The two sorceresses started to fight, and the dark guardians came toward Kek. Alina used her magic to stop them, but Kek needed to do a bit of fighting on his own. He wasn’t able to damage them due to the high defense, but he was at least able to save his own HP with each and every single movement. He looked around, seeing the guys there, but also seeing the way Alina was looking.
She was tapping into her inner powers. It was obvious that she probably would use them here, and while Kek knew that she didn’t want to give in, she was certainly fearing the worst. He didn’t blame her though, he felt like there were so many things happening all at once. Val was working to stop the animals, and Kek was fighting off the guardians. He didn’t want to Rage yet, but he certainly knew that it was going to probably happen eventually.
Alina summoned tidal waves, but Sephy just pushed them back. The sneering blonde looked at Alina with a wry smile.
“What’s the matter? Afraid to fight me with your true potential? To use the forbidden spells?” the woman taunted.
Alina looked at the other woman with hateful eyes, knowing she was just trying to pull these feelings out of her. She continued to use magic, using ethers to replenish, but it wasn't damaging her. Sephy just pushed the spells off like it was nothing.
The guardians continued to do battle, but Alina’s were getting weak. Alina looked at Sephy, and she grunted.
“You’ll pay for this!” she said.
Kek was worried. She was fighting in a very careless manner. She didn’t even seem to care that she may die, but here she was, with her breast out to the wind, and she looked at the others with anger present. She then started to tap into it, a shadowy feeling covering over her. She then looked at everyone, and she soon spoke.
“I’m going to kill you,” she told Sephy.
“There we go! That’s what I want to see! I want to see that fucking hate,” she told the other woman.
Sephy began to transform too, and both of these dark sorceresses were soon at a whole new level. This wasn’t the witch power that he had seen earlier with her former master, this was somehow different.
Did she have dark power she was afraid to show? She looked at Sephy, and Sephy grinned. The two of them charged their energies, and then they tossed it at one another.
Loud explosions filled the air and the party fell back, all of them looking at the two sorceresses as they continued to do battle with one another, neither of them stopping whatsoever. Kek looked at the two women as they got more and more energy together, throwing them at each other without any further thought. Alina looked like she was putting everything into it, and shortly after, he noticed Sephy was too. This was it, the final battle between both of them, and it could change everything.
Sephy got one hit in, though, sending Alina flying back. She immediately grimaced, feeling the sting, and it seemed like it was driving her mad. She looked at them, and it was only going to get worse with time. She looked at them, and she then started to get up, breathing heavy.
“I need to do this. Kek. I’m going to need you to deliver the final blow on my word,” Alina said.
He nodded, grasping his sword. What he didn’t know, however, was that Alina imbued it with power when she went into her dark form.
The two women battled each other, each of them throwing magic attacks of all elements, when finally, Alina pulled something from her pocket, something gold, and she pushed it straight into Sephy’s chest.
“What the--”
The woman spiraled down, falling to the ground unmoving. Alina looked at Kek with a glare and then pointed to the body.
“Now!” she cried out.
Sephy was still down, and Kek raced over there, stabbing the sorceress directly. Blood that was red, but also a dark shadow, immediately spilled out of her. She then lay there unconscious, and as Alina relaxed, she fell down to the ground unconscious as well. Kek grasped her body, looking at her.
“Are you...okay?” he asked.
“I...I survived,” Alina managed to finally say.
Kek was relieved by that. Val managed to calm all of the animals down, and soon, they all looked upon one another. It was time. They all managed to save one another, and nobody perished this time. The image of Bre was still fresh in their minds, and Kek hated that.
“We should get out of here,” Val said.
“But what about Darius?” Kek asked.
“I spoke with the other kobolds here. They said there’s a bomb being planted, and we have about an hour or so to escape. They can show us the way,” Val said.
Wait, so they wouldn’t fight Darius, but they’d escape? He looked at her with complete confusion.
“But why?” he asked her.
“Darius is down at the bottom. Waiting for you, Kek,” she replied.
So it would be foolish to continue like this. He then looked at her, and he nodded.
“Very well. Let’s go see him then,” he said.
The kobolds raced over, looking at Kek. A couple of them growled in happiness, and Val translated the words with her nature’s tongue. They said they had heard a kobold was going to save them, and that was Kek. Kek was happy to have done this, and he felt like he was doing the right thing, but would they make it out alive? He didn’t know.
The group ran through the tunnels, and Kek managed to find the bomb on his HUD. It read an hour, so they had a decent amount of time. According to the kobolds. It would only take about twenty minutes to get out.
There were cat creatures here too, and Kek apologized for what happened to Rita and Bre. They were sad, but they were happy that at least someone was there with them, even in death, and Kek felt somber when he thought about it. After they got out of there, they managed to get through tunnel after tunnel. He felt apprehensive though. Something didn’t feel right.
When they got to the final chamber however, he felt it. The dark presence. He immediately turned to the girls, and they all nodded, knowing what was bothering him. It was Darius. He was there, and when they got to the bottom, Kek saw the man.
The final boss.
He had silvery-blond hair that cascaded down his back, piercing blue eyes that were like Sephy’s and it made him feel shocked at the sight. He also noticed that the man had a beautiful golden robe, and within it was a sword.
The platinum sword.
Kek noticed that his sword still had the gold light attached to it, and when he looked at the man, he saw the smile on his face. He started to step forward, and the guy spoke.
“Are you Kek?” he asked.
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“I remember hijacking the memories of someone that was close to you somewhat recently. They said you would come to free the kobolds. I’ll make sure to have you tell Hendrick that I say hello when you go to the next life,” the man said.
This guy knew Hendrick! Kek immediately grasped the sword, anger present on his face as he looked at this man, and the fate that was about to unfold.
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When Kek first lunged at this man, he realized that he didn’t have nearly enough power. He was quickly tossed to the side, and as he hit the wall, a groan emitted from his lips. He looked at the other man, anger on his face as he got up.
“You’ll...pay for this,” he said.
“This is our fight, Kek. I’m here to get rid of you. To get revenge for what Hendrick did. He...he betrayed me, and that’s why I captured all of the kobolds,” he told Kek.
“That’s a pretty bullshit reason for doing shit like that,” Kek muttered.
“Oh, but you’re totally fine because you left camp. You destroyed things, and you won’t be allowed to leave this place alive,” Darius said.
He was the keeper of the gates here, and Kek knew for a fact that he was ready to throw down and kill anyone that stayed in his way. Kek got himself ready, and soon, Alina stepped forward.
“Kek...I want you to have this power. I know it may be foolish of me to do this, but I don’t care. I want you to win...for all of
us,” she said.
Kek watched as she opened her arms, allowing a fiery light to come out of her. It hit Kek, giving him powers, including the ability to cure himself. In exchange, Alina fell to the corner, with Faye nearby.
“I'll take care of her. You just need to fight him and win!” she cried out.
Kek growled, looking at Darius as he grasped his sword. It had a bunch of different magical lights in it, probably from Alina, but as he looked at the other man, the guy smiled.
“Well Kek, let’s see what you can do with that,” he said to the young kobold.
The two of them started to fight, swords clashing and the air around growing tense. Kek went into a Rage, but he also made sure to keep his defense high. Alina helped with that, and as he continued to attack more and more, the other guy smiled. It was like he got satisfaction from this, and Kek was trying to do whatever it took to win.
“So Kek, do you know why I took all of these animals? Because I wanted to use them against the people. They would be used and I’d seize their lands. Sephy was a big help with that,” he said.
“Well Sephy is dead!” he cried out.
“Sure, but that doesn't mean that the damage wasn't done. All of those guardians were put forward by myself, and I managed to kill so many of your little friends. If you think about it, I’ve taken out so many of them that you probably are thinking about them right now,” the guy aid.
Kek hesitated for a second, but then he grimaced.
“Fuck off,” he told the other man.
“Now, you should be nicer to those that are about to kill you,” Darius said.
“Fuck you! I won’t die here,” he said.
The courage, determination, and everything in between came forward, and Kek felt himself grow stronger, and the sword grow bigger. He slashed Darius straight in the chest, causing the man to fall down. Kek was about to stab him, but then the man laughed.
“You seriously thought this was the end? Oh, you pathetic soul,” he said to Kek.
Suddenly, the man’s body changed, and he soon became bigger, almost like a giant monster. He towered in the cave, swiping the animals and pushing them to the side. They all hit the walls, and Val and the others stepped back. Alina was tossed to the side like a ragdoll, and Faye moved over there, holding her.
“This is my true form! I never thought I’d bring it out for anyone, but you deserve it,” he said.
Suddenly, small black balls of darkness came out, and Kek started to move around, dodging them. His speed and agility was still at a high level, but he feared what might happen next. He looked at the man, and grasped his sword.
Then, Darius threw out a ball of darkness, hitting Kek square in the face. The kobold fell back, grimacing in pleasure, but that didn’t stop Darius. He slipped in, punching the kobold in every location possible. Kek could feel his consciousness starting to slip, and he didn’t know if he could do it.
He was so close. He thought he could save everyone, but that wasn’t the case.
You’re giving up that easily? Come on Kek, you’re better than this.
The sudden sound caused the kobold to jump forward, parrying the other guy’s attack. He could’ve sworn he’d heard Hendrick, but maybe it was just his ears playing tricks on him. He looked at the other guy, grasping his sword, and as he stepped forward, he spoke.
“You’re not getting away with this!” he said.
He soon felt a power increase through him, one that he never thought would ever happen. He looked at the other man, and soon, both of them were fighting with their powers, each of them dealing every blow that they got. Kek thought about himself., his friends, and the future he wanted to seize, and soon he held his sword up, stabbing the guy in the chest.
Darius fell back, the force of the giant sword enough to decimate him. When he looked at Kek, he gasped, feeling the air leave his body.
“Why...why?” he said.
“Because I'm the one who is seizing this future, you asshole,” he said.
“You won’t...get away with this,” he muttered.
“I already did,” he told the guy, holding his sword up and using a singular stabbing motion straight through the chest cavity of this man. He watched as the other guy clutched his chest, and he let out a small yelp. The body soon lay there, lifeless, and as Kek pulled back, he felt the sudden crash as the endorphins were gone.
“Holy fuck,” he told himself. He didn’t know what to think. The animals all let out cheers of happiness, and as Kek looked at his party, his friends, he noticed that Alina was still knocked out. When he got over there, Faye let out a sigh, shaking her head.
“It’s no use,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Kek asked.
“She...gave you everything. She gave you her life so that you could win,” the fairy said.
Kek immediately felt his eyes burn with tears, and as he looked at her, he touched her face.
“Thank you Alina. You...saved everyone,” he said.
He knew that if he hadn’t had these powers, he would’ve been royally fucked, but that didn’t make it any easier. He looked at her, and then at the hands he had. They were stronger. He had done everything that he could in his power to save everyone's life.
But then, there was a rumble, and Kek knew immediately what that meant.
The bomb had gone off. They had to get out of here before it was too late.
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Val got to the forefront and motioned for all of the animals to follow her. Every single species did this, following her like she was the pied piper. Kek did the same, watching with shock at the sight. The rumble was getting closer, and as he ran out of there with just Faye and Val, he realized that he didn’t have much left.
There were many deaths, a lot of sacrifice, but he knew that it wasn't for naught. Sure, some of them hadn’t made it, but the fact that he was able to save Faye and Val was enough for him. Faye immediately fluttered over to him, her face panicked.
“We have a problem,” she said.
“What?”
“We aren’t going to make it out of here. The bomb is causing the rocks to fall too fast,” she said.
He looked at her, worried about what this might mean. On the one hand, he thought they would get out in time, but he didn’t even know anymore.
“Shit, what should we do?” he asked her.
“I have an idea, but I'm a bit wary of using it,” she said.
He didn’t want her to die as well. He looked at her, and then she spoke.
“Remember the treasure that I got initially when we came in here?” she asked him.
“Yeah. That,” he told her.
“Well, I can use it here. It’s a treasure that stops time for a second. I would’ve asked Alina to help, but you know...”
“Yeah, I do,” he replied in a gruff manner.
“Anyways, I'm willing to do this, if that’s what you want,” she said.
The rumbling sound was getting closer and closer, and as Kek started to move forward, he began to realize that this was indeed not going to end pretty if he didn’t make a choice, and make one fast.
“Okay, I'm going to need you to do that,” he said.
“Good. Because there is something else I want to tell you, something that I need to let you know when we get the hell out of here. I'm not telling you any sooner,” she said.
Kek was confused as to what that meant, but he ignored the doubt. He watched as she flew back, her wings working overtime, and when she got to the rocks, she looked at Kek.
“I’m going to have to zoom out of there to make it. But you keep on going,” she told him.
“Fair enough,” he said to her.
She then held her hands up, grasping the little treasure that was there. Faye didn’t want to use it here, but she knew it was that, or die. She wanted to keep this for another moment, but it was better late than never. If she did keep this for that moment, it wouldn't matter as much, and it wouldn’t be as worthwhile. She then closed
her eyes, and when she knew it was the right time, she held her hands up, the green barrier showcasing itself in front of her.
It was super powerful, and it stopped the rocks. It hit it like it was nothing, and the rocks bounced back. She knew it wouldn’t last forever, but it would give her enough time. She flew out of there, and it soon made her realize that she did that for him. She caught up to Kek, smiling as she moved her fairy body at lightning speed.
“You’re going to need to pick up the pace there, kobold. We’re not going to make it,” she said.
Kek ran at a speed he knew would be nearly impossible to maintain, but he had to do it. It was then when he saw the light. He was so close! He stepped out of there, and he heard the rumble behind him.
When he turned, it was all rock. The entire exit was blocked up, and Kek sighed in relief. He turned to the rest of them, smiling.
“We did it! you’re now free. There is no kingdom that will be holding you hostage anymore! If you want to come live in the village that I want to create, then by all means, but for now, I want you all to be free, to live your own life, and to be happy,” he said.
The animals all cheered in agreement. Some of them followed Kek, with the help of Val, over to an area. Kek decided it was here where they would set up the camp, and eventually the village. The rules were simple: don’t hurt others, and do what makes you happy. The kobolds did stay with Kek. He was seen as almost like a savior. A few of the other creatures left, but the ones related to Rita and Bre stuck with him, because they knew he was the kobold that saved their lives, even though there were sacrifices along the way.
However, Faye stayed quiet. He wanted to ask her about it, to know what she had to say, but he dropped it. He didn’t want to ask her until it was the right time, and he felt like they was happy anyway.
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About a year had passed. Kek managed to have a couple of girls by his side. He was the leader of his village, one that was bigger and better than before. He allowed for free trade and friendly relations with the other creatures, and people flocked to him, knowing that things were better.
Deeper Down: A Monster MC LitRPG (Kobold's Quest Book 2) Page 12