ALEXiThymiA: Chapter 60: Demon Night

Chapter 60

Demon Night

There are stories so old that they are considered to be more myth than reality. Stories where the veil between worlds becomes the thinnest on Halloween, the one day when monsters and magic can break the protective veils between worlds and run amok, if only for a night.

Of course, the myths aren’t entirely true. There are now other ways and days that monsters can breach the veil, especially as the time of Integration draws near. But for the early shock troops of the elves and orcish horde, tonight is the night when they can come through. A measured balance, one master for every slave owned. That is to say, one elite soldier for every werewolf and vampyre still infected by their respective viruses. Also, one dragon for every underling still battling with their own influences as well, though the dragons are far more selective in their thralls, choosing quality over quantity.

All of this was explained in the simple message from the system. But only if everyone turned towards the nearest dungeon entrance. Seeing the way everyone was staring, and pointing, it was of course a natural thing for Alexa to turn and at least look. That was when she was greeted with the same system message that everyone else received. A message that people only began to notice when they looked towards the explosion they felt on campus.

BOOM!

An explosion so loud and forceful that everyone had to look. Alexa for her part made a quick scan of her perimeter first, then looked towards the distraction.

Everyone, regardless of integration status, whether they were awakened or not was able to see the same message, so long as they looked at a dungeon entrance that was within one mile of their current location. That was why so many people on campus now found themselves looking straight towards the center of campus, right where the Tier II dungeon entrance resided. Everyone who looked was given the same three lines of text.

System Integration Status: Weak

Initial Support Team Status: On its way

Support Team Status duration: 2 hours 29 minutes, 59 seconds

That was it, the warning from the system. Well, the warning that everyone else got. Alexa, thanks to her Eyes of the Architect got that, and a lot more.

Elite Soldiers Coming Based on Factions:

Elves: 289 / 289

Orcs: 523 / 523

Dragons: 1 / 1

*Maximum Level for Support Staff: Level 25

That was the message. With this message Alexa could see the number of soldiers waiting to come through this dungeon gateway to their world. Seeing the message Alexa’s eyes went wide with anticipation.

Alexa had done the math. She knew exactly why she had become so powerful. How she a level 0 slotted class holder could go toe to toe with a seasoned Tier V magus and win. Of course, there were a few factors that were involved in the confrontation from earlier. First and foremost was the fact that the Nature mage she went against, did not have an Intelligence focused class. This meant that any and all class advancements would not go towards aiding their combat prowess. Similarly, Alexa had Titles, not just one title but multiple iterations of the same title.

Each title had a compounding interest on her base attributes for each school of magic she wielded. Her first title she ever received Attribute Increase gave her a cumulative 50% bonus to all her attributes, including Intelligence which was capped out at 150. This meant from the very start each of her Attributes were increased by half or +75 for a total of 225.

From there, she also had her Dragon’s Bane, and Dragon’s Slayer titles that increased her magical abilities by +40% and +105 respectively. This meant that her attributes used for casting magic were increased by an additional 326, for a new total of 551. All of this was before her Magic Tier was added for an additional 10 times multiplier giving her a total of 5,510 attributes for casting magic.

Of course, that was just her base level of magic. Against dragons in particular she had a secondary bonus that would grant her an additional +100% and +350% bonus to her magic potency when dealing with dragons directly. Meaning her 5,510 attributes would skyrocket to 24,795. At that level she exuded an aura of killing intent that made it so dragons feared her and would rather run away than face her wrath.

Of course, this was only against level 1 dragons. Dragons that she only managed to start slaying on her third time through the challenge. This time there was just one of the beasts, but her blood boiled at the opportunity to test her might against a dragon. She had counters for them all. Each type of magic that a dragon had at their disposal came with obvious bonuses and draw backs.

In her mind she began going through the different scenarios in her mind of how she would deal with the dragon. She figured it would either be a low level elite dragon, or one of the basic shock troops sent to gauge the situation.

As one, like a herd of lemurs the group of partying students all began to get closer and closer to the dungeon. Seeing as this was exactly what Alexa herself wanted to do, she followed suit.

“Wait, Alexa.” Kylie called out.

Looking to her side she could see that her classmates were trying to get close to her.

Seeing them, a protective instinct took over in her. One that she had never quite felt before. Rather than fighting the odd impulse away, as would be her normal nature. She instead chose to accept the odd notion.

Raising up her right hand in the form of a fist, Alexa called out. “Sophomores on me.”

Hearing that, others began taking up similar charges.

“Senior pack, on me,” Angel called out.

“Remaining seniors on me,” Joe Dugan called out.

There was a brief lull as everyone began to move. Then a jittery ball of energy bounded her way next to Alexa.

“Juniors, you are probably going to want to be over here!” Gina said excitedly, as she raised her hand and then pointed towards the towering Alexa.

With that, the remaining stragglers soon found their own spot next to Alexa. Well technically they were all behind Gina, who was standing next to Alexa, but it really amounted to the same thing. Everyone was standing next to or near a noted leader, as they made their way across campus.

Why the juniors seemed to follow Gina, no one really knew. It just made the most sense to be near the badass healer is what most of them thought.

Also it didn’t seem to hurt anything that both groups of seniors seemed to be flanking the sophomore class, which meant only Gina would be at the spear tip for anything major.

Growwll!

Snarl.

Monsters were growling violently up ahead. Hearing the sounds, most people paused, realizing that the predators that were up ahead were fully awakened beings. Realizing that their own pre-awakened status meant little to nothing when compared to those monsters up ahead many paused.

In fact, only one person heard the roar of battle, seeing a group of twenty plus weres squaring off against the TSI squad and charged forward.

Alexa was charging forward, while simultaneously pulling her princess bride dress up and over her body to reveal what Gina could only assume was a form fitting yoga outfit. The entire transformation seemed to have taken less than a second. One second the flowing dress was on. The next, the dress was flung up over her head by a lithe grace that undeniably fluid.

“Here.” Alexa said, her only indication before a giant red dress hurled its way towards Gina. On reflex Gina reached out to catch the garment, but before her fingers could grasp the garment, it was caught by not one but two sets of hands.

Gina turned for a second to stare at the two sets of hands, both Kylie and Lilly had the dress. There was a quick stare between the two, before they seemed to come to some mutual agreement and just helped fold the garment.

After seeing that odd display, Gina turned her head back to see Alexa was already a few hundred meters away, barreling forward at breakneck speeds.

Silent.

No attack scream, no sign of barely controlled rage or chaos, just pure silence.

“Is she a ninja?” A senior boy asked.

Watching her run in her form fitting yoga clothes, Gina could only nod. Well nod and try her best to breathe. The entire scene was frenetic.

Whoosh!

A wave of magical force hurled its way forward, striking at a group of werewolves that were now flanking the TSI captain and her team of lieutenants, both of whom had already transformed into their war forms.

Fletcher was now a quarter taller and lankier, with glowing red eyes and claws extended to strike at any would be werewolf who got too close.

Likewise Bullford was also in his war form. While he was clearly one of the largest werewolves out, he was no match for the four or five wolves that tried to surround him. Of the group, the only one who had not changed was the TSI Captain herself.

“You boys are really starting to piss me off!” Captain Johnston said, that was it, her only warning to the pack of six or so wolves that thought they had an easy strike on the captain.

FWOOM!

Then just like that a burst of Pyrokinetic flames erupted from the tiny captain’s mouth, catching many of the wolves in mid-leap or lunge. The flames were so bright, that Gina could only see darkened silhouettes of the wolves, before their shadows were engulfed in the ever-expanding light of flames.

Even from their distance of a few hundred meters away, Gina could feel the waves of oppressive heat on her face. It felt like sticking her face in the oven to check if her pizza was done. The flames were hot and bright enough that she like everyone else felt the need to take an involuntary half step back.

Well almost everyone, as Alexa was already there fighting the pack of wolves she had bisected with her wind blade.

That was when Gina saw waves of green lights coming from Alexa again. Seeing the waves of green energy, Gina now knew what they were. These were not the waves of Necromantic energy, but were in fact waves of her absorbing the werewolf virus into her.

“What is that?” Someone asked.

Feeling the need to explain for her friend before things got out of hand, Gina spoke up. “That is her curing the people of Lykanthropy.”

“What? You can’t do that.”

“You can.” Every sophomore female spoke up as one, in one anger filled defiant tone.

Silence.

There was a deathly silence as the sophomore pack gave off waves of killing intent. Waves that said they would attack anyone who dared to argue with them over this subject.

“They speak the truth.” Angel said, walking forward in front of everyone. “I know this is the case, as I had her do it to me earlier tonight.”

“What? No way.”

“Come here and tell me if I am lying.” Angel said, holding out her arm, wrist up for one of her fellow senior packmates to inspect.

As was the protocol, when the master speaks, the pack obeys. Rachel, her number two dutifully came forward and sniffed the offered wrist.

Sniff, sniff.

Then she sniffed again, as confusion warred on her face and in her mind.

“It is gone. Your wolf is completely eradicated?” Rachel asked, not quite believing her own words.

Angel for her part just nodded. “It’s true. I was cured. Just as they are going to…” Angel trialed off as she looked to find Alexa battling the largest of the werewolves.

The wolf was larger, faster, and clearly stronger.

Wham!

A swipe of the full werewolf struck into Alexa, causing her to be hurled away.

As she got up, a giant slash mark was apparent on her form fitting leotard, one that now shone with blood and a faint green mist that even now seemed to flow within Alexa.

“What is happening?” Some of the vertically challenged students, like Gina, began pushing their way forward, trying to see what was happening.

“She is healing herself of Lykanthropy almost instantly.”

“Oh, you are a powerful one. You will make a perfect sacrifice to my masters.” The large werewolf said, as he began transforming once again. This time going not from ten-foot-tall war form of a werewolf, but to a beast much taller and more ferocious.

Seeing the newly evolved war form of the Apex Direwolf before them, everyone froze.

The fact that the creature was a Direwolf was unquestionable. In this final form, the monster was fifteen feet tall, and built like a small building. Long flowing muscles bulged and burst.

Whoosh!

Alexa fired a wind blade at the monster, but despite the monster’s increased size, it was also twice as quick. In a second it was easily able to sidestep the blast of wind charge up to Alexa and backhand her ten feet away.

Alexa only got up, a manic smile of her face as blood poured from her teeth.

She was up on her feet and barely rocking back and forth.

Seeing that Alexa was seemingly done with her magical strikes, the direwolf leader turned his attention towards the TSI Captain and her lieutenants. Even in their war forms, the werewolf Lieutenant and Methuselah were nothing compared to the might and power before them.

Wham!

Wham!

Wham!

Three successive blows struck out, sending each of the three commanders off. The entire time, Alexa never stopped her plan.

Glowing light.

A ball of glowing light formed in front of Alexa.

The monster turned to look at the source of light, only to see Alexa standing defiantly, with a mad gleam in her eyes.

“Gotcha.” She said, as the last vestiges of energy flowed out of her, filling the object before her.

“Gnoo!” The Direwolf howled out, as it charged forward to strike at Alexa.

The only thing was, the glowing spell that Alexa had been casting was now fully formed and seemed to pulse once with barely restrained power.

“Hope.” Alexa said, the second her spell she had been building was ready to cast.

Wham!

A split second after she spoke the word a fully charging Direwolf monster charged forward slamming its mighty boulder sized fist right into Alexa sending her flying off in the distance.

Gina could only watch on in horror as the events happened so quickly. The spell was cast, and being at ground zero of the blast radius there was no way that the war formed Direwolf monster could resist the blast. Unfortunately, Alexa too was sent flying off in the direction of the dungeon.

Gina tried to watch the arc of her friend’s flight. When it happened.

WHOOM!

A clear sounding chime went of and erupted with a blast of light. In a second, Gina felt pure light enter her. That was the only way to describe the feeling, it was the sensation of feeling the warm sun for the first time after a long miserable winter. The way she would feel before her surgeries, that feeling that things were finally going to get better. It was that same feeling that she now associated with her. The way she just knew life would be fine, so long as she was around.

By reflex, Gina felt her hand going over her heart. This time unlike the others, she didn’t do so because she felt her heart beating too quickly. Instead, this time it felt like her heart was finally able to rest, like it had found its natural rhythm. Like she was finally able to experience the world at her own pace, rather than the ultra-fast chaotic pace that the world always seemed to want to go at.

Badum.

Even the last thunderous beat of her heart was gone, as she felt calm.

A quick glance from her periphery showed her that she was not alone, that nearly everyone here had felt the same exact way.

By the time her eyes readjusted to the light of night surrounding her, Gina looked on to find that nearly everyone in the immediate blast radius was down. Well everyone except for the TSI Captain and her Lieutenants, everyone else seemed to be reverting back to human form. Even the Direwolf warrior was struggling to move.

“No, no!” The former Direwolf shouted, as he tried to call out, to crawl away. Only to find that he was stopped by the hands of an angry Bullford.

“Devin?” Angel called out, a knowing tone in her voice as she looked on in horror at the once monster, now man wrestling with an irate fully shifted werewolf progenitor.

Seeing that, Angel charged forward.

This of course caused a stampede as the sophomores and then the rest of Angel’s pack all charged forward. The twenty or so former werewolves were rolling on the ground, trying to find out what happened to them, why they were suddenly stripped of their rage and speed.

Gina watched as a form of mob justice happened. While the three TSI agents would have had a hard time keeping the suspects at bay normally with the aid of close to fifty party going supers in training, the tide of battle quickly shifted. Especially as so many of the cowed werewolves were dealing with previously sustained injuries. The most grievous of which were the ones that were bisected by Alexa. Of course, a quick inspection showed that all five that had been bisected were completely healed at the torso.

The half dozen that the Captain herself flame broiled were a different story entirely.

Within minutes a battle that looked almost too dangerous to happen on campus was over. With minimal injuries sustained by the students or staff.

Gina knowing that she was not a combat expert found herself slowly moving her way around the crowd. As she looked, a strange sense of unease began to creep into her gut. Something was wrong.

“Alexa!” Gina called out.

Nothing.

“ALEXA!” Gina called out this time a little louder.

At this, everyone who had been subduing one of the suspects or otherwise moving about the scene paused.

“Where did she?” Gina asked, but no one knew.

Luke pushed his way through the crowd to be near Gina.

Whoosh.

Almost as if summoned by the confusion Mr. Mackie appeared.

He looked around, and instantly seemed to assess something.

“Luke do you know where she is?” Gina asked. The she in this case was obvious.

Luke just shook his head, “I don’t.”

Hearing that Mr. Mackie who had been about to head out to help with the subjugation suddenly stopped at hearing that one of his students were now missing.

“What happened?” Mr. Mackie asked.

“There was a fight, and she did something.” Gina began.

“She cast her new spell.” Luke added.

At that Mr. Mackie nodded, “then what?”

“Then she was hit and flew towards…” Gina trailed off as her eyes went towards the dungeon entrance.

“Did you see her enter?” Mr. Mackie asked.

“No, we couldn’t. There was the flash.” Luke added.

“Okay.” Mr. Mackie said.

“Okay? That’s it? Just okay?” Gina asked belligerently towards Mr. Mackie.

Mr. Mackie for his part just took the outrage for what it was, a genuine concern for a friend, well someone who was a bit more than a friend.

Then pausing, he looked at Luke. “There is of course one thing we can try.”

“Do it, I’ll do anything for her.” Luke said, without a hesitation.

At that Mr. Mackie just nodded to himself. “Very well then. I need you to close your eyes and focus on your sister. Every twin should have a bond that binds you to them. This is a unique bond that is immutable and inseparable, I want you to focus on that link.”

Luke diligently closed his eyes and began to focus. “Okay.”

At that moment Mr. Mackie reached up with his pointer finger and touched Luke’s head. Instantly a rune of power began to form on his head.

Then Gina watched on in amazement as the rune began to first sizzle, then dissolve into his mind.

Within seconds, Luke began to shake and convulse. Seeing him in this state Gina reached out to grab him, but was stopped when she saw Julie charge forward and grab him.

“Focus. Now without speaking find out where she is.” Mr. Mackie said.

At that, Gina did something she promised Alexa that she would never do again. She read Luke’s mind. Reading his mind, she saw a myriad of events play out. She saw armies of monsters charging forward conquering cities with blaster rifles and advanced weaponry.

Then she saw Alexa fighting against a horde of monsters that were all waiting to exit the portal right in front of them. From within the portal, Alexa could see out, she could see everyone that was standing outside, waiting like lambs to the slaughter.

“She is in the portal.” Gina managed, only to then feel her mind getting zapped with electricity.

The last thing she felt were two strong hands grabbing her, and preventing her own body from hitting the ground.

“Damn it, never read the mind of a person having a prophetic vision. There is always psychic feedback.” Mr. Mackie said, his voice sounding so distant that it was like he was yelling through a roaring waterfall at her. In her mind, Gina had done all that she could do for this, she had told them where Alexa was. Now all they had to do was go and bring her back safely.

That last thought was the one Gina clung to, the thought that Alexa would now be safe, was her one prevailing thought as darkness enveloped her mind and carried her off to sleep.