Stormforge (Rise To Omniscience Book 5)

by Aaron Oster

  For now, he was holding his forces back, trying to mitigate damage to his troops from the unexpected weapon. As soon as he became fed up, he’d realize that by simply charging the walls, they could get past the catapults. Sure, there’d be some heavy casualties, but why would he care about those?

  “I have to admit, that felt quite good,” Le’vine said, pulling the scarf down from her face and flashing Katherine a grin.

  Though Katherine could technically defend the five-hundred-yard span of wall alone, she’d decided to allow others to do some of the work for her. After all, there was always the risk that someone would be able to slip over if they were fast enough. This way, they could cover all their bases. In the meantime, the crews working on reloading and resupplying the catapults were working at peak efficiency.

  Le’vine had several mages and supers with earth and fire-based abilities either shaping, creating, or dragging stones into place. They were then doused in pitch, something one of her mages was making by the barrelful, and then set ablaze. The entire process took perhaps five seconds, meaning they could keep a steady barrage of attacks from the two-dozen catapults atop their walls.

  They’d decided to keep all of them here, as the narrow confines of the valley walls would work to pen in the enemy forces and make attacks pretty much impossible to miss. However, on the eastern front, they were using something different. Instead of stone, they used massive clay jars filled with oil and shards of stone and metal.

  A fuse would be lit, then the ball was launched. So, even if the enemy forces were spread out, the explosion of oil and shrapnel would still cause significant damage. Unlike with the stones, these were very limited in number. Luckily, this was only the first stage of the plan.

  Katherine already knew that the walls falling was inevitable, so even as they fought here, trebuchets and defensive structures were being erected within the city. Buildings, houses, and any manner of structure were being used in the process, with troops holding up behind and getting what rest they could before their battle began in earnest.

  Though the real fighting would be between the powerful supers, mages, and the commanders of the monster army, the majority of the fighting would be done by the regular ground troops.

  “I see another wave coming up!” someone called out, bringing Katherine’s attention back to the battle.

  Peering over, she could see Arnold dragging himself up the wall, a look of rage twisting his bestial features. Regardless of how this battle went, Katherine was sure she was going to enjoy her next few minutes.

  ***

  Morgan’s group slowed their jog to a fast walk as they approached what Sarah called the final intersection. There, gathered before the open tunnel, was a group of tightly packed monsters, as well as a couple of beasts. They’d made extremely good time, making it here in just over an hour.

  Galig had set every fault line he could to rupture at the slightest touch, and now they only had one last hurdle to clear. They’d cleared many monsters and beasts here thus far, and this time, Morgan was sure it would be no different. Once more, he hung back, allowing the others to take the lead, and they charged into battle.

  He watched as Solveig charged at the head of her group, swinging her war hammer around as though it weighed less than a feather. Brain matter, skull fragments, and blood were sent splattering back over the enemy forces as she waded into battle. The other supers stayed right with her, keeping the stronger beasts distracted while the mage sniped them from afar. All told, the battle took them less than two minutes, and most escaped with only minor injuries.

  Most, but not all. Haddock, one of the mages from the Central Kingdom had gone down to a stray blast of ice from one of the dying beasts and now lay with a massive hole in his chest. He lay on the ground, gargling horribly, his eyes open wide as blood practically gushed from the open wound.

  Morgan looked to the healers, all of whom simply shook their heads. There was only so much they could do, and bringing someone like this, someone who was on the brink of death, back to full health would be impossible. Sarah, on the other hand, had no such compulsion of giving up and dashed forward to save the dying man.

  Morgan could have cursed or berated her for wasting such a valuable skill. However, when weighed against someone’s life, the use of the three-time-per-day skill seemed a paltry price to pay. When the massive hole in his chest closed up, and the fear of death left the man’s eyes, Morgan felt just a little bit better.

  He was just annoyed that they’d been forced to play such a powerful card before even going in to face the Pinnacle King. Still, all told, it could have been much worse, and Morgan was grateful that they had managed to make it all the way here without losing anyone. Going forward, Morgan knew that they’d have no such luck.

  There was nothing more that needed to be said as they faced that last tunnel. No speeches, no pep talk, no orders. Everyone knew what they were going in to face, and as Morgan moved to switch out with Sarah, he felt her give his arm a light squeeze. They would all be going in ahead of her, and she would enter thirty seconds later. This would hopefully give them enough time to engage the Pinnacle King and keep his attention on them so that she could sneak in and check up on the scripts without him noticing.

  Morgan gave her a single nod, then moved his group to the head of the procession. His group would be the most at risk. They had no healer, and they’d be leading the charge. Still, Morgan was confident that they’d do alright. He had two mages and two supers in his group, one of which could create defensive constructs. His team would be pretty well defended, even without the aid of a healer.

  Without another word, Morgan motioned the group forward, jogging into the narrow tunnel with only the echoing footsteps of the others to keep him company. Ahead stretched an endless expanse of blue, broken only by the bright light at the end of the tunnel. As he ran, he thought of everyone the Pinnacle King had killed, whether directly or indirectly. Gwen was obviously at the top of the list, and his burning hatred of the beast only grew every time he thought of his adoptive mother’s torture at the claws of this monster.

  Dabu was next. The supermage had technically been killed by Samuel’s overreaction, causing time to finally catch up with him, but it was because of the Pinnacle King that he’d been acting that way in the first place. Gold was gone too, not that Morgan really liked the man all that much. His relationship with the god had been complicated. He was never entirely sure whose side he was on, but Gold had always been helpful, as far as Morgan could tell.

  Then there were all the countless millions he’d killed in his conquest, uprooting cities and destroying entire families. Killing defenseless children and warping them into monsters to then set upon other children. Everything the Pinnacle King did sickened him, and now that he was here, Morgan wanted nothing more than to kill the beast who’d cost him so much. Morgan burst out of the tunnel and into the Pinnacle King’s throne room.

  The first thing he noticed was obviously the Pinnacle King himself, sitting upon his icy throne and glaring at him with all the malice of a caged beast. Morgan could feel a slight hesitation in the steps of those following, but thankfully, they didn’t cut and run. Octagon didn’t say a thing, merely remaining in his throne as they filed in, moving into a prearranged battle formation, with three groups at the front and a support group at the rear.

  Octagon was in his suppressed shape, once more only looking like an oversized gorilla, but Morgan knew that he could transform at the drop of a hat. His core was bursting with power as well, though his ratio between mana, chi, and reiki seemed to be somewhat lopsided. His reiki reserves seemed greatly depleted, likely from his attack on City Eleven.

  “I cannot say that I am surprised to see you here, Beast King,” Octagon said in his deep, carrying voice. “However, I cannot say that I expected this many to come and visit me in my humble abode. How ever did you manage to gather a group of such fine specimens?”

  Morgan lashed out with a punch, using Compress
ive Blast and putting all he had into the punch. However, he wasn’t aiming for Octagon, but the ground before him. There was a massive explosion of ice and snow as the blast sent chunks soaring into the air and scattering all across the room. The blast of fire hit the ice a split-second later, causing an explosion of steam and blanketing the Pinnacle King from view.

  “What’s this?” Octagon’s voice came through the curtain of mist, sounding oddly muffled. “Do you think taking my sight will give you a better chance of success?”

  No, Morgan thought. But it will limit your vision, you overgrown monkey.

  A small gust of wind kicked up, barely noticeable unless you were specifically focusing on it. Small portions of the mist began wafting away from Octagon, moving to shroud the far side of the room, where Morgan could see the massive slab that had once been his prison. This had been plan A to hide Sarah’s actions. Plan B would just have been to attack and hope he stayed too busy to notice, but it seemed to be working so far.

  It would now be the job of one of the mages in the support team to keep the steam cover up. Knowing that Sarah would be entering at any moment, Morgan knew he needed another distraction as the mist was already clearing from before the Pinnacle King.

  Well, he thought in resignation, here goes.

  “Attack,” he called out calmly, then launched another blast of compressed air.

  This one was aimed directly at the Pinnacle King’s chest, as were the half-dozen other attacks aimed at the exact same area. Another massive explosion rocked the small room, and even as Morgan’s team moved forward, he could sense Sarah entering the room and jogging for the far side.

  Octagon’s form was hidden by the smoke and debris from the explosive attack, but Morgan could feel his power growing. In the clearing smoke, he could see the beast’s form warping and contorting, growing ever larger and more menacing. This was it, the real battle against a monster among monsters. Morgan could only hope that any of them would come out of this alive.

  48

  Morgan’s group closed quickly with the Pinnacle King, flanked on either side by the other two teams. Blasts of power flew from behind them as the backup group continuously fired on Octagon’s shifting form. Morgan couldn’t really tell if any damage was being done, but judging by the fluctuations in the Pinnacle King’s core, they weren’t doing much.

  As they approached, Octagon roared, the force of which cleared away any remaining smoke and staggered their entire group. There he stood, in all his glory. His eyes burned with malice and his wings extended out to their full width. Massive as he was, the cavern would limit him to the ground, and so long as they could continuously push him back, they’d be able to win. Theoretically, of course.

  “Constructs!” Morgan called out, using Stormforger to layer his already protected body with another set of forged armor.

  Those around him were cloaked as well, covered in a thin layer of green light that should stand up to a few blows from the oversized beast.

  “Take all the precautions you want!” Octagon roared, holding his arm to one side as a massive scythe was forged from ice. “You mortals have simply come to join the ranks of my army. None of you shall leave here alive!”

  He swung outward, the enormous scythe cutting through the air with a whistling scream and leaving a trail of icy mist in its wake. At first, Morgan thought he was aiming for him. However, a moment later, he realized that the Pinnacle King was going for the healer in the group to his left.

  “Group three, cover up! Two, attack his flank!”

  The fighters under his command moved to obey. Group three, the one to his left, moved quickly into position, the supers moving to the front and bracing themselves for the hit. Group two, the one to his right, moved in, supers charging up their attacks for melee while the mages fired from where they stood.

  However, Morgan made one critical mistake in his orders. For just a moment, he’d forgotten that Octagon was as intelligent, if not more so, than any human. A wide grin split the Pinnacle King’s lips and his scythe turned to mist, swiping straight through the braced group, his own, and then carrying on to the unprotected mages in group three.

  As soon as it passed Morgan’s group, the scythe solidified once more, and Morgan watched in horror as it connected with the two mages. There was a massive boom, followed by the tinkling sound of breaking glass as the mages’ shields were overwhelmed and they were sent hurtling across the entire room before disappearing into the mist. The audible thud of them connecting with the far wall was more than enough to tell Morgan that they were either seriously injured or dead.

  “Healers!” Morgan called as he dashed forward with his group to cover the gap.

  The other three supers, the ones who’d yet to be hit, now found themselves attacking a well-prepared and completely on-guard beast, instead of the open flank they’d been expecting. What shocked them more than anything, was the beast’s astonishing speed. In the time it had taken them to cross the twenty feet needed to reach him, he’d taken two of their fighters out, staggered an entire group, and was now poised to take out the rest.

  Not if I’ve got anything to say about it! Morgan thought.

  He then did the unthinkable and broke formation. Concussive Burst sent him barreling forward, covering the distance between him and Octagon in under a second. Leaping into the air, Morgan twisted his entire body around, lashing out with a powerful 360-degree roundhouse kick to the Pinnacle King’s head.

  Octagon may have been powerful, but the laws of physics still applied to him. So, when a massive amount of force was applied to a certain point, more than his own mass and ability to keep him rooted in place, he would inevitably be moved. And that was exactly what happened. With a roar, Octagon was sent hurling back, blasted off his feet by the power of Morgan’s kick.

  He’d made it just in time, as the force was just enough to cause the scythe to miss the unprotected supers and stop them from meeting an untimely demise. Or so he’d thought. Octagon wasn’t just some run-of-the-mill beast. Even as he was thrown back, he retaliated, blasting a compressed beam of ice. It flew right past Morgan, as though in slow motion. Even as he turned and tried to cut it from the air, he knew he wouldn’t be quick enough. And so, he was forced to watch as the beam of ice slammed into the undefended mage he’d left exposed when he’d broken formation.

  Since his skill was still active, he could see the look of abject horror slowly spread across the man’s face as the beam ripped right through his shield, armor, and chest. However, instead of blasting out of his back and leaving a clean hole that may have been able to be healed, the ice expanded into a spiny ball of death. Razor-sharp icicles sprouted from all over the man’s body, punching out through his arms, chest, stomach, legs, and even from his open mouth and eyes.

  The sheer gruesome aspect was completely horrifying, though worse than that, was the knowledge that had he not broken formation, the mage would still be alive. He had saved three supers with his quick actions, though, and his pragmatic side told him that this was a battle of numbers.

  What worried him most of all now was that it was abundantly obvious how much power each of Octagon’s attacks really packed. Extra shielding or not, the Pinnacle King could wipe any one of them out with just a single attack. His attacks were also extremely quick, his reaction time measured in the fractions of a split second and the speed of his attacks were too much for Morgan, even with his speed-enhancing skill active.

  Morgan came to this conclusion in less than a second, just before Octagon slammed into the far wall.

  “I want two groups on offense at all times!” Morgan called, keeping the others distracted from the horror of watching one of their own go down.

  Thankfully, they were all hardened veterans and had seen death before. Even still, it would be a jarring shock to anyone, especially those who likely hadn’t felt real pain in decades. Those at the top were rarely in any danger of suffering so much as a scratch. The two mages’ deaths still hadn’t been co
nfirmed, but this was tangible and real evidence of what could happen to any of them.

  “Group four, remove his head!” Morgan called as he assimilated the remainder of group three into his own.

  This had been agreed upon before they began. Should any of them die, their heads were to be immediately removed so the Pinnacle King could not bring them back. It likely wasn’t necessary in the case of the mage, as his brain had likely been destroyed, but it was still better not to take the risk.

  “Shit just got real, Morgan,” Solveig called out as they charged after Octagon, who was pulling himself free from the wall. “How much time did you say we needed?”

  “I have no freaking clue!” Morgan called out. “But no more holding back, for anyone! Use the full extent of your abilities to keep him from killing you. Don’t skimp on MP or CP to save for later. Because if you do,” he said grimly, “there may not be a later, for any of us.”

  ***

  Sarah could feel her heart pounding so hard that it was threatening to come out of her chest. She’d successfully managed to make it to the icy slab without being seen, however, just as she’d crouched down to begin examining the intricate script, two bodies had come hurling through the mist, slamming into the wall and falling to the ground in pools of spreading blood.

  Had they landed with all their parts intact, Sarah may have thought that they could be saved. However, seeing as they’d landed in pieces, first their upper, then lower bodies, she had a feeling they wouldn’t be coming back. The frightening part of this all was how quickly they’d gone down. These weren’t pushovers. Each of the mages would have been over rank 45, with enough power to personally level an entire city in a matter of minutes if left unchecked, and they’d gone down in less than a minute.