UL1 - Book 10 - Chapter 18

“So you’re staying there for how long?” Tanila asked. “You do realize you have a daughter who is going to miss her father?”

“Maybe a week?” Max replied. “And I doubt Miranna is going to miss me since she has three uncles and two aunts who are more than happy to spend time with her.”

“And if it’s too dangerous?”

The question he was waiting for finally came, and he didn’t react.

“I’ll return immediately. As much as I want to protect this world and the creatures on it, no matter what happens, I’ll not risk you or Miranna.”

“Seems he’s not stupid after all,” their ranger stated.

“Stop it, Cordellia,” Tanila said. “Forgive her, she said she wouldn’t talk.”

“You can tell her I’m not some mindless dwarf. I’ve got plenty of intelligence points and something called common sense.”

“I will,” his wife replied. “And just be safe. Also, Sog wanted me to tell you to try and see what happens if you summon him.”

That’s a pretty smart idea. Bonus points to the demon.

“Sog said that?” Max asked.

“He did. Jazzjak told him that it might not be a wise move, as doing so would then mean he could potentially be flagged by the system as no longer being protected. Our helper is still confused about what happened to you, but not to the others.  Besides, Sog says he can’t open that portal or use that ability right now either. So you might get a whole new demon.”

If we got a new demon, how strong might it be?

That is a question I’m not sure anyone would know the answer to, not even your friend. He has grown due to the power of your blood, and I wonder how many gods have the Demonic Summoning ability. You were told how strong your blood is for a skill like that. So now it would be not just a human, but a god, with a bloodline, and the power you possess.

Would that mean potentially summoning a god demon or I guess we’ll need to ask Sog if there are demons who are far stronger than he was but not a god.

“Max?”

“Sorry, my love. Just having a conversation with Bob. Please tell Sog that I may reach out to talk to him tomorrow. I’m interested in hearing him talk about the dangers of what might come through the portal if I did attempt that ability.”

A grunt of acknowledgement came through the communication device and then Max could almost hear the sigh he recognized.

“I’ll be safe. I promise.”

“You'd better or so help me I’ll make the next hundred years or more painful.”

“I love you two,” Max said. “Kiss Miranna for me.”

“I love you, Max Hoste. Bob, watch over him.”

A chuckle came from inside his head as he deactivated the console before him.

I like the idea of testing it but perhaps not in a combat situation. We could try it now that way if things didn’t work out, we wouldn’t be battling a demon and a god at the same time.

That idea does have merit but I would also err on the side of caution. You’re no longer simply a mortal man with stats beyond what one should have. Whatever comes from that portal if it isn’t Sog would be possibly just as strong as you.  Think back to how strong he was the first time you used that ability. Had it been a fair fight, yes, you would have come out on top, but barely. Now? The potential damage to the world that might occur would far outweigh the gain.

Max sighed, knowing his skill was right. 

And I would feel terrible if I unleashed some horror upon a new world I came to help.

I would rather not have to live with your guilt about that. For now let’s focus on what we know we can do.

Rising from the chair he was sitting in, Max made his way toward the open doorway.  There was a world that needed his help and as crazy as it sounded, part of him wanted to see what a battle between gods and worlds looked like.

***

“It’s happening,” Eyorakoa said as she stood next to him. “You can feel it, right?”

Max nodded, sensing the shifting in the water and saw the whirlpool that had appeared sideways. It was a twisting and shifting portal of darkness, easily a hundred feet high and four hundred yards across.

Nearby life that swam near it vanished, never returning as the vortex grew larger and larger by the minute.

“Yukoreek and his minions should appear at any moment. When he does, leave him to me. Go ahead and pull back a mile, as we discussed, so you don’t get caught in my domain. Keep our people safe.”

He didn’t bother nodding, simply bolting back toward the city that was five miles away. 

I’m rather impressed with our plan and those tubes we made. Using the concept of the dwarven gun we had and filling tubes with glass daggers is a genius idea.

The fact that you take credit for that idea stings a little. Still we won’t have any idea just how many we’ll face until we see what comes through that portal. It should be like the elven armies that attacked our world. None should give you any problems, I’m assuming it’s simply the number of potential enemies and keeping the city safe.

Any bets on skills?

I’d like to think there might be a chance but from what Eyorakoa told us, it would appear this god has a world far harsher than Igarras. No crafting. All power comes from killing. Which means if they’re creatures like the god, a leviathan of sorts, it would be physical abilities.

Always some god out there that feels violence is the only answer.

And yet we’ve discussed it many times. Killing and violence are the only way to stop those who believe in it.

Max stood there, a few yards off the ground, grateful anytime he was on a world filled with water for the pants the Merfolk King had given him in the tower. Being able to move through water like it was air allowed him to avoid the effects his team suffered. Combined with the power to breathe like normal, his only issue was certain spells that were difficult to use.

Twirling his two swords, he gazed across the expanse before him.

It’s a barren wasteland out here.  Those otters did a fantastic job clearing all the vegetation surrounding the city.

We’ll only have wind, ice, water, stone, and sand spell-wise. The problem is that most of what we send will be projectiles. I can do the sand dagger barrage but I can’t promise they will do much depending upon how thick these creatures' armor might be.  You’re most likely going to do a large amount of the killing via hand-to-hand.

Max nodded, knowing that Bob was right. Fighting in a world filled with water against creatures who swam meant that even the ability to create walls of sand and stone would be worthless. 

All we can do now is wait…

***

Max had gone to an oversized halberd, using his Ultimate Form to augment both his size and that of his weapon.

He had stopped counting the number of miniature leviathans that had come through the portal after the god Yukoreek had appeared.

Two of the thirty-yard-long creatures drifted down to the sand below, and the water turned red as their heads slowly reached their decapitated bodies.

At least none of these are half a mile long like their god.

Bob didn’t reply; his skill handling the magical side of things as Max raced up and down the line of enemies.

Their bodies twisted and turned, large mouths filled with teeth and rows of spikes along their spines created a terrifying display of a creature most wouldn’t want to meet on land or water.

All around him, they cried out, black ones giving orders, while the blue and green-colored ones rushed headfirst at him.  A few yellow leviathans sent magical ice and water spells at him.

Glass daggers controlled by Max’s Sand mastery were like a tornado, spinning through the waters like a serrated blade, impaling and pushing through the thick hides.

“Get to the city!”

“Ignore the one!”

“Yukoreek will join us soon!”

Wind blades, ice spears, stone spears, and other spells shot out in all directions. Max knew what Bob was preparing to do, steadying himself for the pain that was about to come.

We can’t defend the city from this many. They’re barely a mile out from the city walls and they will swarm over it. You know this is the only way.

Do it.

Max continued his barrage of cuts, slicing through any of the beasts that continued to come at him.

A buildup of energy and electricity flowed through him as he raced toward the line of metal poles they had set in the water around the city.

Each one was a hundred yards tall, an inch thick and buried deep into the sandy soil. With only a dozen yards between each one, Max had to explain multiple times to Eyorakoa that his plan would work, no matter how foolish it seemed.

The creatures inside the city had given him every bit of metal they owned and Max had used his Metal Mastery to reform and shape them.

Go!

He reached the closest one as the wall of leviathans which stretched for over a mile in both directions, came near the metal poles.

[ Heaven’s Storm ]

[ Spell Burst ]

[ Cooldowns Reset ]

[ Heaven’s Storm ]

[ Spell Burst ]

Every bit of the water around him became hot as the power of his spell went off immediately, two times in a row and the second one causing the very water to boil.

[ Regeneration ]

His own skin fried as the lightning arched off the creatures near him and the metal poles, sending out a wall of death in both directions.  Any leviathan that got within a hundred yards found itself on the receiving end of either a solid white lightning bolt or a blue one.  Each one arced off whichever beast was struck, finding an ally or two as well.

Max’s vision vanished as his body stopped reacting for a moment, the sheer power of his spell in this environment not caring who it struck.

Twenty more seconds!

Breathing wasn’t impossible but it was difficult as his muscles fought to not work, his hand still on the metal pole he had first touched.  It was beginning to melt, having turned a bright red and orange color, sending up bubbles of air as it evaporated any water that touched it.

From within two clouds that were formed above him, somehow meshing with the water it had been summoned, a new and dangerous variation of the ability he had taken from the Elven King was born.

Five more!

Bob’s words faded as Max opened his fist, finding the metal had slipped through his fingers, the entire rod turned into liquid and drifted through the water as it fought against the boiling liquid around it.

There was nothing to see but red. Everywhere around him for miles was a red mist.

His lungs worked as the spell ended and Regeneration did its job.

Bob propelled him through the water, back toward the city walls and upward, out of the cloud of death, a few flashes and flickers of light radiating from within the blood-filled water.

That… was bad.

Yes. You lost an arm but it regrew.  Still, I cannot see anything moving right now.

Tanila would tell me how bad of an idea that was… again.

A chuckled came from his skill as Max waited and watched. 

Bob sent currents of air to push back the bloody water as they moved down one side.

The good news is that we've killed over two thousand of them, assuming I've kept track of all the notifications. We’re only at 70% of our mana reserves thanks to their deaths.

Always a bright side. Still, it looks like there are a few stragglers over on that end.

Then let us finish this and move back to where Eyorakoa and Yukoreek were fighting. We need to examine that domain closely.

Max grunted and sped toward the small packs of the invading forces, their haste to approach the city he was protecting seemingly wavering as they spotted his approach.

Once we’re done, I’ll show you the notifications we got.