and I hovered it over the map before it snapped down in place. “That’s where it is. At least right now.”

Zeus’ eyes went as wide as saucers. “You mean you can precisely locate it! Yes. Our crafters can certainly put a hull back together and water damage is easily reversible.” He was mostly talking to himself. “Can I have more of those?”

“Nope. They will mostly work to locate me, and I’m not putting that out in the world.” Taking the talisman, I put it in my spatial ring. “However, I will happily scan for the boat any time you want.”

Zeus was starting to tear up. “My baby. I’ll pull you out and patch you up. At least it wasn’t at the clan. Those demons burned the boats in the port. Can you believe those savages?!” With a pep to his step, he walked away and whistled. “My baby’s gonna be okay.”

“He’s odd,” Nyx muttered after he was away.

“Yes, he is. Also, his roots were showing.” Simone shook her head. “Why does he dye it white?”

“The name of Zeus is too strong,” Nyx joked. “He just has to dye it white, or if he’s with any old person, everyone will always assume the old guy is Zeus.”

I laughed at the idea of someone coming up to him and assuming someone else was Zeus because he was young. “Let’s go settle in for the trip.” Even as I said those words, the boat picked up to far faster speeds than I expected of the boat.

I looked ahead, spotting why we were moving so quickly. Two players were now in the water ahead of the boat with the anchor line wrapped around them.

“That’s one way to go faster.” I laughed. “Maybe this won’t take as long as I expected.”

Chapter 51

“So where is it?” Zeus was done being patient as we arrived at the Knossos archaeological site.

There were about two dozen clan members present, including the four branch leaders. The others ranged from around twelve to fifteen thousand stats. It was a clear showing of force by the clan without leaving the islands completely undefended.

The clan’s barrier had been an interesting and completely novice attempt at barriers.

It was like someone knew the basics and then got full of themselves and completely overcomplicated the enchantment. I improved it enough that if the demons did return and attack the islands, there would be a warning. And those inside would get time to assemble a defense before the barrier broke.

After all, there wasn’t really a barrier that could be impenetrable. Barriers were mainly good for not getting completely overrun by a surprise attack.

“This way.” Persephone turned and walked away from the site. “We wouldn’t really let them dig it up. That’s some minor noble's estate. The king’s estate is just north of here and evolved with the times.”

“Smart,” I said.

“This way.” She led us past groups of tourists with their cameras out and ready to take pictures.

More than a few swiveled our way and took pictures of us whispering things like ‘cosplayer’ or ‘larping’.

“They think this is fake?” Nyx asked.

“People are too stupid to realize the world is larger than they expect.” Simone sighed. “Anyway. Where is this?”

Persephone walked past all of this to a gift shop and waved at the man working.

“Back already, boss?” he asked with an ever-upbeat tone that only someone who’d worked too long in retail could have. “The back’s gonna open up for you soon.”

“I expected hidden caves, dangerous cliffs, and perhaps an entrance behind a waterfall,” Nyx whispered as we all filed through the shop and into a back room.

“There’s a third entrance that’s sneaky like that.” Persephone heard her from the front of the group. “Also, it’s a natural cave system at first, then we get to the good part.”

“You mean we could have avoided all of the people?” Zeus was clearly displeased.

“Yes, but you’d all need to be able to fly. Honestly, this is the easiest. It is also the least likely for the demons to use.” Persephone continued walking down a long hall that slowly sloped down.

I could feel that we’d gone deeper as the air quickly cooled down to a stagnant temperature that I associated with being underground. We moved deeper, and the air began to warm. The hallway bent at odd angles, and the slope changed randomly. It was clearly built into the cave.

“Cleanest cave I’ve been in.” I broke the group's tense silence.

“I knew you’d like it.” Persephone turned another corner and opened the door at the end.

This time, the space beyond was a genuine cave that quickly opened up into a cavern with the sound of roaring water in the distance reverberating through the space.

In front of a giant bronze door stood a small army of demons. They were arrayed in orderly ranks with several loose demons working on the door.

The demons jerked to alert as we entered, but they didn’t attack immediately.

“Ha. They are more than mindless beasts.” Hercules’ voice echoed in the cavern.

“The cattle speaks.” The second demon general stood up straight where he’d been crouched by the door. “Ah. No. I’m sorry, I mistook a bark for sentience.” Darkness pooled around the general as eight-foot-tall suits of armor spilled out from his shadow in what seemed like an endless wave.

He said something to the other demons by the door and pointed towards us. The suits of armor started marching forward. Every few steps they took, another line of them rose from the back.

Hercules answered by glowing gold as his long hair fluttered to a breeze that only it seemed to feel.

“Should we fight?” Nyx asked.

“Save your strength. This is a marathon.” I put a hand on her shoulder. “This is just the opening salvo.”

Hercules stepped forward as if he were carrying the world on his shoulder, that step landing and making the cavern shudder before he punched out.

The wind twisted from his punch, and the golden glow shot forth from his fist, swirling and crashing into the line of summoned soldiers. The dark suits of armor were ripped and scattered by Hercules’ blast all the way back to the second demon general, who put up a simple magical shield to catch what remained of his attack.

A bolt of lightning slipped through that gap, roaring into the demon general, only for a second powerful demon to intervene at the last instant, grabbing onto the lightning with an armored gauntlet.

It was draped over by a heavy cloak that hid its form, save for the gauntlet that had grabbed the lightning bolt. “Tingled.” The general chuckled and opened and closed his hand as if to regain feeling in it.

Zeus’ sneak attack had failed.

“Careful. Amedeon, these cattle have thorns.” The second demon general scoffed as he was hidden from view by more advancing knights.

“Charge!” Hercules roared and bodily slammed into the knights as the demons that had been arrayed before we arrived split, and half charged in amid the knights, while the other half swung into our side.

A quick check with Soul Gaze told me they were strong, most of them around ten thousand stats. They were weaker than the elites that we had brought but nearly five times the number.

“We’ll block the side.” I would rather not leave that up to chance. The members of the hero clan that we brought were certainly capable, but anyone could tunnel vision during a fight. “Nyx, you stay back with Simone.”

I was slightly regretting them coming along. They were the weakest players on the field by a decent margin.

But that just told me that I needed to keep myself between the danger and them.

I rushed into the flanking charge along with several other members of the Heros Clan.

My blood blade met the first demon as Blood Boil made my muscles swell and veins squirm under my skin.

One demon behind the first jumped high, and an unusually long limb shot forward with a two-pronged barb at the end that punched into my shoulder.

It was immediately hit by an arrow that turned it to stone as the pain eased, and Simone’s healing kicked in.

A moment later, the effects of her healing rippled along through the rest of the Heros Clan members. Several glanced back to see who was doing it, and I knew that look. They’d help me protect the healer.

Anyone with any experience in battle always protected the healer.

I ripped the barb out and threw it at the demon in front of me, spinning it hard enough to fling my blood everywhere.

It ducked and came at me low.

I smirked as my Blood Blade melted down my hand, the blade coming out in a reverse grip as I stabbed down and ran the demon through, pinning it to the floor as another blade came out of my hand.

Blood Hex and Sanguine Locking activated on all the demons that I’d splattered with my blood. Thorny vines of blood raced out from the drops as a curse of weakening tried to make its work easier.

The skewered demon squirmed before its head rolled free of its shoulders, and the body faded seconds later as I stepped over and engaged the next.

Simone was keeping the line of Heros Clan members healthy and whole while Nyx fired arrows to slow as many as she could. Both of their offensive abilities were slightly lacking for this fight, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t contribute.

A demon slipped past farther down the battle line, rushing for Simone.

Nyx screamed with all her serpents fanned out, and a ray of light caught the demon, petrifying it, but the stone was already cracking, its fingers tearing through a thin layer of stone encasing it.

I kicked the demon that was trying to pin me down hard in the chest and was ready to rush back to help them.

A blade of wind tore through the space the petrified demon was, tossing the demon, now in two pieces, high into the air before it faded away, the system reclaiming it.

Circe’s red eyes reassured me from the other side of the battle. She was watching out for them. Turning, she created a gale within the cavern and sent blades of wind through the endless army of walking suits of armor.

Able to focus on what I did best, I pushed into the demons with wide swings of my sword. Where demons tried to block, I used crushing force to break the hard, dark carapace that demons had before using wide sweeps to clear enough space for me to wind up a large overhead chop that cleaved demons in two as Sanguine Locking flared up to hold them still.

A large-scale battle like this wasn’t about having a dozen tricks in the book. It was about having a few very effective tactics to cut through the masses.

Sanguine Locking and Blood Hex were that trick. I activated them right before I went for a killing blow to throw the demon off.

It was easy. Other demons weren’t really learning to avoid what felled their squadmates. They were too busy fighting for their lives.

Even then, they would never decide this battle.

A massive dark form rose up behind all the fighting. A dragon made of shadows pulled itself into the world like it was clawing its way up from the depths of hell.

My instincts screamed at me, and I grabbed the Clan members closest to me and jumped back with all my strength to Simone and Nyx.

A red barrier snapped into place over us before black fire ripped through the cavern, burning demons and Heros alike.

The only ones not affected were the summoned knights of the demon general.

My barrier shattered, only for Simone to get hers up to block the rest of it.

“Thanks,” one of the two that I grabbed said before rushing back out to fight.

The other just grimaced, their eyes never leaving the backs of their fellow clan members before jumping back in with a skill.

Simone was busy casting healing spells left and right, trying to help everyone.

That fire had injured many of the clan members. Black flames flickered over their forms with some sort of debuff that was eating away at their vitality.

The demons seemed better off, having not received the brunt of the hit, but they still had the same debuff on them.

I pointed each hand at clan members and used Blood Transfusion to pick up two Heros that seemed on their last threads of vitality. While I wasn’t really a healer, after something like that breath attack from the dragon, I could help in a pinch.

Zeus was flying about the cavern hurling thunderbolts at the dragon, keeping it from attacking as it had before, but the thing was durable enough that it wasn’t dying.

Worse, it was regenerating every time he managed to punch a hole in it.

Hercules was bogged down by a number of smaller summons as he tried to wade through the knights, and Circe was focused on keeping the clan members alive.

Where was…?

I found Persephone as the cavern shook, and the general's right-hand demon in the heavy cloak clashed with the leader of Tartarus.

The two of them disappeared again only to clash farther away from the main battle.

The general was working by the door to make another of his larger summons. If I had to guess, Persephone was useless against them. Her attacks all seemed to have dark elemental power to them, and the summons were made of darkness.

I could quickly see how this played out. Whether or not Hercules got to the demon general was the deciding factor. If he could stop the general from making more summons, then this battle would shift in our favor. If the general got out another large summon that could occupy Circe or Hercules, we’d fall behind.