Apex Destroyer

Anoma had no interest in fighting a war he knew he would win. As such he had to be where he was certain his might was needed,. As King of the Unliving, he had the unsightly task of ending all threats to his people and his goddess. One such threat existed here. The King stood at the foot of a towering white mountain his golden green flame eyes surveying the entrance.

Said entrance was large, a very noticeable hole carved into the mountain's base. It was notable but still had next to no life around it. All it had were the bones and flesh-peeled skeletons of the Destroyer's prey. The white sand beneath his feet crunched as he took closer steps to the entrance. As he neared the first corpse beneath him, his head tilted down to look at it. Green fire engulfed his left lower hand before falling on the corpse with a hiss.

[Rise - False Life Creation]

[A skill under the King of Unliving perk. Attuned with the use of Necrotic frost flames, the king unlike his people can also create false life for the long dead]

The flames seeped into the corpse and vanished. A glow emanated from its chest and then its eyes lit up with rhe familiar green fiery glow of False Life. Skin wove into. its body till all parts of its bones were covered. With a popping sound it rose and without hesitation plopped unto its abdomen. The corpse was three-legged and thin looking, a sort of stick man with a huge arm growing out its back. The said eyes were just slits in the face and the parts of its body that demanded the green flames gaps in the branches and lines of its body.

There was no reply from Anoma, just a glance before he walked away. This time though he didn't bother looking at the corpses. From all four arms, green fire spilled into the graveyard. As he walked the flames engulfed everything in his path until he had gone past the last corpse.

He stood at a cylindrical passage with walls and rocks jutting out the sides forming edges and grip surfaces. From far above Anoma could hear it, the familiar screeches of the dam able beasts that ruled Mistrelon. The flames in his brightened as a thought floated in his mind.

'Not any more'.

*

The mountain peak was the one site where Hilde would have been shocked to see a different temperature and climate. Clouds gathered around the half point of the mountain obscuring onlookers from below. At the top grew a massive dead-hanging tree. A tree where the most powerful and deadly of the destroyers lived.

It seemed impossible for deadly creatures with such prowess to actively habit close territories with each other. But while many might reason them as just powerful most would remember that they were first of all like any other entity and just beasts.

Unlike the pack mentality of the wolf, they exhibited a horde mentality. Several predators conjoined into one massive group beneath a greater ruler. One that had to be a powerful predator standing atop the power chain. It was one such figure that lived at the top of the mountain within the tree bark. Unlike the others though, this predator had an eye. A tiny diamond shape eyed right at the center of its head. An eye that gleamed with malevolence as it sensed a disruption in tbe horde.

*

The little mushroom figure leaped from. branch to branch rolled underneath giant fallen leaves and used twigs to catapult itself ahead. Behind it an entourage of Mushrooms followed. The first Mushroom halted atop tbe crevice within a branch that supported it. From there it looked down at the others following.

Its thoughts went to how smooth and un3ventfuk the journey had been. More evidence that the Destroyer's bane had been at work. The little creature could only hope that maybe those vile beasts of the mountains would stop coming into their woods.

It perked its head at the low dual whistle of another Mushroom. Replying with a sharp whistle it bounced forward from branch to branch. The Destroyers were not its mission now. Its sole focus was bringing the secret to the Bane. As his people believed, only the one capable of ending their predators could glean the secret behind their sorrows.

It was a hidden prayer that maybe tbe giant female could do more than just see their tale. Maybe she could change it.

*

Two gold chains reeled in from the air dragging a floating red orchid down. The blue-eyed female reeling it in didn't even bother ducking as the orchid shrieked and spat a glob of acid down at her. Her eyes glowed dimly as the earth on both sides rose to cover her. The sound of the earth sizzling from the acid told her how dangerous it was. With a harsher tug, she brought it down.

The thing crashed to the ground cracking and raising dust with its body. Vines and leafs swayed as it wailed then burrowed into the ground.

"Hmmm. is that a skill?" while she could stop it she paused with both curiosity and desire to train her skills. As she watched the ground cracked and broke at different places. White leafs and thick vines pushing themselves out from these cracks. Curious she ignored the orchid and focused on the growing plants.

The ground smashed apart as a thick arm of white vines shot out. It twisted into a long straight bark stiffening as it turned white and black. The center shattered as something ripped it apart, an arm this time revealed. The same went on with the other vines too until eight beings escaped the vines. There was no facial feature, stood tall like a humanoid with only vines growing from their backs and swaying about. They matched on two feet as they rushed at her.

[Vile Orchid Spawn - Pawn]

There was no other characteristic, no lore nor description. With a shrug, Hilde threw herself into combat. This time around she restrained her divinity. Her will came into full play as she moved her body. Hilde's attempt this time was in creating more skills and actively increase her focus in using two or more intents at the same time.

Her blue eyes emitted green light, and the ground rumbled and heaved up creating spikes that shot out halfway trying to skewer anything above it. Her two hands made an elaborate pattern as the streams of Primordial water manifested. The pawns proved to not be mindless creatures without thought as they leaned to the sides and dodged the spikes as fast as they could. The first in the row acted, its vines squirming to the front and stretching out with speed.

The vines clamped onto her right hand distracting her from the water and making it splash to the ground. With a click of the tongue, Hilde quickly rotated her arm around the vine increasing its hold on her and her hold on it. Before the pawn could realize what was up her palms ignited.

"Let's see" the temperature plummeted, a surprising detail considering her palms were ablaze. Along the vine ice blue fire spread with a cracking sound. The pawn stiffened yet proved to be intelligent as other vines quickly grabbed and tore off the freezing vine before the frost fire could get to the main body.

"Smart" she rushed forward. Her body blurred, even without activating her divinity just her stats were enough to attain speed the Pawns couldn't follow. It was nowhere near as fast as the speed used for the destroyer but it was fast all the same.

"But useless" A smile lit up her face as she swung out her palm. It connected, sinking into the pawn's flesh and still sinking. Hilde frowned taking a step back, her hand got tighter to the pawn as it sank even more. A slight rough feeling covered her hand as she realized what was happening.

The thing was feeding off her.

The Pawn's vines flared about and a wail uttered from it as its head froze, the flame spread down with speed and engulfed its entire body. Retrieving her hand she watched the fire die out and all that was left was a statue of ice.

Wails resounded from the other pawns their vines lashing out at her. A step back, one to the right, a squat, and a spin to the left. Hilde's dodging skill went to work. Uncertain of what could happen if they touched her again. While she was sure of burning them it wasn't certain if they had the means to paralyze prey. The first of them had been cocky believing all to be over after devouring her hand.

The rest would certainly try more. Even more, Hilde felt this was a good opportunity to level up her dodging skill. As she moved she planned. Her eyes went to the sky where the Vile Orchid floated and she scolded herself. So caught up in checking her speed and training she had forgotten about the Orchid. If it was aware and had attempted to end her at that moment she might have gotten harmed.

Hilde frowned as she realized that in many ways she was still weak. If an attack that was able to stay hidden and negate her defenses struck she would die.

She shifted her head to the side as a vine whipped past. Stamping her foot on the ground she shot up, high enough from the Pawns but low enough to not reach the Orchid.

[SKILL]

Eyes of the Unseen (INNATE)++

Meddler of Fate(INNATE)+

Soul Dao (PASSIVE)

Swordsmanship Lv9+

Archery Lv8+

Evade Lv 24+

Dagger Lv10 +

Aura Lv15+

Daemon Fist Lv3+

Golem Armor(ACTIVE) Lv5

Kill Slot(PASSIVE) Lv5+

Silver Reflection (ACTIVE)

Aum (PASSIVE)

(Prosthetic - Arm of Culdre)

Her evasion had gotten a few experience points just not enough. Her sword skills were still low and her aura was low. Noting the skills she could try to improve she pushed away the text descending. In both hands, two old friends appeared.