Chapter 325: The Final Cliffhanger (1.5/2)

"Good, now it's my turn," Doevm said as he let his spell end, confident that his friends could play their role in his plan. He opened his eyes and stood up too fast, resulting in a wave of pain to crash against his skull. He fell to his knees and clutched at his throbbing forehead. A hand carefully helped him back up.

"Another headache?" Olpi asked. "We can lend you mana if you need it."

"I told you to stay in the corner with everyone else," Doevm gestured to the corner of the classroom, where Menla stood. Next to the Dwarf were three other Demis that the group had saved, each looking like they wished they were dead or dreaming.

"I know," Olpi said, still holding onto him. "But are they getting worse?"

"Nothing will change if they are," Doevm replied. He paused as a scream rang out, waited a few seconds, and looked back at the half-elf. "Next time, stay. Kindness can serve as a detriment on the battlefield." Even though he had entered a meditative state to communicate with his friends, he had placed himself in the open. If an enemy were to walk through the destroyed doorway, all they would have seen was a defenseless mage and terrified Demis. Bait must be tempting to fool a predator.

"Cerlius, you seem to think I won't care if you die," Olpi reminded him. As she made her way back to the others, she slowed her walk to look behind each pile of rubble. "We are going to need more numbers before going down to the second floor."

Doevm nodded and resumed his position as bait. "Were any more complete corpses found?"

The three new additions shook their heads: "They were mostly… dismembered, just like the rest." If there was an effort to hide their disgust, then Doevm did not see it.

Doevm cursed. 'So it was intentional,' he thought, remembering hallways littered with severed limbs and heads. 'The demon king took away my toys before I could use them. Interesting, but I can simply use other methods.'

"Someone's coming," a shrill voice warned from behind one of the classroom's piles of rubble. The Demis stiffened.

Doevm glanced over his shoulder and saw Olpi whispering into the ears of each of the Demis, relaxing their tensed shoulders. Meanwhile Menla pushed to the front of the formation and puffed her chest out. As intimidating as an emaciated Dwarven girl was, if Doevm was their enemy, he would target Olpi first.

Walking through the doorway was a familiar formation; one shaman led by two warrior demons. They locked onto the meditating human and rushed in with wide smiles. Doevm raised a hand and the Demis jumped out with magic circles at the ready. The warriors ran even faster while the shaman slid to a stop and prepared a reflection spell. It seemed as though the anti-mage formation would not be swayed by such obvious bait.

'Predictable,' Doevm thought. His body rolled back inches away from the warriors' blades yet his shadow lagged behind. The dark mass under the warriors' feet shifted.

In spite of the destructive might of the enormous Guriant, the ear piercing wail of the ethereal Banshee, or the usual swarm of disobedient Ghouls, Doevm had called upon his most recent addition: a Pregovian Weeper.

Originating from a mass-murdering dark mage on the continent of Pregov, the Weeper became a nightmarish end for hundreds of Dwarven miners. Smart, silent, and mobile, even Doevm had been taken by surprise when he happened upon it. However, it seemed as if the creature was weak in direct combat. The murderer met a killer that day. Doevm had strolled out of the mine cleaning blood off his newest book.

Doevm sighed as rolled away from the demons' weapons. Claws, fangs, arms, hands, and all manner of shadow-like parts latched onto the two warriors, rooting them to the spot. The demons struggled, snarled, and slashed. The Weeper let out a high-pitched shriek but held firm.

The shaman paused, calculating. It looked from the Weeper to its two companions, then to the unknown factor: Doevm. It backed away and spread its wings.

Doevm reached his hand forward and a spear appeared in his grasp. "Olpi! Don't let it get away."

"Got it," Olpi replied. She took aim at the shaman and sent mana through her magic circle.

"Fool," the shaman yelled in its native tongue. It swept a dagger along its palm and slapped the ground. Olpi's own magic circle whipped around, its bright light reflecting in her widened eyes. The shaman cackled as the spell completed.

Something whistled through the air with deadly force. Olpi couldn't dodge as her hair was blown back by a light breeze.

The shaman blinked twice and cursed. It furrowed its brows, still hearing the sharp whistle of an object tear through the air. It looked up just as a spear plunged into its stomach and pinned it to the ground with a satisfying slap.

Doevm nodded at his expert aim. 'Expending the minimum amount of resources to put an enemy on their knees, this is how I have lived for so long. A simple bluff, even if it may be as insignificant as a breeze spell, can open up the most unexpected path to victory.' He broke into a big, stupid smile. 'I wish I could show Arthur that throw.'

"Am I clear to finish the stragglers off?" Menla asked. She and the other three Demis had prepared spells in case the warriors broke free, as if the Weeper even needed their help in the first place.

Doevm rubbed his chin as he inspected the shaman from a dozen feet away. It was alive, if barely. "The shaman is too panicked to reflect. Aim for the heart." There was less noise out of the two warrior demons, who Doevm assumed fell dead as multiple spells flashed behind him. He didn't bother looking. He knelt next to the shaman, who still fought against the spear as if it could change its fate by trying its hardest, and put a hand over its forehead: "Vampiric Touch."