Chapter 365: Chaos of a battlefield

Eldrian continued on his rampage until he ran into Flaming Reanimate. Unlike the against the vampire, Eldrian found himself not stronger, nor faster. In terms of speed, they were equal while the flaming skeleton's attacks often overpowered his own. 

In a normal state, Eldrian would have certainly tried to figure out the undead's weakness. Instead in his wish for destruction, with his mind overcome by anger and terrible memories, he just charged forward.  Striking at the undead with power and little to no technique.

Luckily, the Flaming Reanimate also did not use much technique and normally its method of attack was to use its speed and strength to overwhelm its target. 

A stalemate in favor of the undead ensued as they traded blows. Eldrian's attacks chipping the burning bones, the undead's cutting into him and scorching the wounds. The pain ravaging his mind even further than the anger that has consumed him. 

"Die!" Eldrian shouted in rage as he swung Aoidos at the skeleton's skull. Only for it to return the favor and swing its sword at his. 

While Eldrian wanted to trade blows again, something in him clicked that doing so would be the end of him. Not of the skeleton. At the last second, he recovered some sanity and pulled back. Gasping for air, the skeleton was soon on him again. 

'Shit,' Was all he could think of as he slumped down. Completely drained of all energy and his mind beyond tired. Yet instead of feeling the blade cut into him, the flames devouring his flesh. A metallic clang reverberated through the air. 

"Stupid skeleton!" A timid voice shouted in anger. More clangs following as Eldrian grasped his head and tried to sort through the thoughts invading his mind. 

The flaming skeleton had no chance again Kydone. She was twice as fast and twice as strong. Each blow with her daggers sent it staggering back. Yet, like the last time she fought one of these, she dared not aim for its bones. Her daggers were too short and the flames were ready to burn her. 

Luckily, the battlefield was not short on any type of weapon. Throwing the skeleton back with a specifically strong hit, Kydone bent down and picked up a random longsword. Striking at the undead with renewed furry. 

It did not take long for the weapon to break, after which she picked up another random weapon and renewed her attack. After four weapons she finally managed to kill the undead. Gasping for air she turned around and found that she had no idea where she was on the battlefield nor where Eldrian was. 

Rushing around she hoped to find him, yet every few steps she would be interrupted by an enemy. Forcing her to spend a few seconds to dispatch it before being able to move on again.

...

'Where is he?' Vivian asked in worry as she dodged the attack of an undead boar. Beheading it with ease as it charged past her.

'What did he do?'

The sight before Vivian was the mangled body of the vampire they had fought. How Eldrian had managed to kill it made little to no sense to her. Yet, more frighting than that was the state in which the vampire was. Clearly, Eldrian was not in his right mind. 

'I have to find him,' Vivian said, yet she found herself blocked constantly by random undead. She quickly realized she could not even assure her own safety. A strike from a thrall having landed on her back whilst she had been fighting off a particularly large undead Arkbeast. 

'Dammit!' Gritting her teeth she had to abandon her search and pray that Eldrian would be alright as the stories about the Chosen often said they would be. 

...

"This is fucking insane!" Judith shouted, even she found the battle to be too much. It had still been fine before the mist. But with it rolling in, even just staying together became a struggle. Especially when a random large rotting beast would charge through their formation every few minutes. 

"Just stay together!" Therdul countered back, his increase to Tier 3 having done him little good. Again, he wondered just why Tiers were considered such a big deal when they made such a little difference. 

"Ilmadia, vampire!" Elizabeth shouted. She stood in the center of their formation and did her best to observe the arrival of new enemies. Constantly using Observe and casting light spells to supply them with some sight in the darkness. 

"Shit!" Ilmadia cursed as she followed Elizabeth's indication to see a smiling woman in bright red clothing calmly approaching them. Licking her lips, blood still freshly coloring them. Enjoying the taste.

"What a feast, I have yet to try a Chosen." The lady smirked as she wiped her air back. Looking at the 14 odd players with a wide smile. "This will be a feast,"

Unfortunately for the players, the one they faced was not a vampire who hated her nature. Instead, she loved it, and the only reason she was still only Tier 5 was that she had been turned only a few weeks ago. Her thirst for blood was unquenched, her thirst for power even more demanding.

Rushing forward Judith was determined to stop the vampire in her tracks. Yet, to her utter shock, she could not even follow the vampire's movements. With ease the vampire ducked under gray's hungry blade, moving in close and punching Judith in the stomach while giving her a quick peck on the cheek. 

The punch threw Judith into the air like she was a child. Her landing was anything but graceful. Gasping for air Judith only recovered when the lady had made short work of most of her friends. Making sure to not kill them, only to restrain them. 

The only person who managed to hold out for a while was Therdul, and only because of his armor. In the end she disarmored him with, taking her time like she was playing with a doll. Therdul's attacks never even coming near to hitting her, not those of the others who struggled back to their feet. 

...

'Get a grip!' Eldrian shouted at himself as he grabbed a handful of dirt in anger. Desperately fighting his own mind that was constantly bringing up thoughts and memories. Some of which were real and some which were just worst cases he believed might possibly happen. Yet they all ate at him 

It was not the first time he experienced this, but it was the first time where he had let it overcome him. 

Unlike before, he was not attempting to stop them from influencing him. Rather, he was attempting to nor drown in them. Eldrian pounded the ground, uncaring for the fact that he was in the middle of a battlefield. 

Yet, he found himself unable to shut out the anger. It kept clawing into his heart. Making him wish to go on another rampage. 

"Nooo!" Eldrian shouted till he ran out of breath, grasping his hair as he tried to regain control. 'Th-think of something ple-pleasant.'

This was far harder to do than he thought, especially when his mind seemed to refuse to recall anything good. Spiraling in all the worst moments of his life, making him relive them to fuel the fire in him.

'No... That...' Eldrian froze in fear and despair, suddenly rushing up and striking at the thrall charging him. "Don't-!" Pulling out his spear and casting Floga with so much mana that it was as big as his chest, "Interrupt!"

The spell incinerated the thrall on the spot, moving forward without prejudice and incinerating all it came into contact with. Eldrian falling to his knees in exhaustion as the spell carried all the mana he had had left. 

His exhaustion was so great that he finally managed to not think. Finally managed to calm down. 

...

"Fu-" Clenching his teeth in anger and powerlessness, Therdul was tempted to suicide to save himself the humiliation. The vampire had totally overpowered him and was now basically doing what she wanted. 

Taking a bit of blood, kissing him, smiling, teasing, laughing. Each time she let his arms have a little bit of room he would attempt to pull out a weapon and strike at her. Only for her to catch his arm and smile, calling him naughty. 

That was until suddenly a ball of flame flew past. Incinerating her back and setting the rest of her aflame. The fireball moving without stopping and going through anyone who stood in its way. 

In confused horror, Therdul watched as the vampire. A woman who would be considered pretty if not for her monstrous acts, caught aflame before him. Her screams shattering his ears as she attempted to save herself by feeding without mercy. 

...

"Hmph, who are you to ask me such a thing?" A voice traveled through the air. It was not a shout, yet even from the distance separating them, it was as clear as day. 

"Hrothgar." The dwarf in black replied without letting his fear into his voice. "Captain of the 11th squad of the Ganalin regiment."

"A mere captain dares question me?" Anger filled the voice and caused the air to stir. A young man in appearance landed between the dwarf and vampire lord. 

The young man had deep red skin with a pair of wings on his back. A reptilian tail with sharp black scales swishing back and forth. 

"You dare question me," The man pressed, his voice causing Idras to quake in his boots. Making himself wonder just how he ever dared to feel that devils should show him respect. 

"I dare," Hrothgar replied whilst standing his ground. Unwilling to move. 

"For one person?" The man added, anger growing. 

"For one order," Hrothgar replied firmly. 

"Do you wish to die?" 

"Try."