Paladin Of The Forsaken Lands (Monster Crafting "Nature" Paladin Lit-Rpg) 137- Demon Vs Daisy

Vraxious – The Forsaken Lands

The Ricktus proudly gestured behind himself towards the glimring tear in reality. He gave a slight bow as the demon finished pulling itself forward. “I see no reason to stand on pretexts; it is not often I et one of the old ways or dark gods. I am known as Leandro, humble servant of the many-pathed delver.”

Vrax barley noticed Leandro's oddly polite introduction; his eyes were locked on the being that ca out of the portal. It was an awful hunched thing with four backward-hooked legs like an insect holding up a humanoid top half that was made of stiched-together faces and ringed in clawed arms that all bobbed and dipped in a strangely srizing pattern.

Well, as fucking awful as that is, I've definitely seen worse...hell, I've made worse.

Vrax decided to play along; there was a very good chance that this guy knew so of the shady dealings happening behind the scenes with the Church of Rembrandt. “Uhh, well, Paladin of the forsaken lands, Champion of Vurune but most call Vrax…is…that the worst you can bring out? Because honestly that’s really not that bad?” Vrax tapered off into the question, he couldn’t help himself.

The predator's gaze was showing it as a [Chiric Demon](lvl50) [Threat Moderate]. And he was almost disappointed after all the people shit-pants scared that he was a demon summoner; honestly, he expected more. Sure, this thing could lay waste to most villages or tear its way through a normal town, but out here in the forsaken lands, he didn't even think it would last a week.

Leandro looked almost taken aback. "No...this is certainly not the extent of my blessings…but if you are so…disappointed with this one's offering, then please do show so of your own. As I have said before, I am here to discover the true nature of your powers for my order.”

"Okay...but like, if my monster beats yours, can I ask a question?” Vrax asked, already ntally reaching for Sunshine.

"Certainly…" Leandro said with a smile like he had already won and stepped behind his summon into the eerie light cast from its portal. With a sharp hand gesture from Leandro, the creature’s hundreds of faces all scread as one. Briefly drowning out even the violin notes. Then it began trampling forward in a flailing flash; its screaming battered against Vrax’s psyche, and his veins burned with pure pain.

Nope, fuck that!

Vrax waved his hand, and the jungle before him died, rot eting the demon's charge. It hesitated briefly, showing a flicker of intelligence, but quickly realized the ground wasn’t harmful and continued on. It made it all of two more steps before it crossed straight over the top of Sunshine’s rising bulk. Vrax focused on Leandro’s face; he wanted to see his reaction to this. If he was totally unbothered, Vrax might be screwed, and this guy had a lot more scary things he could summon, but if he was at least a little offput…

It was like watching a shark jumping from the water to snatch a fish. Except the fish was a demon, and the shark was an eldritch mistake made possible by the uncaring attitude of a nature god. Sunshine's tendrils tightened around the creature and bodily lifted it from the floor before slamming it back down under its own bulk. Stone flew from the floor, and the demon scread as legs were bent the wrong way and faces torn free by Thorns.

Sunshine kept the demon pinned to the floor, its massive flower smooshed against the demon, trying to fit the large fra into its maw. The demon thrashed, and tore. A swirl of mana coursed across the floor, followed by a psychic scream that nearly dropped Vrax and did absolutely nothing to the psychopathic flower.

The utter lack of reaction from Sunshine got one from the Ricktus; his one good eyebrow arched in slight suprise and curiosity. He began talking across the brutal scuffle happening in front of him. It already seed like the win was a forgone conclusion. Sunshine had started just ripping hunks off to stuff them in its maw, unaware and uncaring of the dozens of deep gashes across its body.

“Hmmm, that is interesting…what realm did Vurune rip this creature from?"

"Oh, that’s on , and like two days outside of Hope's path, little guy was all alone on the side of the road, so I brought it along.” Leandro scoffed and then leaned forward almost conspiratorially.

“Alright, Paladin, ask your question. A deal is a deal after all, and I intend to have mine answered as well.” Bones crunched as the demon's mangled fra disappeared from sight into Sunshine. Vrax walked forward and added the monster back to the nagerie.

Now what's the best one to ask… I'm sure he's going to be crafty about his answer…

Vrax lifted his gaze back to Leandro. “What are the Forces of Rembrand doing with the innocents they are abducting?" Leandro nodded like he approved of the question, then closed the still-leaking tear in the air behind himself before answering.

“I imagine they are trading them to forces beyond this realm for power; there are many things one may treatse with for unimaginable gifts…and souls are always in high demand.”

Well, fuck… That's not good.

“If I may?” Leandro prodded

“Yes?” Vrax asked back; this whole situation was so bizarre to him he wasn’t sure what to expect. The demon summoner was treating him more like a peer than a true enemy.

“What do you know of your god? Vurune was a figure of ancient tis that is only spoken of in our oldest texts that survived the fall.”

Vrax was a bit surprised by the question but didn’t see a reason to lie. “Fuck all, for the most part. Immortality is bad, undead are worse. Keep hunting, keep killing, and be the scariest thing around. That’s about what I know so far.”

“Hmm…that aligns with the little I know as well, my lord, and your feast father were old enemies. If your powers truly co from him and are as formidable as I'm beginning to expect, my order will need to know that another Dark god is on the rise.”

Vrax’s thoughts grated to a halt briefly. “Dark god? You mind, uhh...defining that?”

Leandro smiled unkindly. "Broadly, the ancients defined gods as dark, neutral, or light… Any deity whose tenets were harmful to civilization was branded a dark god. Many gods died back when Elysium fell. Many more simply disappeared. In the last decade a few gods have been crawling out of whatever dark crevice they hid within, searching for followers or clawing at vestiges of power. But Vurune is the first of the dark gods I'm aware of to show himself. Of course others survived or were spared the fall but he has been gone so long we simply thought him slain.” Leandro looked towards the staircase like he was making sure they were still alone.

“Now let's continue, shall we?" Leandro said almost cheerfully this ti; he drew his hands up in a high arch, and a single sigil that burned to behold branded itself into reality, hovering there like an anchor. Monts later, hands of darkness and torn flesh grasped onto the sigil and used it and a handhold to slither into the realm.

“This is Undarim, a regular summon of mine and one I was quite blessed with when my lord granted . Let's truly see what you have at your behest. Bring your best; he is a haughty creature, and he hates losing. If he gets past your champion, he will co for you.” Vrax imdiately started screaming for Duchess with Adapt Life before the figure even finished its ergence. Leandro was far too confident about this. Whatever this thing was, it was going to be bad.

To his utter relief, he felt a slight magical tug as Duchess started heading his way more out of boredom than anything else. Which was great because Undarim had just forced himself onto the sa plane of existence as Vrax, and he was a big bastard. It was far less monstrous than Vrax expected but not in a good way.

Undarim was a four-stride-tall giant made of roiling flesh and shadows that washed up and down over a suit of armor he seed to be practically entombed inside of. He reached back towards the sigil and drew out a greatsword that quivered with power, consuming the ground near it as Undarim thrust it down before making a mocking bow towards Vrax.

Vrax started backpedaling as the giant demon began a slow, confident jog toward him that made the ground shudder. “Uhhh DUCHESS HELP PLEASE!” Vrax dived into the foliage, hoping to lose the demon that way. Undarim actually laughed at his attempt at hiding from it; Undarim was still looking straight at him, his talent obviously not doing a damn thing against it.

His predator's gaze was painting a grim picture of Vrax’s future [Undarim Truenad Tier-2] (lvl 56) [Threat High].

Just have to get to the teleport anchor and run; I can’t fight that thing.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Vrax’s flight was cut off as a swing of Undarim's sword obliterated a five-stride section of the jungle in the direction he was running. A blade of sheer darkness shot out, with the slice expanding into crackling dark energy that sought to rend everything it touched. Reducing the jungle to mist and fibers from the sheer force of the demonic skill. Vrax looked back and nervously gulped, pointing his spear towards the overwhelming foe. It didn’t look like Undarim was going to let him run.

He started wracking his brain for how the hell he was going to survive this. If his forest specter skill didn’t work against the monster, his number one escape thod was ruled out.

I can duck into my nagerie, but that thing would definitely co in right after , and I don't know if I can kill it even in there… Might be my best shot.

Vrax was mid-gesture into summoning a portal to his nagerie when Duchess finally got around to getting her ass to the shitshow unfolding in front of him; she peeked out of the jungle near the Ricktus. Looked at him, took one look at the massive summoned demon, and recoiled her head in distaste. Vrax could see his monster connecting dots as she focused back on the mage.

You know, I really shouldn’t be surprised that you aren’t even considering fighting off the demon that’s going to turn into paste, but sohow I still am.

Vrax apparently stared too long. Leandro glanced up at Duchess, his eyes widening; he turned to shout out for aid. Instead, his expression beca confused, and he raised a hand, furrowing his brows, trying to rember why he was about to shout. Duchess let out a dark, chuffing laugh and dived into the jungle, circling towards the summoner.

Leandro looked towards Vrax, his face a mix of anger and slight fear. "Paladin, what was that? What just touched upon my mind!” Vrax grabbed onto the opportunity to stall his imminent murder with gusto.

“Have your summon stand down and I'll tell you!” Vrax shouted back. Leandro waved a hand, and Undarim begrudgingly stopped taking potshots at Vrax. Leaning on his sword, like he was bored with this whole situation.

Vrax looked past Leandro; he could see Duchess just barely in the foliage behind him. Alright, so! I have…” He didn’t bother finishing; Duchess sure as shit didn’t wait. She really hated Mages for so reason, and she had one right in front of her. She exploded from the jungle with a leap so savage it uprooted a tree her claws pushed off of.

Leandros's third arm bent unnaturally over his shoulder, and a tear in space interposed itself between him and Duchess. She hit it like an unbreakable pane of glass, her claws scraping soundlessly off the shimring translucent disturbance in the air. Vrax’s heart dropped briefly, thinking her ambush had failed.

Duchess didn’t see it that way; she grabbed onto the spatial anomaly with all six of her clawed hands, anchoring herself there, and then with a frightening amount of force, she whipped her tail under her body. There was just enough of a gap under Leandros's defense for the blades to fit, and it was enough.

Three sick, jagged blades of bone and hate erupted from his back and then slowly, almost tenderly, began lifting him off the ground. Duchess began hovering as his magic failed and drew the man upwards towards her claws and thrashing layers of teeth. She hung there like a crescent moon with a writhing cultist dripping from the bottom of the crescent, just basking in his garbled emotions.

The demon turned towards Vrax, rage evident even on its distorted alien features. It began a wide swing that undoubtedly would have been the end of him. But halfway through the swing, part of its hand crumbled, sending the massive sword into the jungle like an out-of-control ballista bolt. Undarim took another step towards Vrax that ended with him on his knee as the leg crumbled from under him.

He looked up at Vrax and spoke in a haughty voice filled with hate that sounded like it echoed down the corridors of the underworld. "I will. Rember this, mortal. Any of my lords who face you will have my aid; you will not know peace. You will not know….”

Vrax threw a slter moss vial straight in the monologuing demon's face. He didn’t know if it would really do much, but it made him feel a little better and shut the brutish thing up. He stayed there watching it sizzle as its body slowly beca unsummoned, its summoner being consud by Duchess a re ten strides away.

Okay, adding figuring out how to permanently kill demons to the top of the list. That guy is going to turn inside out and then use as a damned outhouse corncob if I'm ever not able to kill his summoner before he gets his hands on . I was lucky that Duchess being a Cowardly mage Hater was exactly what I needed here.

Vrax checked himself over briefly to see where he was at. He had a few scrapes and bruises, but his stigmata shield had saved him from the deadly shrapnel that was just the collateral caused by the demon's skill usage. He still had Lux taking a nap in his nagerie and most of his slter moss vials left.

Vrax could have summoned Lux against the Ricktus, but…well, he was pretty sure Lux would have gotten himself killed. Duchess didn't have an honorable brave bone in her body. She would always just choose to eat the summoner over actually fighting sothing deadly.

Wow… Okay, the last hour has been a lot…and I've still got the damned death squad to go. I wish Slev could just break there sanctuaries in there sleep or sothing. But alas, I got to do this the old-fashioned way. A hungry jungle and outnumbering the shit out of my more powerful opponents.

Vrax disappeared deeper into the foliage towards Edwards' haunting music to make the last touches to his preparations and give his allies battle plans. The rcenaries may be strong, but they had no idea what a shit show they were about to walk into.

Vrax stopped suddenly during his dramatic exit from the war-torn clearing. "Go, dammit!" I still never actually found out what god that guy served; just dramatic ass titles and ominous-sounding things about blessings." Vrax sighed deeply and tried to rub his brow through his helm. “I really, really need to spend so ti in the religious history section of a damn library.” He grumbled aloud.

Slev Richter—The Forsaken Lands

Slev leaned forward over the staircase, listening carefully. The fighting sounds had died down, and now there was just sothing crashing around below. The damned Lancers had run out of the building entirely a few minutes ago. Not like he blad them, but he put on a good show of cursing their cowardice and such.

The tear makers looked at him expectantly. Slev sighed and tried not to grimace. "Alright, I think it's ti; he’s probably down there fighting the Ricktus right now.”

Kon grumbled, “I still think we should have attacked while he was fighting the lancers!”

Slev kept the evil smile from his face. “And that’s why you aren’t in charge. I've fought him before; he was a talent that makes him stronger the more foes he is near! It's why he has wiped out all the large groups to attack him.” Obviously not true, but it wasn’t like the rcenaries knew that.

The rcenaries began creeping down the stairs ahead of him. Slev let them get a good ways down before he followed. Laurana, the archer of the group, was standing in the middle of the stairs, her bow pulled back, mana swirling into a piercing purple point on the tip of her arrow. It was easy for Slev to see why shortly past the base of the stairs in a circle of devastation a single glowing tree sat on a mound of corpses.

She released the bowstring, and the arrow sailed forth at an almost deceptively languid pace, noticeably winding through the air as a tendril of mana from her guided its path straight towards the Mangler tree’s eye. She brought it directly in line with the cold center of the orb as it struck.

The mont it disappeared within the flesh, purple panes of energy spiraled out in a kaleidoscopic pattern. The manger slid apart into hundreds of wet, sappy hunks, not even sure how it died. Kon, the Tear maker leader, huffed approvingly and gestured forward with his axe.

Slev stayed at the top of the stairs looking down in concern. He wasn’t sure if Vrax was going to be able to deal with these guys. Last ti he had hired assassins, he had gotten what he could on short notice. This ti the church had basically given him a blank check and full authority to make so lofty promises, so the talent he acquired was…considerable.

Kon the leader wore ragged furs and wielded an axe with wrath. A full-blooded barbarian class with an uncommon wit attached to it. Laurana was a half-elven beauty who had dropped out of so fancy mage school and twisted her caster class into an unholy archer that delivered deadly spells one at a ti with the tip of her arrows.

Then there were the two Defender types. They brought Edie, a classic heavy-armored warrior with a resistance so high Slev had heard he could take a crashing carriage to the chest and just shrug it off after pulling himself from the wreckage. And Carn a nearly clairvoyant duelist. She wore no armor, but she didn’t need it. Between shields of force and prediction, Slev had seen her effortlessly stop or avoid a half dozen arrows on the trip here.

Then the final mber of their party. A mber they had paid themselves to get onto the team for this mission. Alone they would have been formidable but certainly potentially surmountable, especially with Vrax’s rather ridiculous allies Slev is aware of. But the tear makers took this job deadly seriously.

They were good, great even, but only when you looked at it in the grand sche of where he was. An inconsequential town on the edge of the world. In the empire's capital the top cutthroats would pick their teeth with the tear makers' bones. They were acutely aware of this.

They had hired a Craven; Slev didn’t know how they got ahold of that savage order of assassins and cutthroats. That level of murders was above his pay grade, normally hired by kings, queens, and warlords to definitively deal with issues.

Slev knew little about them other than the only way to get invited into their ranks was to kill a standing mber or kill soone a nation had officially branded as a Dark Lord. He was really hoping this was one of their most junior mbers, but of course every single one of the rcenaries was wearing an item obscuring class and levels, including the contracted Craven.

Kon and the defenders had cheaped out on their protections, and so Slev was able to pierce them with his advanced identity and at least get levels. They ranged from level 80 and up. Of the others, he had no clue. He also didn’t know Vrax’s true level but assud it was early in the second tier from what he had seen.

What all that ant was Slev gave Vrax pretty even odds, especially if his allies were here to help. That all hinged on the Craven not secretly being a high second or early third tier monster, however. Slev deed that unlikely; those mbers were probably busy assassinating military leaders elsewhere in the world, not dealing with a relatively insignificant conflict on the edge of the empire.

Slev started down the stairs after the rcenaries, keeping a respectful distance. A nearly invisible hand reached out and hooked his jerkin, another hand covering his mouth. "Shhhh, I have a ssage from the king…” A nearly unnoticeable blur within a fern whispered.

Slev managed to keep from reacting as a rather long and slightly confusing plan was whispered to him. Until the final bit that involved what was expected of him. "That's fucking insane! He's insane; I don’t even know if I can do that!” Slev whispered back in a panic.

The Deep Stalker sighed. “He said you would say that and that if you can pull this off, he will," and I'm quoting him here. Make you a custom abomination?”

Slev froze…his mind already spinning with the possibilities, Vrax could make him the perfect weapon, sothing to immobilize his foes and make them ripe for sanctuary breaking. It would make him a real threat on open battlefields instead of just a victim relying on guile and sneak attacks. “Oh fuck…Fine." He hissed back.