Book 2. Chapter 19: The Great Volcanic Escape

Book 2. Chapter 19: The Great Volcanic Escape

Berri donned her backpack basket with glee. She said, My path came from the entrance. It should be the fastest way out!

Jake gathered from the other girls that they had spent their time recovering awaiting Jakes call instead of exploring their paths, because judging from the Champion of Apophiss words, it would have been quite the trek to even find Jake and he was sure he could call upon them.

Jake quickly retrieved his shield and his spider drill and hopped into the back of Bloodberris basket. Bloodberri blazed through the hole she created in the wall, and Jake thought back to the Champions words about the paths being perilous. While it would be for a human, with small walkways and steep cliffs that would lead to someone potentially falling to their death, it was no problem at all for his girls. Ophelia and Fhesiah flew almost lazily as they followed Bloodberry as her snake body weaved through the cavern.

The rumbling and shaking of the earth continued, and rocks dislodged from the roof of the cave. Jake weaved a runic spell, filling Bloodberri with as much speed as he could, and refreshed his [Advanced Stamina Regeneration] buff on all of the girls. Bloodberri sped up, and Fhesiah and Ophelia had to work just a little harder to keep up.

Jake felt they were lucky Bloodberri was so familiar with the caves, as there were many paths. Ira and Fhesiah could have led them out, but it would have taken a little more time than her. The quaking of the cave became even more violent, and Bloodberri even had to dodge or knock away some rocks with her club.

They entered a massive cavern, for which Jake saw they were at the top end of it. While there were paths leading down both sides, the bottom of the cavern was more than a hundred or two hundred meters down. Fhesiah wrapped some chains around the armor of Bloodberris torso and handed one end to Ophelia, taking the other for herself, and said, Lets take a shortcut. Bloodberri leap into the air!

She leaped into the air without hesitation, and Fhesiah and Ophelia floated her down rapidly, the descent not too fast to lead to bones breaking. Jake kept his thoughts to himself, but he felt like he was on some sort of demented Santa's sleigh, riding on one of his women, being pulled through the air by his other women. Just what was Jakes life?

Jake, I cant help but feel you just had a rude thought, but I couldnt hear it. Something you want to share?

Fhesiahs question caused Jake to sweat a bit, but he shook his head and coughed into his hand. Apparently, she didnt need to hear his thoughts in order to somehow read his mind.

Ophelia said, This wasnt what I had in mind for carrying you off into the clouds, Jake.

Jake laughed, Maybe later? We seem to be in a bit of a hurry.

They landed on the ground, and exiting the cavern, Jake recognized the room they were in: it was the room where they faced Alisara. The rumbling and quaking became even more urgent, and just as they were about to reach the stairs that lead to the throne room, the cave collapsed, covering it.

Despite the rock being absolutely massive, the three girls werent having it. Bloodberri filled herself with holy might, and Jake felt Fhesiah draw some mana with [Energy Sharing] and be empowered by some draconic flames, making her bulk up in size slightly. Even Ophelia was bathed in light, and Jake did his best to add runic strength buffs to them as they all heaved and shoved the rock that was even larger than Bloodberri out of the way, giving enough room to go up the stairs.

The throne room was covered in rocks, but their rapid pace moved them through and into the reception hall, and out the main gate that they had broken through. Just as they started to make some distance from the keep, the mountain erupted.

A large plume of flames, dust, and rock blasted into the sky, and a large avalanche of rock rained down on the keep that they just exited. Lava streamed down the volcano, and Jake now saw a new threat: red wyverns. There were at least a hundred of them, and they were circling around the volcano. Jake spotted Antonius party in the distance, mounted on horses on a hill nearby.

Jake! Im glad you made it out. When the mountain shook, we retreated. It looks like we have an additional problem, dont we?

Jake looked and found the wyverns appeared to start moving as a group in one direction.Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only

That isnt good. Rosebergs in that direction. I think I can coordinate a response, but itll be tough. Defending against that type of creature in the city, there will be a lot of collateral damage; killing of the uninitiated.

Fhesiah wasnt able to do anymore of her widespread claw attack, but she was able to continue cutting through their wings or going for their throats. The ballistas kept firing and with so many targets to choose from in a small area, most were hitting and taking them down. Eventually, the caster groups had managed to cast some group spells of their own, casting large ice spikes that were as powerful as Jakes and killing their respective wyverns they struck.

Jake saw that Bloodberri layered on several debuffs on the wyvern alpha, and systematically destroyed their ability to stand or fly away using blows to its joints or slices with her blade and spiked tail. In the end, she put it out of its misery with a [Mace of Hestia] to the creatures head, killing it. It died with a pitiful wail, and the remaining wyverns, less than a dozen, fled.

Jake was going to send Ophelia and Fhesiah to chase and finish them off, but Antonius stopped them. Those creatures are native to this world, but [Tartarus] had taken control over them to some extent. Once we reclaim the world, its control over them will be rescinded. Its for the best that we just leave them. It would take a long time for them to repopulate into a meaningful attack without [Tartarus] help, anyway.

Jake somewhat understood. While a world was contested, [Tartarus] would gain from any deaths that occurred during combat and some other means, and it could to some extent take control of creatures and use them within its zone of control. Rifts would lead to its zone of control extending as they took over towns, villages, and cities.

This was why normally it could not send something like a max level creature to defend a lower level rift; it did not own that territory, and so it would use its cunning to take advantage where it could.

Once [Tartarus] was gone, if the adventurers made some creature extinct, itd still be extinct once they won. It was better to drive the creatures off, so they had a chance at survival.

Jake overheard an update over the headsets, and they were happy to learn that the conquest progress had moved a whole fifteen percent back in the alliances direction. The attitude was cheery among those that won, and it surprised Jake that nobody had died even against the wyverns. It was the additional healers that Ophelia had managed to convince to come help outside of the battlegroup that had made a significant difference.

We need to get going, Antonius. You did good work getting this battlegroup together. If the [Sons of Rome] need help in the future, well do our best to come if were called.

Thank you, Jake. You really showed us all how important it is for us to challenge our own trial. Of course, this is not different from the information our guild gives us, but seeing is really believing.

I think if someone does everything possible to prepare: maximizing their skills, equipment, and other preparations such as filling in their weaknesses, they have a good shot at success. I understand the risk, but if everyone avoids the trial, I think that helps [Tartarus] win. Never pushing yourself to end up too weak to succeed is not very different from feeding the dungeon.

Iwill keep that in mind. I think I will better myself and then try to take the trial. I want to see just how far I can go. I know I might never be as strong as you and your ladies, but I know I can be better than I am now.

Jake had learned that Antonius had two options for taking his trial. He could be scaled down to level ten, similar to how the enemy champion was when taking on his trial, or he could take on a trial that was scaled to his level, for which he should wait until he has passed level 20. You were only allowed to take on one trial per tier, and in a way, Antonius had missed out on his Tier 0 trial.

The rewards for taking on the Trial scaled down would be less, but the advantage of doing this was he would get a chance at a new class immediately, which was a reward all on its own. Completing the Tier 1 trial would only allow him to select his new class once he reached Tier 2, the merit of completing the trial being added to his selections.

I think you can too, Antonius. You take care.

One more thing, Jake. I read your note after you went inside, and I couldnt believe that Alisara had somehow been working for the enemy. The parent organizations of the guilds on this world had already prompted us to buy the fixture that would help detect and allow us to neutralize her, but it would have still been some time before itd have been ready.

She had joined our guild and our effort not long after you arrived, so its clear that it was done with these ill intentions. At this point, were not sure how much of her background was real and how much of it was fake. We wont know anything until shes revived by the Framework. You take care too, Champion Jake and family.

Jake then called upon his [Refuge], and a portal opened that only those he invited could enter. Jake and his girls waved goodbye, and got some cheering from the battlegroup in return. Bloodberri specifically got several people to thank her, knowing it was she that saved them. She preened at the praise, and Jake could tell they were proud of themselves, both Blood and Berri.

They entered their [Refuge], and started getting cleaned up, which included removing Bloodberris complicated suit of armor. It shocked Jake when Fhesiah took out a magical torch and it began floating near her, though. Just what was that?