The Elder Demon's Dilemma (Realm of Arkon, Book 9) Read online

  Interestingly enough, the baron's level hadn't changed. With a mental command I moved all of my party's icons into the foreground... and sighed with relief. Alive, all of them! And their levels... Even Masyanya had shot up over 300! Kan and Raena were at 373, Vaessa at 390, Bonbon and Donut at 320, and Reece at 352! Is there a dungeon left out there we can't complete with this crew? The thought made me chuckle, but the subsequent one made me grin from ear to ear. We have another Elder Demon on the team! And one that boasted level 750 and twenty three billion HP. This was the stuff clan leaders' wet dreams were made of. Of course, I doubted that Jaelitte could become an official clan member, but perhaps the System might show some flexibility and make an exception under the circumstances?

  But most important of all, at last I had the answer to the question that had been haunting me for so long. Our fates were not set in stone! What happened here today was not what I saw on that painting. Back then, Kan and Vaessa had died, and Ruination had failed me for some odd reason. Was it because I had found Phallet's phylactery? Or was it all Sata, who had tried to say to me what couldn't be said by even the gods? Anyway, this is all behind us now. We're alive, and that's the only thing that matters. But where was the fox now? She had been freed, of that there was little doubt. And somebody had revived the baron and his troops, which couldn't have been Jaelitte. I glance at my wife and chuckled. No, reviving and giving life just wasn't her style.

  Ten or so seconds later, I was finally noticed by one of his captains. After staring at me for a few moments, he grabbed the baron's shoulder and shook him as he pointed my way, shouting something. Another moment later, I saw Masyanya appear on the broken wall. Relief flashed on the huntress' face, but then she jabbed a finger in her right ear, frowned and shook her fist at me. Hart! I pulled up the options and rejoined the channel that I had been kicked out of for some strange reason.

  "...hell, Roman? Are you deaf?!" the huntress yelled, adding a few choice words that oughtn't be uttered in the presence of women and children.

  "Are you sure it's not him flying up there?" Reece posed with concern, though I still couldn't see him.

  "Yes, I'm sure!" Masyanya gesticulated my way frantically. "There he is, standing there with a mysterious smile! I think he's got a concussion!"

  Before long, all of my friends were clambering over the debris and making their way towards me, looking around wildly.

  "If he's there, then who's up in the sky?" the inquisitive mage wouldn't let up.

  "That's my wife," I chortled, deciding not to keep up the suspense. "Let her fly around some more, and then I'll introduce you."

  The news made Kan and Raena exchange glances while Donut nearly stumbled and Masyanya whistled. And only the sagacious necromancer's daughter seemed unperturbed, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

  "Fly around, mm-hmm..." the disheveled rogue's voice sounded strange.

  "I wonder which of them will be doing the cooking," Bonbon mused, his neck craned as he walked, then scratched his head and nodded affirmatively to his own thoughts.

  "This is good news," Reece said, stopping a few feet away and peering into my eyes pointedly. "Your wife, I mean. Cause we were getting worried..."

  "What are you babbling about?" I frowned.

  "You mentioned getting married back in Craedia, but didn't bother introducing us to your bride. And then you stopped looking at women altogether," Reece explained with a nonchalant shrug. "And considering all that you had gone through, we couldn't help entertaining the notion of all that trauma resulting in certain... mental consequences. Hell, as far as we were concerned, an imaginary wife would be the best case scenario. Even if the best mentalist in the land would be unable to help you." The mage looked up at Jaelitte contemplatively, then shook his head and concluded with utter despondence. "And, certainly, no one can help you now..."

  My mind was already racing to pick the most proper response to this scoundrel, but then something incredible happened. Lita froze in midair for several seconds, breaking virtually all laws of physics, then shot up high into the sky and turned toward the castle, wings majestically outstretched. By now, the transformed army that had come here with Vaepar had been clipped to roughly half of its size. Upon realizing that nobody was attacking them anymore, the survivors turned right around and made a hasty retreat. Right, it should be another fifteen minutes or so before they can build portals again. But what was up with my bride's newfound pacifism? Or was it mercy?

  I'm not sure what humans do in these situations, the familiar voice sounded in my head. I suppose I should throw myself in your arms and weep like some of your females?

  Uh... I struggled to find the words. You don't need to throw yourself in my arms, no. I don't think there's a standard way to behave in these situations.

  Good, Lita sniffed, then cut a hairpin turn and rose another three hundred feet off the ground.

  She was maddeningly beautiful... in a deadly kind of way. This was probably what military pilots felt when admiring their . And the scoundrel was right - I was beyond help at this point. When the sight of a twenty-five-foot winged monster makes your heart spill over with fondness... There's just no coming back from something like that.

  Why did you decide to spare them? I asked after getting a hold of my emotions. Don't mistake my question for blood lust, but -

  As a favor to a certain black-haired chicken, Jaelitte replied with vexation in her voice. It's not a good idea to piss off the locals. Not the right time, at least.

  The Goddess of Vengeance asked this of you?! But -

  My wife didn't let me finish. Quit being so daft. The Titans are defeated, and the gods win nothing from these sentients getting slaughtered.

  What do you know of -

  Your sister and your friend are alive, she interrupted me again. And you're both heroes. I should be proud to be your wife, I suppose...

  I felt the weight of the world fall from my shoulders. Max and Alyona were all right! And, by the looks of things, Lita's personality hardly changed with her newfound freedom.

  Your tailed friend sends her regards, by the way, but she won't get here till later, she added, then dove sharply toward the ground.

  Her figure rippled for a moment, transforming into a huge scorching meteor, then roared toward us.

  "Holy moly..." Bonbon exhaled in awe while my own jaw slacked in anticipation of what was about to happen.

  The earth shook from the monstrous impact as one of the cracked castle walls came tumbling down. There were cries of fear and shock while Kan and Raena made automatic warding-off gestures. My wife was still a young woman at heart, and eager to make a grand entrance.

  "And here's the frog princess herself," Bonbon remarked casually as Jaelitte's delicate figure appeared in the unnaturally white billows of smoke.

  She looked just as she had the first time we met. Only her clothes were different now: a dark leather cloak, beige hunting pants, russet half-boots, and the hilts of paired swords peeking out from behind her back. As she regained her body, she must have automatically regained the equipment she had been wearing the day of her death. Or maybe all of her stuff had dropped into her inventory then? Who knew with this magical realm...

  The only thing disturbing the silence around us was the crackling of the castle structures being consumed by fire. I had been imagining this moment so many times, cycling through the different scenarios, thinking of my facial expressions and what I'd say... And now that it had come, the words were stuck in my traitorous throat. I had known her for a mere three months, yet it still felt like a lifetime. And throughout this lifetime, I'd wake up with a smile on my face every morning because I knew that I had her. Maybe sometime in the future I could get used to the notion of it, but for now I could do nothing but stare at her, breathless and stupefied, all the while fully realizing how moronic I must look to her.

  Jaelitte's expression betrayed no emotions, like the actress from the classic film about the female Terminator. Stepping lightly on
the vitrified ground, she walked up to me, looked up into my eyes, and said with her lips alone:

  "Thank you..."

  Then she opened her palms and gave the softest of smiles. The stone was large and deep orange, and set in the same frame of a painfully familiar ring.

  "Chaos favors you as it has never favored anyone, Dark One," Jaelitte spoke softly. "Take this. It is yours now."

  You've completed the quest: Elder Demon of the Netherworld.

  You have gained a level!

  Current level: 402.

  You have 4 talent points to allocate.

  Class bonus: +1 to intellect; +1 to spirit.

  You have 306 stat points to allocate.

  You received: Spark of Primordial Chaos; Elder Demon's Heart.

  You have gained a level!

  …

  You have gained a level!

  …

  You have gained a level!

  Current level: 447.

  You have 149 talent points to allocate.

  Class bonus: +1 to intellect; +1 to spirit.

  You have 441 stat points to allocate.

  Spark of Primordial Chaos.

  Encrustation stone. Artifact.

  Adds ????? additional Primordial Chaos damage.

  Required: epic or above tier weapon.

  Elder Demon's Heart.

  Accessory; ring.

  Bound item.

  Durability: 24,798/25,000.

  Artifact, scalable.

  No minimum level.

  +447 to intellect.

  +447 to strength.

  +447 to spirit.

  +894 to constitution.

  +2682 to damage (Chaos).

  +8.94% to critical hit chance with a physical or magic attack.

  +8.94% to critical heal chance.

  Weight: .06 lbs.

  My wedding ring was back with me! Oh, if only its name could talk...

  Jaelitte's smile became a touch more perceptible. She looked past me at the rows of my friends, her eyes unblinking.

  "Hello!" she said firmly yet softly, then nodded.

  "Hi there!" Donut was the first to respond.

  The others followed suit while the rogue shifted nervously from foot to foot, evidently gathering the courage for the question tormenting them all.

  "And you, uh..."

  "She was the prisoner of this ring," I demonstrated the signet ring to everyone, then slipped it onto my ring finger, motioned toward my wife, and added. "Jaelitte dar Rakata, daughter of Overlord Ahriman and Lilit, an Elder Demon of the Netherworld. You can skip the introductions - she has already met all of you."

  "Indeed," the demoness chuckled at last, instantly diffusing the tension. She looked at Bonbon, then at Reece. "I know you fellas better than you

  While everyone was still recovering from what they had heard and exchanging meaningless phrases, I inserted the stone into the sword's pommel and focused on it.

  Ruination.

  Sword: one-handed. Great Sword. [Contains a Great Essence.]

  Bound item.

  Durability: 15,938/20,000.

  Artifact, scalable.

  No minimum level.

  Damage: 4470-8940.

  +????? additional Primordial Chaos damage.

  +447 to strength.

  +223 to vigor.

  +447 to constitution.

  +11.175% to critical hit chance with a physical attack.

  +447% to damage dealt to Great Essences.

  +0.0447% chance to paralyze a Great Essence for 44.7 seconds.

  Winged Lord's Reprisal. Creatures above level 900 suffer 2,000,000 damage when struck. The damage is doubled every second until the death of either the target or the owner of the sword.

  Using Winged Lord's Reprisal does not consume the astral body.

  Weight: 10 lbs.

  There it was. Ruination had turned into an artifact, revealing the last of its mysterious abilities in the process. And though it was more or less in line with what I had expected, make no mistake - I was giddy as a schoolgirl!

  Chapter 5

  To all the players and clans of the Realm of Arkon! The Ancient Gods have been vanquished! The transformed army, having sustained heavy casualties, has retreated deep into Darkaan. The forced armistice will be lifted in three days' time.

  "Max and Alyona are all right, but I don't know anything about the others," I announced to everyone after the triumphant music died down. "We'll spend the night here, then set out to Ellorian tomorrow. I don't expect Max and his group to get there before us. We also need to help out Ulrich, and take care of some other matters besides."

  "Aren't you forgetting something, Roman?" Donut inquired slyly. "You know, anything else that might be on the docket?"

  Sliding the sword gingerly into my scabbard, I turned toward the rogue with a quizzical look. "What are you talking about?"

  "Oh, nothing major, really," Donut gave a big grin. "Only that you took down a raid boss ten minutes ago whose level exceeded one freaking thousand. And I wouldn't expect to see another one like it in this realm for the next million years."

  "Yeah, so what?"

  "You see, Roman," Bonbon interjected himself into the conversation. "What our mercantile friend is trying to bring to your attention is that-"

  "Oh, just loot him already!" Masyanya gave an exasperated groan as she rolled her eyes. "Or these druggies will drag out their explanation for the next hour."

  Hart! Of course! With a chuckle, I walked over to Vaepar's corpse and put my palm against one of the rocks.

  To my great surprise, the beast didn't drop that many items, and no gold at all. Forty five bars of black iron, each weighing two pounds, eight reels of celestial silk, ten sheets of stoneworm hide, and one hundred Black Lotus blossoms. All crafting materials of the rarest order for four different professions. Their collective value was probably astronomical, but I wasn't particularly impressed. In addition to the materials, the titan's corpse held a crafting recipe for a priest armor set of eight epic scalable pieces, twenty two vials with some brownish mixture, and eighteen tiny figurines varying in color. Without thinking twice, I transferred all the materials and the scroll to Donut, then focused in on one of the vials.

  Elixir of Concentrated Might

  Transmutes the essence of an epic piece of equipment, making it scalable.

  Required: Piece of equipment. Class: epic. Level: 150+.

  Break to use.

  In the end, Vaepar didn't disappoint. Try as I might, I couldn't begin to express what an incredible drop these twenty two vials were. Well, technically speaking, they would become twenty two scalable epics. And it didn't matter whether we already had the base items. We weren't short on time, and there were still plenty of raid bosses left in this world, thank Hart. So, yeah, this was pretty badass, and yet when I listened to my inner voice, I wasn't feeling any kind of holy trepidation. Perhaps I had already reached - or more likely surpassed - my emotional capacity for one day.

  After a moment's hesitation, I transferred all the vials to Donut, and as the rogue exploded with cries of exultation, I turned my gaze to one of the figurines. A griffin! And it looked pretty similar to the one perched atop a pedestal in my last vision. With a broad chest, ginger-red fur and a head held high, the creature reminded me of a toy my parents would get me and Alyona at a nearby supermarket when we were kids. My sister and I had amassed a veritable menagerie of creatures, both mythical and real: pegasi, unicorns, elephants, giraffes, even dragons. But Vaepar must not have lived near such a supermarket, or maybe one that only sold griffins. The figurine was warm to the touch. I shrugged and focused my eyes on it... And felt an even deeper sense of shock, emotional daily capacity be damned.

  Griffin Nestling [male]

  Mount. [Capable of flight upon maturation.]

  Epic. Level 250.

  Bound on summon.

  Requirements: level 250, Riding skill.

  Attention! XP distribution is 50%/50%.

  Ar
mor: 5000.

  Strength: 500.

  Agility: 500.

  Stamina: 5000 (regenerates 100/hour).

  Constitution: 5000. HP: 50,000.

  250 stats available.

  Walk: 1-2.5 mph (does not consume stamina).

  Trot: 6-12 mph (consumes 1 stamina per minute).

  Gallop: 25-35 mph (consumes 10 stamina per minute).

  Special abilities: upon maturation.

  No. Freaking. Way. A flying mount! I examined all the figurines quickly. Nine females and nine males! A real military air force! Speed and mobility! Maybe not right away, but the possibilities were mesmerizing... Hart Almighty! This nestling had better stats than even Gloom! Now, I wasn't going to trade my beloved boar for anyone, but you could have numerous mounts, and you could never have too many friends. Even as a razorback!

  "Are you all right?" there were notes of concern in Lita's voice.

  "More than all right!" I gave a broad smile, then presented the figurine nestled in my palm to everyone.

  "But that's... that's..." Donut stumbled, his voice hoarse with tension.

  The rogue rubbed his face, shook his head vigorously, and looked up at me, his expression stunned.

  "If that's a boy, then-"

  "We have nine boys and nine girls," I smiled, taking another griffin out of the bag.

  "There are many that may not like this development," Kan spoke calmly as he looked over at me, "but after what happened here today, I don't think you have much to worry about. Gods can fly already," the knight-commander cast a sidelong glance at Jaelitte, a smile playing on his lips, "and by your own admission, you don't give a crap about anyone else."

  I nodded at Kan as I put the figurines away, then looked around at all my comrades. "Here's the plan. All the mounts are going to be issued tomorrow in Ellorian. Any questions or concerns, we will discuss tonight over campfire. But for now, let's head into the castle before the locals die of curiosity."