novelnext Chapter 126
Chapter 126
Chapter 126
Chapter 126
[Azmoth has selected the class ‘Infernal Crusader Initiate.’ Due to genetic
makeup, class title benefits have integrated with species traits.]
Infernal Crusader Initiate (Class Title) - A fire-attuned physical class path that focuses on tanking through martial arts. This class increases defensive capabilities with inherent bonuses, the amount of Sturdiness gained per level, and abilities granted by the system at regular intervals. +1 Strength, +4 Sturdiness, +1 Free Stat Point per level. Gives bonuses to heavy armor and fire-attuned abilities. (Comes with the knowledge of the Infernal Martial Art: Dome of Flames)(Increases Willpower Requirement by 5)]
Riven stumbled and nearly fell over before being caught mid-stride walking through the garden at the back side of the manor. The neon-teal leaves of the tree overhead shuddered and quaked, and he found himself needing to catch himself yet again on Jose’s tombstone when a pulsing wave of heat rippled across the black, red and silver flowers that decorated the walkways.
And then all went still again, and Riven shared a curious glance with Athela before hurriedly walking over to where the heat wave had come from.
The old stone chapel that Azmoth now was making his own home was only a couple dozen yards away, across the garden and behind the manor where Riven now lived. It was a far bigger room than the smaller ones in the manor could offer such a large demon, and Azmoth had volunteered to stay there after scoping out potential places to call his own.
Coming around the side of the old ruined building and entering through a wide archway without a door, Riven froze when he saw Azmoth inspecting one of his arms.
Though Azmoth had undergone a significant change.
Azmoth’s body was generally the same shape and composed of the same materials, but he was slightly bigger and meaner-looking. Just previous to selecting the class before the class title ‘integrated’ with the species traits Azmoth had, the thick black iron plates covering Azmoth’s body had left large gaps inbetween them to expose red and sinewy muscle that lacked skin. Here, however, those gaps had significantly decreased and had mostly been replaced with more of the black metal. More spikes had also been added along the ridge of his neck and head to boot.
The effect made Azmoth look like a titanic, demonic black knight of sorts - with a tail, four arms, no eyes, and two eel-like maws made of black metal that gnashed their teeth and flickered with cinders. Only small slits of red muscular flesh were now seen between the plates, and Azmoth’s body had become something of a living set of armor.
His movements were still fluid however, and he turned his sightless gaze upon Riven with a grin to expose the usual rows of obsidian teeth while picking up his gigantic stone maul. Resting it on a shoulder, he waved with his two free hands. “Class count body as armor and give more bonus. We go now?”Nnêw n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com
Riven looked the large demon and his exterior metallic exoskeleton up and down with newfound appreciation. “You really look the part of a doomsday knight my friend. Congratulations on picking a class! And yes, we’re going. Fay’s staying behind with her brother unless I need to summon her, she’s having... family issues. Anyways have you had a chance ot try out your new ability yet?”
“Dome of Flames?” Azmoth muttered, looking down to a notification that appeared before his face - and he shook his head. “Try later. I burn down house if stay here. Let go.”
***
Walking down the cement road towards the remnants of the half-destroyed hospital, Riven saw a couple decaying bodies of humans that hadn’t been there prior to the last time he’d been here. Some of them were being fed upon by birds like roadkill, but they all had obvious gunshot wounds - indicating that they’d been killed by other humans instead of from monsters, goblins or anything else.
“Good to see you too, Snagger. I’d love to meet your friends. By the way, this is Azmoth - I know he wasn’t there with us last time but he’s another of my demonic servants.”
The ratmen were already evaluating Azmoth with wary eyes, or at least the newcomers were. Azmoth’s foot was enough to crush them to dust, and the huge demon’s form-fitting obsidian plates were a testament to the enormous strength underneath.
“A strong minion-demon-slave, yes-yes. You are certainly-truly powerful-strong!”
Snagger nodded enthusiastically and raced over to the other ratment on all fours, being just slightly faster than he’d have been on two legs and showing Riven that Snagger and his species likely could run or walk either way depending on what suited them at a given moment.
Snagger motioned to the white-furred rat first as Riven approached. “This is Mesha-kin, my cousin-kin.”
He then motioned to the gray-furred rat with the staff, and the other gray-furred rat with the twin daggers. “Cheshish-kin and Bort-kin. They help-fight with me-me and Mesha-kin. We take jobs-fights for the brood-nest and mother-queen, we explore the surface-city and upper-higher Underdark, try-find helpers and ally-friends.”
Mesha, the white rat and apparently Snagger’s cousin, bowed low and offered her two daggers out hilt-first towards Riven. Her voice was far squeakier and higher-pitched than Snagger’s, and she kept her eyes low upon her own introduction. “I-we heard-listened to story-tales about you, great vampire mageling. I thought you summoned-kept only one demon slave-servant, but you acquired-have two? Much impressed-awe, not an easy-flimsy thing-item to do.”
“I actually have three. One of them is on personal business.” Riven silently snickered at the way Athela was giving the rat people a dirty look at the mention of ‘slaves’ when referencing his two demonic minions, but kept his humor underneath his mask. “Alrighty then. I believe you were going to show me around your nest? Is it like a city, or... What should I be expecting here? Either way, I’m rather excited to find out. I’ve never been to a settlement created by your people before.”
“You-you have not?” Cheshish, the gray-furred caster rat asked curiously, adjusting the leathers he wore so that they weren’t too tightly bound.
It was a conversation he’d already had with Snagger, but he was patient. Riven shook his head. “Nope. On my world, Earth, your people don’t even exist there. Or they didn’t, Earth isn’t around anymore as it was incorporated into Panu.”
Mesha cut into the conversation with wide eyes, stepping over to evaluate him in more detail. “Interesting-fascinating. Maybe why your eyes are red-bright, and not red-dull like other bat-vampire friends we-we have. We come-travel from Zazir world-planet, but we will show-see you to our nest-city. It is very akin-like to other nest-cities in the underdark, and you will be welcome-friended there! Travel-follow me-me!”
“Zazir huh? I don’t think I’ve met anyone from the third planet. Everyone I’ve seen so far is either from Earth or Zazir..."
And that was when Riven heard it. The rapidly increasing heartbeats from further down they tunnel. His eyes narrowed, and he peered further ahead until he focused in on what looked like a helmet...
Yup. That was definitely a helmet, a set of eyes, and a long brown beard on a face peering out at him from around a ledge further back. The clicking of bolts being loaded into crossbows was vaguely heard, and then a shout-squeak of alarm went up from Snagger as a flurry of incoming missiles launched themselves through the tunnel towards their position.