Chapter 360 Demon Hunter
Dave reached the Bone Palace in a few minutes. The guards at the entrance immediately recognized him and opened the gate.
One of them still stared at Dave, confused.
Dave understood that the undead's confusion had to be concerning his current equipment. It was probably safe to assume that he had to be the first Doom Knight wearing a Death Knight's armor in the entire Dead Realm.
Dave nodded at the knights and quickly went past them into the courtyard. He was hesitating, worrying about what the King would think of his outer appearance. Last time they spoke, the Undead King had granted him an audience, but his worries seemed unfounded as he heard his voice calling for him for afar.
Dave walked up the spiral marble stairs. After a minute walk, he arrived in the throne room that was at the top of the palace.
Dagla and Samael were in the presence of the king, and they seemed to be in the midst of discussing something important.
Dave coughed as he entered, making his presence known.
The three turned their heads to Dave. Recognition, gratitude, and indifference faced him.
"Childe, you have come to see Us, welcome. Speak your desire," the King commanded, his voice monotonous, bland and far from the intimacy of the one who had recognized Dave as his Childe blessing him with his undead name.
Dave sighed and answered, "Andre has told me that something was going on in the world. Seeing how the Undead are moving, could it be you're preparing to go to war?" Dave questioned.
"Yes, War." The undead king answered cooly.
"The Ash King, I presume?" Dave asked.
"Correct. It is time to repay him for what he has done. However, Our strife with the Ash King turned out to be but a problem we need to solve. The more troublesome reason for Our march are the deities who seek to upset the balance of power."
Dave didn't fully understand what the king meant, but he highly doubted it would be a good idea to ask the Undead King to elaborate. He didn't look like the person to repeat himself. Thankfully, Dagla noticed Dave's confusion and spoke, "The deities are gathering their troops. And the Demi-Gods want a place among them. According to Gafgar's reports, you have met with one of them already. Duradel Ashkar?" Dagla said.
"Yeah, he was way too strong," Dave sighed.
"There is no shame in being weak when one is young. Your time amongst us can be counted in months, whereas that man has lived for centuries. He used to be a disciple of a dear friend of mine. You have once ventured in his tomb. Unlike Ashkar, his son succeeded in gaining immortality and became a demi-god. Now his quest lies in obtaining the power fragments of lesser gods and imbibe them into his being."
"The Legacy items? The demi-gods are gathering the Legacy items that have not been discovered and those without a successor yet, I suppose," Dave assumed.
"Right. That ring of yours may also be in danger. However, fret not. The deity who guards you will not permit its theft, as it has already been bound to you. You should be safe… for now." Dagla said mysteriously.
"Meaning?" Dave asked.
"The Clash of Gods has begun. I believe you've already partook in the first wave. As long as you remain victorious then there is nothing for you to worry about. Yet should you lose, your grasp of the ring of true Undeath will falter, and you will become susceptible to losing it."
"Oh, I didn't know that. I thought losing will only exclude me from participating." Dave replied.
"It will, but this will be the least of your concerns at the time. Many demi-gods will come for the ring." Dagla informed him.
"We protect our own, Childe. Fight, and bring honor to the Undead. And if the day ever comes where you are bested, fall back to us. No matter half or full god we shall break them if they dare to go after one of Our own." The Undead King reassured him.
"Now, for the reason, we are fighting against the Ash King…" Samael pitched in and returned the conversation to the topic at hand.
"The Ash King is the Son of Asmodeus. The God of Hell. He is basically a Demi-God. His objective has always been to secure more divine fragments for himself. After obtaining enough, he will become a deity comparable to his father. Naturally We do not wish to see that come to fruition."
"Oh, so that's why you want to strike while the iron is still hot," Dave nodded.
It was easy math. The Ash King was strong, but not God-Strong. If he gets his hands on the fragments, he will become a far more dangerous threat to the Legion. Nick's stunt at stirring things up with the Clash of Gods appeared to have some drawbacks. This was one of them.
"Indeed. Our task is to finish off the Ash King before he gains enough power to overturn the balance. Our spies have informed us that he has sent out a few of his demons to recruit people to his cause. You are free to move among the ranks of visitors and are hereby tasked with destroying these Demonlings." The Undead King ordered. Then he waved a hand, throwing a crystal sphere at Dave.
Dave inspected the item.
***
Demonograph.
Item level 1
Conditions of use: None
Tier: Artifact.
The Demonograph can guide you to the nearest Demonling within a 100 miles radius.
Infused ability.
[Forced Battle]: You can issue combat against Demonlings without PK Repercussions.
***
"Use this and find those who are aiding the Ash King." The Undead King said.
A notification appeared in front of Dave.
***
Royal Decree.
Find players or NPCs trying to join the Ash-King's cause.
You must slay 10 Demonlings before the Undead King marches to war with the Ash King.
Quest duration
30 days.
Failing the quest will result in a loss of reputation and credibility at the Undead King's court.
Succeeding the quest will grant you the right to partake in the upcoming war against the Ash King.
***
'Damn, and here I thought I would have gone to war if I liked it or not. Alright, a PVP quest. This is not bad. I can use this to hone my skills against other players. The Clash of Gods will last for a while, and I need all the training I can get.'
Dave bowed towards the king, "I'll do as you say."
Dave accepted the quest, and the king's lips curved into a slight smile.
"Go, Childe may fortune be with you."
The Undead King waved Dave away and continued his discussion with the two Abyssal Knights.
Dave left the palace and headed to his settlement. Andre had promised him that his weapons would be ready in a day. He didn't want to explore Conquest with low tiered gear. So he headed to revive his undead. Mainly the Tengu.
When Dave arrived at the settlement, a server announcement popped into the sky.
Dave looked up and read the announcement.
***
Conquest Server Announcement!
The Gods have started doubting their representative champions after watching their defeat!
From now on, all players can participate in the upcoming rounds of the Clash of Gods. If a player without a Legacy successfully defeats a Legacy Holder, the loser will hereby forfeit their Legacy to the victor.
Players with a Legacy are allowed to refrain from participating in the Clash of Gods if they fear losing it, though they will no longer be able to join the Clash of Gods later.
Due to the expected increase in the numbers of players joining the Clash of Gods, the resting period of a week will be shortened to 3 days in game time.
If a player ends up inheriting a Legacy from another player, all the points the previous holder had accumulated so far will be preserved. The new holder is also able to upgrade the skill to the next higher tier for the same cost.
Victory against players without a Legacy Class will grant 1 point only.
Thank you for your understanding, and we hope you enjoy the game.
***
'Oh, this changes a lot,' Dave thought to himself.
Legacy Classes weren't omnipotent. Their wielders were still at risk of losing against a skilled player. There were a lot of players in Conquest, who were good, but hadn't been lucky enough to unearth a Legacy. It wouldn't be too surprising for them to win against the odds. With the new event, Dave immediately thought of a certain player with a mecha suit. He may not have a Legacy but he was still strong enough to contend with the most powerful players of Conquest.
Also, this didn't mean he was the only one with extraordinary ability, and there should be others who had chosen to hide their unique and hard-earned Skills. Something that could give them an edge in the heat of battle.
Dave looked at his ring and thought, 'This will make things very interesting. I guess trying to hide Deadra's Sword and Shield at this point would just be foolish. I'm gonna have to go all out."