“Good!” Peter made his way to the wall and looked over. Astonishingly, a hundred minotaurs flew through the air with Lavos in the lead.
Lavos landed next to Peter after dropping off his tribe. “Everything all right?”
“For the most part.” Peter nodded. “Wekkin is dead.”
“Really? Great!” Lavos was delighted, and at the same time, astonished. In a mere two months, the Alliance was already strong enough to kill a demon general on their own. Their growth speed was monstrous.
Unaware of Lavos’s thoughts, Peter looked down at the ascender army and said, “We’ve decided to kill as many generals as possible before they group up. What will you do?”
“We’ll join you, of course.” Lavos snorted as if it was a matter of fact. “Ulmer secretly summoned something to watch over my movements after I left the meeting. I used a clone to deceive him and snuck off, but my clone won’t last long.”
Peter’s eyes narrowed. “Did he spy on the other generals?”
“I can’t be certain, but knowing him, he would.” Lavos guessed.
“Damn, that means he knows we killed Wekkin.” Peter raised his voice so the army could hear him. “The enemy might know we killed Wekkin. We leave immediately!”
While it was essential to buff up before a battle, in this case, it was better to take action even if they missed out on a few buffs. Time was of the essence.
At Peter’s command, two thousand ascenders mounted up and rode off. Regardless of whether they rode a flying or ground mount, everyone maintained their speed at 150 mph. A person’s stats determined their mount’s speed, and only at 150 mph would no one be left behind. Surprisingly, the minotaurs kept up with the ascender army without breaking a sweat, even without Lavos using magic to make them fly.
On closer look, each minotaur had eight runes. Dunk and a few others even had nine. Compared to ascenders, the weakest of which had six, the difference was significant. However, since every ascender had gone to the abyss over the past month, their runes’ levels were high. The two sides were about equal if you didn’t take into account skills and equipment. Sadly, the minotaur tribe only had less than two hundred members; otherwise, they’d be an unstoppable force.
As Sam led the army across the dread plains, scouts who went ahead returned with intel, after which the army changed directions. Eventually, the army left the dread plains and entered a zone unfamiliar to most: Craig Canyon. This canyon spanned over a hundred miles with countless cliffs and rivers.
According to Lavos, Ulmer had ordered Toka, a dragon-turtle, to search this territory. Only a few hours had passed since the general’s meeting, so the turtle should still be here.
Sure enough, not an hour later, Sam’s team found their target. As if lady luck was on their side, the general was alone. Even if Ulmer knew Wekkin died, the warlock had yet to inform Toka. For the alliance, this was the best-case scenario.
Chapter 70
(Mutant, Raid Boss) Toka, Dragon Turtle – Level 316
Health: 28,000,000/28,000,000
Toka stood over ten stories high and spanned several hundred feet, with each step equivalent to a fraction of a mile. Surprisingly, even though the Alliance stood some distance away, they still felt the ground tremble with every step the dragon turtle took. The creature’s weight was mind-boggling.
For this fight, Peter asked Lavos, Shenlong, Dubaku, and Jason to hold back. Since Toka was alone, it was the best time for the Alliance to experience what it was like fighting a demon general.
After observing Toka for a short moment, Shenlong shouted, “Form the line!”
All the tanks, including Jason, took up the front. Melee ascenders protected the sides, while the rangers, mages, and healers stood in the middle. Over twenty feet separated each person. Depending on the type of attack the Alliance faced, the army could spread farther or collapse into a tight group in less than a second.
Once everyone was in position, Peter nodded to Shenlong, who yelled, “Move in formation!”
The distance between the two sides quickly shrank.
A mile.
Eight hundred feet.
Five hundred feet.
At this point, everyone wondered how they were going to fight such a giant creature. The dragon turtle’s shell alone was enormous, and now that they were so close, they could tell Toka could kill them all by merely lying on them.
Toka soon noticed their presence. In a surprisingly agile manner, its head swiveled over and scrutinized them. One glance was all it needed to see everything: Lavos, Jason, and the killing intent of both armies. Toka’s draconic pupils narrowed into slits as it released a guttural roar.
The explosive force behind the roar sent a visible shockwave through the air. Any pebbles in its path disintegrated while larger rocks, like boulders, collapsed into pieces. Even after traveling several hundred feet, the remaining force was enough to stop the Alliance in their tracks.
“Amazing! Was that a skill?” Amara exclaimed in surprise and awe.
“No,” Lavos responded. “That was merely the strength of its lungs.”
“No way!” Carly covered her mouth in disbelief.
After stopping the Alliance and minotaur armies, Toka lowered its body to the ground, gathered its strength, and jumped. In one swift motion, the turtle withdrew into its shell. By some unknown force, its body began to spin as it aligned itself with the Alliance.
“Uh, guys? Is it doing what I think it’s doing?” Andy gulped from within the safety of the army. Everyone’s expressions grew grim.
In a moment, Toka’s body spun so fast all you could see was a blur. Witnessing this, Jason and the other frontline ascenders shouted. “Walls up!”
Instantly, hundreds of mana barriers, ice walls, and similar skills sprang into existence, separating Toka from the army. Everyone felt satisfied upon seeing the numerous defenses. Not even Toka could blast through so many layers.
However, as if telling the Alliance their actions were futile, Toka’s speed abruptly skyrocketed. Shockingly, as the air screamed in pain, the resulting friction lit its body on fire.
“We need mor—!”
Toka hit the ground before anyone could act. Like a rocket, the turtle shot forward and instantly reached the first layer of defenses. Walls shattered and mana barriers exploded. The first layer couldn’t stop Toka in the slightest.
The second.
The third.
Not even a second had passed before the turtle was at the front line. Long prepared, over a hundred tanks stepped forward with their shields raised and activated their strongest skills.
A horrifying boom rang out as they forced Toka to a halt. Even then, powered by some magical force, most likely a rune, the dragon turtle continued to spin. Slowly, the turtle forced the front line back, step by step.
As this happened, hundreds of skills bombarded the turtle, dealing significant damage. If the front line could hold on for just a few minutes, Toka would fall. But were things so easy? The tanks at the center bore the most pressure. In only a short moment, their shields broke apart, forcing them to use their hands. Soon their hands disintegrated, followed by their wrists and arms.
Out of everyone at the center, Jason was the only one unharmed. He knew if things progressed as they were, Toka would break through the front line and decimate the army behind him. He wouldn’t let that happen.
Barricade!
An ocean of battle energy exploded from Jason’s body. Instantly, a transparent spiked wall covered the frontline. The wall, while small in comparison to Toka, was still several stories high. Under Jason’s will, the wall angled itself into a ramp.
“Up!” As soon as Toka rolled on top, Jason shouted with all his strength and pushed. Amazingly, the turtle flew through the air and landed hundreds of feet behind the army.
Toka continued onward and eventually slammed into the canyon’s cliff. To the astonishment of the Alliance, the force behind the collision ruptured the cliff. A part of it fell
over and crushed Toka under its weight.
Baffled, the Alliance repositioned itself as Carly and the others healed the tanks. Everyone performed their roles like gears in a complex machine. In seconds, the Alliance was back in peak condition.
They waited and waited until eventually, Toka emerged from the rubble. To everyone’s delight, its previously hard shell was cracked and fractured. Better yet, the collapse of the cliff reduced its health by several million. Toka glared at the Alliance from afar, stepped forward, then collapsed. As it struggled to stand, Shenlong commanded. “Charge!”
Now severely injured, the Alliance and minotaurs intentionally avoided killing Toka and instead trained themselves by fighting it in groups. Only a tragic and pitiful end awaited the beast.
Chapter 71
Sethess, Wekkin, Toka.
The Alliance now had a greater understanding of the strength possessed by demon generals, especially after their fight with Toka. According to Peter’s estimations, Toka’s stats all passed 5,000 except for agility. At this point, the stats of ascenders in the Alliance crossed 1,000, with their primary stat resting comfortably around the 2,000 mark. M-serum users had multiple stats over 2,000. More specifically, Olivia’s primary stat, agility, was almost at 4,000.
Thanks to utilizing every method to strengthen themselves, the Alliance wasn’t helpless when fighting generals. The general’s skills were a threat, but as long as the Alliance reacted swiftly, there shouldn’t be any problems. Of course, this was only the case if they fought against a lone demon general.
Sometime after the battle, the Alliance and minotaur armies rested atop Toka’s back as it traveled to Tear’s Swamp. Unlike before, Toka’s shell was cracked and covered in dried blood, while its eyes were lifeless.
It was now one of Ebba’s undead, or rather, her only undead. The burden Toka’s body put on her soul was so much, she couldn’t control anything else. It didn’t matter. Her Undead Control Imprint rune was at Tier 10, so although Toka was dead, it retained 75% of its stats and five skills. 10,000 mediocre undead wouldn’t pose a threat to a demon general, but the undead Toka could.
Eventually, the Alliance entered Tear’s Swamp, a partially submerged land covered in foliage and steam. Countless geysers lay hidden underneath, waiting to erupt and boil any unsuspecting travelers. Such traps did nothing to the undead Toka.
Not long after entering the swamp, atop the undead turtle, Lavos commented. “Ynyvag resides over this place. Vindred should be searching here now unless Ulmer called him back.”
“Ynawhat?” Roy had trouble pronouncing the general’s name.
“Yin-a-vag,” Lavos repeated slowly. “Its body is semi-liquid. Think of it as a sludge monster.”
“Oh!” Roy immediately imagined one of his favorite monsters. “Is it a slime?”
“In this case, a demon slime,” Olivia corrected with a slight grin.
“I don’t know what a slime is.” Lavos shook his head and explained. “Ynyvag is immune to physical attacks. While troublesome to many, it’s no problem for me.”
“Hmm.” Amara glared competitively at Lavos. She had made the minotaur her goal over the past month. Now, although she wasn’t confident in beating him, she wouldn’t lose quickly, either.
“What about Vindred?” Jason asked as he turned away from Tank, who stood proudly atop Toka’s head.
“A fearsome spear user. Like him,” Lavos said as he pointed to Shenlong.
“Interesting.” Shenlong raised an eyebrow. “How does he fight?”
“Violent and brutal,” Lavos answered firmly.
“I see. Pretty much the opposite of my style, then.” Shenlong was looking forward to meeting this general called Vindred.
Unfortunately, even after several hours, the Alliance found no sight of Vindred. Helpless, they decided to return to the haven. There was no point in searching further. Ulmer had most likely informed the generals of recent events.
The undead Toka carried the Alliance and minotaur armies out of Tear’s Swamp, through Craig Canyon, and back to the Dread Plains. They’d be safe as long as they made it to the haven. Unfortunately, when only a few miles remained, the worst possible scenario occurred.
Ulmer, Casil, Vindred, Ynyvag, and the other generals stood in the Alliance’s path, waiting. None of their elite armies appeared in sight, for they’d only be cannon fodder in a fight at this level. The Alliance expected to face nine generals, yet for some reason, only eight blocked their way. Only Ulmer knew the truth behind the missing general.
After staring each other down, Ulmer flew over and hovered above Toka’s head, his expression indiscernible. Although he said nothing, an invisible force pressed down on the Alliance, suffocating them. In response, Lavos, Shenlong, Jason, Amara, Carly, Dubaku, Roy, and Olivia walked forward and unleashed their wills.
The surrounding space cracked and twisted as the two sides clashed. Surprisingly, even though Ulmer faced them alone, he was at a disadvantage at most. Just then, a sword cut through the mental battlefield. Ulmer groaned and retreated a step, then locked eyes with Jason. “The soul path?”
“Perhaps,” Jason replied with a cocky smile, his arms crossed against his chest.
“Hm.” Ulmer no longer felt confident when he counted the number of experts at or near his level. Thankfully, although the generals weren’t friends, they wouldn’t hesitate to combine their strength to quell this threat. Ulmer sneered. “You think to fight the demon king with merely this much power? You foo—”
“Cut the bullshit, let’s fight!” Jason’s sword flew into his hand on its own as he suddenly attacked. Guillotine! A phantom blade hundreds of feet long instantly formed yet fell even faster.
“Gah!” Ulmer raised his staff and blocked the attack with a black barrier. Cracks spread along its surface, but in the end, it held. Just as he was about to retreat with a disdainful comment, he screamed in pain.
Right after Jason used Guillotine, he replicated the move with 70% of his Soul Force. 70%! This was no ordinary mental attack. Jason couldn’t kill a demon general in one move unless he had a death wish, but he could get damn close.
In response to Jason’s all-out attack, Ulmer’s specter form faded in and out, clearly wounded from the blow. As for his health, it dropped from 32 million to 10 million. Hidden from the specter’s status, however, was the agony and pain he felt. His soul was on the verge of collapse.
Upon activating World Conqueror, Battle Energy shrouded Jason’s body as he rose into the air, step by step. In the next moment, he reached Ulmer and grabbed his neck. The warlock currently had little control over his body, so as much as he wanted to retreat, he couldn't move a muscle.
Jason looked down at the stunned generals. His eyes glowed gray as he flooded Ulmer’s body with Battle Energy.
“AGHH!” Ulmer’s agonizing scream entered everyone’s ears. Like a balloon, Ulmer’s body expanded, and then with a pop, he exploded.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Nobody could believe Ulmer would die in a matter of seconds, especially the generals. They knew his strength. If even Ulmer wasn’t a match for Jason, then how could they be?
Jason looked over the generals like a god of war, then turned and returned to Toka’s back. While the generals hesitated over what to do, they didn’t see Jason collapse when he landed. If they did, they would’ve attacked immediately.
Tank approached Jason and nudged his cheek with a squeak. Jason struggled to keep his eyes open as he said. “Protect them, won’t you?”
Tank hesitated for a moment, then nodded and waddled over to Carly. As the healer picked up Tank, Peter saw the confusion on the general’s faces. Now was the best time to strike.
Before that, Peter turned to face his companions. He saw their fear. Their resolve. They knew they might not survive this battle, and yet nobody thought to run away.
Peter took a deep breath, then shouted. “Everyone! After today, the tower will be no more. After today, everyon
e will know we, the Alliance, conquered the tower. After today, the world will know we saved their sorry asses!”
Peter unsheathed his sword and screamed, “Let’s give them hell!”
“For glory!”
“For humanity!”
“For wealth!”
Everyone screamed what they fought for as the Alliance and minotaurs split into seven raid groups and leaped off the undead Toka. Casil, Ynyvag, Vindred, and the other general’s hesitation vanished, replaced by violence and bloodshed.
Amara and Lavos took on Ynyvag.
Shenlong and Dubaku faced Vindred.
Olivia’s body dispersed into mist and targeted Casil.
Peter and Roy charged towards a twelve-legged humanoid spider.
They were not alone.
Nearly two thousand ascenders and a hundred minotaurs backed them up—the best of humanity versus the strongest raid bosses.
Chapter 72
Vindred was your traditional humanoid demon, and of the remaining generals, only he wore armor. Unlike the elite demon armies, his equipment was unbelievably ancient. It was a miracle it still held together with how rusted and cracked it was. Strangely, from helmet to boots, it was all one piece. There were no gaps. You could only see a red glow from the slit in his helmet.
As soon as the Alliance jumped off the undead Toka, Vindred was immediately drawn to Shenlong’s spear, then to Shenlong himself. Vindred roared, his voice eerily distorted. His body blurred as he shot forward like a cannonball. Left in his path was a red line.
In the next moment, Vindred reappeared above Shenlong, his debilitated spear smashing down without finesse. The attack was brutish and crude, yet Shenlong felt forced to respond in kind. Either face it head-on or die. There was no other option!
“Break!” Shenlong released a low growl as he shattered the mental suppression infused in Vindred’s attack. A simple step back removed him from harm. At the same time, Shenlong pierced space and attacked Vindred from behind.
Towers of Heaven: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 3) Page 31