Home Invasion

The golems were still finishing the arena. With it temporarily unavailable, Baal gathered the goblins together in the spire room of the minion level and spent the morning drilling them with a crude but effective formation. Spear men with shields in front, archers with short bows in back, while Bunny gave orders and kept the timing. Feathers was more than strong enough to stand in front; however, the barbarian's style didn't lend itself to fighting defensively. Adding to that was her self destructive tendency to go berserk and not distinguish between friend and foe. Instead of joining the line, she was left a mobile piece to fight at her own discretion.

At first the goblins were hesitant to grab the two flaming bows he had created, but the trickster who had been with him the longest had learned to trust the gifts their lord provided. After a quick demonstration of its power, the other goblins fought over the remaining weapon. The newly grown large goblin was given the earth enhanced leather armor he had crafted and was placed in the center of the spear wall. Hopefully his strength was exemplified by his size. He certainly had no problems pushing his weight around with his fellow goblins.

All the goblins took some part of the formation with the exception of the brittle elder. The remaining scavenger and smith joined the large goblin on the spear wall and the two builders took up bows along with the three tricksters. As much delight as it might bring Baal to watch the mouthy elder being beaten as a training exercise; instead he and Suo were on babysitting duty and watched from the edge of the room, far away from the void in the middle.

Outside of the dungeon the formation would take advantage of whatever terrain was nearby to help corral their enemies. Shield and spear were meant to keep others at bay while the archers picked them apart. Inside the dungeon, though he hoped it would never come to that, they would use the duel staircases that cork screwed through the spire, using the high ground of the rail-less stairs to their advantage.

Honestly all he hoped was for the rank and file goblins to be able to hold their own to protect themselves. Any damage they could do was a bonus, but mostly he didn’t want them to be a liability to himself and the other damage dealers. Hence the reliance on armor for defense and ranged attacks.

Bunny wasn't much of an attacker, but she was sly and the other goblins listened to her. Suo and Feathers lacked his strength and magic attack, but they made up for it with mobility and unorthodox attack patterns. He knew Feathers could handle herself in a fight. And since the slime stuck to him practically like a shadow, it would make a useful shield for himself to protect him during spell casting.

They had enough food and resources for the moment so he kept the minions training for the day. They needed to get accustomed to moving and acting as a group rather than individuals. To use their shield to protect the one next to them. To hold an arrow without shooting their ally in front in the back of the head. It was, sadly, much easier said than done. Meanwhile he had the Bee once again look through the caverns for any new resource drops. The orc left them to their business as he went back to crafting leather boots, gloves, and helmets using the latest gathered hides.

The goblins were actually starting to look somewhat formidable. All of them now at least wore sleeveless tops, long britches, and short boots made of crudely sown leather and reinforced with scrap metal. Some now sported either leather gloves or a squat skullcap, or both. The spear men also carried small round wooden shields. Overall it gave them a rather rough and unfinished appearance but it was effective for the goblins, and certainly gave them a much improved defense.

Baal was just finishing up the last of the leather materials when the Bee appeared. At first he assumed it was dropping off whatever materials it had found. Hopefully it had more of the bronze pieces. But the way it was urgently buzzing dashed his brief bought of optimism. He followed the air elemental expecting it to lead him back down to the caverns and some new problem that needed his attention. But instead the elemental lead him up the stairs. The goblins in the main spire room had stopped training and looked confused and afraid. Baal ordered the senior trickster and another archer up to the guard post as he passed. Perhaps it had been a mistake to pull all the goblins and not leave a proper lookout but it was too late to worry about that now. Still, he needed to know what was happening. The two ranged goblins raced up the tiny staircase in the minion area as the rest of the group quietly followed the orc up the spire steps to the entrance level.

“Half,” a cold female voice rang out from the entryway sending a chill down his spine.

“Fuck you!” A somewhat familiar deep male voice quickly offered his expert retort.

“Hush love. Eh Mel that’s not what we talked about. An equal share, right?” A second male pitched in.

“You talked, I listened. Half sounds equal to me since the two of you are joined at the hip, no pun intended. And since we don’t even know what’s inside, and there’s no way you’re not going to find out without my help. It sounds reasonable enough!”

“Bullsh...”

“Love!”

“No! Fuck this! I told...”

“Love!”

“The two of you need a moment?”

“Bitch, try me!”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!”

The woman’s last words were punctuated by an impossibly deep and menacing growl. The orc has seen more than adventurers than he cared to recall during his many, often brief, lives; but he’d never heard one make that noise before. The blood drained from his face and the strength from his knees as the goblins cowered on the steps behind him.

“Love!” The second male shouted urgently before softening his tone somewhat to punctuate his words. “Let. Me. Handle. This!”

“Look Mel, you may have us a bit over, but I do know what’s in there. At least what was before this gate went up. And if it’s anything like what I nicked before we’ll all be set. Low risk, high reward. Thirty percent ain’t bad for opening a door, eh?”

There was more grumbling but unfortunately it sounded like they had settled whatever their differences were. Still as long as they were on the wrong side of the portcullis they were at the disadvantage and could be driven back. He certainly had to try before the adventurer’s readied whatever plan they were making among themselves.

The trickster looked down at him from the interior window of the guard room.

“Fire!” Baal gave the order.

“The fuck was that?” The deep male voice asked but was interrupted by a sudden crash of a glass flask exploding and the thwack of an arrow. The confusion from the entryway was added by a fog of paralysis potion and the sudden alarmed squealing of an injured animal.

“Piglet stay! Heal!”

“What the fuck, I thought you disabled the traps?”

More breaking glass and arrows followed suit as the panicked noises spread from entryway.

“Above!” The other male cried out. “The whole room’s a trap! Mel, the door!”

Baal charged a spell but hesitated moving forward. As long as the goblin lookouts kept the room flooded with paralysis and poison potions, they could attack with the bows with relative security. The adventurers might’ve been stuck behind the metal gate and unable to reach him physically if he revealed himself, but it didn’t mean he would be safe from their own ranged attacks and spells. He’d let the lookouts whittle them down, and only if they intruders didn’t retreat, would he step out to finish them. Or so he thought.

“Pooh, forward!” The female gave an authoritative shout.

There was a new noise from the confusion of the entryway. Not a low growl but a roar like thunder that echoed through the dungeon. Heavy thuds pounded as something galloped forward. And suddenly a great crash and scream of metal giving way. The portcullis shattered under the impact, sending shards of scrap metal flying in all directions. A great shadow burst through the fog of potions and broken gate.

Dire Bear - ???

The great bear stood on its hind legs and roared again, shaking the very stone of the dungeon, and threatening to burst the orc’s eardrums. Its status was red. Dark red. The color of blood and ****.

It was as much reflex as will that caused Baal to release the spell he still had charging and sent it flying into the mountain of brown fur in front of him. The dark ball slammed into the beast ripping flesh and hair and momentarily knocking it back down on all fours. The dip in its health was distressingly small but still noticeable. At least it was until it suddenly filled back to full.

“Heal!”

A long twisted wooden staff not unlike his own emerged from the broken entrance. A dainty hand and slender wrist held the staff pointing to the bear. Then the sleeve of a robe, robin egg blue in color. Another step forward revealed high laced leather boots. Smallish breasts tented the front of the robe. A sophisticated face, classically beautiful with high cheekbones, short nose, and full, if scowling, lips. Dispassionately cold, pale blue eyes gazed out from under trimmed arched eyebrows and scanned the dungeon. Long flowing blond hair reached down to her mid back, only disturbed by two long pointed ears. An elf. And even worse, a magical, animal controlling, elf.

Merlyn Naethyra - ???

Also red. Baal activated his armor of darkness spell. This was going to be difficult, but if it was just these two then maybe...

Mast3r_R - ???

The adventurer in medium dark armor from the previous day backed out of the entrance. His sword was lashed to his side, and instead his bow was drawn and pointed at the ceiling.

Harry Fluffykins -???

The dagger wielding dog eared boy coughed as he stumbled into the spire.

Dire Boar - ???

The pig had several arrows sticking out of its thick hide and was still squealing as it ran to join the woman.

Fuck that!

“Go!” He ordered the goblins, pointing back down the stairs they had just come up, and suddenly wishing there wasn’t a group of stunned minions between him and his own retreat.

Between his armor spell and the attack spell he had used, his manna was already below half. He downed a flask of the spring water as he ushered the goblins back.

“Vine Wall!” The elf woman shouted and suddenly the path to retreat was cut off by a thick growth of plants near the top of the staircase.

Fuck!

The goblins closest to the sudden outgrowth had to scramble away as the thorny vines lashed out at them. Not just a barrier then, but a trap as well.

Fucking Fuck!

He was cornered in his own dungeon. He had **** but to fight. Which was the greatest threat? Which was the softest target? Judging by the color of the status, the strongest to weakest was the bear, the elf, the man with the bow, the dog man with twin daggers, and finally the boar. Should they focus on the bear and try to drop the strongest enemy, or should they work their way up? Did it even matter? Could they even survive? Breakthrough their way to run the other way?

This wasn’t a fight he wanted, but it was his fucking dungeon, and he wasn’t going to rollover and die without a struggle. The bear would have to wait. He was a spell caster so he understood the elf’s greatest weakness, a melee combatant who could get in close, take away the ranged advantage, and prevent magic from being cast.

“Feathers take the elf!”

The dog man was one of the weakest. If his own weak minions had any chance to survive it would be against him.

“Formation ready, attack the boy!”

The animals were a problem. However, whether they were companions, summons, or familiars; they were still simple beasts. He already had a proven strategy for dealing with those.

“Bunny, charm the animals!”

That left the man with the bow to the orc. Both had ranged attacks, the armored archer his long bow, Baal his magic. They both also had some combat techniques, the man carried a sword, Baal had his strength and stamina. It would be a battle of attrition. But Baal didn’t have that sort of time to spare. The deciding factor would therefore not necessarily be strength but the first to make a fatal mistake.

The intruders balked at the assembled monsters. Whatever they were expecting to find in the dungeon it wasn’t a living shadow giving orders to an unit of armored goblins. Baal took advantage of their momentary lapse to once again blast the bear, this time in its drooling snout, giving Feathers the gap she needed to charge the elf.

The archer overcame his shock first. He leveled his bow at the cloaked figure of the orc and released. The barbed arrow sped to where the heart should be but then bounced harmlessly off the shadow armor. Baal advanced forward, pressing before he could notch another arrow.

Fuck that was too close! For the briefest of moments he had forgotten his new spell was protecting him.

Rather than one big bit of magic, Baal sent multiple small blasts of dark energy at the man, forcing him to deflect or dodge what he could, slowly backing him up. He just needed to keep the man off balance and his attention forward for a few more seconds.

Bunny was trembling slightly with fear but she still did her seductive wiggly dance, from a safe distance, as she attempted to cast charm over the bear. However, the bear was less than impressed and ignored the bouncing goblin as it tried to intercept the immediate threat to its master, the rushing ax wielding barbarian.

Feathers launched herself at the elf. She danced in a whirlwind of destruction, the flame from her tomahawk trailing after her as she hacked away. The elf parried what she could with her wooden staff but it was clear the goblin barbarian was slightly faster and slipping through the cracks in her defense. While she was succeeding in keeping the elf too occupied to cast magic, at the same time Feathers was actually doing very little damage. The elf was strong.

Arrows peppered the dog eared man from behind the spear wall. More fire arrows rained down from the slotted windows above. But most missed their mark horribly.

Baal activated the miasma spell for just a second as he moved into the group of opponents. If they were going to have any chance against the adventurers the needed to break them apart. He reached out for the dog man and yanked him towards the waiting spear goblins.

The young man sprawled forward but quickly regained his balance. He used his forward momentum to hurl himself over the front line of goblin spears in an acrobatic somersault and landed in the midst of the archers.

Fuck, that didn’t go as planned. But the goblins would have to figure something out for themselves. The archer had already pulled another arrow and was aiming for the shadow’s head this time.

Baal cut off the miasma spell. Not that the debuff wasn’t valuable in this close fight, but his mp was already once more below half and he wasn’t carrying many potions. He had hoped to close the distance before the archer could attack again but it looked like he was too late. Though that wasn’t to say his plan had failed. The archer had retreated slightly and fallen right into his trap.

An ugly twisted long sword made of scrap metal cleaved down into the archer’s unprotected shoulder, dealing a chunk of damage and disarming him. The armored man twisted in shock as the sword withdrew for another attack. The small nook in the wall behind the man now held nothing but an empty armor stand. The pitted, slightly green armor, instead stood behind the adventurer as it raised its sword for another strike. The soul stone inside the living armor compelling it to action to defend the dungeon.

Baal charged a magic blast to attack the distracted adventurer but was blind sided himself by the stampeding boar. The orc might not have felt much thanks to the spell but the impact still overwhelmed the armor of darkness and sent him flying. He landed in a heap on the stone floor but thankfully at least he hadn’t approached going over the edge of the hollow spire.

The orc picked himself up, cradling his ribs and wheezing to catch a breath, as he searched his inventory for a potion. A shadow fell over him. A large shadow. An angry shadow. Baal reactivated his armor of darkness spell just as the menacing bear’s meaty front paw smashed into him. His defense once again shattered as the claws raked his shoulder. If not for the spell and the resistance his cloak offered, he might’ve lost the arm and shoulder whole. As it was, the attack **** him to his knees. His health flashed dangerously low as the bear loomed over him, rearing back for the finishing blow.

The dire bear pounced down at him in a blur of fangs, hate spit, and claws; but it suddenly stopped short just before it reached him. The great beast hadn't stopped voluntarily, rather it was held back by a multitude of slimey black tendrils that roped around its body.

“Suo!” The slime howled as it pulled the dire bear backwards.

The slime's intervention was all the time he needed. With the last of his mp, armor of darkness covered him yet again. Two of the enhanced healing potions restored his health to nearly three quarters. Not great, but much better than the brink of **** it was a moment before. More manna spring water restored his mp and his hand immediately went to the stone floor to form a summoning circle.

“Bunny, keep the pig busy!” The orc ordered, charging back towards the archer even as his summoned skeleton pulled itself from the ground.

“Good food! Pretty food!” The gobliness called as she blew the boar a kiss.

Unlike the high level bear, this time she was successful in charming the animal as it drunkenly sauntered towards her.

“Dispel!” The elf shouted as she blocked another in the endless storm of ax attacks long enough to swing her staff towards the boar.

The beast’s slow swagger once again became a raging charge as the boar suddenly ran down on gobliness.

“Bad food!” Bunny yelled angrily as she ran from the galloping beast.

Baal narrowly avoided a new long green vine as it whipped through the air past him. Feathers was in full berserk mode but the elf was still able to not only defend herself but also cast the occasional spell or heal. The goblin was giving a commendable effort, but she was simply outclassed by the adventurer.

“Feathers!” Baal shouted for the barbarian.

However, lost in the haze of blood-lust, the goblin ignored him. What should he do? Not only was she strong, but the elf’s healing ability kept the tide of battle in their favor. He couldn’t spare any of his forces to back up Feathers, and the goblin wasn’t thinking strategically, or really at all. Should he leave the living armor to fight the armored adventurer alone? Honestly the automaton was much like the dust golems, sturdy and strong, but much too slow and unwieldy to be of much use unless it was able to ambush. If the man retrieved his bow and made a little distance for himself, he’d be able to thin out the orc's forces in the room in less than minute. Feathers would just have to hold out a little longer and keep the nature mage distracted. She was strong and fast, she just needed a little...

Baal skid on the stone tiles as he redirected his sprint towards the goblin.

“Feathers!” He yelled again to similar ignored effect. “Listen to me godsdamnit!”

The barbarian paused for just a moment. It gave the elf a brief window to throw yet another healing spell, but more importantly it allowed Baal to take the accessory he had crafted out of his inventory and slap it onto the back of the goblin’s braided hair as he ran past.

Harpy Feathered Amethyst Bronze Brooch
Dexterity +5
+25% Movement Speed
+25% Attack Speed

The small bronze oval held an amethyst jewel in its center and two long feathers trailed under it. It was probably not meant to be used as a hair clip, but it seemed the system allowed it, and it did match her already decorated hairstyle. Feathers grinned at the sudden influx of power and launched herself once more at the elf.

The orc charged his attack spell as he moved. The armored adventurer had pulled his sword to defend himself from the living armor. Like all adventurers he enjoyed an unfair advantage of stats. His strength and form were apparent even to a relative amateur like the orc. However, the full plate armor was a bad opponent for him. The magic armor was tireless and had no weakness or vulnerabilities. The earth attribute further enhanced its already formidable defense. If it had been made of anything better than the poor scrap metal it might have already overwhelmed its opponent. Somehow though it still managed to hold off even the adventurer’s unfair advantage.

Speaking of unfair, Baal released his spell at point blank range into the occupied adventurer’s back. Dark energy burnt through the riveted metal and black leather armor. Armor melted to flesh and was ripped apart in streaks of magic carnage as the adventurer screamed in agony.

“Love!” The dog eared twin blade yelled as he avoided the mass of goblins to charge the shadow attacking his companion.

The dog man was bruised and bloodied by a hundred small scratches but was clearly still in fighting shape. The goblins behind him, not so much. Two archers were down, either dead or otherwise unable to fight. One of the spear men was bloody and holding a now spear-less shaft, the top having been broken off. The large goblin looked like he had been used as a pin cushion and had lost his shield, but was somehow still standing.

Baal half turned at the dog man’s approach but he kept his staff trained on the armored adventurer. Under the cloak of darkness still concealing him, the orc allowed a cruel smile as he rapidly fired more magic blasts into the adventurer’s back. If the boy was going to come, he wanted him emotional and ****.

“Oy fucker, get off him!” The dog man screamed in near panic.

Baal allowed the man to approach. Apparently he hadn’t learned his lesson from the first time. Just before the twin blade reached him, the orc once again cast the miasma spell, crippling the adventurer’s stat advantage and slowing his impressive speed. The orc deflected the first blade with his staff and caught the man’s other wrist with his own fist. The boy was fast, but he lacked power. Especially while suffering the debuff.

The orc raised a thick foot and kicked the captured adventurer square in the stomach. The dog man staggered backwards breathlessly.

“Heal!” The elf woman once gain called out repairing damage nearly as quickly as they could deal it.

The slumping armored adventurer behind him picked himself up with a second wind. However, even though his fighting spirit had returned, he was clearly in bad shape. Worse for the orc, however, Baal suddenly found himself sandwiched between the two very pissed off adventurers.

A loud buzzing noise suddenly filled the air as a cloud of swarming insects surrounded the dog eared man.

Bunny let out an ecstatic whoop as she streaked forward on top of her new pig mount. Her rabbit fur vest had come undone, allowing her impressive green breasts to bounce vigorously from the rough ride. The tip of her twisted dagger releasing ever more stinging insects.

The orc turned his attention back to the armored adventurer. He rushed the man with a lowered shoulder to pin him against the unyielding living armor’s thick shield.

Flaming arrows continued to fire down from the goblin lookouts. They had only produced moderate results, but so far the two upstairs were the only ones to escape damage in the mayhem.

The living armor pounded the adventurer with its shield and slashed with its sword. Baal switched his staff back for the short sword from his inventory and stabbed into the man’s back.

“Heal me ya cunt!” The man yelled out in pain.

“I’m out!” The elf woman yelled back still fending off the flurry of attacks from slowly exhausting barbarian.

“Mel!” The dog eared man yelled from inside the swarm. “The waterfall! It’s a fucking manna pool!”

Fuck Fucking Fuck

“Brilliant!” the elf screeched. “Pooh, to me!”

The dire bear was half covered by the slime. Tendrils cuffed its arms and legs as the slime had enlarged to try and absorb the enormous beast. While the two were locked in close struggle, the summoned skeleton slashed at the bear’s thick hide with its ancient blade. Slowly but surely the two were whittling down the dire bear’s health but the battle was far from settled.

Hearing its master’s call the bear flexed hard against its restraints, breaking a thick arm free and sending the skeleton flying back in pieces with a mighty swipe. It ripped itself away from the slime, flinging great chunks of the slime with each swing. Finally free, the dire bear charged the small green thing attacking its master with yet another dungeon shattering roar.

Feathers turned to meet the beast, flexing her own muscles as she gripped her twin tomahawks and met the ferocious noise head on with her own battle yell.

Fuck, she was drunk on battle, exhausted, and about to be squashed.

The elf slipped out of the fight and down the unobstructed side of the spire’s double-helix staircase.

“Suo! Do not let that woman drink!” Baal ordered over the din of battle.

He briefly considered rushing to Feathers’ aid. Whether she’d admit it or not, she was in way over her head. But he realized he was too far away, and even if he could reach her, he’d only paint a target on himself for the overwhelming bear.

Fuck. He gripped the blade on his short sword harder. Not even enough time to switch weapons and charge... charge... Why the hell not? Magic had worked well enough with the fucking club he had apparently used for his whole gods forsaken life thinking it was a staff. What did he have to loose.

Baal channeled his manna into the scrap metal blade. The dark energy charge sparked from the tip of the short sword, threatening to shatter the weapon. He hurled the blade at the bear, catching its front left leg in mid charge. The accumulated magic ripped into the bear’s wound, blistering through its thick fur until the limb exploded in chunks of gore. The bears yelped in pain as it’s leg gave way and it skidded forward on its own momentum as the barbarian launched herself onto its back, axes swinging.

The orc returned his attention to the adventurer in front of him. The living armor once again had him pinned. Baal kicked the adventurer’s leg out from under him. He landed hard on his back. Whether it was smart enough to plan tactics or simply lucky, the living armor stepped forward onto the adventurer’s sword arm, pinning it to the ground.

Baal needed a weapon. He pulled his staff back out of inventory. He might’ve been able to finish the helpless adventurer with magic, but his own manna was dangerously low now as well. And he was out of items. Instead the orc resorted to doing things the old fashioned way. Or in this case, caving the adventurer’s head in using the staff as a club until he was interrupted by a burst of system music.

Level up!

His health and mp suddenly flushed full as he surged with new power.

The dog eared man gave a pained yell. His twin blades were useless against the swarm of insects and his speed couldn’t catch up to the boar riding goblin. Baal breathed deep as he fully charged another blast.

The insects parted as the ball of magic approached. A glimmer of hope flashed in his swollen eyes before the adventurer realized the truth and sunk in defeat

“I’m comin’ Love!” The dog eared man screamed towards the dungeon ceiling as he also evaporated.

“Surround the bear!” Baal ordered his remaining minions.

The pig would stay under Bunny’s control until provoked. They now outnumbered the bear and could hopefully keep it corralled and pinned. That just left...

Baal rushed to the open pit in the center of the spire. The elf had made it past the minion and crafting level and all the way to the bottom of the spire. There, it looked like Suo had finally caught up, but a step too late. The slime was wrapped around the elf’s high laced boots, but her upper body had already reached the pool.

Fuck Fucking Fuck Fucker

He had to stop her. Would his magic even reach from this distance?!

The elf pulled herself forward and stuck her face into the pool. Baal charged as much of his newly filled mp into the attack as he could. Assuming his aim was good enough, he didn’t want the spell dissipating before it got to her. The elf reared back in panic, clawing at her face and throat. The liquid in the pool stayed clinging to her face in a small blob of flowing blue water. Water that was topped by an over sized, lily pad like, hat.

The little water elemental had actually saved them! At least for a moment. Though the elf was out of magic, it was still very much alive and willing to fight. And Baal knew well that any adventurer was dangerous. The elf woman quickly pushed away the elemental and swiped at the slime with her staff. Suo was resilient but the slime had still accumulated a massive amount of damage already. The slime used its new rock like hardening trick to hold on. This was still bad. They needed more. Though he hadn’t thought of the elementals before...

“Bee!” The orc yelled towards to dungeon ceiling.

The air elemental quickly zipped down from the lookout room, hovering over the battle.

“Your inventory! Do you still have the rocks?” Baal shouted.

The bubble like creature bobbed and buzzed in what seemed like an affirmative.

“Release the rocks!” Baal ordered as he pointed to the bottom of the spire.

The Bubble Bee zoomed over the cutout at the center of the spire. Floating high in the air on this level, it was roughly six floors above the pool below when it opened its inventory and released the contents there in. The orc thought it had collected a great deal of the nearly useless stones before, but he had nearly forgotten he had also sent the elemental scavenging into the caves that morning.

A veritable landslide of rocks hailed down towards the stuck adventurer. Each one could only do a tiny fraction of damage on their own, but when released by the hundreds, or perhaps thousands, they were lethal. Especially to a notoriously low defense magic class. The wall of stones crashed onto and all around the elf in an earth shattering hammer blow. There was no system alert or music, but neither was there any further movement.

“Suo? You alive?” The orc called out cautiously as the cacophony of clashing rocks subsided.

“Suo!” The happy reply echoed up from below.

Baal turned back to the bear and the goblins. The dire bear was back up on its hind legs. Its useless left arm hung with a gaping hole at its side, but its right limb remained powerful and threatening. The two remaining spear men tried to keep it occupied as Bunny and Feathers attacked as opportunity allowed. The sole remaining archer on the ground and the two in the room above filled the large target with arrows.

The bear was injured, but that only made it more aggressive and dangerous. Still, the goblins were showing good teamwork and deserved a win, and he did have a fully charged magic attack and suddenly nowhere to use it.

Baal shot the spell into the bear’s right rear leg. Without the penetration of the sword, it didn’t explode quite as spectacularly, but it did do more than enough damage to rip away fur and flesh and render the leg useless to holding the bear’s great weight.

Once it was on the ground it was... not helpless... the bears remaining limbs and great jaws were a threat, but they were much easier to avoid. The opportunistic goblins were quick to swarm over the beast hacking, slashing, and stabbing until it disappeared in a blast of music.

Level up!
Level up!

“Potions for the injured, then get them to the pool for healing! And deal with that pig!” Baal ordered.

The orc himself quickly headed for the lowest level. They may not be out of danger yet. The battle wasn’t over until he knew the elf was dead.

“Suo!” The slime greeted him as he leapt down the stairs.

Suo was standing watch over the prone body of the female adventurer. Even though she was half buried under the massive pile of stones filling the floor and spilling into the pool, the elf was clearly still alive and breathing. However, she was also taking no action to attack or even help herself. Baal ended his armor spell, once again revealing himself in his garishly dressed orcish glory. He quickly cleared the rocks to reveal the elf’s **** face. The fair blond elf was even more beautiful without the cruel scowl. The orc felt a familiar swelling in his pants as he stared at her.

“Suo?” The slime asked.

He hadn’t realized he had started to chuckle.

“Suo, bring the woman.” Baal ordered as he stood while dusting his knees. Remembering who he was talking to he added a hasty, “And don’t eat her... yet.”

The slime lifted the **** adventurer and followed its master up the spire. They passed the goblins coming down on the way up, the twin spiral staircase still blocked by vines at the entry level. Bunny and Feathers left the big goblin to carry the two injured ones for the group and followed Baal up instead. The living armor had once again taken position on its armor stand in the nook next to the shattered gate and several patches of greenery still whipped about threateningly, but the orc ignored them as he kept climbing to the top of the spire.

Bunny and Feathers stayed back and watched the orc lead the slime around the edge of the pit and to the source of the waterfall. They not so gently placed the sleeping woman on the smooth black altar. Surely this was a sacrifice worthy to whatever dark ones had blessed him. But first, as he released his snug trousers, a little something for himself.

Baal ripped the pale blue robe from the blond elf woman revealing even more of her fair skin and dainty features. Long neck. Smallish apple sized breasts now contained only by a plain cloth bra-let. Slim waist, lithe and unblemished. Long legs still wrapped in high laced boots. But most importantly was her prize now protected by only a similarly plain pair of nondescript panties.

The last of her modest clothing was quickly ripped from her, revealing all of her naked glory. Her nipples where tiny and pink, rapidly hardening in the cool dungeon air. Her pussy little more than a pale pink slit with a waft of blond hair. She looked like she he work of a master sculptor lying **** before him.

The orc was harder than he could ever recall. Not that he wanted to waste time thinking about past erections at the moment. The goblin women were certainly nice. The slime was a guilty pleasure. But this... This was an actual female adventurer. An untouchable thing from his fantasies. And she was right there, ripe for the taking.

He eagerly lined himself up with the narrow slit. She was larger than a goblin, true; but she still seemed too small and frail to take him. He pushed forward, but was turned away. Her lips barely parted. She wasn’t like the others. She was too tight, too small, but most importantly not excited or wet and not eagerly assisting his penetration.

Fuck!

The orc rubbed the ugly bulbous head of his member against those sweet lips. He wanted her. He would have her. Soon enough she was coated in a thin shiny film of his thick precum. If there was one thing orcs knew, it was how to mate with the unwilling.

He eased forward again, parting lips and slowly intruding into her most sacred spot. And he’d be godsdamned if it didn’t feel like heaven.

The elf started to whimper and stir as the over sized appendage slowly sank ever deeper into her folds, vulgarly stretching the hole beyond its intended limit.

“Hold her down!” Baal ordered the slime.

The slime wrapped itself around the woman’s outstretched arms. Baal took advantage of her position to grab her perky breasts as he worked to bury himself inside her. She was deeper than the goblins. She took most of his length before he bottomed out.

“So fucking good!”

He savored the vice like grip on his cock. He built a rhythm slowly. She was too tight and too dry, but he didn’t care. This was for his pleasure only. He relished watching the outline of his large member moving just under the skin of her pale abdomen. The way her bodied swayed as they rocked. The feeling of her softest bits.

“Incredible!”

The elf’s eyes shot open as she screamed at the violation.

His right hand moved up from her tender breast to close around her lovely neck. He carefully squeezed as their eyes locked until the noise coming from her became little more than a high pitched squeal. He leaned forward and licked the elf’s cheek.

Gods she tasted like strawberries!

“Fuck yes!”

The elf stared up in horror at the orc pressing down on her. She twisted and kicked but unfortunately it only served to better stimulate him. He pounded harder as the elf's pretty face began to contort and change color. The blood that couldn’t circulate pooled as her face turned shades of purple and highlighted around her abused breasts pussy.

Her vision blurred and tunneled in until only the grunting pig like face of the orc was all that was left in her view.

She was loosing consciousness again. Something inside finally gave with the violent coupling. A deep thrust broke through the resistance of her uterus and he buried himself fully into her womb. The orc released his strangle hold on her as he stood up, grabbing her by the hips as he luxuriated in the spasming muscled that was massaging the head of his dick.

“Take it! Take it all you fucking whore!”

He roared in triumph as he came. The elf choked as she gasped for air, half delirious, her body betraying her as she climaxed from the fullest sensation she had ever known. He was still rock hard and cumming as he ripped himself free, painting her with even more ropes of thick orc cum.

The elf, gasped, choked, and screamed as she thrashed even more wildly in some unbearable combination of pain and pleasure.

“Suo?” The slime asked.

“Knock yourself out,” the orc panted in response as he stepped back.

He was a generous lord after all. And after everything the slime had been through and done for him, he might as well reward his first minion.

The slime eagerly moved forward, grasping the writhing woman with even more dark tendrils. It sloshed over her, absorbing the orc’s seed from her skin. It followed the semen trail to her red and gaping nether lips. Another long slimey appendage snaked it’s way down and once again filled her abused hole.

The elf screamed once again from the intrusion, casting about as she attempted to break free of the monster’s embrace.

More tendrils formed and went after her unclaimed orifices. Perhaps the slime was upset by her unpleasant noises. Whatever the case, it did not appear to be going easy on the elf as it roughly filled her from both ends. From the way it was going, Baal wouldn’t have been surprise if the two newest tendrils weren’t meeting someone deep in the middle of the ravaged elf.

The elf shook violently as she silently gagged on the thick slick slime. Her cheeks and eyes bulged as she struggled to draw a breath that wouldn’t come.

The slime seemed to draw out the woman’s torment by withdrawing just enough for a short breath before plunging itself back in. It repeated the process as it sucked the woman clean of what its master had left. However, even when it had finished it did not release the woman. Rather it melted over her, coating her in a thin layer of darkness as it began to attack in earnest.

The slime could have finished the woman quickly. Instead it took its time, allowing the occasional gasp and scream to fill the altar room before once again entombing her.

Finally. Mercifully. The sadistic treatment came to an end in a burst of system music as alerts filled his vision

Level up!

Fame increased! 708

Defeated a hero +415 (Expanded)
You defeated a level 31 hero! +52
You defeated a level 24 hero! +40
You defeated a level 20 hero! +33
You defeated a hero the a higher level than you! (x3) +30
You defeated a hero companion more than twice your level! +200

Shamed a Hero! + 5 (Expanded)
Respawned naked! + 3
Respawned traumatized! + 2

Defended the dungeon +190 (Expanded)
Defended the dungeon against overwhelming odds +200
Lost a minor minion (x2) -5

Rumors of your realm are spreading! +2

Altar of the Dark Ones Activated!
Your sacrifice was greatly appreciated!
Experience +2000
Wisdom +10
Unique item: Throne of the Dark One unlocked

Level Up!

New Trophy unlocked!
Dire Bear Trophy

The array of notifications nearly overwhelmed the stunned orc. Yet still there were still more messages blinking and waiting for his acknowledgement. He tapped his status menu with a trembling hand.

[u]Baal, Level 20 Orc
[/u]Experience has grown Apprentice into Disciple
Monster, Mini-Boss, Orc, Explicit
Experience to level up – 1875
Attributes:
Strength 33 > 40
Dexterity 24 > 30 (+2)
Stamina 64 > 81
Charisma 19 > 22
Intelligence 31 > 38 (+6)
Wisdom 35 > 52
Luck 34 > 39
New Feat!
War Caster - Reduces chance of spell failure due to concentration break. Increases chance for attack of opportunity by sometimes decreasing casting time. Allows mage class to equip heavy armor without penalty.
New Spell!
Experience has grown Dark Energy
Choose a spell branch:
Dark Energy Explosion - A projectile orb that explodes on contact. Spell range and damage are based on charge time. At full charge all creatures within the blast radius must make a Dexterity saving throw or be damaged by an additional (Intelligence x 3 / Distance) damage.
Dark Energy Chain - A bolt of black energy that will arc between nearby enemies. Can be cast continuously as long as caster has MP. Damage is reduced by distance from source. All creatures caught in the chain must make a Stamina saving throw or be stunned.

Still naked from the waist down, Baal's laughter echoed down the spire.