The Wraith of Valenastrious: A LitRPG Epic (World of Samar Book 1)

by LitRPG Freaks

  “Damn it! Jimmy!” Six dragons charged through the air straight for Bishop. They swarmed him en masse and he swatted at them, unable to draw his bow. With each slash of their claws, his health depleted. When they started raining fire down over him, he yelled furiously, trying to get out of their grasp. “Guys! Help!”

  “Oh, but you can do it,” Maverick yelled. “We have faith in you, just like you trusted us this whole time, right Bishop?”

  Bishop groaned. The dragons didn’t let up and his HP soon reached below a fifth. Even Willy was staying firmly planted by his side.

  Not wanting to waste any potion so early in the game and figuring this was his guild’s way of getting back at him, he threw his hands up and accepted their sentence.

  You happy?

  With one last fire volley that burned Bishop’s skin to a crisp, the dragons sent him back to the black room of death. Here he went again! Pain tore through his chest as he was ripped from the world of the living to be thrown into that cold and ominous place where he could stare at the image of his crumpled body.

  He watched as his guild stepped back and waited for the dragons to recede. When no enemy was within range anymore, Jimmy moved forward and used his abilities to resurrect Bishop.

  When the half-breed stood up straight, brushing the dirt from his gear, he met eyes with every single player in his guild. “Everyone feel better now?” he asked, arching a brow and crossing his arms over his chest. “We can do it again if that’s what it takes.”

  Maverick smirked. “Jimmy, you good?”

  “Oh I’m good. I think he got the message. Giles, Benji?”

  They both nodded and moved around to each guild member. The laughter built between them until they were howling with it, doubled over and slapping each other on the backs from their mirth.

  “Alright, I get it, I should’ve trusted you from the beginning. Is that what you guys were mad about?” Bishop asked.

  Jimmy wiped a tear from his eye. “Of course that’s why we were pissed, man. We’re family. You talk to family. I mean yeah we all think you’re an idiot for getting involved in that crazy stuff, but that’s why you have friends to back you up.”

  “How can we trust you if you don’t trust us?” Maverick added. She stalked closer and held out her hand. “So, do we have your trust now?”

  Bishop took her hand with a grin. “Yeah, you most certainly do. Promise not to let me die again?”

  “What else is family for?” Maverick shifted, her hand turning to a clawed paw in Bishop’s grasp. She reared back on her hind legs, her roar echoing through the nest, then charged down the ramp. She snapped her jaws as the rest of the guild charged after her, yelling battle cries as they leapt into the fray. The doors to the dungeon opened and Trajan with the rest of the LongBeards showed up.

  “Well, I see the issue has been taken care of?” Trajan said with a wink.

  “Of course you knew about it. Yeah, all cleared up. Thanks for waiting.”

  “Anytime. Ready to kill that bastard Saurgaurd and his dragon?” Trajan hefted his axe over his shoulder and stroked his beard.

  “More than ready.”

  Bishop drew the string back on his bow and attacked with Rain of Poisoned Arrows, followed by Instant Shots. He was firing from the rear beside the other hunters, keeping themselves planted between the enemy and the healers. He tried Fiery Arrow on a few of the dragons, but his attack had the opposite effect, giving the beasts strength instead of taking it away.

  They took out any strays who managed to get away from Maverick or Trajan’s agros. Those two on the front line were an unbreakable wall of fur and iron. Both had chosen the Righteous Protector spec and it was insanely powerful. They moved as a solid unit down the winding ramp. The quests, besides killing Saurgaurd and his Bane, involved wiping out one hundred dragon spawn, collecting their teeth and wings, and destroying eggs to prevent future hatchlings. Compared to the first dungeon, they moved swiftly and without many issues. Having more people helped, as well as having no traps to elude. The healers and tanks were able to switch out better, making the most of their mana and passing stacks when needed.

  They reached the bottom level of the nest without losing a single player, though the tanks’ gear was damaged from having to withstand that constant fire breath, and Bishop along with two other DPS were out of health potions. A stray pack of dragons had flown out of a small crevice, ambushing them. Bishop had called for the healers to stay focused on the tanks so as not to lose any momentum and, in turn, it had cost them potions.

  “Right, this is the big fight,” Bishop announced. He stared into the open space, dead center in the nest. “Where the hell are they?”

  “Eyes open everyone,” Trajan added, gripping his axe hard. “Do we just need to step into the middle maybe?”

  Bishop shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe…just be careful, could be a trap. Haven’t had any of those yet. Not sure if I should be worried or paranoid.”

  Trajan paused, one booted foot in the air, and he brought it quickly back. “Good point.”

  “If that dragon is supposed to be in here, there has to be a portal or something. The space is way too small,” Jimmy said, stretching his arms wide as if measuring the room. “I mean it wouldn’t even be able to fly.”

  “Well, we can’t just stand here and do nothing.”

  Bishop saluted his guild and, not so sure why he was doing it, sprinted headlong into the center of the nest. Everyone tried to call him back, but he continued on, only skidding to a stop when he reached the very center and swung his arms out wide.

  “Oi! Saurgaurd!” he yelled. “Come and get me, you rotten eyed bastard!”

  “Bishop, what the hell!” Jimmy hollered.

  “You have to learn to be adventurous, guys. Come on, he’s not here anyway.”

  Jimmy muttered and soon hurried after Bishop, the rest of their large group following. “Well this is weird. Think it’s a glitch?”

  Bishop was about to give his two cents when the ground beneath them shook, then shot up through the center of the nest. The players were thrown to their backs. They watched in horror the ceiling rush closer and closer. They were screaming and yelling in panic, but they passed right through it and kept on going.

  The chunk of rock took them high up into the clouds. So high above the ground, the Sanctuary was dizzyingly far away, and all the priests appeared as ants. The platform suddenly halted and they slammed back down again.

  “That was a rush,” Trajan groaned. “Think I might be sick!”

  “Ah, you don’t think we can actually fall from here, do you?” one of the LongBeards asked, peeking over the edge. “That’s a long way down.”

  After they all made it to their feet, they crept around the edge of the platform, glancing around. Bishop peered into the distance as night settled in over Samar, giving way to a star filled sky. His ears twitched and he whipped his head to the right as a loud whooshing sound reached him. It was dim at first but, as he leaned closer, the sound intensified.

  “Guys?” he whispered.

  “I think we should throw someone over, see what happens,” Jimmy teased.

  “Great idea, let’s start with you,” Benji cackled back as they jostled each other.

  “Guys! Shut up and listen.”

  Everyone fell silent. The whooshing was growing louder. Bishop’s fingers found the bowstring, and he frantically glanced around for Willy. Thankfully, the wolf hadn’t traveled with them. Watching Willy fall from this height would have been heartbreaking; bad enough Bishop might fall, or any of the others.

  A black mass appeared in the sky, drawing closer. When it passed over the moon, a roar broke against Bishop’s eardrums and he saw the giant wings of Saurgaurd’s Bane spread wide and block out the light of the moon.

  “What? How the hell are we supposed to kill him if he’s flying around?” Jimmy yelled. “Come on, man!”

  “I think you spoke too soon! Incoming!” Bishop shoved Jimmy’s head do
wn as the platform enlarged to triple its size and the dragon, along with its rider, landed before them. “Tanks to the front line! Move it!”

  “You should not have come here, mortals!” Saurgaurd growled. “Now you will die!”

  The dragon’s mouth fell open. Bishop barely had a chance to yell a warning to the tanks that they were consumed by the fire head on. Bishop watched their health bars fall quickly. Thank goodness, Jimmy and the other healers were on top of their game.

  “DPS! Move in and attack! Four health bars, people! Let’s focus!”

  Bishop drew back and fired his new Penetrating Shot, hoping it would do some damage to Saurgaurd’s armor. Too bad that shot couldn’t stack. He followed the hit with Increased Swift Bow while Giles did his best to keep the demon and its dragon mount trapped in place.

  The fight was intense, and the danger of falling off the edge became more real with every passing second. Bishop eyed his mana, constantly worried he was going to miscalculate and run out. Being up this high with nowhere to run also meant he couldn’t use Assassin’s Tear. It would definitely blow everyone off the edge.

  The dragon’s fire attack was only predicated by a sharp intake of breath. Bishop quickly pulled back on his bowstring to fire Silent Arrow, but the dragon dodged the shot. He yelled in warning and everyone fell down. Flattening to their bellies was the only way to avoid the massive damage from that fire breath. However, even that was hard to do in time.

  Bishop cursed as he and the healers took a hit from the dragon swinging his head to the right and dousing them in the green embers. The projectiles scorched along his back, destroying his cloak instantly and dropping his stats.

  “Mana potions, Jimmy!”

  “I’m almost out!”

  Bishop swore as he dragged himself back to his feet and kept on firing. Saurgaurd’s only offensive thus far had been to swing his spear around; an attack the tanks had been dodging easily. His health crept lower and lower, until only two bars remained.

  Everyone was still alive, though with HP and mana in the red. Most were out of potions, and Bishop checked his gear to see several pieces in poor condition, ready to join his departed cloak. The fire from the dragon was more brutal than he thought it would be. He was running out of ideas.

  “Ah Bishop,” Jimmy said, cringing.

  “What?”

  Jimmy pointed. “Think we have a problem.”

  Bishop turned around and suddenly felt the urge to jump off the platform. Saurgaurd had tossed aside his weapon and he leapt off the back of the dragon. Bishop half hoped the dragon would disappear, but they weren’t so lucky. “Two bosses! We have to kill them separately now!”

  “This is crap! Utter crap!” Jimmy yelled.

  “It’s fine, we got this,” Bishop shouted back. “Pull together. Trajan! Take point on Saurgaurd! Maverick, you on the dragon! DPS target dragon first, he has less health! Knock him out of the game. Jimmy, what did I tell you about your woman?”

  Jimmy squared his shoulders. “Keep her alive!”

  The Demon Lord drew two swords from sheaths at his hip and screamed into the night sky. “Fools! You will never defeat me! I am Lord of the Dragons! Conqueror of your worlds! I will destroy you all!”

  “Attack, now!” Bishop hollered.

  He fired Penetrating Shot. Thankfully, it worked on the dragon this time. He then switched to Increased Swift Bow every time the cooldown cleared. In between those, he resorted to Instant Shot, so he wouldn’t burn through his mana too quickly. He had to push through, play this out smart. Once the dragon’s health dropped, he could switch to the mana-hungry shots, let them all loose and use his Execute to finish the beast off.

  The dragon didn’t need to fly; his tail was enough to deal death as he swiped it across the platform to knock the players off. The first time it happened, no one had a chance to prepare. Shamus and Giles went soaring over the edge along with one of the LongBeards. They yelled as they fell and the blue orbs of their player spirits hovered in mid-air.

  Bishop watched the dragon’s body, timing its shifts.

  “Tail swipe!” he yelled.

  They jumped in time, Maverick nearly going over. But she scrabbled at the edge and launched herself up onto the dragon’s back. She attacked with a fury, not letting go of the dragon until he succumbed to her poisonous scratches and bone penetrating bite.

  She jumped from the body as it faltered to the side and, with a dying screech, fell from the platform and turned to ash.

  “Everyone on Saurgaurd!”

  The Demon Lord was a master at dual sword wielding. He was chaining the combos, slicing through the players and taking minimal damage.

  Bishop yelped as one of the blades caught him and nearly sent him flying. Benji caught hold of his back just in time and dragged him back.

  “Thanks, man,” he said, and he drew back on his bow again.

  “Any time. Crap, I’m out of mana!”

  Jimmy was low and so were the rest of the healers. Saurgaurd was still up three quarters of a bar. The attacks wound down from the players, running low on mana for those who used it. The tanks took most of the heavy hits for the others, but their gear couldn’t hold out forever.

  Bishop ran through his skills in his mind, trying to think of anything to help. The only one he hadn’t tried yet was the Stealth Shot. What chances did he have to make it work? At this point, he was willing to try anything and keep Assassin’s Tear as an utter last resort. Aiming for Saurgaurd’s face, Bishop drew back the string hard, and he let loose Stealth Shot.

  The arrow hit him right between the eyes and exploded. His massive hoofed feet staggered a few steps from one side to the other as his swords slammed to the platform, useless for those magical twenty seconds.

  “Move in!” Trajan yelled, leading the charge.

  “Come on, come on,” Bishop muttered under his breath, waiting for his mana to go back up. When he was able, he fired his Penetrating Shot, the first one falling off, and watched as both guilds unleashed on Saurgaurd and his overall strength depleted. If they knocked down Saurgaurd’s health a bit more, his Execute along with Maverick and Trajan’s killing blows should finish him off. He hoped.

  The second the HP dipped low enough, Bishop set the wheels in motion. Maverick and Trajan had both sustained heavy damage and their health waned, going down with each passing second as the stun wore off.

  “Final kill attacks! We can finish him! On my mark,” he yelled, and he drew back the string on his bow, focusing on his Execute Shot. “Three, two, one, go!”

  He let the arrow fly as Maverick barreled full force into the demon and Trajan slammed his axe into the platform right at Saurgaurd’s feet.

  Bishop’s shot hit the demon square in the chest, right where his heart should be. The explosion thundered through the sky, causing blue lightning to crack and shatter the peaceful night sky.

  Saurgaurd’s eyes widened in shock and his swords fell over the edge of the platform. He growled, his jaws yawning open wide. It didn’t matter; the demon was not scaring anyone anymore. His health had dropped to zero, and his body exploded into ashes and bone.

  A large ornate black chest clunked to the platform where he stood. Trajan let out a holler of joy. “Three cheers for us! We killed that bast—shit! Again!” he yelled, cut off when the platform plummeted back into the nest. They yelled as they crashed back down, hitting hard and falling into each other. They wound up in heaps of limbs and weapons. The curses turned into laughter before they were all howling at what they had accomplished together.

  “Well,” Bishop said, after he disentangled himself from Jimmy, “I think our guilds should do this more often.”

  “I was thinking the exact same thing. Fancy that, eh? Care to dish out the goods?”

  “Nah, you go ahead.”

  Trajan placed his axe on his back and hustled to the chest. “Gather around everyone and prepare to roll. And someone res those three who died. Want to make sure they’re here for this.”
>
  The moment everyone was alive again, Trajan opened the chest and a resounding round of level up dings sounded in the nest. All that remained was turning in the main quest to Tavin at a town they had yet to discover.

  You have reached level 16.

  Bishop smiled as the coins clinked into his bags and he watched the others dole out the loot. A bow popped up and he rolled for it with the other hunters, but a player from the LongBeards snagged it. Not that Bishop cared. He still had his friends around him, trusting him. That was reward enough. His eyes wandered around the nest. He had a feeling if this dungeon was crazy enough to lift the entire party up into the air, he had no idea what they would be walking into next time.

  “Bishop, ready to go?”

  He glanced up and smiled at Maverick and Jimmy. “Yeah, right behind you.”

  Trajan triggered the portal to leave through and he led the way, singing at the top of his lungs some bawdy song he learned from the dwarves. A few of the women rolled their eyes and shoved him through the portal, laughing as they did so. Bishop let everyone else go before him, relishing in those happy sounds. The members of his guild had given him a second chance, and so had Dennis as far as he was concerned. He was not about to mess up again.

  “Until next time,” he whispered to the nest, and he stepped through the portal.

  A shimmering shape peeled away from the wall, watching Bishop vanish through the portal. The glowing green eyes narrowed as the lips curled into a wicked grin. “Until next time, my sweet Bishop. Enjoy your happiness while you can. Soon, you will come to me. They always do.” The throaty laughter drifted through the portal, tickling Bishop’s ears. He turned, but too late. The portal had closed. The others called him on and he ran to catch up, Willy bounding happily at his side.

  Just another day in Samar, another successful day. What could possibly go wrong?