"Grumpy, I want you to bash these two columns down and use them to barricade the door. Get your basilisk buddy to help"

He really hoped the basilisks understood what he wanted them to do.

But his worry was unwarranted, the basilisks immediately started attacking the pillars with their tail clubs. They were damaging the columns but it would take a while to bring them down.

"Dog, with me!" Dave equipped his sword and s.h.i.+eld then advanced on the demons.

Grumpy kept bas.h.i.+ng at the pillar, but turned eyes brightly s.h.i.+ning yellow eyes on the demons, turning two of them to stone. Dog's basilisk also used [Petrifying Gaze] on the charging demons and froze another two. So Dave and Dog only had to fight six demons.

Dave switched to his gauntlets and activated Aura. He smashed a fist into a demon's face and punched again with his other hand, staggering it. Another demon swung a sword at the draugr, Dave jumped back, dodging the attack. He lunged back in with [Dragon kick], sending the demon sprawling across the floor.

Dog snapped his bone club, transforming it to its whip form then lashed the linked vertebra at a demon's hand, crus.h.i.+ng fingers and disarming him. He ignited the whip and struck at the demon with the inflamed weapon.. The dullahan whirled his bone whip at the demons around him.

Two demons swung their swords down at Dave at the same time. The draugr blocked with his forearms, the blades screeched across his gauntlets in a shower of sparks. The draugr grabbed the demons by a horn each and spun into [Infernal Tornado]. As he spun he used the demon he was holding to batter the rest. That was when the petrification ended on the other four demons, freeing them to join the attack. But Dave just hammered into them too.

When [Infernal Tornado] finally ended Dave was in the center of a very battered and very angry pack of demons.

A loud crash came from behind him.

Grumpy had toppled his pillar and guided it down across the door. Three hits later and the second pillar fell across the first, blocking the door.

The basilisk turned to the battle. The onyx basilisk puffed up and launched spikes in every direction. The spikes pierced leather armor and demon flesh, staggering them and doing damage.

Dave's gauntlets glowed white, [Ramp Up] had activated. He traded attacks with two demons, punching as he dodged their swings.

Dog was fighting two demons himself, which left Grumpy and the other basilisk two demons each.

Dave was left to fight four demons by himself. A hammer struck to Dave's side forcing a grunt from him.

[-18,222]

Dave used all his speed, Agility and movement skills to maneuver around the pack of demons so that he only fought one at any time, preventing them from surrounding him.

Grumpy and the other basilisk killed a demon each and were in finis.h.i.+ng off the other two. But Dog was struggling against two level 400 demons and had already been wounded, his HP was at less than 20%.

"Dog, pull back and recover!" Dave ordered.

He moved to engage Dog's opponents, fighting against four demons again.

Dave's HP continued to drop, he killed one of the demons before the basilisks finished off their demons and joined him. Three minutes later, all the demons were dead, the loot scattered on the floor.

Dave swept all the dropped loot into his inventory without looking at any of it and handed out health potions to everyone.

He was almost out of potions. He needed to resurrect Dikenz so he could restock, maybe then the f.u.c.ker would start charging fair prices.

The sounds of heavy impacts were coming from the direction of the throne room door. The demons were trying to break through the barricade.

Dave walked over to the small door that led to the roof. The small door was blocked by furniture, debris and rocks.

"Help me get clear this." He started moving the rubble blocking the door.

The basilisks did the heavy lifting, removing the larger pieces of rock and stone. Dave tossed chairs, tables and even golden cups aside, clearing the way. When it was mostly clear, Dave opened the door, revealing a cramped circular stone staircase leading up.

As they took the steps Dave felt he was missing something. He was preoccupied with fighting the demons to notice that the sound of battle outside had long since died down.

Dave walked up the stairs carefully. You never know where a demon with a big-a.s.s war hammer might be hiding ready to ruin your day.

Dave looked around when he stepped out on the rooftop. Flagstones arranged in a circle, the roof had no rails. He could see out over all of the Undead City and the territory around it. Before the fall of the undead the Death Heart had hovered over the center of the stone tower.

Dave took the Death Heart from his inventory and walked toward the center of the roof. But turned when he heard metal clank behind him.

The Undead King stepped onto the roof, glaring at Dave and dragging Samael's limp form behind him by the neck. The king's sword dripped a thick black fluid, undead blood. Still in jotunn-ghoul form Samael was making faint wheezing sounds.

The Undead King stood for a moment and looked around. Then the revenant moved flickering like a ghost, stabbing with the black sword, the point already against the skin of Dave's neck. But the sword didn't penetrate or even cut the draugr, a puzzled frown crossed the king's empty visage.

The wily draugr had activated [Bastion].

Dave didn't know what he needed to do to return the Death Heart, so he just said a 'Hail Mary' and raised the stone over his head hoping it would return on its own.

A whirling tide of black energy spiraled out from the stone. Was.h.i.+ng through the Bone Palace, it spread across the Undead City and out toward the horizon.

A fanfare sounded and a notification appeared.

***

Conquest Server Announcement!

THE LEGION OF THE UNDEAD HAS RISEN AGAIN!

Player Kis'Shtiengbrah has successfully completed the S rank hidden Quest The Forlorn Hope of the Legion. With this quest completion the Undead Legion has returned!

Player Kis'Shtiengbrah is awarded a unique t.i.tle:

Paragon of the Undead!

+10,000,000 EXP

10,000 Gold!

***

***

Conquest Server Announcement!

In 30 minutes the Conquest game servers will be going down for the installation of a new Service Pack. Please find a stopping point or finish what you are doing. Players already inside dungeons will get a free 'save' to resume play wherever they log-out in the dungeon.

Patch duration 72 hours (Game Time).

Please check the forums for information about the new additions and mechanics.

***

Another notification appeared in front of Dave

***

You have gained the following trait:

Unique Character Trait: Progenitor of Undeath!

You can now turn willing players to Undead, they can join the undead legion and rank up in the legion.

The players you sire will only be able to rank to Doom Knight as the highest rank in the legion.

You have finished the Quest:

The Forlorn Hope of the Legion!

Meet the Undeath G.o.d (Nicholas) at Urburg for your final ascension quest.

+5,000,000 EXP

***

Multiple level up notifications dinged. Excited by everything coming together at last, Dave waved them away for later and looked at the undead king expectantly. The blood-red tooltip over the king's head wavered, the color of the text changing.

The king withdrew his sword and shook his head as if to clear it, a confused expression on his face. He looked down as if he didn't remember what was in his hand, recognition entered his face as he saw a very battered Samael, the expression quickly changed to distress.

"Samael, my friend, what has happened?" he asked in a puzzled voice, releasing the ghoul gently.

The ghoul sank to his knees, coughing.

"I will gladly explain, your majesty. But you are well now and all else that is not well, soon will be."

The king looked toward the draugr standing near him at the center of the tower roof, right under the Death Heart

The king's eyes met Dave's.

"And this draugr?"

Dave's elation vanished, there was no recognition in that cold gaze. The text above the Undead King settled into a bland yellow shade, the att.i.tude-color of a neutral NPC.