บท 3: Awakening Ceremony
"Would you look at this? Two statues? What do you think Viper, has that rat Vecna hidden somewhere?"
Bloodhound turned his head at the masked assassin, wanting to see how he would react.
His question was left in the air, with Viper checking the eerie Altar Chamber from the entrance opening not feeling like risking his neck for the rest of the party members.
Watching quietly this bloody scene and focusing mainly on the grotesque statues, he frowned when Bloodhound asked him again with a colder, ordering tone.
"Have you noticed something? Should we continue chickening or take over this room?"
"Hah, whatever. Let's split around and make sure to not lower your guard. That Vecna guy might be low-level, but he isn't stupid by any means."
"Whose side are you taking Viper?"
"I'm a member of Black Fang. What I mentioned is just a reminder."
"Okay. Much appreciated. Now, guys split around and make sure to find that rat."
Behind the gargoyles, in hiding was Vecna who listened quietly to this group of PKers who even at this point didn't give up on hunting him. He felt like cursing his Stars for this situation, his thoughts being in disarray.
'I have some Gnomish Dynamite... if I place them now behind the statue it will make for a great smokescreen.'
'I push off the ones watching over the exit and burst out with Golden Flash.'
'Then, I'll go climb up the walls until I get to a blind spot. If I am lucky those idiots might omit to search such nonsensical hiding spots thinking I would go for the lake path.'
'Yeah, that's the plan.'
Preparing himself mentally while Viper was contemplating where he could hide in this enclosed chamber, he took out some dynamite from his inventory but before he could do something with them, he suffered some mishap.
[The Quest Item <Book of Night> has reacted to the Users uncertain situation.]
[To complete its purpose, it has initiated the Awakening Ceremony.]
The Book stuck to his hand like a demonic parasite that found itself the perfect host to enclose itself, point when the changes for the worse struck Vecna. Bloody tentacles started springing from the book's crimson cover, enveloping the poor man's right arm and swiftly drying him of his vitality.
'Motherfucker!'
'Book, just kill me already or I promise if I still have you in my bag, I'll burn you to ashes.'
[You have lost 80% of your HP]
Vecna's handsome appearance shattered like the fake profile of a model-wannabe, being turned into a sorry state that could be described as such...
He was a mummy and nothing more.
"Something is off with those ugly statues. Look, crimson lights from behind them!" pointed the player, Steel from the left wing of the chamber, yet to discover the reason for the change.
"I see."
Bloodhound wasn't that stupid to not put one and one together, and with his "Magnific" sword, he jumped in the air and slashed in the air sending a sure One-Shot Kill hit for the hiding "Rat".
"No place to hide damned RAT!"
Vecna turned his eyes in the direction of the swordwave, and it wasn't even required for him to gesticulate with his eyes since they were already sunken in because of his drained state.
{Health: 622/6219 | Mana: 630/630}
'Book. Ohh, Magic Book. Awesome Book. Pleasee, save this foolish mortal!'
'I was joking about all that burning threat. You must tell. Come on, do your magic for all the sacrifice I've given.'
'You've sucked me dry, you must have a way out.'
[The Book of Night forces your right hand to touch the Guardians of Blood]
Without his own will, Vecna saw how the right hand was twitching and pulsing with crimson veins as if he was scalded in paper worms on steroids all over his veins.
The pressure of Bloodhound's attack grew with each second, and with his eyes wide open, he gritted his teeth bracing for impact.
"The Master's Will continues living on. Glory to the Eternal Night!"
"Death to the intruders!"
[Ding!]
[The Guardians of Blood have been awakened.]
[They will temporarily fight for you, defending the Holy Sanctum of the Dark Father's Tomb]
Vecna dropped to the ground as he watched dumbfounded the stone statue of the Gargoyle breaking off, revealing a menacing creature clad in crimson blood armor while its weapon was made out of blood.
The nameplate of the monster typical for a Semi-Boss monster only propounded the numerous questions he had about the situation at hand.
[Guardian of Blood – Level 200] (Champion)
'A Boss mob fighting for me? Crazy.'
"Guardian. Don't let them kill me."
He was ignored by the Gargoyle that blocked Bloodhound's attack, reaching a stalemate since the Black Fangs looked confused at the situation, only for Viper to break the silence with his understanding of the set-up.
"Kill Vecna. He is doing a Unique Quest that links him to the Boss Mob. I assume that once he is dead, the monster will also disappear."
"Afterwards we get his rewards. Smart." commented Bloodhound who slashed his sword in Vecna's direction, only for the attack to be blocked by the Blood Guardian.
"Steel, grab the aggro!" shouted Bloodhound, frowning at the sight of a monster protecting a player.
"Sure thing, Boss."
Vecna stared at the gargoyle blocking all of the attacks, even ignoring the PK's attempt at taunting him. Yet the feeling of danger lurking in the air didn't leave him since Viper used his Rogue skill to get in melee range to him, slashing at him with a long dagger.
"You look pathetic. If I shout at you, it might be enough to kill you." remarked Viper while swinging the dagger, noticing the shocking change in the sly explorer that stole their treasure chest.
[Ding!]
[You have gained a new task for <The Core of the Dark Father> quest.]
[Awaken the Second <Guardian of Blood> to fight for you.]
Frowning, it made Viper who watched Vecna scoff at the annoyed expression. "Nothing personal."
"Hypocrite. Quit yapping. It gets annoying at some point."
"Besides, I had better days." said Vecna whose legs flashed with a golden light, unable to use his Greatsword to defend because he was holding the Book of Night with his left, still capable of moving his legs.
His attempt at escaping alerted Viper who warned the other 3 players on standby to apprehend Vecna since he was keen on getting out, like some cockroach.
"You'll not get anywhere, Rat! After I kill this mob, your head will be next."
Bloodhound had his attention distributed to whatever Viper was doing to Vecna, and right in the face of the Gargoyle, he told the pathetic-looking man. No chance at running.
"Fucker, I don't plan to escape. You have it easy with one mob? What about two Semi-Bosses? Will this be challenging enough?"
"???"
"What?"
The members of Black Fang fighting the Guardian turned their attention at Vecna who was next to the remaining statue, noticing how he was pressing his right hand on its cold body similar to a lunatic.
"Awaken! Clean the room for the Dark Father!"
Vecna got into deep waters, even role-playing as an Apostle of sorts, just so his chances of succeeding would grow slightly against those deplorable men.
"Kehahaha, this nutjob, what a time to play around. Suck the statue dicks, maybe it will wake up."
Those remarks stung in Vecna's subconscious.
It wasn't enough that Viper choose to strike from long-range throwing a poisoned dart in his direction that be evaded by ducking under the statue.
'Book, come on, don't make me look like a psycho.'
The Book of Night shined with crimson light at the pleading thought of the shambled human and in an act of magic, the statue Vecna was hugging for dear life started shedding its skin, appearing in its all glory.
"Glory to the Eternal Night! Glory to the Dark Father!"
[You have cleared one of the quest tasks. All requirements are fulfilled. Proceed with the Awakening Ceremony.]
'Awakening Ceremony? What the? Isn't the quest all [???]'
'Quest Log: The Core of the Dark Father.
[The Core of the Dark Father!]
Rating: SS
Description:
The shrouds of mystery over an Ancient Evil have slowly revealed themselves. Along with the sacrifice performed for the Book of Night which represents a fragment of the Dark Father's Authority, fragments of a primordial past are revealed to the eyes of a mortal.
Once a human was cursed into an inhuman by his sins. Morphed into a Divine Being using its might, gaining Authority over Life and Death.
He who bestows dark blessings upon his followers. His power was said to be unrivaled, and his dominion over the night was eternal that it sent nightmares over the Chaotic Gods, his creators.
Fighting alone against a horde of envious Gods, he was outlasted, defeated, and humiliated as he was when committing the first sin.
Now, memories and the history of such a great being are nothing to the annals of history, only his fragments of the power lurking in the crevices of the world. However, to fully destroy an Evil God was something not even the Highest Authority in Heaven could be capable.
His will and authority continue to live in the world, the Original Sin was his, and as long as humans breathed, his spirit will continue to last.
Quest Task: Gain the Core of the Dark Father
Quest Reward: Acquisition of Class [Caine's Reincarnate]
Quest Failure: User's Death and Lose of All of the Dark Father's content.
.
Now that he was protected from all sides by the Guardians, Vecna could read the contents of the Quest, from the description that gave out a thought-inducing question, to the Requirements for clearing the quest and its reward and failure option.
'Man, this Dark Father dude sounds powerful from the description. He fought a Patheon of Gods solo, and he put them in nightmare mode.'
'Could it be? The reason I got all [???] was because I didn't spill blood for the Book? Or this will be considered that if I knew about the contents of the quest, I would just reject it for fear I would get blacklisted by those Hypocrites preaching at their Church.'
Thinking that, he turned his sunken eyes at the Book of Night focusing on the Crimson Eye that blinked slowly as if to communicate back with Vecna.
'No way. I didn't throw you at the junkyard when I got my hands on you. I am quite the pure child. Trust me.'
The crimson eye had a shift in intensity as if it frowned at the poor mummy that give the impression you could split him in half with a swing on a branch.
[The Book of Night requests you to proceed with the Awakening Ceremony.]
[New Contents in the Book of Night will begin to unravel.]
'Got you, Mr. Book.'
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