NOVEL NEXT 043: Horde Clash 1
<14 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]
Theo was just coming out of the cabin when the first wave of goblins hit the wards. Arrows were bouncing off the protection of the Wards as well.
"Someone finally put a foot in their ass huh?" Theo said, looking at the sudden effort that was being thrown at them.
"I guess that someone was not happy about us killing off the Spirits," Julia said.
"I think you are stronger than you know," Ordus said in passing, and Theo and Julia looked at him. Ordus shrugged and continued. "There are very few people who would elicit this level of a clash, even with the Mark of the Harbinger."
"So is that skill commonly known?" Julia asked.
Ordus shook his head, "No, but when we were waiting to come, I overheard several high-level minions of the Unwanted God discussing how it was strange that you had managed to rack up such a high response, and then it jumped even higher."
"Huh," Theo said, wondering what kind of skill the Mark of the Harbinger was, "Welp, guess it's time to bring the pain then."
All around them, the Goblins were milling around, trying to find a way to fulfill the orders they had been given. Theo looked around and then shrugged, "Julia, can you create a ring of runes around several of the Goblins, just the ones you can reach without leaving the safety of the permanent Ward runes?"
"Yes, what are you trying to do?" Julia asked, and Theo explained.
"Well, I figure that Ordus can continue to reinforce the walls, and then when he is done, he can keep an eye out for anything that we need to be aware of," Theo said, looking at Ordus.
Ordus nodded and bowed slightly, "Of course."
Ordus moved to get back to work, and Theo looked at Julia. "You and I will work on whittling this horde down. One group of goblins at a time."
Theo picked up his new axe and stepped out of the Ward runes. The goblins seemed to freeze for a moment, and that was all Theo needed to Taunt the nearest ones. With a screech, ten goblins rushed at Theo, who kept his back to the permanent Ward runes. As they neared, a half circle of temporary runes appeared, extending from the permanent runes and cutting the goblins off from the others.
Theo smiled and focused, channeling his Penitent Strike. With its upgrade and the ability to channel for twenty seconds, he relied heavily on the damage reduction and the healing from Julia to tank the blows that he was taking. When all was said and done, Theo had taken roughly eighty hits from the goblins. He slammed his foot down, and a wave of energy pulsed outwards, slamming the Goblins into the temporary Ward runes at their backs.
Two of them took the additional damage from the Ward runes and died on impact. Theo rushed forward and slammed his axe into the neck of another goblin, leaving seven in the ring. Theo rushed at one more and sunk the axe into his head, but had to hastily dodge a swipe from another goblin.
Theo backed up once more putting the permanent Ward runes to his back. Theo was about to taunt when Ordus called out. "I might need some help here!"
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Theo stepped back across the permanent wards and turned to see Ordus holding the bricks of the wall with his hands. On the other side, Theo could make out a shimmering green circle in the Ward rune's protection, and beyond that, an Ent and the Storm Giant.
The Storm Giant saw Theo looking and smiled viciously as the Ent pushed on the bricks in an attempt to open the way for several Orcs and a bunch of Goblins.
Theo took a breath and started running towards the wall, shouting as he did so. "Cut them off, Julia! Sorry about this, Ordus!"
As Julia started layering runes around every Goblin and Orc in range, Theo leapt as high as he could, and stepped off of Ordus's shoulder before pushing off the wall to bring his axe down into the face of the Ent. Theo fell back, pulling his axe free as the Ent raged, and as soon as he hit the ground, Theo Taunted and channeled, setting his focus on the Storm Giant.
The creatures around him went berserk as those he Taunted tended to do so. But many of them were trapped in many layers of Ward runes. As they pushed forward to Theo, they took hit after hit of Retaliate, and several of them died. When the Storm Giant got to Theo, and made his first strike as Theo began to channel, there were seven creatures in the ring of Ward runes that Julia was now maintaining.
{[Corrupted] Angram Cloudborn, Level 11, S-} SG
{[Corrupted] Branlor Deepbough, Level 08, A+}
{[Corrupted] Brok Zhan, Level 09, B}
{[Corrupted] Grubz, Level 07, A-}
{[Corrupted] Skrit, Level 06, A-}
{[Corrupted] Thogg, Level 06, A-}
Theo looked at each of them and decided that if he could, Angram would not be leaving. Just as he finished this, his channeling finished, and he slammed the axe in an arc up towards the knee of the Storm Giant. The strike hit and sent Angram flying back. Theo began to lay hits in on the other Goblins and Orcs. One Orc was hanging back.
Angram shouted something, and the Orc named Brok Zhan stepped up, and his balled fists began to glow with an angry orange light. At the same time, Theo saw Angram turn to the temporary Ward runes and raise a hand in the way that he did when he made a hole in their rune protections.
Theo used Taunt and was about to rush at Angram, who somehow resisted the Taunt, when Brok Zhan slammed a fist into Theo's side, sending him sliding five feet to the side, and fully gaining Theo's attention.
"Theo!" Julia called out. She had not seen him get knocked to the side like that before.
"All good, Julia," Theo said calmly, he faced the Orc, and Taunted, also starting his channel as soon as possible. Theo also felt the time turn over on his axe. He was confused as he thought that he would not get the turnover since he had switched targets.
Theo shrugged, "Who am I to complain. Two percent damage reduction, and ten percent damage given here I come."
He braved the strikes of the Orc. Each one slamming into him as he imagined the fist of an enraged gorilla would. When twenty seconds were up, Theo slammed the butt of the axe into the Orc's chest with a sickening crack.
The Orc let out a gurgling roar and charged at Theo. Theo swung the axe and took off one of the Orc's hands. The Orc stood there with a manic look on his face, behind him, Theo saw Angram working to escape Julia's Ward runes.
The Orc called something out, and an exasperated Angram called back in a sharp tone that Theo thought was frustration.
The other Corrupted were waiting for a movement from Theo or the Orc. Julia called out, "Seems that my upgrade is making his life a little harder."
"Well," Theo spat out a mouthful of blood as he felt a rib click back into place under the effects of Julia's Warmth of the Hearth. "We can't be bad hosts now. Best to entertain our guests."
Julia chuckled and began firing shots from her Glimmer Branch at the Storm Giant. Theo lunged forward and taunted everything in range, channeling once more. Theo felt the axe's time roll over once more, and he channeled Penitent Strike.
The now one-handed Orc began striking as hard as he could with his remaining hand and the stump where his other hand had once been. For A moment, Theo thought he was slowing down.
Then Theo looked up at the Orc and saw nothing but a feral grin bearing down on him.