Mythran's Master Of All

The succubi stood by and watched as Ren relentlessly pounded the remains of the umber hulk for a full 10 minutes, and then the Enlarge Person spell wore off. When his small fists didn't do anything to the pile of mush in front of him, he started to calm down. He used an Energize spell to counter the effects of his Controlled Berserk Rage ending, gathered up some of it's blood in a vial, and then looted the umber hulk. He dismissed the XP gain popup and didn't get any kind of money or weapons from the loot. What he did gain was a pet rock.

He was tempted to crush it with Iron Grip as soon as it had dropped into his inventory; but, he didn't know if the pet rock was from it's own remains or was from something it had eaten. Without proof either way, he stored it and decided when he wasn't so easily angered, he would contact the Spirit of Earth and ask what it was. Then he would crush it if it was the heart of the creature.

“Thank you.” Ren said and knelt by his Phantom Steed. “I understand now why Elerlyth feels the way she does about her Phantom Steed Etheria.”

Ren pat it's head and looked at it's information. He saw that it had lost a lot of it's Health, and since there wasn't any way for him to heal it, leaving it with half of it's throat torn out and part of it's face and chest eaten, was not the best way to thank it for it's sacrifice.

“When I cast you again, you'll remember this.” Ren said. “The spell gives me the mount I need, and I need you to remember what you did for me.”

The Phantom Steed tried to huff, but since it's throat was torn open, all that came out was a hiss. Ren gave it a hug despite it's wounds, then dismissed the spell. The succubi could feel his sadness, and came forward as he stood up. They each gave him a quick hug as they walked past, and then they all walked slowly up the ramp to the next level.

“This is a safe zone, so I think we'll stop for lunch.” Ren said, and he took out his icebox. He gave them a plate each and by the time he handed one to the last succubi, nearly all of the others were already done eating. He chuckled as he went back to the first one and gathered up the plates and stored them, then took out all the clean plates he had in inventory and put them in the icebox.

Ren took out his Alchemy kit and used the umber hulk's blood to make a poison antidote, and took it. The poison timer disappeared from his display, and he was glad that his Alchemy skill was mastered and stored the kit and the nearly empty icebox. Now that he had some time to think about it, he knew that he couldn't leave all those bushels of vegetables and three butchered cows in his inventory without properly storing them.

Ren took out his Instant Tower and went up the stairs, and made a large walk-in icebox right in the middle of the floor, and left room around it to still access the arrow slits and his bed. He put up a bunch of shelves and then added all the bushels of vegetables and the cuts of meat from the slaughtered cows. It was a tight fit; but, he managed to get it all in there. Of course, since he had a bunch of stuff in his inventory and the ability to make another tower, he did so.

Ren left the Instant Tower and activated the new one, and stored everything he had inside it. He even took the time to drop all of his shadow coins into his coin pouch, except for a single box that he left on a shelf above his workbench in the other Instant Tower. He never knew when he might lose a battle and keeping everything on him was not the smart thing to do. He deactivated both towers, then stored the 2 inch wide cubes.

“Do you need another emotion feeding?” Ren asked the succubi. There was a chorus of yes and a chorus of no, and he chuckled. “Are you saying yes because you don't want to say no?”

“Yes.” A few of them admitted.

“How about just a taste instead of a full feeding?” Ren asked, and there was general agreement from the succubi. They didn't kneel this time as they took their positions and touched Zunala, and Ren stored his gauntlets and held her hands.

“Can you store your helm as well?” Zunala asked.

“Really?” Ren asked and stored the helm. “Does wanting to see my face as I feed you mean that you're starting to forgive me?”

Zunala shook her head. “Seeing your face makes it... tastier.”

Ren looked at the other succubi and several of them nodded. He smiled sweetly at them and remembered how he felt when he saw Jennifer's metal plate between her legs. He sifted it and discovered that it contained everything that all the succubi needed and he sent that through Zunala. They all gasped as the feeling hit them, and their abilities gobbled the genuine feelings down. Their eyes glowed briefly and they all sighed as the feeling faded.

“I hope that was enough.” Ren said and they all nodded. “I'm glad.” He said and they could feel his happiness through Zunala. They all gasped and stopped touching her before their abilities overloaded; but, Zunala didn't try to let go. She held on and kept feeling his happiness. She wasn't trying to eat it, though.

“Let's get going.” Ren said.

Zunala nodded and let his hands go, and he equipped his gauntlets and helm. He checked the All-Seeing Mirror and it showed that the next level was a single large chamber that was completely filled with vine brambles, and the entire place was filled with ghosts, wraiths, shadows, shadow creatures, and shadow demons.

“Ladies, this next area is too dangerous for you.” Ren said. “Please wait here while I take care of it.”

“No, we are going with you.” One of the succubi said and Ren looked to see that it was Seldanna. “We'll stay back out of your way; but, we won't let you go on ahead and leave us here.”

Ren could feel their determination to stay with him, and he nodded. “All right, you can come as long as you stay in the tunnel until I clear a big enough area for you.” He said. “It's full of life strangling vines that I'm going to light on fire. I'm going to assume the vines or spikes on the vines are poisonous, and within those vines are ghosts and various shadow demons.”

“You're trying to burn them out?” One of the succubi asked. “That's not going to work.”

Ren chuckled. “No, the fire is just to clear the vines and to reveal where the shadow demons are; then I'll deal with them.”

“You're so confident.” One of the succubi said and reached out a hand to touch his armor. He felt her ability take some of it, and he smiled.

“I've fought and killed a summoned shadow demon before.” Ren said. “I know their weakness.”

“That won't help against spirits.” She said and rubbed her hand over the glimmering gold of his armor.

“I've fought spirits before, so I know their weakness, too.” Ren said, and she caught her breath as his confidence made her shiver.

“We will be a fitting audience for you, My Lord.” She said.

“I hope so.” Ren said and grinned. “There's no one else around to show off to.”

She nodded and stepped away, and he turned and walked over to the tunnel. He told the skeleton knight to stay back, because after the fire, he was going to use Light, or Holy enchantments. They followed him down the large tunnel until they came to the entrance of the cavern. Ren waved them to a stop, and he stepped forward.

The entire view, from floor to ceiling, was filled with vines and brambles. He had been right about them being poisonous, and saw thorns on the vines and they dripped a green liquid. Ren knew they wouldn't light on fire on their own, since they were so damp with that liquid, so he used the Web wands mounted on his shoulders to cover what he could see, then used the Fireball wands to light the webbing on fire. It went up like dry paper, and the vines started to burn and fill the cavern with smoke.

Please accept this meager offering, Fire Dancer.

Ren took out a wand and filled it with Gust of Wind, then cast it to push the smoke away from the tunnel. It had the secondary effect of feeding the fire, and the vines started burning in earnest. He kept using the web wands to cover the wet vines and only occasionally had to use a Fireball to light it. He pretty much just had to keep stoking the raging fire as it progressed across the cavern. He didn't follow it up, however.

The succubi and the skeleton knight stood there and watched as the fire made it's way across the cavern, while Ren took out the special golden shield he had recovered from the temple so long ago. Even now he couldn't get the recipe for it, and used his Retain Essence ability to remove the Sunder enchantment it had. Several ghosts and wraiths appeared and Ren enchanted the shield with 50 Light runes, then used Double Infusion to add another 50. He made sure to stand in front of the skeleton knight so it wouldn't get hit, then activated the enchantment that always seem to be boosted by the special nature of the shield.

The ghosts and wraiths screamed as the Holy Light from the shield lit up the entire cavern. The succubi folded their wings over their faces to protect their eyes and the skeleton knight ducked down behind Ren to protect itself from the reflective glare. After a few minutes the screaming stopped and Ren deactivated the enchantment on the shield.

The fire had consumed about half of the cavern at this point, and three shadow creatures that had been frozen in place from the Holy Light were now set free. Ren knew their weakness was Illumination runes, and activated the enchanted ruby mounted to his chest plate. A 1 foot wide solid beam of red laser light shot out and blew through the chest of one of the shadow creatures. It dissolved a moment later, and Ren shifted the beam to burn through the other two.

Ren could feel the shock from the succubi as he easily dispatched more ghosts, wraiths, and shadow creatures as the fire continued to burn away the vines across the cavern. He stepped into the cavern with the skeleton knight and the succubi right behind him. Once he progressed far enough into the cavern, several dark portals opened and a shadow demon stepped out of each of them. He used his chest laser judiciously and dispatched them both quickly and easily.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

“My Lord! Over here!” One of the succubi said, and Ren walked over to her. At her feet was a cracked skull and part of a helm that looked similar to the one the skeleton knight had worn. Ren bent down and picked it up to try and repair it, but it didn't work. He stored his gauntlet and picked up the skull, and he felt a sharp pain on his right hand and a tingle went up is arm as a spirit of a knight appeared before him.

“You have slain that which has slain me.” The spirit knight said as a portal appeared behind him. “Thank you, Adventurer.”

“I'm glad I could help.” Ren said.

“You can raise my remains if you wish.” It said and stepped into the portal.

I'll do that later. Ren thought and dismissed the popup for the quest update and stored the skull. I'm a little busy right now.

When all the vines were burned out, Ren and his group had casually walked most of the way across the cavern, and right in front of the tunnel another portal opened. A large clawed hand came out, then a horned head. The hand braced on the ground as the Minor Demon crawled out of the portal that was much too small for it. It stood up to it's full 20 foot height and glared at Ren and the succubi when the portal disappeared.

“I have found you.” It's deep gravely voice said.

“Have you come for your offering?” Ren asked it.

“It is too late for that.” The Minor Demon smiled and revealed a mouth full of pointed teeth. “I've come to eat you all.”

“I'm sure the succubi would like that normally; but, if I'm not going to have sex with them, I can't in good conscience let you do it, either.”

He felt surprise and shock from the succubi and the Minor Demon.

“Wh-what?”

“Look, I know they're tempting.” Ren said and handed the Helm of Foolishness to the skeleton knight. “But, I have their contracts now. If you had a deal with Murdrasu, I'm not obligated to fulfill it.”

The Minor Demon frowned. “You have no say in the matter.”

“Oh, but I do.” Ren smiled and nodded to the skeleton knight. It put on the helm and the enchantment activated. The Minor Demon's head immediately turned and looked at the skeleton knight, and it started to dance. It was just a basic side to side step at first, then it did a 360 degree turn. It popped it's head off and held it up, then rolled it like a basketball from one hand and across it's arm and shoulders, and down it's other arm to catch it with the other hand. It flipped the head over twice and put it back on it's neck upside down. It flung it's arms out to the side and did a little jig, and for some reason, the head stayed in place.

Ren used this opportunity to cast Enlarge Person on himself and equipped the blood sword he had received as loot from Murdrasu.